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.
Truckers Atlas
Modest Mouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To unload my head
I'm going to New York City
And that's in New York, friends
I'm going to Arizona
Sex on the rocks all warm and red
And we bled
"we write our maps in the stalls"
I'm going up to Alaska
I'm going to get off scot-fucking-free
And we all did
This truckers atlas roads the ways
The freeways and highways don't know
The buzz from the bird on my dash
Road locomotive phone
I don't feel and I feel great
I sold my atlas by the freight stairs
I do lines and I crossed roads
I crossed the lines of all the great state roads
I'm going up
Going over to Montana
You got yourself a trucker's atlas
You knew you were all hot
Maybe you'll go and blow a gasket
You start at the northwest corner
Go down through California
Beeline you might drive three days
Three nights to the tip of Florida
Do you speak the lingo?
Oh Oh No. No no
How far does your road go?
Oh no, you don't know
I'm going to Colorado
To unload my head
I'm going to New York City
And that's in New York, friends
I'm going up to Alaska
I'm going to get off scot-fucking-free
And we all did
And the writing in the salt says
We ride out to the stars
I'm going to Arizona
Sex on the rocks all warm and red
This truckers atlas roads the ways
The freeways and highways don't know
The buzz from the bird on my dash
Road locomotive phone
The lyrics of "Truckers Atlas" by Modest Mouse describe the journey of a truck driver who is going through different states of the United States, trying to escape from their current reality. The first verse sets the tone: "I'm going to Colorado/To unload my head". The driver is searching for a way to clear their mind, perhaps trying to escape from personal problems or a troubled past. The next few verses mention sex, drugs, and violence. The driver is looking for excitement and thrills in different parts of the country: "I'm going to Arizona/Sex on the rocks all warm and red/And we bled".
The chorus of the song highlights the power of the truckers atlas: "This truckers atlas roads the ways/The freeways and highways don't know". The driver is using the atlas as a guide to navigate the country's backroads and local highways. The atlas is a symbol of the driver's freedom and independence, allowing them to explore the country as they see fit.
The lyrics of "Truckers Atlas" can be interpreted in many ways. Some have suggested that the song is a critique of modern society and the endless pursuit of material possessions. Others see it as a celebration of the open road and the freedom of the American West.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going to Colorado
I am traveling to Colorado
To unload my head
To clear my mind and relieve my stress
I'm going to New York City
I am heading to New York City
And that's in New York, friends
For those who didn't know, New York City is located within the state of New York
I'm going to Arizona
My next destination is Arizona
Sex on the rocks all warm and red
A possible reference to a sexual encounter in the desert with a reddish hue
And we bled
A violent experience took place
And the writing in the stall said
A conversation took place in the bathroom
"we write our maps in the stalls"
We document our travels and experiences in the bathroom stalls
I'm going up to Alaska
I am traveling to Alaska
I'm going to get off scot-fucking-free
I am planning to escape without any consequences
And we all did
Others who joined me on this journey were also successful in getting away with something
This truckers atlas roads the ways
The atlas for truck drivers charts their routes
The freeways and highways don't know
The major routes are not always the best or most interesting options
The buzz from the bird on my dash
The sounds and vibrations from a device on my dashboard
Road locomotive phone
A communication device for truck drivers
I don't feel and I feel great
I am emotionally disconnected and it's a good feeling
I sold my atlas by the freight stairs
I got rid of my physical atlas to someone who may need it
I do lines and I crossed roads
I consume drugs and travel extensively
I crossed the lines of all the great state roads
I have transgressed the boundaries of major roads and highways nationwide
I'm going up
I'm heading north
Going over to Montana
My next location is Montana
You got yourself a trucker's atlas
You possess an atlas for truck drivers as well
You knew you were all hot
You were aware that you could handle the tough journeys
Maybe you'll go and blow a gasket
Perhaps you'll become emotionally overwhelmed
You start at the northwest corner
Begin at the corner of the map
Go down through California
Travel down the west coast through California
Beeline you might drive three days
You could make a straight drive for three days without stopping
Three nights to the tip of Florida
It would take three nights of travel to reach the southern tip of Florida
Do you speak the lingo?
Are you familiar with the language and terminology of truck drivers?
Oh Oh No. No no
I don't think you do
How far does your road go?
How long are you planning to travel and where will your journey take you?
Oh no, you don't know
I don't think you have fully considered the scope of your trip
And the writing in the salt says
The conversation in the bathroom stall continues
We ride out to the stars
We travel and explore the universe
The freeways and highways don't know
The major routes cannot take us on this type of journey
The buzz from the bird on my dash
The device on my dashboard continues to emit sounds and vibrations
Road locomotive phone
The communication device for truck drivers remains in use
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERIC JUDY, ISAAC BROCK, JEREMIAH GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind