MARCH INTO THE SEAIf food needed pleasing you’d suck all the seasoning off!

Suck it off! Well treat me like the disease like the rats andthe fleas, a-ha-ha! Bang your head like a gong ’cuz it’sfilled with all wrong! A-ha-ha. If you think you know

enough to know you know you’ve had enough. And if youthink you don’t you probably will. Our tails wagged andthen fell off, but we just turned back marched into the

sea. Well treat me like the sea oh so salty and mean, ah-ha-hah-ha! Well treat me like the disease like the rats and

the fleas, ah-ha-ha! I’ll be beating my heart’s record forspeeding. I’ll be beating the record for hearts skipping in

the dark. Our tails wagged and then fell off but we justturned back marched into the sea, well we just turnedback marched into the sea. Take all that you need like

my sign says for free, till it’s gone! Till it’s gone! Well dis-card whom you please like the leaves off a tree, ah-ha-ha!

Let’s shake hands if you want but soon both hands aregone, ha-ha-ha! Well treat me like the sea oh so salty and

mean. Oh treat me like the sea oh so salty and mean.Treat me like disease like the rats and the fleas. Bangyour head like a gong ’cuz you call it all wrong, move

your tongue. Klang! Klank! Klang! Klang! Klang! Klang!Cut me down like a tree like the lumber or weeds, welldiscard who you please like the leaves off a tree. Drag

me out of the sea and then teach me to breathe. Give meforced health till I wish death on myself. Ah! Ha! Ha! Wellwe all stumbled round tangled up in the cords from our

phones, V.C.R. and our worldly woes. Ah! Ha! Ha! Marchon! March on! March on! March on! March on!

DASHBOARDWell it would’ve been, could’ve been worse than you

would ever know. Oh the dashboard melted but we stillhad the radio. Oh it would’ve been, should have been

worse than you would ever know. Well you told me ’boutnowhere well it sounds like some place I’d like to go. Ohit could’ve been, should have been worse than you wouldever know. Oh the windshield was broken but I love thefresh air you know. Well it would’ve been could’ve beenworse than you would ever know. Well you talked aboutnothing which was more than I wanted to know. Well it

would’ve been could’ve been worse than it had evengone. Well the car was on blocks but I was already whereI want. Why should we ever even ever even really get toknow. Oh if the world don’t like us it’ll shake us just likewe were a cold. Well we schemed and we schemed but

would always blow it. We’ve yet to crash but still might aswell tow it. Standin’ at a light switch, to each east and

west horizon. Every dawn one yells surprise and in theevening one’s consoling, sayin’, “See it wasn’t quite asbad as IT COULD’VE BEEN.” Well it would’ve been

could’ve been worse than you would ever know, I waspatiently erasing and recording the wrong episodes. Afteryou had proved my point wrong it wasn’t like I would let

it go. I just wanted to catch the last laugh of this show.Well it would’ve been could’ve been worse than you

would ever know, oh the dashboard melted but we stillhad the radio. Hardwired to conceive so much we had tostow it even needs have needs, tiny giants made out oftinier giants. Cut off our eyelids so we don’t miss a sec-ond of the show. Well it would’ve been could’ve been

worse than you would ever know, well you told me ’boutnowhere well it sounds like the place I’d like to go. Wellwe schemed and we schemed but would always blow it.We’ve yet to crash but still might as well tow it. Standin’at a light switch, to each east and west horizon. Everydawn one yells, “Surprise,” and in the evening one’s

consoling, sayin’, “See it wasn’t quite as bad as ITCOULD’VE BEEN.” Well it would’ve been, could’ve been

worse than you will ever know. (Shaker: Clay Jones, Programming: Kyle “Slick” Johnson)

FIRE IT UPEtceteranough. Fire it up. Fire it up. When we finally turnit over make a beeline towards the border, have a drink

you’ve had enough. Fire it up. Fire it up. If you needsome conversation bring a magazine to read around our

broke-down transportation. Fire it up. Etceteranough.Fire it up. Fire it up. When we find the perfect water, we’llhang out on the shore just, just long enough to leave ourclothes there. Fine enough. Fine enough. Oh we ate all ofthe oranges off the navels of our lovers, grabbed a book

and read the cover. It honestly was beautifully done. We’dtried to hide the daylight from the sun. Even if we had

been sure enough it’s true we really didn’t know. Even ifwe knew which way to head, but still we probably would-

n’t go. Fire it up. Fire it up. We push off we are rollingborders, crashing down the mirrored stairways. Two oflife’s best mine canaries. Fire it up. Fire it up. When wefix the carburetor, then we’ll push off once again in anhour or so later. It honestly was beautifully bold. Like

trying to save an ice cube from the cold. Even if we hadbeen sure enough, it’s true we really didn’t know. Even if

we knew which way to head, but still we probably wouldn’t go. Well we always had it all. (Background

Vocals : Naheed Simjee, Programming: Kyle “Slick” Johnson)

FLORIDAAlthough we’d often wondered, it was no thing of wonderthe shit that flew from our minds. While wearing stains of

fresh fruit and riding on shoes of horse glue. On thisridiculous climb. With great tunnel vision we’d built our-selves a mission, to ride on bullets inside. Oh what a vaindescription of what we had been missing, so why would

anyone try? It was always worth it. That’s the part I seemto hide, and the busy ant empire had all deserted hive. Iwasn’t always cargo. I was once kind of my own. I guessI’ll pack up my mind. It took so much effort not to makean effort. Oh what a flawless design. It was always worth

it. That’s the part I seem to hide and the busy antempire put up the closing sign. Even as I had

left Florida. Even as I had left Florida, far

enough, far enough wasn’t far enough. Couldn’t quiteseem to escape myself. Far enough, far enough, far from

Florida. We were all drowsing in cruise control. Farenough, far enough wasn’t far enough. I stood on my

heart’s porch thinking, “Oh my god I probably have tocarry this whole load.” I couldn’t remember if I tried. Icouldn’t remember if I took my brain out through it so

directly at the goal. I couldn’t remember if I tried. I couldhave my mind erased and still not know exactly what I

don’t already know. Even as I had leftFlorida.(Background Vocals: James Mercer,

Programming: Clay Jones)

PARTING OF THE SENSORYThere’s no work in walking and it fueled the talk. I would

grab my shoes and then away I’d walk through all thestubborn beauty I’d start at the dawn until the sun had

fully stopped, never walking away from just a way to pullapart, dehydrate back into minerals. A lifelong walk to

the same exact spot. Carbon’s anniversary. The parting ofthe sensory. It’s old, old news to read. The parting of thesensory. Who the hell made you the boss? We placed our

chips in all the right spots, but still lost! Any shitheadwho had ever walked could take this ship and do a much

finer job. This fits like clothes made out of wasps! Ohfuck it, I guess I lost. The parting of the sensory.

Carbon’s anniversary. Just part of the game, if you please.Carbon’s anniversary. Who the hell made you the boss? Ifyou say what to do I know what not to stop. With you asthe ship who would ever get on?! The weather changedand for the worse. It came down on us like it had beenrehearsed! Not like you’d hoped but change will come,and be awful for most and really good for some. We’d

pulled the trigger but forgot to cock. Oh fuck it I guesswe lost! Someday you will die somehow and some thingsgonna steal you carbon. Someday you will die and some-

how some thing or someone steals your carbon.Someday you will die and somehow you will figure out

how often... something will die and you are going to stealits carbon. Somehow and somewhere you’re gonna loseyour carbon.(Claps & Stomps: Naheed Simjee & Dennis

Herring, Programming: Kyle “Slick” Johnson)

MISSED THE BOATWhile we’re on the subject could we change the subject

now, I was knockin’ on your ear’s door but you werealways out. Lookin’ towards the future we were beggingfor the past well we know we’d had the good things butthose never seem to last, oh please just last. Everyone’sunhappy everyone’s ashamed, well we all just got caughtlookin’ at somebody else’s page. Well nothin’ ever went

quite exactly as we’d planned, our ideas held no water butwe used ’em like a dam. Oh and we carried it all so well

as if we’d got a new position. Oh and I’ll laugh all the wayto hell saying, “Yes this is a fine promotion.” Oh and I’ll

laugh all the way to hell. Everyone goes crazy over suchand such and such, well we’d made ourselves a pillar, but

just used it as a crutch. We are certainly uncertain at

least I’m pretty sure I am, well we didn’t need the waterbut we stillbuilt that good goddamn! Oh and I know thisof myself, I assume as much for other people. Oh and Iknow this of myself, we’ve listened more to life’s endgong than the sound of life’s sweet bells. Was it even

worth it? Was there all that much to gain? Well we knewwe’d miss the boat and we’d already missed the plane.

We didn’t read the invite we just danced at our own wake.All our favorites were playin’ so we could shake, shake!

