C’mon, Lorne Michaels, let The Mountain Goats replace Ed Sheeran on SNL
Ed Sheeran tested positive for COVID and likely can't play SNL anymore, so Mountain Goats are volunteering to do it
Aux News The Mountain Goats
Ed Sheeran was supposed to be Saturday Night Live’s musical guest on November 6, but he tested positive for COVID. So now, it’s time for the show to scramble to find someone who’s a good replacement for the ginger singer. Thankfully, that’s pretty easy, and there are some viable contenders who’ve volunteered themselves for the gig.
The Mountain Goats made their intentions clear with a tweet that reads,“Lorne M please be advised that the Mountain Goats are in NY right now and are well loved by the TikTok Dancing Massive. Get well soon Ed & holler at me Lorne.”
The Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle isn’t kidding about the TikTok thing. The band’s song “No Children” from their acclaimed 2002 record Tallahassee has unexpectedly become part of the latest TikTok dance craze. In the TikTok videos, people choreograph themselves “drowning” to the part of the song that goes, “I am drowning/There is no sign of land/You are coming down with me/Hand in unlovable hand.”
It’s unclear why the kids love Darnielle’s depressing song about the fictional miserable Alpha couple, but The Mountain Goats’ music getting attention is never a bad thing.
This TikTok thing has gotten to the point where “No Children” has surpassed “This Year’s” number of streams on Spotify.
Writer James Shotwell compiled a Twitter thread with some of the most popular TikToks featuring the Mountain Goats song, including Hank Green’s contribution to the trend.
If by some internet miracle The Mountain Goats get to perform SNL, at least they’d also have something to promote. The band put out a record this past June called Dark In Here, that was well-received by fans.
And think about it: Twitter would absolutely lose its shit at having Kieran Culkin host the same night that The Mountain Goats are performing. Even those people who complain about SNL would likely tune in to see that magic happen. So, come on Lorne Michaels, buy into the bit. Make some kids and Gen Zers happy.
61 Comments
When do they not have something to promote? John is a song writing machine
He’s an algorithm?
I fear Lorne will get that dastardly Paul Simon fella to fill the slot.
No, they need to get Yola.
You Only Like Ass?
How does that apply to Yola?
what?
This whole thread’s star count sponsored by Matthew. “Matthew, for when people don’t get it.”
The Kool Keith album?
What about updog?
SNL is not airing a new episode on Oct 30th, Sheeran was scheduled for Nov 6th
Only if they play “No Children”.
Uh… Celtic Woman, duh.
They might not want to come on, after SNL called them “The Lion King for Karens” in a skit mocking them last season. Good on them if they can be good sports about it though.
“It’s unclear why the kids love Darnielle’s depressing song about the fictional miserable Alpha couple,…”Because everyone is depressed and this generation are the only ones to admit that?
Also, because it’s one of their most popular songs – something they often play as show openers or encores at live concerts, and EVERYONE sings along.
yeah but these kids weren’t at those shows before
My point being that it is not surprising that one of their most popular songs amongst fans would also be a good song to help bring in new fans.
My point being, like in the article, that it’s not surprising that people appreciate the Mountain Goats, they’re a band not a secret society, it’s surprising and nice that the subset of TikTokers, while not being the apocalyptic scourge they are portrayed as, has connected to this song instead of the more accessible “This Year” or “Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton”
No Children is almost always a part of their 2 part encore closer along with This Year
Yes, that’s the reason. Because the Tik Tok demographic are huge Mountain Goats fans who definitely attend their concerts. Great call…/s
I was going to guess that the pandemic gave everyone a chance to finish/discover You’re the Worst.
We’ve had grim songs filled with disgust for decades, from Johnny Cash to Kurt Cobain but these lyrics don’t bother with innuendo or mince words. LOL!
More likely than my theory that Gen Z has discovered Moral Orel!
Moral Orel was there first.
Ding ding ding
Because everyone is depressed and this generation are the only ones to admit that?
The GenX erasure continues its unbroken streak.
We’re the ones who like all the depressing songs and we like to sing along and we like to shoot our guns
The only thing I don’t like about them getting more fans is that it’s going to make concert ticket prices go up and become harder to get. But I otherwise love that so many new people are discovering them.
SNL should just bring in Julee Cruise and The Spanic Boys for old time’s sake.
I don’t know who the Mountain Goats are, but I’d be happier if they replaced Sheeran EVERYWHERE. Seriously, retroactively add them to that episode of Game of Thrones and everything.
For your consideration.
You know what’s a funny phrase? “Ginger singer.” Those words look like they should rhyme. Now anytime I hear about Ed Sheeran I’m going to think of him as a Ging-er Singer or a Ginger Singe-er. Fortunately this is not a situation I will encounter often. Unfortunately that’s because all of my acquaintances are too boring to listen to popular music – even something as beige (sorry, as Ging-er) as Ed Fucking Sheeran. Do the Mountain Goats have a song about the feeling I’m feeling right now?
Probably. They have songs about a Cadaver Sniffing Dog.
I didn’t know Orson Welles was still alive. He looks great.
You know why he looks so good? Mrs. Pell’s Fish Sticks! Mmm, oh yes! They’re even better when you’re dead!
Rosebud…yes, Rosebud Frozen Peas(tm) with country goodness and green peaness!
Wait, that’s terrible! I quit! Just a handful for the road…
Oh what luck! There’s a french fry stuck in my beard!!!! nomnomnom
How is this not really high up on list of Greatest TV Moments?!
Frozen goodness and green pea-ness:
well, that is better than his wine commercials
The second Critic reference of the day! Today’s a good day.
Or if that’s Timothy Olyphant with a gnarly beard… not looking as great.
Is that Dan Harmon?
5 albums and a movie?
It’s Been A Hard Day’s Goat
This is greatif not I am hoping they get Lala lala, her new album is so excellent and so far under the radar
Modern Lorne Michaels? It’s gonna be Rudy Giuliani and his No Collusion Players or something.
They should hold out for the Palmcorder Yajna trend, where TikToc’ers stay up for three days on peanut butter crank.
Lou Barlow called; he wants his DNA back
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD…!…
The kids? A quick review of people actually using the sound on TikTok would reveal that it’s actually just as many 40 somethings using the sound as 20 somethings or younger. Which actually makes it a better idea for SNL, tbh.
Tried more than a few times to get into this band. It’s not working.
At first I read “get into this band” as “join them”.
Like were you just not goat enough?
“Even those people who complain about SNL would likely tune in to see that magic happen.”
Why?
C’mon, we all know he’s just gonna ring up his buddy Paul Simon to sit in.
Now is the Beatles’ chance to take Lorne up on his offer!
I wouldn’t have thought that the correct way to write the possessive of a song title is with the “’s” within the quotes, but I guess I can’t think of a different way to do it. I think this is the first time I’ve seen it though. Neat.
I attended a Mountain Goats show in 2006 or 2007 and it was the worst live performance I’ve seen. Not because of the band – the band was great for the 30 seconds or so that I could hear them. It was awful because it seemed like every fan in attendance had to shout along to every song, drowning out Darnielle. It sucked.So I would like to hear what they sound like in a live, non-karaoke setting.
.
Been listening to the goats since the nineties, the song is intended to be comically melodramatic. Tik tok isn’t in the wrong for dancing to it and I think it could possibly make us 40+ year olds tune in to stale old SNL as well as the kids.
I don’t know anything about the mountain goats but I’d love to see Jack White fill in again.