I knew someone back in highschool. She wore big platform boots and colored wigs. I looked up to her so much. She was so purely and genuinely kind, smart, and humble. I guess she didn't grow up well. I know the people close to her always hurt her. She killed herself. She was truly from a better world. I'll never forget her.

A daily reminder: *I think you are cool.* You are doing great. Yes, you, who are reading this. You are doing your best to survive in a game rigged against you, in a world that does not give a solitary fuck about your well being and often just kicks you when you are down. It's not easy, but you are soldiering on against lopsided odds. You are stronger, better person than you think you are and even if nobody tells you that, the people who love you know this. That is all.

Listening to this guys songs and lyrics, I've noticed he has a very consistent philosophy: Radical kindness. Love everyone and let them know you love them just because that will make you and them happier. Obviously, this is a cliche, that's been repeated over and over again, but usually it gets put out propogandistically, though with good intentions. It gets put into media you see starting when you're young and it's almost like it's judging you for not engaging in radical kindness, and that defeats the whole point and so it never gets internalized. Also, a lot of the times, it's not advantageous to do, but if you do it, you will be happy. The mountain goats have no motivations for money when he wrote these songs, he just wrote them and people liked it. He doesn't judge you for not doing it, he has compassion for even those of us who have done wrong. There were times in my life when I was younger where I'll be honest, I could be pretty nasty to some people. It can be hard to be kind if you aren't in the habit, especially if the people around you aren't kind to you, but if you just start with the assumption everyone is really just trying their best to live, it starts the ball rolling. To the two people who read this comment, you're a good person. You deserve to be happy. You can love yourself and love others, and there's a place where others will be kind to you when you find it.

I’m a high school teacher who was once bullied and I see these kids rather frequently. Several congregate in my room before school and during study hall. I hope in some small way, I am helping them get through these tough years and have some positive memories.

This guy is rocking the Kitten scarf

It's sad because I think we can all think of a person who fits this song. And sometimes sadly, it's ourselves

"You deserved better than you got. Someone's gotta say it sometime because it's true. People should have told you that you were awesome, instead of taking advantage of you."

This is a song with the same four chords I use most of the time When I've got something on my mind And I don't want to squander the moment Trying to come up with a better way to say what I want to say People were mean to you But I always thought you were cool Clicking down the concrete hallways In your spiked heels Back in high school It's good to be young, but let's not kid ourselves It's better to pass on through those years and come out the other side With our hearts still beating Having stared down demons and Come back breathing People were mean to you But I always thought you were cool Clicking down the concrete hallways In your spiked heels Back in high school You deserved better than you got Someone's got to say it sometime 'cause it's true People should have told you you were awesome Instead of taking advantage of you I hope you love your life now Like I love mine I hope the painful memories only flex their power over you A little of the time We held on to hope of better days coming And when we did we were right I hope the people who did you wrong Have trouble sleeping at night People were mean to you But I always thought you were cool Clicking down the concrete hallways In your spiked heels Back in high school

One of my friends was trans and committed suicide back in 9th grade. I had met them online in 6th grade and we clicked instantly. I always thought she was the coolest most understanding person. They came out to me just a few months before they took their life. I can't believe that was almost 8 years ago. I miss you Alexis

I never stop being surprised and delighted and heart-broken by this man's music.

this song is like a hug... and it brings some straight up hope.

Thank you John Green for introducing me to this song, this comment thread. And for being so authentic and real in videos to us when youre completely frayed.

I've heard the vlogbrothers talk about these guys a lot, but I never know where to start with new artists so I never try. In the latest video though (titled Hard Week, from March 1, 2022), John referenced this song and linked it in the comments, now I finally got around to listening to it. If I had heard this song in 2010-2011, I would've hated it. Not musically, it's great. I would've been so angry at it for its seemingly undeserved hope that I would never have wanted to hear it again. I'm glad I discovered it now instead. Now that I can look back with this exact flavor of optimism, knowing I deserved better, knowing my life is better now (despite the hard week that I had at the same time as John, for only some of the same reasons because we are after all strangers and many of his reasons were personal), and the tempered nature of the optimism in knowing that the painful memories never go truly away but their flexing gets rarer and rarer. And yes, the spite at the people who wronged me, that too sometimes. And the hope that in the future, this will all be true of today as well. I'm not in that same dark place anymore, and I can see that it's now true of then. That sets a good precedent, and the hope isn't undeserved. I've said before of other things that I wish I'd discovered this or that thing earlier, but not now. I discovered this at the perfect time. I fucking love this song. John, I'll see you on Tuesday. Or, when you next listen to this song through youtube, if you have a habit of reading comments on other people's videos :P

