In one of the best Alpha Couple songs, John Darnielle asks us to consider a difficult evening in “Game Shows Touch Our Lives.”

Track: “Game Shows Touch Our Lives”
Album: Tallahassee (2002)

People will talk about “No Children” forever because the chorus is undeniable, but the Alpha Couple has so many memorable moments across Tallahassee. John Darnielle tells the tale of this couple and how they fall into darkness so completely that people often think it’s some form of autobiography. Many of the great albums from this period of the Mountain Goats are, but this is a story that only borrows from real stories. It is real to remember a moment with cheap gin and sad evenings, but it wasn’t John Darnielle’s life at the time. This is the man who wrote “There Will Be No Divorce,” but he didn’t write it about these characters.

“Everything’s gonna be okay soon // maybe tomorrow // maybe the next day,” is one of those sets of lines that could feel underwritten. Most of this one isn’t necessarily that complicated, but it really solidly nails the emotions of a dark, stale room where there’s a very real fear that the morning won’t be any better. “I’m in the mood // the mood for you,” is one of the last moments of love this couple shares, and even that is a slight one. We’re only on track four of the album and already our couple needs gin to make it to the morning.

There were two “hidden” videos released on the website for Tallahassee and this one clearly goes with this song. That video could be funny in the right light, but I suspect if you identify with this song it will hit you the way it’s intended.