Shake, Shake, Shake! Tiny curtains opened then, weheard the tiny clap of tiny hands, a tiny man would tell alittle joke and get a tiny laugh from all them folks, sittingdrifting round on bubbles then (thinking it was us that

carried them), when we finally got it figured out, that wehad truly missed the boat. Oh and we carried it all so well

as if we’d got a new position. Oh and we owned all thetools ourselves without the skills to make a shelf with. Ohwhat useless tools ourselves. (Background Vocals: James

Mercer, Acoustic Guitar: Clay Jones)

WE’VE GOT EVERYTHINGWe’ve got everything. We’ve got everything. We’ve got

everything down to a science, so I guess we know every-thing! We know everything. We know everything. Weknow everything was built to expire so I guess we’ve

done everything. If we’d carried it out to sea, pushed itover the edge we’d have all been through. Well, “First

off,” Gary got drunk, fell asleep in his car till about noon.Awe! “Flat-top.” Tony got all messed up, split his lip chas-ing cheap perfume. Well look at our boat in the bay it, itlooks like some sad-ass little canoe. We’ve done every-thing. We’ve done everything. We’ve done everything

like trial by fire, so I guess we’ll stop trying now. We’vetried everything. We’ve tried everything. We’ve triedeverything half-assed and as liars. That’s how we got

everything. If we carried it out to sea, pushed it over theedge, we could have all been through. Well no one evenbothered showin’ up so we still did what we should’ve

thought through. We crashed in like waves into the store.Didn’t want it, didn’t need it but we knew that we couldsee it so we opened up the door. We receded like waves

out of the store. Didn’t want it didn’t need it but we knewthat we could steal it. Left you dying on the floor. We’ve

got everything. We know everything. We’ve done every-thing. We’ve tried everything.

(Background Vocals: James Mercer)

FLY TRAPPED IN A JARAll part and parcel, we were already dead. Well it’s proba-

bly been said, that one wing isn’t even enough. It isn’teven enough, it isn’t even enough to leave. Yeah gonnalet myself right out the door. I’m gonna thank myself

when it’s finally over, oh I’m a gonna let my old bad selftake over. I’m gonna move my arm out with my shoulder.One wing wasn’t even enough, it wasn’t even enough. Itwasn’t even enough to leave. First-off.” Gary was on dryand drunk before we’d even left our beds. As things gotbad it wasn’t hard to say that he had no idea. Well I had-n’t noticed but the people really noticed that they really

didn’t want us around, so we all just opened up ourmouths and wallets to this town. Well I was walkin’ just a

little bit sideways and you were walkin’ sideways too.Well I hadn’t learned when a front door can’t be used.Here we go sir! We had docked in dark so we didn’t

read what the sign read. Though simple enough it wasdemure and tough, “The ground needs to be fed.” Well I

hadn’t noticed but the people really noticed that theyreally didn’t want us around, so not a single one of us

would ever leave town. Our bodies were laid out evenlyfor fifteen yards. Two feet above of each of our heads

was a fly trapped in a jar. Well we hadn’t noticed but thepeople really noticed that they really didn’t want usaround, so every single one of us would feed the

ground. All part and parcel, well it’s probably been said,we were already dead.

EDUCATIONCall it education, it was somewhere in between you gave

me some sound advice but I wasn’t listening. After wehad capsized I could tell you how you’d fall. I’m not sureif I lay to rest on the ceiling or the wall. Not quite con-

versation it was somewhere in between. You said every-thing you thought and I listened patiently. All this dog

and pony, we’re still monkeys the whole time, we couldnot help from flinging shit in our modern suits and ties.Our instincts they were cringing, ’bout how we’d lived

our lives. It did not seem like we’d lived enough to evenget to die. All these dense distractions, so beautifullycomplex. I love life’s surprises so much I don’t want to

know what’s ahead. Stubborn shouted and said, “Don’tdo what you do.” I don’t know, couldn’t really hear.

Highly if you highly care, and you don’t, stubborn beau-ty, stubborn beauty. Ah very well! Hardly education itwas somewhere in between, oh I hit the roof but I had

aimed for the ceiling. Hardly education all them books Ididn’t read they just sat there on my shelf lookin’ muchsmarter than me. Good ol’ Nostradamus, he knew thewhole damn time there’d always be an east from westand someone in them fighting. Stubborn shouted andsaid, “I don’t do what you do.” I don’t know, couldn’t

really hear. Highly if you highly care and you don’t. Ahvery well. Stubborn beauty, stubborn beauty, I don’t

know any way. Stubborn beauty, stubborn beauty, I don’tknow, couldn’t really hear!

Highly if you highly care,and sure don’t. Stubbornbeauty, stubborn beau-

ty, ah very well.