I saw him play this in London, November 2022, he asked us all not to sing along, it was fucking iconic

I picked on a few kids in school. I find myself regretting things I did and said half a lifetime ago. with luck, I ran into an old "victim" of mine. I felt so blessed to be able to tell him what a wonderful person he was and how he must respect I have for his fortitude and optimism despite enduring everything he went through. I learned some good news too. he is living a happy and successful life. I'm a full grown man now with a daughter of my own and I worry about how she will be treated in school. I just hope I can use my experience to teach her how to treat others. to bullys: knocking others down doesn't raise you up. it just makes you hate yourself even more. to the downtrodden: it gets better if you let it. and I'm sure most of your tormentors are just as scared and insecure as everyone else of that age.

This is one of those Mountain Goats songs that I am going to try and hold on to as hard as I possibly can, in a desperate attempt to make it through the week on all the good this provides. Thank you JD for helping me get through life, one week at a time.

emotionally devastating thank u very much mr goats

My best friend in college had Duchenne muscular dystrophy and died by suicide at the age of twenty-three. I was angry at him for nine years, but this song will lessen the pain on this, the eleventh year since his passing.

woke up at 4 am just to cry about this song its been an interesting day

Im listening to this song thinking about my father that died when I was in 5th grade and im almost a junior now. After a hard week of wanting to put my head through every surface and with the help of some good friends I've made it through another painful week and came out stronger.

People were mean to so many of us. High school is a hellhole. I'm so glad I made it out alive.

I love how at the beginning someone probably thought he was gonna play Going to Georgia so he had to say,"no it's not that one..."

We're here because

I really wish this song had been officially released on an album.

You were cool. You were cool. You were cool. At least more than you weren't. Look at you now. You are awesome.

This song actually breaks my heart. Don't really know why. It just makes me so sad, but I can't stop listening to it, cause it's so beautiful at the same time. It makes me wish I did more for the people who got picked on in highschool. I wish I could just hug them all now. I send this out to them. I truly hope they're doing better now.

This song was in my youtube mix and I had to listen to it again because I am graduating high school tonight :)

i just discivered this band, its 3 in the morning i am listening song after song having an existential crisis, being stoned and shit

My wife is the only girl I kissed, we were in high school when we met she wore goth boots and scared everyone the friends she did have were jerks. I was an awkward kid little to no friends. Anyways she had a horrible upbringing I saw through that scary girl and we fell in love. This song says things I never could to her.

John Darnielle brings tears to my eyes so often. This is one of those times.

Even through this doesn't pertain to me, it makes me want to cry because I know it pertains to so many people and I want to tell them to listen to this song. Even if they never hear it, it always reminds me to treat people well, even - especially - those girls who no one likes in high school.

this is a great song i m glad i can understand english for songs like that, greetings from France

Thank you john.

That's weird, my eyeballs usually don't sweat this much.

I'm here because we're here because

daily reminder that even though some people were mean to you, you always were cool

Pulling on my heart strings. Aren't we all still the young kids we used to be, getting treated badly for just being ourselves?

My school friend sent me this song saying that the lyrics reminded her of me and how much she agreed with it. Listening to this makes me cry...Thank you my friend...

Found this band as a young, confused 13 year old; my good friend at the time and I bought this cd for my first boyfriends birthday. we bought the cd because we liked the band name. this band and their songs reflect so much of my rough pubescent years and my SUPER rough early 20s. Thank you Mountain Goats. mountain 🐐

'Same 4 chords I use most of the time'... I dig the honesty, and I like the track. Thx

People who say that highschool was the best time of their lives are the reason why highschool sucked so much.

I'm turning 30 now and every time I hear this song I think back to high school and a girl I knew back then who deserved better than she got. I don't know where she is these days, but I hope she is well, and I wish I had told her how great she was back then.

i’ll miss you, cora. i love you.

You wanna know something that's just killing me right now? The Mountain Goats are in my city right now, playing a show right the fuck now, and I am completely broke and out of gas and can't go. This upsets me.

For some reason this song makes me cry.

this is one of the best songs ever

thank you john for introducing me to this

I don't even care if these are the only he chords he knows, I'll listen to them all day long!

My husband swears he saw this dude at an open mic nite in Dallas in the 90s. I would love to go see them in concert. Love their vibe

this brought on the honey nut feelios

rightfully America's poetic voice..you guys speak to my soul

this song is so good it actaully hurts.

This song is a rollercoaster of emotions

Thanks John, this is beautiful.

I’m im hs right now and this song gives me hope

Could have used this song when I was in high school. Great band name!

