This Year: 365 Songs Annotated: A Book of Days

by John Darnielle, John Keogh (Illustrator)

The complete song lyrics of one of music's most visionary bards, John Darnielle.

A work of rapturous beauty, This Year: 365 Songs Annotated celebrates the creative life and the musical genius of John Darnielle through his most meaningful songs.

From his early days recording on a boom box, through the evolution of the Mountain Goats from a solo project to a full band, to his continued influence on indie music, This Year pairs the definitive texts of 365 John Darnielle songs with first-person commentaries on his life and music. Spanning two alphabetically arranged volumes, these commentaries reveal how the songs came to be and the people who inspired his family and friends; his wife, Lalitree Darnielle; his longtime collaborator, Peter Hughes; and even his literary heroes, among many others. Here are the origins of “This Year,” “No Children,” “The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton,” and “Up the Wolves,” as well as Darnielle’s literary influences, including Flannery O’Connor, Jorge Luis Borges, and Stephen King.

This Year, spanning decades, becomes the definitive literary record of one of the greatest songwriters and musical creative forces of all time.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Poetry, Memoir, Art, Writing

539 pages, Hardcover

First published December 2, 2025

About the author

John Darnielle (/dɑrˈniːl/, born March 16, 1967) is an American musician, best known as the primary (and often solitary) member of the American band the Mountain Goats, for which he is the writer, composer, guitarist, pianist and vocalist.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Jason Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 🐐

[Tracy Towley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went in to this all set to love it but I was not prepared for it, not one bit. If you're not a Mountain Goats fan, you will not care about this book at all; it's not for you. Move along and leave us be.

As a Real Deal "I only listen to the Mountain Goats" type of fan, I do not see any way this book could have been better. John has already written an extensive collection of songs just for me and now he's gone off and written little letters about those songs, also for me, specifically. Thanks, John. You're a real one if ever there was one.

[Corinne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just tore through the ebook version of the Advanced Readers Copy—thank you, NetGalley, for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!—and I cannot wait to get my hands on the full, physical book when it comes out in December.

I've been a fan now for approximately a million years, and I was unprepared for how much I would love this book.

The whole thing is structured by day, as the title says, mixing in unreleased song lyrics and musings and biographical sketches. It's just a delight. I didn't expect the unreleased song lyrics would be my favorite part, but that's the beauty of John Darnielle, he's always giving us little presents. Reading this echos the experience of seeing one of his early sets, where he would thread little stories between songs, sometimes about what he was about to sing, sometimes about his memories under the bridge near the venue, sometimes random anecdotes about his writing process.

As always, Darnielle is a gifted storyteller. This book is no exception.

[Alex Kwong! · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Darnielle is the closest I will ever come to having a real, honest to God hero. I was introduced to his work in a high school AP english class by a group of people who would, in time, become a second family of mine. His music delivered me through a period of my adolescence I shouldn’t describe on the internet. His artistry - along with the literary decisions made in the development of the original Halo trilogy - is the reason I started writing. I have Mountain Goats lyrics etched over scars on my body. These songs have carried me through three breakups, four cities, two diplomas, a degree, and soon a doctorate. I can’t describe what exactly I owe to this book, but it isn’t something I owe anything else. Thanks John.

[chloe the bookworm]

Hasn't come out yet but GOD did I need something to get me through this year, and now I have... Thank you John, I know this book is going to change my life as much as your music has.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

a very strange but wonderful book. not quite memoir, not quite analysis of songs. a delightful collection of insights (365 to be precise) from the greatest songwriter of all time.

[Emily K · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally laughed, cried, took notes. thank you John

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is truly a sublime pleasure to exist on this planet at the same time as John Darnielle. This book exceeded all expectations I had for it.

[[Name Redacted]]

Just seeing the title, I could hear the song.

I entered the giveaway, but let's be honest -- even if I win, I'm buying a copy too.

[Alex Sarll]

Having abandoned the idea of a Compleat Lyricks as unworkable, here's the comparatively modest alternative, and if you think that 365 days should more or less map to the Mountain Goats' 30-odd albums, you're forgetting all the songs they play live but haven't officially released, the EPs, the stuff that never even made it that far, the songs Darnielle sings to his kids which suddenly interrupt a sequence from a particularly grim album because they happen to feature the same animal... So yes, your favourites might not be included, and at least one of mine wasn't, though for all Darnielle's championing of incredibly obscure material as some of his best work, he at least has, or has been bullied into approximating, enough commercial nous to include the hits. One of which, obviously, confers its title on the book, and also a format – one I would honestly recommend following (and helpfully the book comes out in December), though couldn't really do myself, on account of having got a Netgalley ARC halfway through the year (I think I caught up with myself on one about lake monsters). Partly this is because, though they're not quite up there with Suede, Mountain Goats lyrics can sometimes feel like an invitation to attempt parodies, and binging only exacerbates that, whereas left to its intended rhythms and read one entry per day for a year, you'd get more time to savour both the lyrics, and the notes. These are song by song, not line by line, and can be anything from a short paragraph to a few pages. There's a fragmentary autobiography to be pieced together from some; others are one or more of oblique, comical, informative, confessional, daft, wise, or plain taking the piss. A few are broadcast from alternate timelines of the band; one or two quote other writers at sufficient length that I'll be curious to see whether rights issues snarl things up between now and publication. There's a recurring tension between the page and the song, sometimes even between the recording and the song, as witness the occasional entries Darnielle describes as too intimate to release, right after setting their lyrics down in black and white. But, while I've a bunch of favourite quotes from the notes, it almost feels like spoilers to include them here. If you already love the Mountain Goats, you probably already know you'll love this book; if you don't, this is not going to convert you. But if, like me, you're a bit of a casual fan, it will apart from anything else remind you how many quality albums you tend not to listen to (though it's probably still not going to get me into the boombox era. Despite which, I enjoyed the early chapters too, even if I don't think there was a song I could hum until March).

[Raina Mertz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wannabe Manic Pixie Dream Girl 13 year old me would’ve been so incredibly pretentious and obnoxious about this book. 27 year old me thinks it feels like a warm hug from the songs I’ve loved forever. Absolutely 10/10 what a great trip through TMG history

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an advance review copy thanks to Edelweiss, this book will be released December 2, 2025. As a longtime fan of Mr. Darnielle’s music, lyrics and fiction I have been highly anticipating this book since I first heard whispers of it long ago. It features lyrics and commentary on 365 of his songs, while certainly not exhaustive it includes an interesting blend of well known songs, unreleased songs, and some unrecorded/fragments that were previously unknown. His commentary ranges from insight into his creative process/way of work to (more rarely) personal events that influenced songs. This is an essential purchase for fans of the Mountain Goats, I preordered a copy before finishing even a quarter of the ARC.

[Cassian Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

last book of 2025 and it is a thick one. it also nearly made me start crying when i saw that i was approved for an arc.

uh. really good book. i made so many annotations. GREAT book for any goats enjoyers out there, but i would also recommend it to creative writers— darnielle talks quite a bit about writing, and you could easily turn the songs into daily writing prompts. it’s a thoughtful, meaningful reflection over the last 30ish years of darnielle’s life, almost like a memoir. it also, predictably, offers much insight into songs both dearly beloved and completely new. much of the stuff in here is unreleased. darnielle has such a massive catalog of songs, and i cannot imagine the amount of time it must have taken to pick and order only 365 of them.

rating: 4.5/5
would recommend: yes!

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in an exchange for an honest review

[Tyler Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was not prepared for how many rare Goats were gonna be in here

there's multiple songs that never made it out of John's notebooks

Also, y'know, very cool to read through the evolution of one of my all-time favorite musicians

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this entire book over two sittings. This one is for the true Mountain Goats Fanatics, of which I put myself on the top of that list. There is a song per each day of the year so I will be rereading John’s stories and lyrics every day until 2027, and I’m holding myself to it.

I already knew probably 98% of the songs in this book, but finding the golden few that I wasn’t privy to has been wonderful. Being able to read these lyrics as if they’re poems, then scouring the internet to hear the melody that John put them to has been an immense pleasure.

This book is, frankly, so dope.

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

i mean, duh.

[Glyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I love the Mountain Goats. They’ve earned the distinction of “music I like that my mom also likes”, so I put them on for background noise quite often. The thing is, we tend to listen from Tallahassee to Beat the Champs. Which is only like a third of their discography, leading to me skipping the sections for all the songs I didn’t know.

Still, I enjoyed what I did read, and hopefully will revisit this at a later date when I’ve heard more of their songs.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to snag this as an ARC and then also get my hands on a copy a little bit early. Still in the process of reading every entry, but I think from about an hour of jumping around to important dates and favorite songs, I can already put this down as one of my favorite and most treasured books of all time.

