The Mouse's Out West Solitary Experience

You read something or hear someone recite poetry or words to a song that you don't get the first time they are spoken or heard. Then about half day later they club you in the back of the head like you just got mugged. You say to yourself where the hell did those words come from. They did not catch to your brain till now and now they are kicking your butt everywhere because you cannot get them out of your head nor can you full comprehend what was the meaning of it. That is my beautiful issue with Modest Mouse. Issac Brock is a lyrical genius. Talk about a man who's words don't make sense on the surface, but once digested in your brain they just knock you down and leave you dazed for days, months, or forever.

From the top of the ocean, yeah!
From the bottom of the sky, goddamn!
Well I get claustrophobic
I can
You know that I can
Well, from the top of the ocean, yeah!
From the bottom of the sky, goddamn!
Well I get claustrophobic
I can
You know that I can

And he said
"I am not allowed much danger
Well, keep in mind you're an old friend, stranger
You'll burn me in effigy
And I'll burn you in effigy"
Well, a rattlesnake up in Buffalo, Montana
He bit the leg of the old sheriff
Ha! That boy fell down on his harelip
Ow! Ow!
Well I, I might be wrong
But you, you tag along
And we, we all been wrong and
I get dizzier by the mile
I said hell yeah
The money's been spent
Go to the county line

And pay the rent and said uh-oh
I said uh-oh

Oh, if you could compact your conscience
Oh, and you might
Oh, if you could bottle and sell it you might've done
Oh, and you might
Oh, if you could compact your conscience and sell it
Save it for another time
You know you might have to use it

And the television's gone
Go to the grocery store
Buy some new friends
And find out the beginning
The end and the best of it
Well, do you need a lot of what you got to survive?

Here's the man with teeth like God's shoeshine
He sparkles, shimmers, shines
Let's all have another orange julius
Thick syrup standing in lines
The malls are the soon to be ghost towns
Well, so long, farewell, goodbye

Take up all for the long ride
And you'll go around town
No one will want to be uptight anymore
You should be ashamed
To be so proud of what you've done
But not no one
Not now, not ever anyone
Take them all for the sight of their happiness
From that deep hurt deep down inside

That's not even the whole words to the song. Can anyone tell me what Issac is talking about because I still have no idea, but the song is great and it's from a great album called Lonesome Crowded West. I missed the album in 1997, but made up for it in 2000 when I went back to school. I would hear their music blasting from the radio station's airwaves and figure they were some new band. Then I met a few new friends who told me how great they were. I was given a mix CD and a bootleg live CD and I was hooked.

It was not the words that Issac Brock wrote, but it was the way the music was reminiscent of music that was extremely angular and tough to pull apart. I thought the music even had a quality of if you took one single note out of the equation then the who song would loose it all. Almost like pulling the string that is on a shirt and the whole shirt comes apart with that one string. The music was tough, but later on I noticed that Issac's words matched what he and the rest of the band were doing. It is really amazing that this stuff is achieved in this band.

The greatness of Modest Mouse is the fact they can play anything in any style and make it sound so unique to what Issac is talking about with such clarity. My guess is that Issac and the band are on some higher plateau then us and only he and the band can understand what they are saying. Even the song titles have this word phrasing that I could never understand either. The unique of the music is what stands out. There is no simple drums, guitars, bass and keyboards, but there is overdubbing guitars on top of even or odd melodies or sometimes there is just oddness in general. An album of theirs that came out a few years ago had Issac singing while he is playing a squeeze box or an accordion.

She was going with a cinematographer
Everyone knew that he was really a pornographer
They went down to the dance and grind
And everybody was feeling fine
She was talking with syllable lisp
And everybody she knew was gonna get the twist
And they all went down and did the porcupine
And everybody was feeling high
You are so hot
I would like to steal your digits
And I'm so hung up on it
I would like to
Move away from it
We are so caught up with things
We should pull each other's triggers
And I'm off
She was going with a cinematographer
Everyone knew that he was really a pornographer
They went down to the dance and grind
And everybody was feeling fine
She was talking with syllable lisp
And everybody she knew was gonna get the twist
And they all went down and did the porcupine
And everybody was feeling high
I've got a girlfriend out of the city
I know I like her, I think she is pretty (X4)
Last call!
It's closing time
I'm on the road to god don't know
My brain's the burger and my heart's the charcoal
It's closing time

More lyrics from Lonesome Crowded West with a song called "Lounge (Closing Time)." Again if anyone could understand what Issac is talking about please tell me, because I still don't. His words do make sense, I think; I am not sure where he is going with this, but it's just way to odd. I am sure people reading this are asking the same question that I am. The early Modest Mouse is the best because they did not break the norm of commercial pressure, but they did what they did best. They are still ahead of their time. The later stuff does not do any justice on what they are doing in 1997.

If you need something to own that is just a little different then I suggest this album here. It's got great moments. But as many great moments as their early work. I think Modest Mouse is a truly unsung band that only a select few can fully understand. The early work is a tribute to stick to your guns and go against the grain and really check out and explore something different. It may be rock on the surface, but below it's a whole new world that we can only try to figure out what is going on in Issac's head. Enjoy! a great album that is light years ahead of anything we can talk about or let alone make into poetry.

This post is decided to my friend from college who turned me on to Modest's music.  This friend knows a lot more then she thinks, her dedication to a hard work ethic and excellent taste in music even though I think she wanted me to play a certain Modest Mouse song every time I was on the air.  She is very, very smart and has so many gifts I won't list them all here, but one gift is our friendship for close to twenty years her creativity is like no one I have met then and since.  Thanks a ton for being there when I needed it most.  You're the best :)