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.
The Good Times Are Killing Me
Modest Mouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here we go!
Got dirt, got air, got water and I know you can carry on.
Shrug off shortsighted false excitement and oh what can I say?
Have one, have twenty more "one mores" and oh it does not relent.
The good times are killing me.
Kick butt buzz-cut dickheads
Who didn't like what I said.
The good times are killing me.
Jaws clenched tight we talked all night,
Oh but what the hell did we say?
The good times are killing me.
The good times are killing me.
The good times are killing me.
Fed up with all that LSD.
Need more sleep than coke or methamphetamines.
Late nights with warm, warm whiskey.
I guess the good times they were all just killing me.
Got dirt, got air, got water and I know you can carry on.
The good times are killing me.
Enough hair of the dog to make myself an entire rug.
The good times are killing me.
Have one, have twenty more "one mores" and oh it does not relent.
The good times are killing me.
Shit-kicker city slickers who all wanted me dead.
The good times are killing me.
Get sucked in and stuck in late nights
With more folks that I don't know.
The good times are killing me.
The good times are killing me.
The good times are killing me.
The good times are killing me.
The good times are killing me.
The good times are killing me.
The good times are killing me.
The good times are killing me.
The good times are killing me.
The Modest Mouse song "The Good Times Are Killing Me" is all about the destructive power of excess, whether it be in the form of drugs, alcohol, or just living life in the fast lane. The repetition of the chorus, "The good times are killing me," emphasizes this idea, driving home the point that what may seem fun and exciting in the moment can have serious and lasting consequences.
The lyrics start off on a positive note, with the singer acknowledging the basic necessities of life -- dirt, air, and water -- and the resilience of the human spirit. However, this mood quickly shifts as the singer describes the short-sighted false excitement that comes with excessive drinking and drug use. The repeated phrase "have one, have twenty more 'one mores'" speaks to the addictive nature of these behaviors and the inability to stop once started.
The section about "kick butt buzz-cut dickheads" can be interpreted as the negative backlash the singer experiences as a result of their behavior. While they may think they're having a good time, others may see them as obnoxious or out of control. The line "Jaws clenched tight we talked all night, oh but what the hell did we say?" suggests that the singer may not even remember the conversations or interactions they had in these states.
The final verse speaks to the toll that these behaviors can take on both the body and the mind. The singer has had enough of the drug culture ("fed up with all that LSD") and recognizes that they need more sleep than they do drugs or alcohol. The line "late nights with warm, warm whiskey" evokes a sense of loneliness and desperation, as if the singer is trying to fill a void with these vices.
Overall, the song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of excess and how what may seem like a good time can lead to serious consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
The good times are killing me.
Having too much fun is causing me harm and may lead to my downfall.
Got dirt, got air, got water and I know you can carry on.
Despite the struggles and challenges, I have the necessities for survival and the resilience to continue.
Shrug off shortsighted false excitement and oh what can I say?
I reject trivial and temporary sources of joy and am left searching for deeper meaning and purpose.
Have one, have twenty more "one mores" and oh it does not relent.
Indulging in excess and addiction only leads to more desire and never-ending pleasure seeking.
Kick butt buzz-cut dickheads who didn't like what I said.
Encountering and rejecting close-minded and hostile individuals who do not appreciate my opinions or values.
Jaws clenched tight we talked all night, oh but what the hell did we say?
Engaging in meaningless and unproductive conversations with tense and anxious attitudes.
Fed up with all that LSD.
Tired of the temporary and dangerous effects of drugs like LSD, seeking more sustainable forms of happiness.
Need more sleep than coke or methamphetamines.
Desiring relaxation and healthy habits over the stimulating and addictive effects of drugs like cocaine and methamphetamines.
Late nights with warm, warm whiskey.
Drinking alcohol to numb the pain and escape reality, leading to unhealthy and lonely behavior.
Enough hair of the dog to make myself an entire rug.
Continuing to drink to cure a hangover, resulting in a vicious cycle of self-destructive behavior.
Shit-kicker city slickers who all wanted me dead.
Facing hostility and rejection from those who perceive themselves as superior or more sophisticated.
Get sucked in and stuck in late nights with more folks that I don't know.
Becoming involved in superficial and aimless social situations, feeling disconnected and alone.
Lyrics Ā© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DANN GALLUCCI, ERIC JUDY, ISAAC BROCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@darkbrisco
Modest Mouse is one of the incredibly rare bands that celebrates humanity and people for everything they are and can be. There's no right way through life. We're all just making it up as we go along. Keep faith, keep fighting, and keep on the green side of the dirt for as long as you can because it's all so interesting even when it's nothing else.
@JVlalice--
It sucks to see these comments be the minority. It really makes me question how shallow minded the rest of the people are for real.
@georgi3554
My friend, you have a talent
@CarlTheSpud
Its all about the good times.
@devinsdead921
This is one of the songs you cry to at 3AM after a long day.
@noterart
2:30. Close enough
@viboritz
Or morning in isolation
@Squarmptin
You ok, man?
@jill9700
Hahaha. That's fucked up.
@nawmastay
11:34pm. Close enough