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.
Ohio
Modest Mouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On the way he took a nap
Dropped off a note that said "I'm giving this note back"
PS- There's a lot going on underneath
There's roots there's pipes, there's drainage leaks
You're on, you're wrong, Ohio
Truly sorry, I see clearly
Hinges rusting, they swing louder than anything
Truly lonely this place is flatter than it seems
I'm upset and I leave the doors wide open
Our hearts are used up, cracked and dry
Pulled the scabs off of regrets
We haven't learned to read our conscience yet
Truly sorry, I see clearly
Hardy hoping, I spend it all on game machines
Calmly crashing, I pace and I figure out again
One hand clapping, awake but napping
Rows of lights to illuminate lines
Why don't they turn them off and let us see night
Drove crazed grooming my lies
You can't look in on one way eyes, Ohio
The song, "Ohio," by Modest Mouse follows the story of a person who travels on a bus to Baltimore while leaving behind a note that reads, "I'm giving this note back." The writer tells that there is a lot going on underneath on the way to Baltimore. The lyrics paint the scene of the initial travels with images of roots, pipes, and drainage leaks. The writer then makes references to the state of Ohio and its flatter landscape, cracked and dry hearts. They also speak of pests and the rusty hinges on the doors of the houses.
The song's lyrics express an underlying feeling of regret and loneliness, as the writer pulls "the scabs off of regrets" and admits to not having learned to read their conscience. They also make allusions to spending time playing video games, driving crazed groomed lies, and the confusion of not being able to see the night when the rows of night lights are left on.
The song seems to be a commentary on modern living and the isolation and uncertain feelings that it can bring. The writer is allowing us to witness their innermost thoughts and emotions on a seemingly simple journey that brings them new insights into the realities of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Took a bus straight to Baltimore
I left one place for another without thinking too deeply about it.
On the way he took a nap
I began my journey without considering the many obstacles that usually disrupt it.
Dropped off a note that said "I'm giving this note back"
I made a symbolic gesture of returning a message to someone when it seemed to me there is no one to receive it.
PS- There's a lot going on underneath
I am not entirely forthcoming about the reasons for my actions because there are many hidden factors beneath the surface.
There's roots there's pipes, there's drainage leaks
The physical space I occupy is old and decrepit, and there are many ways it can fail.
You're on, you're wrong, Ohio
The place I am in is inherently flawed and broken, and this is reflected in the people who live here.
Truly sorry, I see clearly
I regret my actions and can now see the impact of them more fully.
Calmly crashing, I pace faster than anyone
Even as I feel like I am losing control of my situation, I remain composed and try to find new solutions.
Hinges rusting, they swing louder than anything
The sounds of wear and decay are everywhere in this place, and they are impossible to ignore.
Truly lonely this place is flatter than it seems
While there may be other people around, I feel a deep sense of isolation and struggle to connect with anyone.
I'm upset and I leave the doors wide open
In my desperation, I am willing to take risks and leave myself vulnerable to anyone who might be able to help me.
Our hearts are used up, cracked and dry
The people here have been through a lot of hardship and pain, and there is little optimism left among them.
Pulled the scabs off of regrets
I am reliving past mistakes and dwelling on them, reopening old wounds and preventing myself from moving forward.
We haven't learned to read our conscience yet
There is a collective sense of moral confusion in this place, and people often struggle to know what is right and wrong.
Hardy hoping, I spend it all on game machines
In the midst of all this chaos, I find comfort in simple distractions and losing myself in games or other trivial activities.
One hand clapping, awake but napping
I am aware of the contradictions and inconsistencies in this place, but I feel powerless to do anything about them.
Calmly crashing, I pace and I figure out again
I continue to seek out solutions even as everything feels like it is falling apart around me.
Rows of lights to illuminate lines
Despite all the decay and darkness around me, there are still small signs of order and coherence that help me keep going.
Why don't they turn them off and let us see night
I wonder if it would be better to just give up on the illusion of order and let the darkness overtake everything.
Drove crazed grooming my lies
In my desperation to survive, I find myself resorting to lies and manipulations that undermine my own sense of self.
You can't look in on one way eyes, Ohio
It is impossible to truly understand this place and its people from an outsider's perspective, as there are many hidden layers and complexities that are only visible to those who have lived here for a long time.
Lyrics © Music Hub O/B/O GEMA, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LEONARD BERNSTEIN, BETTY COMDEN, ADOLPH GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind