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.
Parasites
Ugly Casanova Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
eyes bulging, entering your head.
and all your thoughts, they rot.
god and satan they gamble when you're dead
beams of light, one sprite, the other's bourbon instead
and all your thoughts, they rot.
it was hot and time was stickin to my skin.
we're all a punchline to a joke that they won't let us in on.
The lyrics to Ugly Casanova's song "Parasites" talk about death and what happens to our thoughts when we die. The parasites mentioned in the song are excited when we die, and their excitement is described with vivid imagery - our eyes bulging and the parasites entering our heads. The parasites feed on our thoughts, and the song suggests that our thoughts rot when we die. The idea of our thoughts rotting is a pretty bleak one, and it speaks to the idea that death is the end of not just our bodies, but also our consciousness.
The second part of the song talks about god and Satan gambling on our souls after we die. This is a common theme in religious mythology - the idea that our souls are judged in the afterlife. The song subverts this theme a bit by suggesting that God and Satan are more interested in the beverages they're drinking than the souls they're judging. There's a juxtaposition between the seriousness of death and the triviality of the gods' actions. This juxtaposition speaks to the idea that death is ultimately meaningless - we're all just a punchline to a joke that we don't understand.
The overall tone of the song is pretty pessimistic. It suggests that death is a bleak and meaningless end, and the idea that our thoughts rot and are consumed by parasites is a pretty depressing image. The song is a meditation on mortality and the afterlife, and it doesn't offer any comforting answers. Instead, it presents death as a certainty that we can't escape, and suggests that our thoughts and souls are ultimately doomed to decay.
Line by Line Meaning
the parasites are excited when you're dead
The creatures that exist to drain us of our resources thrive on our demise
eyes bulging, entering your head.
The parasites feed on the lifeless body until they leave empty husks with their eyes bulging.
and all your thoughts, they rot.
Once you pass away, the memories, experiences and thoughts that made you ultimately decay and are forgotten.
god and satan they gamble when you're dead
Even deities can't resist playing a game of chance on the life you led when you're gone.
beams of light, one sprite, the other's bourbon instead
The hopeful light of good deeds and the darkness of negative events are represented by bourbon and sprite respectively.
and all your thoughts, they rot.
The important and insignificant moments you once lived quickly become forgotten and neglected.
it was hot and time was stickin to my skin.
The singer remembers feeling isolated, uncomfortable, and restless with the passing of time.
we're all a punchline to a joke that they won't let us in on.
The artist acknowledges that our existence is purposeless and we're the subjects of a joke that's kept from us.
and all your thoughts, they rot.
Once you pass away, the memories, experiences, and thoughts that made you ultimately decay and are forgotten.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Gary Beavis, Glen Gibson, Luke Thomas, Nathan Thomas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mothboy
Lyrics:
The parasites are excited when you're dead
Eyes bulging, entering your head
And, all your thoughts,
They rot
God and Satan,
They gamble when you're dead
Beams of light
One's sprite, the other's bourbon instead
And, all your thougts,
they rot
It was hot and time was sticking to my skin
We're all the punchline to a joke that they won't let us in on
And all your thoughts,
They rot
mothboy
Lyrics:
The parasites are excited when you're dead
Eyes bulging, entering your head
And, all your thoughts,
They rot
God and Satan,
They gamble when you're dead
Beams of light
One's sprite, the other's bourbon instead
And, all your thougts,
they rot
It was hot and time was sticking to my skin
We're all the punchline to a joke that they won't let us in on
And all your thoughts,
They rot
jane doe
This is one of my favourite songs of all time!
Douglas Mcdonald
jane doe its a good fucking song
Andrew Cameron
Originally a modest mouse demo, turned into a masterpiece, fucking beautiful
Luz
@P. Kerr theyre pretty ddamn great ngl..
FlyingJay
Awesome song. One of my all time favorites. This is the song of the saints marching.
RKH
Isaac Brock is amazing
Justin Chastant
I forgot how awesome this song is.
Keep On Casting!
Isaac Brock is a bit more enlightened than the rest of us.
Uncle.saMC47
I can imagine Donnie Darko rocking out to this