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.
Perpetual Motion Machine
Modest Mouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He read until the words ran out
It said we're all in trouble now
Poison in the juice carafe
We drank until our thirst ran out
Oh no, we're in some trouble now
We all try harder as the days run out
We all try harder as the days run out
We all try harder as the days run out
With your teeth to your lips
And your hair to the ground
Well, you hear the fish and they're making this sound
Saying, "We just want to go on walking around
And feel what it's like to fall down"
Patrick ran the race
Yeah, he ran until the tire ran out
Oh no, I'm in some trouble now
Tried to kick it over
I tried until the juice ran out
Oh no, we want more trouble now
With your teeth to your lips
And your hair to the ground
Well, you hear the fish and they're making this sound
Saying, "We just want to go on walking around
And feel what it's like to fall down"
I saw
Everyone wants to be a perpetual motion machine
We all try harder as the days run out
We all try harder as the days run out
We all try harder as the days run out
The Modest Mouse song "Perpetual Motion Machine" touches upon themes of societal issues, the desire for eternal youth and constant motion for the sake of advancement. In the first verse, Daniel is reading a paragraph, which is most likely some sort of news or media article, which warns that everyone is in trouble now. It's possible that this refers to social, political, or environmental troubles that we create, willingly or unwillingly, or that occur naturally. The second half of the verse revolves around drinking poison from a juice carafe until our thirst runs out. This could be a metaphor for chasing after materialistic pleasures without realizing the negative consequences being consumed in the process.
The song then moves into a chorus that emphasizes the desire to be a perpetual motion machine, always moving but never really getting anywhere. The lines "we all try harder as the days run out" offer insight into how we push ourselves harder even when we know that there is a limit to how much we can accomplish. The second verse tells the story of Patrick, who has exhausted himself by running a race, and the desperate attempt to restart a car until the gas is gone. The song ends by bringing back the chorus, highlighting the never-ending desire to keep pushing ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Daniel read the paragraph
Starting point of a story where a person named Daniel is reading a written passage
He read until the words ran out
Daniel kept reading until he reached the end of the text
It said we're all in trouble now
The writing contained a foreboding message conveying that everyone is now in a difficult situation
Poison in the juice carafe
A reference to a harmful substance being present in a container of liquid meant for consumption
We drank until our thirst ran out
Despite being aware of the potential danger, they still consumed the liquid until they no longer felt thirsty
Oh no, we're in some trouble now
The realization of the severity of the situation sets in
Everyone wants to be a perpetual motion machine
The desire to keep moving and progressing non-stop
We all try harder as the days run out
Time becomes a motivator for individuals to push themselves to work harder
With your teeth to your lips
A description of intense focus or anticipation
And your hair to the ground
A depiction of someone in a low, possibly defeated state
Well, you hear the fish and they're making this sound
A surreal moment where the sound of fish speaking is heard
Saying "We just want to go on walking around
The fish express their simple desire to continue living and experiencing their environment
And feel what it's like to fall down"
To feel the reality and consequences of what it's like to make mistakes or lose control
Patrick ran the race
A new character named Patrick enters the story and participates in a race
Yeah, he ran until the tire ran out
Patrick gave his all, and kept running until he physically couldn't anymore
Oh no, I'm in some trouble now
Patrick, like the others, faces difficulty and hardship
Tried to kick it over
An attempt to change or control something
I tried until the juice ran out
Continued effort until the source of power or control is depleted
Oh no, we want more trouble now
A realization that despite everything, the desire for more stimulation and excitement persists
I saw
A vague reference to a vision or scene that is not fully explained
Everyone wants to be a perpetual motion machine
Repeating the earlier lyric to emphasize its significance and relevance within the story
We all try harder as the days run out
Another restatement of the idea that time forces us to work harder in order to achieve our goals
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ISAAC BROCK, JOE PLUMMER, JOHNNY MARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind