The Mountain Goats, while officially a band, are mainly the project of John Darnielle. He’s the band’s main songwriter and has been its only constant member since the band's inception in the early 1990s. Over many years and nearly two dozen albums, he’s earned a reputation as an especially unique songwriter, whose ideas come from some unlikely sources, including professional wrestling and action movies.
And now, in 2026, we have a new song from The Mountain Goats: “Charlie Sheen Reaches Out To The Feds.” It’s a legitimately rocking song from a band that’s not usually known for rocking, and the title is amazing, so you can imagine how delighted I was to learn the song is based on a true story.
For those unfamiliar, Sheen is an actor who’s led a … let’s say colorful life. In 1991, Sheen was watching a Japanese horror film called Guinea Pig 2: Flower of Flesh and Blood. I have not seen this movie, but my colleague Anthony Scanga has: he called it “one of the most disturbing movies of all time.” Apparently Sheen agreed, because he was so distressed by the movie that he contacted the FBI out of concern that the murder scenes were real.
After conducting an investigation (that consisted mainly of watching a “behind-the-scenes” video), the FBI determined that the movie’s ultra-realistic murder scenes were, in fact, simply very convincing special effects, and the case was closed.
It’s kind of a ridiculous story, but Darnielle seems to have found this incident inspiring. The song starts by acknowledging the relatively easy life of a movie star: “Everybody's making money, everybody's flying high / Who among my brethren is more beautiful than I?,” and then takes a turn once he believes he’s witnessed multiple murders. The chorus says it all, with its repeating of the phrase “I will rise to the occasion.”
By treating this silly incident with such gravitas, The Mountain Goats manage to make a sympathetic character out of Sheen. It might be a stretch to say we need more Charlie Sheens, and we definitely can’t rule out the possibility that he was “under the influence” at the time. But he was doing what he felt was right, and that’s what I’d call being a good citizen.
“Charlie Sheen Reaches Out To The Feds” is available now on Bandcamp and streaming services. The Mountain Goats’ upcoming album, Days, will be released August 7.
