Two doomed lovers talk about their circumstances in grandiose terms in “Waco.”

Track: “Waco”
Album: All Hail West Texas (2013 reissue)

Counting the alternate version of “Jenny,” the reissue of All Hail West Texas in 2013 had seven songs that weren’t on the first release. One is safe to assume that “Waco” was the closest to making it originally, as it’s the only one that seems to have been played live. In the liner notes of the reissue, John Darnielle says he liked the song but didn’t like the second take, so this demo version is all you get. That explains why it ends so abruptly and why something this complete isn’t on the album.

“Waco” would fit right in on All Hail West Texas. The title explains the first verse, as this is about the Branch Davidians who met their end during the raid in Waco, Texas in 1993. If you’re an American of a certain age, the word “Waco” isn’t something you connect to anything else other than that event. It’s a disaster that is grand in scope, and it’s not surprising to hear a Mountain Goats narrator connect their crumbling relationship to a tremendous event.

The parallels between the verses are purposeful. The first verse seems to be actually the Branch Davidians, speaking figuratively about the dead rising and Jesus offering the only salvation people are interested in. The second verse borrows the zombie language that John Darnielle typically reserves for miserable relationships, but then inserts the same chorus to show how much the two can resemble each other. These two talk about coming to Waco to “get away from our friends” and to “relish the short time left.” They aren’t going to die in fiery disaster in a compound, but they’ve got bad things coming to them and they feel just as doomed.