The Mountain Goats mean more to me than I can say. My first tattoo is an Amy AKA Spent Gladiator 1 reference. This band has brought me so much joy and comfort and encouraged me to persevere when living felt impossible.

This collection of songs and the context John Darnielle provides has already made me laugh out loud and tear up, and I've spent at most a few hours with it. I look forward to using this as a devotional in the coming year, and thumbing through it for inspiration for decades to come.

[Dol Leander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've only been to one The Mountain Goats concert before. It was a small theater venue that tends to play arthouse films when it isn't hosting events and the only person on stage was John Darnielle, casually sharing random anecdotes or backstory between songs and plucking his choices from a journal he kept with him. I don't wish to ramble and there's no way to properly convey the intimacy of a smaller performance like that, but this book manages to get close. This is a beautiful collection of the well-known, the unreleased, and the fragments all tied together with musings and biographical sketches. He's a storyteller at heart and it shines here as much as it does everywhere else. Reading this gave the familiar a new weight and reminded me once again just how extensive Darnielle's creative output has been. All I can continue to do is wish for more.

[Brad Wojak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced readers copy.

“this isn’t a memoir, unless it is”

This is an incredible reflection on the staggering body of work that is the catalogue of songs by The Mountain Goats. From the history and influences, to alternate realities and tangents, Darnielle welcomes us into his life and work. I am a huge fan of Darnielle’s fiction and his voice here is as strong.

Great work for fans of the band, song writing, storytelling, and poetry. My only complaint was that this wasn’t longer. Of course I broke the rules and read it over a few days, and didn’t spread it out over the year.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this advance copy of this book that is both an annotated guide to song lyrics by a band that has remained popular with people who love music, but is really a look at the creative process, the ups and downs in life, and thinking that help make songs that people can relate too, and make their lives a little less lonely.

I have always wanted to live the creative life. My thoughts were always about writing books, or writing comics, or writing movies, writing whatever I liked, and the that people would enjoy. As I got older I found that I lacked that momentum to make my dreams come real, the confidence, and frankly even the talent. However I still love to read, to watch and to hear, and more importantly have always been interested in how people create these little bits of magic. Is it nature or nurture, the life observed, or the life lived? Reading omnivorously, or studying? Having a mentor or forging one's own path? Making mistakes or being afraid to live? These questions have always, not haunted me, but made me want to know how people I respect and admire, and enjoy create. After reading this book, I think it is a little from all these questions, and a whole lot of talent. And love. For writing, for words, for music, for people, and for the artist, whoever they might be. This Year: 365 Songs Annotated: A Book of Days by John Darnielle songwriter for the band Mountain Goats, is a look at the creation of songs, where they came from, where they went, why they hit so hard, as well as a look at the artist who created them, and the life that helped craft them.

The book is presented as a book of days, a song a day with annotation about the creation. The book can be written straight through, or looked at day by day, giving a person something to think about in a world that seems to have given up on thinking in many ways. The songs are well known, at least to fans of the band, some rariites, as well as songs not recorded, or lost to time. Darnielle discusses how the book changed over time, and how many deadlines were passed while the book changed as he wrote it. The chapters are numbered for days of the week, with complete lyrics, and comments about what was going on with the writer. What state Darnielle happened to be in, or state of mind. Friends, bad relationships, bad music deals, college, working and living at a medical facility, traveling as music became a thing, all of these moments are discussed, as are their effect on the words that Darnielle used to create his songs.

There is a story about the author Harlan Ellison being asked where he got his ideas from. Ellison's response was and I am paraphrasing, "There is an idea store in Schenectady, I send them 25 bucks a week, and the send me a six-pack of ideas". Needless to say many asked for this store's address. Creating is hard, To sit down and open oneself up for comment, especially now when AI is rampant, and people like to bring everyone down into the mire. Reading this book is like reading about a better time. The songs are probably not for everyone, but even the weakest songs have a line or two that people will stop on. The book is book a musical history and an autobiography of the creator as Darnielle shares stories about his life, mistakes, wins, and the confusion that is being a human in this modern time. I enjoyed this a lot, not just for the music, but for the insight, writing takes work. Writing takes paying attention, to those around us, and more importantly paying attention to our own selves.

