So I'm Growing Old on Magic Mountain – English Lyrics

• By: Father John Misty
• Album: Pure Comedy

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the profound, nearly ten-minute journey of Father John Misty's 'So I'm Growing Old on Magic Mountain.' As an English-language song, it offers listeners a rich, literary exploration of aging and existence, heavily influenced by Thomas Mann's *The Magic Mountain*. You'll learn how profound existential dread can be wrapped in lush musicality, making this song a uniquely beautiful, albeit bittersweet, reflection on the passage of time.

[English]

♫ That was the last New Year

♫ I'll ever see

♫ But I want to stay

♫ On that magic mountain

♫ With lost souls and beautiful women

♫ I drank some

♫ Of Farmer's potion

♫ And we were moving

♫ In slow motion

♫ And the slower

♫ The better

♫ The slower

♫ The better

♫ 'Cause there's no one old

♫ On magic mountain

♫ There's no one old

♫ Old

♫ On magic mountain

♫ That was the very last barn

♫ I'm burning

♫ So for now everyone

♫ Is dancing

♫ As if it's any time

♫ But the present

♫ So for now any young thing

♫ In my path

♫ I'll hold their face

♫ So long inside my hands

♫ And the longer

♫ The better

♫ The longer

♫ The better

♫ 'Cause there's no one old

♫ On magic mountain

♫ There's no one old

♫ Old

♫ On magic mountain

♫ The wine has all been emptied

♫ The smoke has cleared

♫ As people file back

♫ To the valley

♫ On the last night

♫ Of life's party

♫ These days the years thin

♫ Til I can't remember

♫ Just what it feels like

♫ To be young forever

♫ So the longer I stay here

♫ The longer there's no future

♫ So I'm growing old

♫ On magic mountain

♫ I'm growing old

♫ Old

♫ On magic mountain

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
magic /ˈmædʒɪk/ B1	noun - the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious forces adjective - possessing or apparently possessing supernatural powers
mountain /ˈmaʊntən/ A1	noun - a large natural elevation of the earth's surface rising abruptly from the surrounding level; a large hill.
old /oʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived for a long time; no longer young.
growing /ˈɡroʊɪŋ/ A2	verb - increase in size or amount.
souls /soʊlz/ B2	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.
women /ˈwɪmɪn/ A1	noun - adult human female
moving /ˈmuːvɪŋ/ A2	verb - to change position or go from one place to another.
slow /sloʊ/ A2	adjective - moving or operating at a low speed; not fast.
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ A2	verb - be on fire; undergoing combustion.
dancing /ˈdænsɪŋ/ A1	verb - move one's feet and body rhythmically in time to music.
young /jʌŋ/ A1	adjective - having lived for only a short time; not old.
face /feɪs/ A1	noun - the front of the head, from the forehead to the chin.
hands /hændz/ A1	noun - the end part of a person's arm beyond the wrist, including the fingers and thumb.
wine /waɪn/ A2	noun - an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice.
smoke /sməʊk/ A2	noun - a visible suspension of carbon or other particles in air, typically one emitted from a burning substance.
years /jɪərz/ A1	noun - a period of 365 or 366 days.
future /ˈfjuːtʃər/ A2	noun - the time or a period of time following the moment of the present.

Key Grammar Structures

• That was the last New Year I'll ever see

  ➔ Future in the past (will → would) and emphasis with 'ever'

  ➔ "I'll ever see" shows a future event viewed from a past perspective, emphasizing finality.

• I drank some of Farmer's potion

  ➔ Simple past tense

  ➔ The verb "drank" shows a completed action in the past.

• The slower, the better

  ➔ Comparative structure with 'the + comparative, the + comparative'

  ➔ It means that the degree of one thing increases as the other increases.

• There's no one old on Magic Mountain

  ➔ Existential 'there is/are' structure with negation

  ➔ "There's no one" expresses the absence of people.

• As if it's any time but the present

  ➔ Hypothetical comparison with 'as if'

  ➔ "As if" introduces a situation that is not real, suggesting pretend or imagination.

• I'll hold their face so long inside my hands

  ➔ Future simple tense with adverbial clause of time

  ➔ “I'll hold” expresses an intended future action; “so long” emphasizes duration.

• The wine has all been emptied

  ➔ Present perfect passive voice

  ➔ This shows that the action of emptying is completed and the result exists now.

• People file back to the valley

  ➔ Simple present used for narrative or description

  ➔ Even though describing the past, the 'simple present' makes the event feel vivid and immediate.

• The longer I stay here, the longer there's no future

  ➔ Double comparative structure expressing cause and effect

  ➔ The structure means the outcome ('no future') becomes truer as the condition ('I stay here') continues.