The legend of Ugly Casanova was based around the character of Edgar Graham, a.k.a. "Ugly Casanova", who (according to the Ugly Casanova press release) met the band Modest Mouse while backstage at a concert in Denver, Colorado.
"After some prodding, he shared his work with the band, and began performing it early before shows while some people were milling around. Whenever he completed these performances, he retreated quickly with a look of anger and shame. After a time, a few small recordings were created, after which Edgar vanished." The release goes on to mention that the batch of songs found on Sharpen Your Teeth was delivered to Sub Pop, "in a strange parcel filled with Silly Putty and pelts of three unidentifiable rodents."
In truth, Ugly Casanova is a side-project of Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock and a number of other collaborators. In fact, two U.C. tracks -- Baby's Clean Conscience and Parasites have appeared as unreleased Modest Mouse demos from their 1993 "Paracite Sessions".
The origin of the band name itself is contested. Brock has admitted he created the pseudonym to "escape having to do interviews", but Modest Mouse's 1996 EP The Fruit That Ate Itself was credited to the production company "Ugly Casanova", suggesting Brock may have used the name to retain creative control and publishing rights while under a major label.
Though Ugly Casanova is Brock's brainchild, he shares some co-writing and vocal duties with Holopaw's John Orth. The collective also included Tim Rutili (Califone, Red Red Meat), Pall Jenkins (The Black Heart Procession) and Brian Deck.
It seems that another release is unlikely, owing to contract issues between Modest Mouse's label, Epic Records, and the contract Brock signed with Sub Pop Records to produce the record.
Ice on the Sheets
Ugly Casanova Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am the captain, you¹re in the galley
With this girl she said that she was hungry
We just got done swapping our IDs
Ice on the sheets. look at the floor,
Son as I can walk I walk out the door and never stop.
Ice on the sheets look at the floor,
as soon as I can walk I walk out the door and never stop.
it looked like we took it at gunpoint so i had to laugh.
Look at the ice, look at the floor ice on the sheets and I'm on the
floor I
never stop.
A wholeness comes and you feel a phenomenon I can¹t die, I just keep
going
on
Got there and a brand new ______ put ?em by the bed now, bad karma
beside
me
Ice on the sheet a week¹s worth of pay and all the Monday
You got to where you look at your shoes and you say hey hey
I'm out of breath, I'm out of wits,
I'm out of these every day of the week. Oh yeah.
Committing crimes and we¹re running down the alley,
I am the captain, you¹re in the galley
With this girl she said that she was hungry
We just got done swapping our IDs
Committing crimes and we¹re running down the alley,
I am the captain, you¹re in the galley
With this girl she said that she was hungry
We just got done swapping our IDs
Like back in the day where everywhere was the sticks
They used to go to bars they¹d dance in lines and get sick
You dance you dance and then you¹d dance some more you,
You put on your disco shoes and dance until there were holes in the
floor.
Back in the days when they died their hair
They still wouldn't ___________ lack of kids that cared.
Back in the days when they danced to death...
Back in the days when they banged their head...
___________________________________
______________________drunk_____ and we laughed.
The disco came and they did some coke.
They didn¹t have codine and the biggest joke...
Is their deaf, their fucked, they fucked, they fought, they fought they
_________
And now a little red lip stick, a red bra, and a cheap cheap trick and
that¹s me.
I brung your kids to the house to the home to the schools
_____________________________________
_____ didn't know nothin ____ talk isn't cheap
I _____ I got a kid now, I got friends now. How have you been? uh hu hu
hu
Committing crimes and we¹re running down the alley,
I am the captain, you¹re in the galley
With this girl she said that she was hungry
We just got done swapping our IDs
Committing crimes and we¹re running down the alley,
I am the captain, you¹re in the galley
With this girl she said that she was hungry
We just got done swapping our IDs
Committing crimes and we¹re running down the alley,
I am the captain, you¹re in the galley
With this girl she said that she was hungry
We just got done swapping our IDs
The song "Ice on the Sheets" by Ugly Casanova seems to be about committing crimes and living a wild, reckless lifestyle. The singer is the captain, and his companions are in the galley with him, suggesting a sense of hierarchy and control. They swap IDs, commit crimes, and run down alleys. The imagery of ice on the sheets and the floor suggests the aftermath of their reckless behavior. The singer seems to struggle with the consequences of their actions while also romanticizing the wildness of their lifestyle. The lyrics mention a sense of wholeness and never dying, adding to the sense of invincibility that the singer feels. The song touches on themes of risk-taking, identity-swapping, and nostalgia for a wilder time.
Line by Line Meaning
Committing crimes and we¹re running down the alley,
Engaging in illegal activities and fleeing on foot through a narrow street
I am the captain, you¹re in the galley
I am leading the way, while you follow from behind
With this girl she said that she was hungry
In the company of a female who expressed hunger
We just got done swapping our IDs
We recently exchanged our identification documents with each other
Ice on the sheets. look at the floor,
There is ice on the bedsheet and the ground, indicating that it is freezing cold
Son as I can walk I walk out the door and never stop.
As soon as I am able to leave, I immediately depart and do not cease moving
A wholeness comes and you feel a phenomenon I can¹t die, I just keep going on
A sense of completeness arises and one experiences an immortal feeling of continuous existence
Got there and a brand new ______ put ?em by the bed now, bad karma beside me
Arrived at a destination and placed an unknown item next to the bed, bringing negative energy
Ice on the sheet a week¹s worth of pay and all the Monday
There is ice on the bedsheet, and it is immediately Monday, signifying the loss of a whole week's income
You got to where you look at your shoes and you say hey hey
One reaches a point where they examine their shoes and exclaim in dissatisfaction
I'm out of breath, I'm out of wits, I'm out of these every day of the week. Oh yeah.
Experiencing a lack of physical and mental stamina, and tired of the monotony of everyday life
Like back in the day where everywhere was the sticks
Similar to a time when rural areas dominated the surroundings
They used to go to bars they¹d dance in lines and get sick
They previously visited bars where they danced in queues and felt nauseous
You dance you dance and then you¹d dance some more you,
You keep dancing multiple times in a row
You put on your disco shoes and dance until there were holes in the floor.
Wearing shoes suitable for disco and dancing until the floor had holes from the repeated movement
Back in the days when they died their hair
During a time when people frequently colored their hair
They still wouldn't ___________ lack of kids that cared.
Despite not having children to care for, they still refused to give up on their youthful behavior
Back in the days when they danced to death...
During an era when people danced excessively to the point of exhaustion
Back in the days when they banged their head...
In a period when people repeatedly hit their head, possibly during a concert or performance
______________________drunk_____ and we laughed.
Engaged in heavy drinking and found it amusing
The disco came and they did some coke.
The time when disco music became popular, and some individuals consumed cocaine
They didn¹t have codine and the biggest joke...
At a time where they lacked access to codeine, and a particular situation was considered the biggest joke
Is their deaf, their fucked, they fucked, they fought, they fought they
A description of their negative state of being, facing deafness, dysfunctionality, struggling in fights and continuing to fight
And now a little red lip stick, a red bra, and a cheap cheap trick and that¹s me.
Currently in possession of a red lipstick, red bra, and exhibiting not-so-classy behavior
I brung your kids to the house to the home to the schools
Bringing someone's children home and to school
_____ didn't know nothin ____ talk isn't cheap
Someone did not possess knowledge on a particular subject, and communicating is not an easy task
I _____ I got a kid now, I got friends now. How have you been? uh hu hu hu
Acknowledging that one has a child and friends now, while inquiring about the wellness of the other person
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@andregracio6882
Committin' crimes and we're running down the alley
I am the captain, you're in the galley
I'm with this girl she said that she was hungry
We just got done swapping our IDs
Ice on the sheets. Look at the floor
As soon as I can walk I walk out the door and never stop
Ice on the sheets I look at the floor
As soon as I can walk I walk out the door and never stop
I'm lookin' at an old photograph
It looked like we took it at gunpoint so I had to laugh
I look at the ice, I look at the floor, there's ice on the sheets and I'm on the floor, I never stop
A wholeness comes and you're feelin' a phenomenon
I can't die I just keep going on...
God damn nothin' not water, got nothin' but a band now, bad karma beside me
Ice on the sheet a weeks worth of pay and all the mondays (mundane?) you got to where you look at your shoes and you say, hey, hey
I'm out of breath, I'm out of wits
I'm out of these every day of the week. Oh, yeah!
Committin' crimes and we're running down the alley
I am the captain, you're in the galley
I'm with this girl she said that she was hungry
We just got done swapping our IDs
Back in the day where everywhere was the sticks
They used to go to bars and they'd dance in lines and get sick
(We used to go to barns and we'd dance in lines and make it quick)
You dance you dance and then you'd dance some more
You put on your disco shoes and dance until there's holes in the floor
Back in the days when they died their hair
They still wouldn't dance in the lack of the kids that cared
Back in the days when they danced to death...
Back in the days when they banged their head...
They would dance and dance again all in a stare (trance)
A woman goes in a bar, she got drunk and we laughed
(Dime store keets go, How've you been? uh haw, haw, haw)
The disco came and they did some coke
They didn't have codeine and this fuckin' joke...
(You're gunna' laugh ah haw, and thats all you did, I didn't know nothin', I did not understand)
Was their death, their fucked, they fought, they fucked, they fought they fuckin' fought...
Red lips, a red lip stick, a red bra, and a cheap, cheap trick, and that's me
I brung (You can run) your kids to the house, to (in) the homes
To the schools, to the bad places (in another place)
Yeah (Guess) how long?
(You don't know they are in my hell)
You don't care
They aren't yours, they aren't saying
I didn't know nothin', but time isn't cheap
I gotta run now, I got a kid now, I got friends now. How
Have you been? uh haw, haw, haw
@raisinbigdaddykane9723
When I used to DJ in college when this album originally dropped i would blend this with "Get Your Freak On" by Missy Elliot and Isaac sounded so fucking dope over that beat and her over this.... I cant help but sing her lyrics to the breaks in the lyrics on this. This is a top 10 album ever for me. Saw David Cross at the cat's cradle in North Carolina and the preshow DJ played this song and I went up and said "Is this Ween? " He said no Ugly Casanova. A few songs later he he played Parasites from this album.. I went up again and asked you that was and he said the same thing and that was it I went and bought the album that night... has been on a regular rotation since. So fucking good. And it literally sounds like at different points on this album that four different bands could be playing. Many jamming styles on display here, kiddos. Take note.
@killswitchh
I think we need that track on youtube.
@liljuz1981
lets get that mashup bruh
@mkatze2552
This song slaps too hard to be this underviewed
@XxxXxx-br7eq
Everything Isaac Brock has been a part of deserves a hundred times more credit than it has
@7SomeGuy7
@@XxxXxx-br7eq you can say that again.
@joshuaryan7485
The way I discovered this band is truly....different. See, there was this super cute girl working at a Radioshack (when that was even a thing) and I approached her, and we got to talking, and I asked for her number. She turned away from me, wrote something on a slip of receipt paper, and handed to me. When I got in the car, and opened the paper, it said "THE Ugly Casanova". I wasn't even mad.
@UrGoing2GetHopOns
My favorite song by them 💃💃
@JtenHopen
This song is so great wish the remastered it
@andregracio6882
Committin' crimes and we're running down the alley
I am the captain, you're in the galley
I'm with this girl she said that she was hungry
We just got done swapping our IDs
Ice on the sheets. Look at the floor
As soon as I can walk I walk out the door and never stop
Ice on the sheets I look at the floor
As soon as I can walk I walk out the door and never stop
I'm lookin' at an old photograph
It looked like we took it at gunpoint so I had to laugh
I look at the ice, I look at the floor, there's ice on the sheets and I'm on the floor, I never stop
A wholeness comes and you're feelin' a phenomenon
I can't die I just keep going on...
God damn nothin' not water, got nothin' but a band now, bad karma beside me
Ice on the sheet a weeks worth of pay and all the mondays (mundane?) you got to where you look at your shoes and you say, hey, hey
I'm out of breath, I'm out of wits
I'm out of these every day of the week. Oh, yeah!
Committin' crimes and we're running down the alley
I am the captain, you're in the galley
I'm with this girl she said that she was hungry
We just got done swapping our IDs
Back in the day where everywhere was the sticks
They used to go to bars and they'd dance in lines and get sick
(We used to go to barns and we'd dance in lines and make it quick)
You dance you dance and then you'd dance some more
You put on your disco shoes and dance until there's holes in the floor
Back in the days when they died their hair
They still wouldn't dance in the lack of the kids that cared
Back in the days when they danced to death...
Back in the days when they banged their head...
They would dance and dance again all in a stare (trance)
A woman goes in a bar, she got drunk and we laughed
(Dime store keets go, How've you been? uh haw, haw, haw)
The disco came and they did some coke
They didn't have codeine and this fuckin' joke...
(You're gunna' laugh ah haw, and thats all you did, I didn't know nothin', I did not understand)
Was their death, their fucked, they fought, they fucked, they fought they fuckin' fought...
Red lips, a red lip stick, a red bra, and a cheap, cheap trick, and that's me
I brung (You can run) your kids to the house, to (in) the homes
To the schools, to the bad places (in another place)
Yeah (Guess) how long?
(You don't know they are in my hell)
You don't care
They aren't yours, they aren't saying
I didn't know nothin', but time isn't cheap
I gotta run now, I got a kid now, I got friends now. How
Have you been? uh haw, haw, haw