A tear, a memory, a great song!

listening to this during pride month is like getting a hug from my new family

Id change clicking down the hallways in your spiked heels to running headfirst down the hallways, slamming into locker rooms. My friend took his life in highschool. He was such a goof.😢😢 goofball

scuse me just going to listen to this song 30 times in a row

I love that he isn't vicious with thoughts of revenge; the worst thing he says about the mean people is that he wishes them "trouble sleeping at night."

Love this song so much. It's incredibly nostalgic for me in a sense that it feels like the hug I needed for the last ten years.

These guys are great. Love this music.

such a beautiful cat. reminds me of my Dana. Bless her heart. ^ω^

I found my way here because of the Anthropocene Reviewed podcast - Seventeen Listener Suggestions. Good stuff

your music heals me. thank you

Breaks my heart every time.

AWESOMENESS to You!

john is so powerful ugh his mind it amazes me

Late comment. ;P Thank you for recording this show. I was actually there too, and gave myself heat exhaustion watching his performance lmao. This was the first time I heard this song, and we went because it was the year my dad died and we were trying to do things to keep from obsessing over it and, well. The Mountain Goats brought us out for the festival. The festival is one of the only clear memories (and one of the only positive ones) I have of that year. So being able to go back and listen through this video means a lot to me.

John brought me here.

John Darnielle... I dig you the most man. A friend told me about 'The Mountain Goats' maybe a year ago... I have since watched you out there, still playing, real deal, gigging and doing the work. Rock on brother, rock on... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mountain_Goats

John Darnielle.. and company. I dig them the most... Thx for the Trx!

What an incredible lyricist

Here from John Green's Vlogbrothers video today.

This is such a sweet song! It should be shared ;u;

lyrics are always what makes a song worth while 😢

the little "yeah!" he gives at 2:28 really makes this recording

Just found this song. it is incredible

always so raw.

Went to Triple Rock in MPLS years ago, almost 20. Went to see a Lifter Puller (now the Hold Steady) reunion/farewell show. Some band called "The Mountain Goats" was opening and my fandom for Lftr Pllr was such that I was like "GET OUT OF HERE AND BRING MY FAVE BAND ON" but John, he was solo that night, and he was just in a corner with a guitar, not much PA, no other artists, and he started belting out these tunes and I was like "THIS SUCKS" and two maybe three songs later I was like hey, this guy has something to say and by the end I was like nearly in tears and in love natch and so for that -- I SAY HAIL SATAN!

This song made me cry when I saw the mountain goats in concert years and years ago

I know this girl. i used to bum smokes off her. I found her online a few years back. I'm sorry I wasn't better to you: you are now the person you were meant to be, Tara.

Someone mentioned they imagined this song was about a transgender woman and now I'm crying at work listening to it

Don't know how I missed this one. Had I known of it I would have asked for it to be played at my 50th HS reunion - which I didn't go to because of all the bad memories of those who were so mean.

I really hope his friend got to hear this song.

Great song

Just found this. Isn't that crazy? How am I just finding this?

wow, i never heard this b4,, ive missed out..

What a great picture of JD.

i believe this is the definition of "real shit"

Mandi, if you're out there, I just want you to know I love you

There was a girl in my high school who was trans, but not out. She got made fun of for various reasons. I loved her *so* much. We started dating, and she encouraged me to come out and transition. I thought she was so cool. I hope she’s okay now.

Fun song to play

FUCK I LOVE THIS SONG. I wish it were on one of his albums.

oh love

Why is this song not on Spotify 😭

I don't think anybody in high school noticed me or thought I was cool, but John Darnielle does, and that makes everything OK.

R.I.P. Jakey Bakey. 🍻 see ya around

[Verse 1] This is a song with the same four chords I use most of the time When I've got something on my mind And I don't want to squander the moment Trying to come up with a better way To say what I want to say [Chorus] People were mean to you But I always thought you were cool Clicking down the concrete hallways In your spiked heels Back in high school [Verse 2] It's good to be young, but let's not kid ourselves It's better to pass on through those years and come out the other side With our hearts still beating Having stared down demons Come back breathing [Chorus] People were mean to you But I always thought you were cool Clicking down the concrete hallways In your spiked heels Back in high school [Verse 3] You deserved better than you got Someone's got to say it sometime because it's true People should have told you you were awesome Instead of taking advantage of you I hope you love your life now, like I love mine I hope the painful memories only flex their power over you a little of the time [Bridge] We held on to hope of better days coming And when we did we were right I hope the people who did you wrong Have trouble sleeping at night [Chorus] People were mean to you But I always thought you were cool Clicking down the concrete hallways In your spiked heels Back in high school