By Weston Kelly
Modest Mouse, an indie rock band formed in 1993, produces songs with topics covering existentialism, loss, and moving on. Each album covers broader, more worldly topics such as isolation and expansion of consumer culture; I have selected a few songs that best demonstrate Isaac Brock’s, the lead singer and songwriter, masterful ability to mold these ideas into beautiful and emotional songs with profound lyrical meanings.
Missed the Boat: An unusually warm and laid-back track from We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, “Missed the Boat” reflects on lost opportunities and learning to accept what’s passed. The opening line, “While we’re on the subject, could we change the subject now?” suggests that people oftentimes don’t take the time to appreciate or fully take in what’s happening in the moment. Brock continues, “I was knocking on your ear’s door, but you were always out,” metaphorically saying that he kept trying to tell someone, but they would never listen. They were busy “looking toward the future…beggin for the past,” doing anything but appreciating what they have. Isaac, knowledgeable from his past ignorance, tried to warn the subject of the mistake they kept making, yet they didn’t listen, and now they “missed the boat.” However, the song continues by making light of the missed opportunities by questioning, “was it ever worth it? Was there all that much to gain?… Well, we knew we’d missed the boat and we’d already missed the plane.” He acknowledges that in that moment, they knew it was too late to change, so maybe it would be best to carry on and not dwell on the past.
Cowboy Dan: The song “Cowboy Dan” uses symbolism and tone to convey themes of frustration with oneself and powerlessness in the universe. Cowboy Dan is portrayed as an angry and defeated character who “didn’t know that he was a coward.” The portrayal directly contradicts the inherent values of the stereotypical cowboy–bravery, freedom, and rugged individualism, fighting to survive in the harsh West. He symbolizes the changing American landscape, where a once admired and emblematic character now finds themselves with no place in the modern world. Brock writes, “He didn’t move to the city, the city moved to me,” switching the point of view from third to first, showing that Dan represents the writer’s own perspective on the ever-expanding urbanization of the U.S. This echoes Brock’s rural background; he grew up in the small town of Issaquah, Washington. The tight-knit community he hailed from was his home until unwanted urban development permanently changed the landscape. He became isolated in the new world of strip malls and apartments, where a town of just 5,000 residents once lived. “Cowboy Dan” symbolizes the helplessness and loneliness Brock felt when his home transformed without anything he could do to stop it. Dan “went to the desert, fired his rifle in the sky, and said, ‘God if I have to die, you will have to die,’” in an attempt to defy what he cannot control. He tries to resist the higher power—the unstoppable modernization of his once-beloved home—and realizes his powerlessness in the grand scheme of change. The tone of the song, raw and angry, imparts upon the reader Dan’s emotions. The song effectively conveys the bitterness Isaac has harbored against those who stripped his town of its culture and the frustration he felt when he realized there was nothing he could do to stop them.
You’re the Good Things: “You’re the Good Things” by Modest Mouse is a melancholic yet somewhat hopeful song that contrasts feelings of loss, nostalgia, and the bittersweet nature of relationships. The lyrics reflect themes of longing, self-reflection, and the struggle between appreciating the good in life while dealing with inevitable disappointments. In the chorus, he talks directly to a subject and names them the “good things,” then proceeds to give examples of good things in bad situations. He describes the subject as the “extra ton of cash on my sinking life raft.” The large amount of cash, usually desirable, only exacerbates the current problem Brock is facing—causing him to sink quicker. Similarly, the “sound of fun” would normally be inviting and enjoyable, yet not when one is “trying to sleep.” Brock repeatedly juxtaposes the good parts of having a partner with his personal situations. He conveys the message that relationships are not always great, and for him, they have led to harm and self-destruction. However, an uplifting and hopeful vocal tone contrasts the depressive lyrics, demonstrating Brock’s desire to move on from past mistakes and to one day have the good things when they are wanted.