Toad from Super Mario Bros. speaks for all of us in “Thank You Mario but Our Princess Is in Another Castle.”

Track: “Thank You Mario but Our Princess Is in Another Castle”
Album: Black Pear Tree EP (2008)

This is Toad’s song, of course, but it’s so much more than that.

“Thank You Mario but Our Princess Is in Another Castle” is exactly what Toad, the servant of the Princess, tells you when you rescue him at the end of each world in Super Mario Bros. As far as references in a Mountain Goats song go, this one is practically commonplace. Lots of people remember the frustration of getting to the end of a set of levels and hoping to rescue your beloved Princess, but instead being told that you’re at a dead end.

The subject matter is silly, as Toad is an inherently ridiculous character. He’s got a mushroom on his head and he exists in a world of “eight-bit choirs” on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Toad is a source of comic relief in many Mario games, and when he’s not silly he’s terrified. He’s worried about “guys dressed up like sorcerers” that torment his people in Super Mario World. People seem to like to point out that those only exist in a different game, but if we’re going to be that specific, how does Toad know what “screeching tires” sound like?

Beyond the silliness, there’s real fear here. The album Black Pear Tree EP is about a time John Darnielle thought he might have a heart attack. Some of the other songs seem more serious at first, but why shouldn’t Toad represent a fear of death? He’s defenseless and likely to lose everything. When Kaki King joins John Darnielle for the chorus, it’s about the relief of passing a moment you expected to be your last: “Yeah when you came in // I could breathe again.”