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.
Smoke
Ugly Casanova Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i followed the flash of silver from your teeth.
above the tarmac the lights were icy green.
buried in patterns in your chest, a quiet shimmering.
little dipper, tiara-shine, song bird shivery, thin thin dime.
smoke like ribbons....
songs were pulled in ribbons from the window of the car...
lost along the shoulders of the highway.
singing 'lawty lawty loved him'.
stark don't give a flat fuck.
The lyrics of Ugly Casanova's "Smoke Like Ribbons" are filled with vivid imagery that brings forth different emotions and thoughts. The opening line "smoke was pulled like ribbons from the windows of the car" sets a mysterious and haunting tone. The smoke is likened to ribbons, perhaps suggesting that it's drifting gently like a soft fabric. The singer then describes following the "flash of silver from [the person's] teeth", which may be interpreted as the glint of light reflecting off a piece of jewelry, such as a ring or a necklace.
The next line of "above the tarmac the lights were icy green" paints a vivid picture of the environment where the singer finds himself, perhaps on a street or a highway. The words "icy green" may suggest a cold and uninviting atmosphere. The mention of "patterns in your chest, a quiet shimmering" is a particularly intriguing one. It's unclear what the singer is referring to, but it's possible that they are describing some sort of body art or tattoo. The following lines don't provide much more context, instead offering a string of images: "little dipper, tiara-shine, song bird shivery, thin thin dime." These lines continue to add to the dreamlike quality of the song, with each image offering something visually striking but also perplexing.
The second half of the song's lyrics describe "songs [being] pulled in ribbons from the window of the car," a continuation of the imagery established in the first verse. This time, however, the songs are lost "along the shoulders of the highway." The final line "stark don't give a flat fuck" is perhaps the most memorable one, offering a stark contrast to the rest of the verses with its abruptness and profanity. Overall, the song's lyrics evoke a dreamy, otherworldly mood while also leaving much open to interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
smoke was pulled like ribbons from the windows of the car.
The smoke looked like ribbons as it came out from the car windows.
i followed the flash of silver from your teeth.
Your teeth were shining and I looked at you.
above the tarmac the lights were icy green.
The green lights looked icy as they shone above the tarmac.
buried in patterns in your chest, a quiet shimmering.
There were patterns on your chest, which shone quietly.
little dipper, tiara-shine, song bird shivery, thin thin dime.
You were shining like constellations and looked delicate like a songbird.
smoke like ribbons....
The smoke looked like ribbons.
songs were pulled in ribbons from the window of the car...
The songs were coming out in ribbons from the car windows.
lost along the shoulders of the highway.
The songs were lost along the highway.
the cake walk dancers unwind from their spin
The cake walk dancers stopped spinning.
singing 'lawty lawty loved him'.
They sang 'lawty lawty loved him'.
stark don't give a flat fuck.
Stark doesn't care at all.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@longjonston
Smoke was pulled in ribbons
From the window of the car
I followed the flash
Of silver from your teeth
Above the tarmac
The lights were icy green
Buried in patterns
In your chest
A quiet shimmering
Little Dipper
Tiara shine
Song birds shivering
The thin, thin dime
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
Songs were pulled in ribbons
From the window of the car
Lost along the shoulders
Of the highway
Cakewalk dancers
Unwind from their spin
Singing
"Lordy, lordy loved him"
Stark don't give a flat fuck
"Lordy, lordy loved him"
Stark don't give a flat fuck
"Lordy, lordy loved him"
Stark don't give a flat fuck
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
@jeremydoe6124
The F Word
Don't say it
Without passion
Slips
So viscously
Like bombs in an otherwise intellectual trade off
Showing stubbornness
Not knowing when to listen
Not knowing when there is passion
Truly
Like bombs in an otherwise heart felt conversation
Say it with passion
Truly
@krishostetter2377
Entirely unable to explain why or how, but this may he my favorite song. Ever.
@Kevin-uj4uu
same its really up there
@Guppyg53
Me too :)
@InfactBased
Sameeeee
@frogblast2191
Criminally underrated. Especially considering the two very talented lead vocalists and the popularity from their bands originally.
@gummyworms5112
this song will make me cry
@neanderphillip63
Stark don’t give a flat fuck.
@markvito746
.... cat faces 🐱 does that to me. Makes me think about life and trying to recall the last time I seen my Mother
@longjonston
Smoke was pulled in ribbons
From the window of the car
I followed the flash
Of silver from your teeth
Above the tarmac
The lights were icy green
Buried in patterns
In your chest
A quiet shimmering
Little Dipper
Tiara shine
Song birds shivering
The thin, thin dime
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
Songs were pulled in ribbons
From the window of the car
Lost along the shoulders
Of the highway
Cakewalk dancers
Unwind from their spin
Singing
"Lordy, lordy loved him"
Stark don't give a flat fuck
"Lordy, lordy loved him"
Stark don't give a flat fuck
"Lordy, lordy loved him"
Stark don't give a flat fuck
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
Smoke like ribbons
@jasoncoker1625
Stars they don't give a flat fuck