Satin in a Coffin
Modest Mouse Lyrics

You were laying on the carpet Like you're satin in a coffin.
The singer describes someone laying on the carpet as if they are dead and being prepared for burial in a satin-lined coffin.

You said, "Do you believe what you're sayin'?" Yeah right now, but not that often.
The singer questions the authenticity of the other person's words and they respond that they believe what they're saying at that moment but not always.

Are you dead or are you sleepin'? Are you dead or are you sleepin'? Are you dead or are you sleepin'? God I sure hope you are dead.
The singer repeatedly questions whether the other person is dead or alive, and hopes that they are actually dead.

Well you disappeared so often Like you dissolved into coffee. Are you here right now Or are there probably fossils under your meat?
The artist comments on how the other person disappears so frequently that it's as if they dissolve into their coffee. They wonder if the other person is really there at that moment or if they have already turned into fossils.

Now the blow's been softened, Since the air we breathe's our coffin. Well now the blow's been softened, Since the ocean is our coffin.
The artist reflects on how death is no longer as daunting since everything around us, such as the air and the ocean, can be seen as coffins.

Often times you know our laughter Is your coffin ever after. And you know the blow's been softened, Since the world is our coffin.
The singer suggests that even our laughter could be interpreted as the precursor to our eventual death. They continue to explore the idea that everything around us is a coffin, making death a less dramatic event.

Well now the blow's been softened Since we are our own damn coffins.
The singer emphasizes that, ultimately, we carry our own coffins with us, and therefore, there is no true escape from death.

Well everybody's talkin' about their short lists. Everybody's talkin' about death.
The artist comments on the fact that everyone seems to be preoccupied with the idea of death, and how we all have our own 'short lists' of things we want to do before we die.

You were laying on the carpet Like you're satin in a coffin. You said, "Do you believe what you're sayin'?" Yeah right now, but not that often.
The song comes full circle as the artist repeats the opening lines and conversation, emphasizing the theme of mortality throughout the entire song.