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.
You're the Good Things
Modest Mouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Slight of hand won't separate us from them
You were right I'm underground because
Slight of hand won't separate your body from the dirt you're standing on today
You're the good things yeah that's you
You're the icing on the cake on the table at my wake
You're the extra ton of cash on my sinking life raft
You're the flowers in my house when my allergies come out
You're the good things
And help's not short when you're digging your grave
I'll help you dig it
So you're digging your grave now
You're speaking my language I'll help you dig it
The lyrics to Modest Mouse's song "You're the Good Things" utilize vivid imagery to convey the idea of the world being a harsh and unforgiving place, but finding solace in the small things in life that bring enjoyment and positivity. The opening lines, "You were right I'm hanging round because / Slight of hand won't separate us from them," suggest that the singer is aware that they exist in a world where people can be conniving and untrustworthy. However, they are still seeking connection with others and refuse to let these negative aspects of society separate them. The following lines, "You were right I'm underground because / Slight of hand won't separate your body from the dirt you're standing on today," reinforce this idea of the inevitability of death and the idea that no amount of trickery or deception can change that.
The chorus of the song, "You're the good things yeah that's you," is a reaffirmation of the importance of finding joy in life despite its difficulties. The subsequent lines, "You're the icing on the cake on the table at my wake / You're the extra ton of cash on my sinking life raft / You're the loud sound of fun when I'm trying to sleep / You're the flowers in my house when my allergies come out," use metaphor and hyperbole to emphasize the crucial role that these small pleasures play in the singer's life. The idea is that even in the face of death, financial ruin, or discomfort, these simple joys - represented by the aforementioned images - can provide solace and hope.
In the final verse, "And help's not short when you're digging your grave / I'll help you dig it / So you're digging your grave now / You're speaking my language I'll help you dig it," the lyrics take on a darker tone. The idea of someone digging their own grave suggests a metaphorical or literal self-destruction, and the singer, who in previous verses seemed to be seeking comfort in the world, now takes on a more nihilistic approach, offering to help the digger in their self-destruction. The final line, "You're speaking my language I'll help you dig it," implies that this self-destruction might be a shared experience, or at the very least, something that is understood and accepted by the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
You were right I"m hanging round because
I can't help but be near you
Slight of hand won't separate us from them
No trickery or deception will bring us apart
You were right I'm underground because
I'm living in obscurity
Slight of hand won't separate your body from the dirt you're standing on today
No amount of deception will keep us from being buried in the ground
You're the good things yeah that's you
You are everything good and positive in my life
You're the icing on the cake on the table at my wake
You are the crowning accomplishment of my life
You're the extra ton of cash on my sinking life raft
You are the unexpected lifeline that gives me hope in the midst of despair
You're the loud sound of fun when I'm trying to sleep
You are a joyful interruption to the mundane routine of life
You're the flowers in my house when my allergies come out
You are a source of beauty and comfort in the midst of difficulty
You're the good things
You are everything good and positive in my life
And help's not short when you're digging your grave
I will be there to support you even in your darkest moments
I'll help you dig it
I will be there to support you even in your darkest moments
So you're digging your grave now
You're creating your own problems and difficulties
You're speaking my language I'll help you dig it
I understand your struggles and will be there to support you, even in self-destructive behaviors
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERIC JUDY, ISAAC BROCK, JEREMIAH GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sara Garzón
You where right I'm hagin' 'round because
Light and sound won't separete us from them
You where right I'm underground because
Sleight of hand won't separete your body
From the dirty you're standin' on today
You're the good things
Yeah, that's you
Yeah, that's you
Yeah
You're the icing on the cake
On the table at my wake
You're the extra ton of cash
In my sinking life raft
You're the loud sound
Of fun when I'm trying to sleep
You're the flowers in my house
When my allergies come out
You're the good things
You're the good things
You're the good things
You where right I'm hagin' 'round because
Light and sound won't separete us from them
You where right I'm underground because
Sleight of hand won't separete your body
From the dirty you're standin' on today
And the help ain't short
When you're diggin' your grave
And the help is not short
Sure, I'll help you dig it
And the help ain't short, no
When you're diggin' your grave, eh
William Wheatley
Sorry if already posted, only had a quick scan;
You were right I"m hanging round because
Slight of hand won't separate us from them
You were right I'm underground because
Slight of hand won't separate your body from the dirt you're standing on today
You're the good things yeah that's you
You're the icing on the cake on the table at my wake
You're the extra ton of cash on my sinking life raft
You're the loud sound of fun when I'm trying to sleep
You're the flowers in my house when my allergies come out
You're the good things
And help's not short when you're digging your grave
I'll help you dig it
So you're digging your grave now
You're speaking my language I'll help you dig it
marcia sequiros
Escuchando esta canción me meto mas en la historia, imaginando esos años y el amor de Eleanor & Park, es simplemente hermoso.
Solveon TV
“Más hermoso y solapado cinismo de Eleanor. Esta canción me llevó a través
de las escenas en donde Eleanor se sentía intrigada por Park, pero no creía que
nada bueno podía salir de eso”.
Rainbow Rowell
Kimberly Preciado
Yo ya habia escuchado esta cancion, pero con el libro ufff sin duda me atrapo mas..
Magnetísimo
Si no estas haciendo una lista de reproduccion con todas las canciones de Eleanor y Park no se por qué respiras
Viviana Guerra
Nada que ver. Esta cancion ya habia salido en una historia muuuuucho antes
Mitch Gettman
Modest Mouse is the greatest band thus far.
Lubid Gomez
Alguien más está escuchando esto xq un libro (Eleanor & Park) se los recomendó? :D
Sandra Ramirez
Yop
Ariadna Núñez
yo
Marcos García Gutiérrez
Lubid Gomez wtf lol!