In The Hold Steady’s song “Girls Like Status,” Craig Finn sings, “it was song number three on John’s last cd, gonna make it through this year if it kills me, and it almost killed me.” The allusion is to The Mountain Goats’ song “This Year,” and then the double allusion is to The Hold Steady’s album Almost Killed Me.
Lyricists like John Darnielle and Craig Finn don’t meet of often, and when the do, it is a special occasion. Last night Finn joined The Mountain Goats on stage for an enthusiastic version of “This Year,” with Darnielle giving a nod back to The Hold Steady’s song at the end. Looks like it was a pretty special moment. Check it out below courtesy of Rolling Stone.
