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.
History Sticks To Your Feet
Modest Mouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walking sideways, through the gutters
And you realize that the floor sticks to your feet like history
Don't you look at me like life don't hold you any mystery
Bag of splinters boiling over, on your back expose your belly
Optimism doesn't change the facts, just what you're gonna see
Like it was stated that we're walking salt and coal
Causing feet and entire chain shoe stores
The sun's diary pulled up from deep canary holes
And when we read it, our skin, it becomes warm
At the movies, eyes iced over
Walking sideways, through the gutters
And you realize that the floor sticks to your feet, your history
I'm gonna slap that look off your face like life don't hold you no mystery
All those red marks on our shoulders
Self back patting, homemade trophies
Well the past only exists as tiny bricks we burn to release all its memories
I've had enough with rolling boulders, I want more moss on me
Clocks to splinters but time goes forward
And when them tree drop leaves your feet collect their memories
I guess all us snakes find our tails pretty damn tasty!!
I heard you mention we're walking salt and coal
Plants solidify sunshine; how this started, I don't know
Causing feet and entire chain shoe stores
The sun's diary pulled up from deep canary holes
And when we read it, our skin, it becomes warm
At the movies, eyes iced over
Walking sideways, through the gutters
And you realize that the floor sticks to your feet, your history
I'm gonna knock that look off your face like life don't hold you no mystery
The song "History Sticks To Your Feet" by Modest Mouse explores themes of nostalgia, optimism, and the weight of history. The opening lines describe a sense of detachment from reality, as the singer observes everything with a detached perspective. As they walk through the gutters, they feel the floor stick to their feet like history, suggesting that we are always reminded of the past in some way. While the singer acknowledges the mystery of life, they also challenge another person's cynical outlook, suggesting that we shouldn't give up on finding meaning.
The song's reference to walking salt and coal is a metaphor for humans' innate connection to the earth and how we are shaped by natural processes. The lyrics explore the idea that plants solidify sunshine, yet they don't understand how this started. Similarly, humans may be unaware of how we are shaped by our environment and history. The singer challenges the other person to recognize the significance of their past, calling out their self-congratulatory attitude while recognizing the importance of memory.
Some possible interpretations of the song include the idea that history is always present and that we cannot escape it. However, we can choose how we view and interact with our past. The recognition of the past can lead to a sense of warmth and connection, as suggested by the sun's diary. Additionally, the song suggests that we should reject cynicism and instead embrace the mysteries of life.
Line by Line Meaning
At the movies, eyes iced over
We were at the cinema, expressionless and cold
Walking sideways, through the gutters
Meandering along the muddy roads, avoiding the well-lit paths
And you realize that the floor sticks to your feet like history
It dawns on you that the ground beneath us clings to us, holding tight our past experiences
Don't you look at me like life don't hold you any mystery
Don't give me that look as if life doesn't possess any wonder
Bag of splinters boiling over, on your back expose your belly
Your emotions are in disarray and overflowing; you feel exposed and vulnerable
Optimism doesn't change the facts, just what you're gonna see
Being hopeful doesn't alter the reality, only your outlook towards it
Like it was stated that we're walking salt and coal
As previously mentioned, we have become salt and coal while wandering
Plants solidify sunshine; how this started, I don't know
Vegetation makes sunlight tangible; it's unclear why they do so
Causing feet and entire chain shoe stores
This gives rise to footprints and an entire market for footwear
The sun's diary pulled up from deep canary holes
The sun's history unearthed from hidden archives
And when we read it, our skin, it becomes warm
Upon reading it, our emotions are stirred, and we feel a sense of warmth
All those red marks on our shoulders
The scars on our shoulders, which nobody sees
Self back patting, homemade trophies
Congratulating ourselves with improvised prizes
Well the past only exists as tiny bricks we burn to release all its memories
Our history is merely objects we destroy to access the memories they hold
I've had enough with rolling boulders, I want more moss on me
I'm tired of struggling; I long for peace and tranquillity
Clocks to splinters but time goes forward
Clocks break down, but time never stops moving ahead
And when them tree drop leaves your feet collect their memories
When trees lose their leaves, they leave their past behind, and we collect those memories with our footsteps
I guess all us snakes find our tails pretty damn tasty!!
We are all occasionally guilty of selfish behaviour that we enjoy and crave
I heard you mention we're walking salt and coal
I recall you saying that we are like salt and coal
Plants solidify sunshine; how this started, I don't know
I'm still unsure how plants transform sunlight into something tangible
Causing feet and entire chain shoe stores
This process creates footprints everywhere, causing a burgeoning market for footwear
The sun's diary pulled up from deep canary holes
The past of the sun is uncovered from secret places
And when we read it, our skin, it becomes warm
Reading its history creates an emotional warmth in us
At the movies, eyes iced over
Once again, we are in the cinema, but this time, our eyes are glazed over
Walking sideways, through the gutters
Once more, we are navigating the streets, avoiding the main pathways
And you realize that the floor sticks to your feet, your history
You come to the realization that your history clings to you like the ground you walk on
I'm gonna knock that look off your face like life don't hold you no mystery
I'm going to shake you out of your stupor and make you realize that life is full of surprises
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Eric Judy, Isaac Brock, Johnny Marr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind