The band's current configuration is Isaac Brock (vocals, guitar), Tom Peloso (strings, horns, bass, keyboards), Jim Fairchild (guitar), and Eric Judy (bass)). Plummer has recently become the new drummer for The Shins.
Brock came up with the name "Modest Mouse" when he read the Virginia Woolf stream of consciousness essay The Mark On the Wall in which the author described the working middle class as "modest mouse-coloured people"
Brock frequently moved around with his mother when he was a child. Around this time, his mother left his father for his father's brother (Brock's uncle). Brock's mother's house flooded and forced them to move into his mother's new husband's trailer, but there was no room for Brock. Brock stayed behind, living in the second story of the flooded house, until he was eventually evicted by police. He then moved into a shed next to his mother's house and it is said this is where Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy first began playing music.
In 1994, the band recorded their debut EP, Blue Cadet-3, Do You Connect?, at Calvin Johnson's Dub Narcotic Studios, which was then released on Calvin's record label K Records. Then followed a single with Sub Pop that was recorded by producer Steve Wold at Moon Studios. Wold, who in the mid-2000's would begin to perform under the name Seasick Steve, would also perform on the band's albums, but was never an official member of the band. After moving to Up Records Modest Mouse put out several releases recorded at Moon Studios, including 1996's This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About. This double LP was produced and recorded by Steve Wold. The next offering on UP was Interstate 8; also produced by Steve Wold. 1997's The Lonesome Crowded West, (also recorded at Moon Studios, by Scott Swayze) turned out to be the band's breakthrough album. The Lonesome Crowded West gained the band a cult following and is now widely considered by many critics to be one of the defining albums of mid-90s indie rock.
In 2000, Modest Mouse released The Moon And Antarctica, their first album on a major label (Epic Records). The band enjoyed some success on alternative radio with the singles "3rd Planet" and "Gravity Rides Everything." Lead singer Isaac Brock has since put out an album with his side project Ugly Casanova on Sub Pop Records.
In 2003, drummer Jeremiah Green quit the band; the official word was that he was quitting to work with his side project, Vells. He was replaced with two members, drummer Benjamin Weikel (who also drummed for The Helio Sequence) and guitarist Dann Gallucci (Murder City Devils). Weikel being new to the band and Gallucci returning to the band for the first time since This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About. On April 6, 2004, Modest Mouse released the platinum-selling Good News For People Who Love Bad News, which scored two hits with "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty". In 2004 Jeremiah Green returned to the band, and Benjamin Weikel now drums exclusively for The Helio Sequence. Dann Gallucci left the band in August, and they toured with Hutch Harris of The Thermals during the fall of 2004.
Modest Mouse was mentioned by name in the 2005 Supreme Court decision in the case of MGM v. Grokster. Justice Souter wrote that on the Grokster P2P network, "Users seeking Top 40 songs, for example, or the latest release by Modest Mouse, are certain to be far more numerous than those seeking a free Decameron, and Grokster and StreamCast translated that demand into dollars."
In 2005, multi-instrumentalist Tom Peloso, who already played various instruments on Good News For People Who Love Bad News, officially joined the band. In 2006, Johnny Marr, former guitarist for The Smiths, became an official member of the band.
On March 20, 2007, the band released their fifth album, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. Four singles were released from the album: "Dashboard", "Missed the Boat", "We've Got Everything" and "Little Motel". The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. James Mercer of The Shins provides backing vocals on three songs.
In 2009, they released No One's First And You're Next, an EP of unreleased songs from around the time Good News and We Were Dead were recorded, and two songs that had already been released, "I've Got It All (Most)" and "King Rat". The video for King Rat was directed by late actor Heath Ledger.
In 2009, Johnny Marr left the band and was replaced by Jim Fairchild, formerly of Grandaddy. The band performed at several festivals throughout 2009 and 2010, including the main stage of the Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2010.
After an 8 year wait, the band's latest full-length is "Strangers To Ourselves", released March 17th, 2015- two weeks after the original release date, March 3rd, 2015. The album art is an aerial photo of an RV resort located in Mesa, Arizona. Five singles were released before the album, "Lampshades on Fire", "Coyotes", "The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box", "The Best Room", and "Of Course we Know".
Drummer Jeremiah Green passed away from cancer on December 31, 2022 at the age of 45.
Fire It Up
Modest Mouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Etcetera-nough, etcetera-nough
Etcetera-nough, etcetera-nough
Etcetera-nough, etcetera-nough
Fire it up, fire it up
When we finally turn it over
Make a beeline towards the boat or
Fire it up, fire it up
If you need some conversation
Bring a magazine to read around
Our broke down transportation
Fire it up
Etcetera-nough
Etcetera-nough
Etcetera-nough
Fire it up, fire it up
When we fine the perfect water
We'll hang out on the shore
Just long enough to leave our clothes there
Fine enough, fine enough
Oh, we ate all of the oranges
Off the navels of our lovers
Grabbed a book and read the cover
It honestly was beautifully done
Like trying to hide the daylight from the sun
But even if we had been sure enough, it's true, we really didn't know
Even if we knew which way to head, but, still, we probably wouldn't go
Fire it up, fire it up
We pushed off, we're rolling boulders
Crashing down the mirrored stairways
To a blast basement canaries
Fire it up, fire it up
When we fix the carburetor
Then we'll push off once again
In an hour or so later
It honestly was beautifully bold
Like trying to save an ice cube from the cold
Even if we had been sure enough, it's true, we really didn't know
Even if we knew which way to head, but, still, we probably wouldn't go
Well, we always, well, we always
Had it all, had it all
Well, we always, well, we always
Had it all, had it all
Well, we always, well, we always
Had it all
The lyrics of "Fire It Up" by Modest Mouse can be interpreted as a call for action, a desire to break away from the mundane routines of life and embrace adventure. The repetition of "etcetera-nough" creates a feeling of monotony or boredom, which is contrasted with the repeated calls to "fire it up," which serves as a catalyst for change.
The lyrics speak of a group of individuals who have had enough of their current state of being and are ready to "turn it over" and "push off" into the unknown. The lyrics suggest that they are not entirely sure where they are headed but are willing to take the risk.
The mention of "broke down transportation" and "fix(ing) the carburetor" suggests that this group may not have much material wealth or resources, but they are willing to make do with what they have and continue on their journey towards an unknown destination. The lyrics also mention "our lovers," suggesting that this adventure is not just about personal fulfillment but about shared experiences.
Overall, the song's lyrics can be interpreted as a call to embrace a sense of adventure and take risks, even if the outcome is uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
Etcetera-nough, etcetera-nough
And so on, and so on
Fire it up, fire it up
Get ready, get ready
When we finally turn it over
When we finally start the engine
Make a beeline towards the boat or
Head straight for the boat or
Have a drink, you've had enough
Take a break and have a drink
If you need some conversation
If you feel like talking
Bring a magazine to read around
Bring a magazine to read while we travel
Our broke down transportation
Our unreliable vehicle
When we find the perfect water
When we find the ideal spot
We'll hang out on the shore
We'll spend some time relaxing by the water
Just long enough to leave our clothes there
But not long enough to set up camp
Fine enough, fine enough
Good enough, good enough
Oh, we ate all of the oranges
We finished all the oranges
Off the navels of our lovers
That we shared with our partners
Grabbed a book and read the cover
Read a book without really getting into it
It honestly was beautifully done
It truly was a great experience
Like trying to hide the daylight from the sun
As impossible as trying to hide the sun
But even if we had been sure enough, it's true, we really didn't know
But even if we were confident, we still had no idea
Even if we knew which way to head, but, still, we probably wouldn't go
Even if we had a destination in mind, we might not make it
We pushed off, we're rolling boulders
We set sail and faced obstacles
Crashing down the mirrored stairways
Falling from great heights
To a blast basement canaries
To a place where things are not as they seem
When we fix the carburetor
When we repair the car engine
Then we'll push off once again
And then we'll set off again
In an hour or so later
After a little while
It honestly was beautifully bold
It was a brave move
Like trying to save an ice cube from the cold
As difficult as trying to save something that is already lost
Well, we always, well, we always
We always
Had it all, had it all
Had everything we needed
Well, we always, well, we always
We always
Had it all, had it all
Had everything we needed
Well, we always, well, we always
We always
Had it all
Had everything we needed
Lyrics Β© BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ERIC JUDY, ISAAC BROCK, JEREMIAH GREEN, JOE PLUMMER, JOHNNY MARR, TOM PELOSO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@klashr13
[Intro]
Etcetera-nough, etcetera-nough
Etcetera-nough, etcetera-nough
Etcetera-nough, etcetera-nough
Etcetera-nough, etcetera-nough
[Verse 1]
Fire it up, fire it up
When we finally turn it over
Make a beeline towards the border
Have a drink, you've had enough
Fire it up, fire it up
If you need some conversation
Bring a magazine to read around
Our broke-down transportation
Fire it up
Etcetera-nough, etcetera-nough
Etcetera-nough
[Verse 2]
Fire it up, fire it up
When we find the perfect water
We'll hang out on the shore
Just long enough to leave our clothes there
Fine enough, fine enough
Oh, we ate all of the oranges
Off the navels of our lovers
Grabbed a book and read the cover
[Chorus 1]
It honestly was beautifully done
Like trying to hide the daylight from the sun
Even if we had been sure enough
It's true, we really didn't know
Even if we knew which way to head
But still we probably wouldn't go
[Verse 3]
Fire it up, fire it up
We pushed off, we're rolling boulders
Crashing down the mirrored stairways
Two of life's best mine canaries
Fire it up, fire it up
When we fix the carburetor
Then we'll push off once again
In an hour or so later
[Chorus 2]
It honestly was beautifully bold
Like trying to save an ice cube from the cold
Even if we had been sure enough
It's true we really didn't know
Even if we knew which way to head
But still we probably wouldn't go
[Outro]
Well, we always, well, we always
Had it all, had it all
Well, we always, well, we always
Had it all, had it all
Well, we always, well, we always
Had it all
Fire it Up by Modest Mouse
Lyrics source: Genius
@jennacarroll9200
Rachel you were one of a kind, this band always makes me think of you. You were way beyond your years. Wherever you are, I miss you. Forever 19. RIP Rachel β€οΈ until we meet again my friend.
@dustinherrera6126
RIP π
@richardharper4637
RIP Jeremiah Green. One of my favorite drummers to play that instrument!
@anonoutlawed1811
I'm sperging out over how excited i am to finally see them live, a true pilgrimage
@frost5711
Where at?
@anonoutlawed1811
@@frost5711 Chicago
@frost5711
Nice
@Antibong
Went to see em a while ago and main guy issac was shit faced drunk π
@stoned4eva420
This band has really been my go to when I need to feel better or think things out I appreciate everything they have done and made
@KlaireeBerry
β€β€β€