A book not just for fans, but for poets and for burgeoning song writers. And for those interested in a life of creation and and creating art. Even if it is just for one's self. One of the more interesting books I have read this year, and something I might have to look at everyday, for inspiration and for help in getting through the day.

[Book Club of One · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Year: 365 Songs Annotated: A Book of Days by John Darnielle is a welcome chance to peer into the archives of his writing accompanied by the author himself. Structured as a daily devotional, Darnielle begins with early works, discussing the origins of what would become the Mountain Goats, sort of. By moving song by song, he comments on recurrent themes, reasons why they may have remained unreleased, the craft of writing, love of certain words or joy in finding a winning phrase. It is not a biography, unless as Darnielle notes a few times, it is.

I cannot imagine the work of editing and arrangement that went into the selection of the 365 songs featured, knowing there could be many other choices made throughout. There are expected hits ("This Year", "No Children", "Up the Wolves", "Broom People," and hundreds more). As a fan of the, so far only two season, podcast I Only Listen to the Mountain Goats, where Darneille was interviewed by Joseph Fink (Welcome to Night Vale) going track by track for In League With Dragons and All Hail West Texas; its nice to have more of a look behind the scenes, at a much larger scale.

But where that podcast goes deep in detail, most episodes focusing on a single song, for This Year Darnielle is pithier. Each song of the year is presented in the full as they were written in various notebooks or paper scraps, or later typed on a computer. Every entry is different, but all, in some way, reflect on the song of the day.

It could be humor based on the subject, like the 8 thought experiment if the Mountain Goats had just written songs about Ozzy Osbourne or the serendipitous origins of key phrases that might have begun as place holder or occur throughout a normal day.

At its heart, it is the story of craft. What began as a strumming the guitar while watching B movies on TV found a following and eventual success. The words are important, but as a sound performed before an audience they are fleetingly ephemeral. Even the lyrics upon a page are subject to change, revisions or the wisdom of experience. Here's hoping we some day get a volume II.

Recommended to fans of the writers craft, the Mountain Goats or indie folk music.

I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.

[Atlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Year: 365 Songs Annotated: A Book of Days
by John Darnielle, illustrated by John Keogh

Please thank Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the gifted copy.

Atlas-Style Review

This Year is not a casual companion book. It is a love letter written at full volume, meant for readers who already live somewhere inside John Darnielle’s music. Structured as 365 annotated songs, this book feels less like a memoir and more like a daily devotional to creativity, memory, and survival.

Darnielle’s reflections move freely between songwriting origin stories, literary influence, emotional excavation, and moments of ordinary life that somehow become sacred through attention. The annotations are brief but dense, often offering just enough context to deepen a song without pinning it down. This is a book that trusts the reader, and the listener.

What Worked
• The format invites slow reading, one day or one song at a time
• Annotations feel intimate rather than explanatory
• Blends music, literature, memory, and process seamlessly
• Celebrates creativity without mythologizing it
• Keogh’s illustrations complement without overpowering

Who This Is For
• Longtime Mountain Goats listeners
• Readers who love process over polish
• Writers and artists curious about how work accumulates over time
• Anyone who treats songs as companions, not background noise

Overall Thoughts

This book is unapologetically specific. If you are not a Mountain Goats fan, it likely will not convert you. But if you are, it feels like a gift made by someone who understands exactly why these songs mattered, and still matter. Strange, generous, and quietly profound, This Year is less about canonizing a career and more about honoring the act of making something, again and again, across a life.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and FSG for an eARC of this book, published December 2, 2025.
As this is a song-a-day book, I am not totally through it, but....
I have been listening to Darnielle (aka The Mountain Goats) off and on since about 2006. In recent years I have listened to his newest album within weeks of it being released. I always enjoy his music (and especially his lyrics).
To paraphrase himself from a few days ago, "This is not a memoir - until it is." He does keep some of his personal information close to the vest, not sharing it with his readers/listeners. But we get bits and pieces here and there. Also, a graduate of Claremont/Pomona, his sharing some of his early influences is fun, as well as informative.
The book is in chronoligical order - so we start out with some REAL DIY and Lo-fi recordings. From back in his early days when he was into the cassette scene. Which was oddly both regional and (inter)national at the same time.
Reading the book is a process. I tend to read that day's entry (lyrics for a song, and John's commentary on the lyrics and music) and then later in the week go back and read them both again, while listening to the song.
It is also fun, because there is a "bookclub" following, of about maybe 200-300 people. The comments on the YouTube posting of that day's song are enjoyable. And informative, as some of them have been long time MG followers, and seen a lot of his shows (his live intros to songs are often more personal than what he shares here). It is a nice community to be part of online.
Last year my "quote-a-day" book was Henry James (!!!), and I was planning on doing Jane Austen this year. Then this book popped up on NetGalley.
I do love it, and the online bookclub community I am now part of as well.
Thanks FSG - 4.5 out of 5.

