Missed the Boat
Modest Mouse Lyrics

While we're on the subject
Since we're already talking about something, can we shift the focus of the conversation?

Could we change the subject now?
Can we talk about something else?

I was knocking on your ear's door, but you were always out
I tried to communicate with you, but you were never really present to listen to me.

Looking towards the future
Focusing on what's next to come.

We were begging for the past
We were seeking to relive memories of what has already happened rather than looking ahead to the future.

Well, we know we had the good things
We know that we experienced enjoyable things.

But those never seemed to last
However, those good things never lasted for very long.

Oh, please just last
I really wish those good things would have lasted longer.

Everyone's unhappy
Everyone is dissatisfied or discontent with their current situation.

Everyone's ashamed
Everyone feels guilty or embarrassed about something.

Well, we all just got caught looking
We all got caught paying too much attention to someone else's situation or life.

At somebody else's page
At someone else's social media profile or personal story.

Well, nothing ever went
Things didn't really work out the way we had hoped.

Quite exactly as we planned
In fact, things turned out quite differently from our intended plan.

Our ideas held no water
Our plans, concepts or ideas did not work well in practice.

But we used them like a dam
But we still relied on them as if they would offer us stability or protection.

Oh, and we carried it all so well
We are very skilled at masking our struggles and unfulfilled desires to those around us.

As if we got a new position
As if we experienced a new status or level of success when in reality we did not.

Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
I try to find humor in my own shortcomings, which might have negative consequences in the future.

Saying, "Yes, this is a fine promotion"
Claiming that something seemingly trivial or unimportant is actually a positive thing.

Of course everyone goes crazy
It's normal for everyone to sometimes become obsessed over something-anything they admire or consider important.

Over such and such and such
Over trivial things that others may not find as significant.

We made ourselves a pillar
We tried to create a stable foundation for ourselves.

We just used it as a crutch
We relied too heavily on this perceived foundation, making ourselves too dependent on it.

We were certainly uncertain
We were all unsure of our circumstances or the future.

At least, I'm pretty sure I am
I am not entirely certain of what is going on or what the future holds, but I assume I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Well, we didn't need the water
We did not require something to survive or to press forward.

But we just built that, good God damn
But we went ahead and constructed it, even though it was unnecessary and of little value to us in the long run.

Oh, and I know this of myself
I am fully aware of my own shortcomings and failures.

We've listened more to life's end-gong
We often pay more attention to the negative aspects or endings of situations than the positive parts.

Than the sound of life's sweet bells
We do not value the good or rewarding parts of life as much as we should.

Was it ever worth it?
After reflecting on our past actions or decisions, we are questioning if they were truly beneficial or worthwhile.

Was there all that much to gain?
Did we really gain anything from these past experiences?

Well, we knew we missed the boat
We fully understand that we missed an opportunity in the past that may have been beneficial to us.

And we'd already missed the plane
We lost an opportunity or the chance of experiencing something new, exciting, or different.

We didn't read the invite
We rejected or ignored an opportunity that was offered to us.

We just dance at our wake
We celebrate our 'funeral' rather than focusing on our opportunities while we are alive.

All our favorites were playing
During our 'funeral,' our favorite songs or memories were shared or played.

So we could shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
We enjoyed our 'funeral' as if it were a fun party, not realizing that we are celebrating a death, rather than a life.

Tiny curtain's open, and we heard the tiny clap of little hands
Our past memories or experiences flashed before our eyes, reminding us of what we have lost and what we have missed.

A tiny man would tell a little joke, and get a tiny laugh from all the folks
Occasionally, we find something trivial amusing or comforting, despite the stresses and anxieties of daily life.

Sitting, drifting around in bubbles, and thinking it was us that carried them
We are often delusional about our own capabilities or powers; we think that our actions and choices lead to a perfect life and we pretend to be the center of the universe, while in reality we don't have any control over what happens.

When we finally got it figured out, that we had truly missed the boat
When we can finally see the negative effects of our past choices and understand how they have affected our lives.

Oh, and we carried it all so well
We pretended that everything was going well even though we had missed an important opportunity that could have changed our lives for the better.

As if we got a new position
We portrayed ourselves as having higher status or better-off than we actually were, even though we had missed a chance that could have made it genuinely possible.

Oh, and we owned all the tools ourselves
We thought we had all the necessary equipment and knowledge to succeed, when in reality we were lacking mastery of it.

But not the skills to make a shelf with
We lacked the ability to use our abilities and tools properly to create something of value that would last.

Oh, what useless tools ourselves
We realize that the things we thought were valuable or useful, were in fact not helpful at all or had no practical application.