Eyes Adrift is a rock supergroup consisting of Curt Kirkwood (vocals and gu… Read Full Bio ↴Eyes Adrift is a rock supergroup consisting of Curt Kirkwood (vocals and guitar, currently with the reformed Meat Puppets), Krist Novoselic (vocals and bass, formerly of Nirvana) and Bud Gaugh (drums, formerly of Sublime). They released an eponymous album (see below) of country influenced rock in 2002, taking all of their previous backgrounds and putting them together. After a period of extensive touring they later broke up (in 2003).

Kirkwood and Gaugh would team up again for the one off project Volcano which produced one limited edition self-titled album.

Alaska
Eyes Adrift Lyrics

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They say it's ornamental
But it's pretty real to me
It's just experimental
But I think I disagree
It might be accidental
Slippery as the wind
And it was once a circle
Now it's getting thin

Used to be cheap love song
Satellite as it falls in Alaska
Silver moon it's close at hand
Satellite as it falls in Alaska
Message is message was
Shadows in the trees
Growing much faster
Silver moon it's close at hand
Satellite as it falls in Alaska

It's artificial water
Splashin'; all around
And though you might be sinking
You can never drown

Used to be cheap love song
Satellite as it falls in Alaska
Silver moon it's close at hand
Satellite as it falls in Alaska
Message is message was
Shadows in the trees
Growing much faster

Silver moon it's close at hand
Satellite as it falls in Alaska

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Eyes Adrift's song "Alaska" touch on the ideas of perception and reality. The first stanza juxtaposes the idea of something being ornamental, and therefore not real, with the singer's own perception of it as being quite real. The singer questions the idea that it is experimental, suggesting that they disagree with that label. They describe it as slippery as the wind, which may hint at something intangible or difficult to pin down. The final line of the stanza suggests that this thing - which is not clearly defined - was once a circle, but is becoming thin. This could be a reference to the idea that everything changes over time, and things that were once whole are now slowly disintegrating.

The second stanza references a "cheap love song," which could be a metaphor for something trite and easily manufactured. The line "satellite as it falls in Alaska" suggests something falling apart or coming to an end. However, the "silver moon" is close at hand - perhaps a reference to renewal or the potential for new beginnings. The line "message is message was" is somewhat cryptic and could be interpreted in a few different ways - it might suggest the idea that the core message of something remains the same regardless of its form or packaging. The stanza ends with a reference to "shadows in the trees growing much faster," which could be a hint at the idea of transformation or change happening more quickly than expected.

The final stanza references "artificial water," which suggests something that is not quite natural or not quite real. The water is splashing all around, which could suggest chaos or unpredictability. The line "though you might be sinking, you can never drown" is perhaps a message of hope - even though things may be difficult, there is always the potential to keep fighting and survive.

Overall, the lyrics to "Alaska" seem to touch on a variety of complex and abstract ideas. The song could be seen as a meditation on the nature of reality, as well as a call to keep persevering in the face of adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

They say it's ornamental
Some people may believe that it serves no real purpose

But it's pretty real to me
But to me, it has genuine significance

It's just experimental
Perhaps it was created without a clear intended purpose

But I think I disagree
But I don't believe that is the case

It might be accidental
It could have come about unintentionally

Slippery as the wind
It's difficult to define or nail down

And it was once a circle
It had a clear and defined shape at one point

Now it's getting thin
But has become less substantial over time

Used to be cheap love song
It was once a simple and unpretentious expression of affection

Satellite as it falls in Alaska
A satellite that is descending towards the earth in Alaska

Silver moon it's close at hand
The moon appears to be nearby and silver in color