[John Hoole · Rating 3 out of 5]

By my fingernails, I clung to my commitment to read John Danielle's This Year every ding dong day of Dry January, 2026. The morning of Feb. 1, lost my nerve and could bring myself to listen to the day's Mountain Goats song. And I swore by the cold, black waters of the river Styx that I would never again look upon its pages.

My wife got it for me for Christmas - she threw herself at the mercy of the local bookseller, who recommended this book and hooked her up with a signed copy. On paper, This Year was a great gift -- I love Books of Days (have many) and am a music fan. When I opened it, my first thought was "Who is John Darnielle?" Then I saw that goat pictured on the cover and guessed correctly that he's part of The Mountain Goats. Over the years, I've occasionally caught a whiff of Mountain Goat fandom, which piqued my interest. But, oh, it's fingernails on a chalkboard when I listen to them, and that didn't change as I listened to the prescribed song each day of January. I tried!

I give This Year 3 stars because the book itself is gorgeous as an artifact and Darnielle's commentary is thoughtful and consistently interesting. If I could stand listening to the goddamned Mountaingoats, it would be 5.

[ancientreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't many musicians whose song lyrics I have any interest in reading as well as in hearing, but then there's John Darnielle. Of the Mountain Goats, if you know you know; "This Year" has probably buoyed a lot of people through drowning times -- I had it on repeat for months after my mother's dementia hit a certain point -- and is anything more fun than duetting "No Children" at the top of your lungs with someone you actually do love? ("I hope you die! I hope we both die!!!" Okay, maybe my wife and I are just weird.)

I could go on, because Darnielle is both unbelievably prolific and seemingly incapable of writing a bad song. (Maybe he just doesn't record the crummy ones. But still.) So: Yes, the lyrics hold up on page. Yes, Darnielle's -- well, not expositions or glosses exactly; meditations? -- on the songs he's chosen to include here (some of which he hasn't, as a matter of fact, recorded) are thinkily engaging & often touching. The songs don't need support, but it's satisfying to read more about their genesis and what they mean to their author.

I'm glad to have this book; thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect this book to hit me the way it did. I’ve heard many of the songs it covers countless times — they’re part of the background of my life — but reading these commentaries gave them a fresh edge. Suddenly, familiar lyrics carried new weight, and melodies I thought I knew inside out revealed layers I’d never considered.

Reading it feels like sitting down with John as he shares the hidden stories behind each track — from intimate, personal moments (like those in the June chapter) to the sparks of inspiration that gave birth to the songs themselves.

Thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one I'll come back to a whole bunch.

Anyone who knows me knows I love the Mountain Goats. Something about their music really works for me, and they've been my favorite artist for five years now. So getting this collection with Darnielle's thoughts, inspirations, and sometimes fictions, was really, really neat.

This book is inspiring me to dig deeper into the TMG backlog, as well as relisten to songs in a new light. I really enjoyed getting insights into the songs, and it's such a gift to know there's at least one TMG song for every day of the year.

Can't wait for even more music!

[R.]

Tap, Hold, and Load in 4K

Wow, has it really been almost 25 years? Seems, to a ridiculous degree of timescoping, that it was only months or weeks ago that I was introduced to the words (and music) of Darnielle (and co.) by both an ardent fan and an alternative radio DJ (same person) - I am more a casual, narrow era (All Hail West Texas to Heretic Pride) fan of his musical career but have quite enjoyed his turn towards pursuits literary, so reading this will be a nostalgic treat and possibly point towards discovering new authors in lo-fi.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Just this toast forever, let this moment freeze in time and I’ll be fine.”

In what will come as a surprise to absolutely no one who knows me even a little bit, I loved this book.

A short story about alien librarians. Inside baseball. Meditations on aging and changing. A whole chapter that ripped my heart to shreds. Endless quips that made me smile. The quote above and the entire accompanying entry (and the song, of course, which was already one of my favorites).

What a spectacular piece of toast.