LITTLE MOTELI hope that you like it in your little motel, and I hope that

the suite sleeps and suits you well. Well I can see it astime and as sight through smell, that’s why it’s nice to beby yourself. ’Cuz that’s what I’m waiting for. That’s whatI’m waiting for aren’t I? That’s what I’m waiting for, that’swhat I’m waiting for darlin’. We treat mishaps like sink-ing ships, and I know that I don’t want to be put out todrift. Well I can see it in your eyes like I taste your lips,and they both tell me that we’re better than this. ’Cuzthat’s what I’m waiting for, that’s what I’m waiting for,that’s what I’m waiting for aren’t I? We trade tit for tat,yeah that for this, and I don’t think that there was aninsult that was missed. I can see it in your eyes like I

taste your lips, and I’m very sorry. ’Cuz that’s what I’mwaiting for, that’s what I’m waiting for, that’s what I’mwaiting for, aren’t I? The remainders of a shooting star

landed directly on our broke-down little car. Before thenwe had made a wish that we would be missed if one oranother just did not exist. ’Cuz that’s what we’re waiting

for, that’s what we’re waiting for, that’s what we’re waitingfor aren’t we? That’s what we’re waiting for, that’s whatwe’re waiting for, that’s what were waiting for aren’t we?

(Rhodes: Dennis Herring, Programming: Kyle “Slick” Johnson)

STEAM ENGENIUSI was born in a factory. Far away from the milky teat.What’s the use?! Oh what’s the use?! You cheered as I

was split in half, a mechanical sacrificial calf for you. Ohall for you. Steam engenius you see, steam engeniusenough to answer anything you need. But what’s theuse? Human nature was installed in me. I did what’s

right but naturally it wasn’t natural. Still not my fault. Iheld in my hands the beating heart of a robot, he’d lost

his car it was sitting there crying out waiting in the park-ing lot just for you going, “Woo-hoo, woo-hoo, woo-hoo,woo-hoo.” What a waste of time what a waste of words.

What a waste of strength. Well I spoke in binary and youfor volume and dizzying length. I was born in a factory,

far away from the milky teat. What’s the use?! Birds flewout as I was split in half. A mechanical sacrificial calf.They flew. Oh out they flew. Steam engenius you see.Steam engenius enough to answer anything you needand ah that speed.I held in my hands the beating heart

of a robot, he’d lost his car, it was sitting there cryingout waiting in the parking lot out for you. What a

waste time. What a waste of words. What awaste of strength. Well I spoke in binary

and you for volume and for dizzyinglength. Woo-hoo woo-hoo woo-hoo!

Both halves are the better halflike a joke tryin’ to make anoth-

er joke laugh. Ha! Ha! Stasisis what you brought. Like a

rickshaw getting pulled

around by another rickshaw. In the past talkin’ presenttense. Gonna break it. Gonna wreck it. Gonna try tomake it all make sense. Stasis is what you got. Like arickshaw getting’ pulled ’round by another rickshaw.Steam engenius you see! Steam engenius enough to

bring my own damn doom. What could I do?! I blameblame that blame had grew. Well deep inside everybodyknew it was them. It was all on them. Things rang of sto-ries greek. I didn’t want it, you gave me deity. It was you.

Yeah all for you. I was born in a factory far away fromthe milky teat. What’s the use?! I held in my hands the

beating heart of a robot. He’d lost his car, he was sittingthere crying out waiting in the parking lot just for you.Woo-hoo! Woo-hoo! I was thought up by man to think

better than them then revered admired and thendestroyed by them. Hell even all that was my own damnplan. Well what a waste of time what a waste of strength.Stasis is what you’ve got. Like a rickshaw getting pulled

around by another rickshaw. (Background Vocals:Dennis Herring)

SPITTING VENOMWe were spitting venom at most everyone we know. Ifthe damned gave us a road map then we’d know just

where to go. Now let it drop. Let it all drop. Let it all falloff. You were talking soda pop, you talk it quite a lot, theopinions that I do not give and the opinions I ain’t got.So let it drop. Let it all drop. Let it drop. Oh let it all fall

off. You were spitting venom at most everyone youknow. If you truly knew the gravity you’d know which

way to go and let it drop. Let it all drop. Let it all fall off.My ears were pressed so firmly right against your

mouth to hear. When you tried to spit your venom outthe words were not so clear. So let it drop. Well we

walked downtown and we sat in the rain. Both lookin’one direction and waiting for a train of thought over.

Thought over I don’t know who kept track. I didn’t knowthere was a score but it looks like you’re the winner. Iain’t gonna play know more. It’s over. Game over. Hold

onto what you need we’ve got a knack for fucked up his-tory. Hold onto what you need. We’ve got a knack formessed up history. Well we walked real stiff and ourcanes tapped the ground. You hit me with yours and

said, “You’re gonna stare me down.” It’s over. It’s over.You can say what you want but don’t act like you care. It

takes more than one person to decide what’s fair. Youwere spitting venom at most everyone you know. If thedamned gave you a road map then you’d know which

way to go. So we carried all the groceries in while haul-ing out the trash and if this doesn’t make us motionless Ido not know what can. So’s to say. What a rotten thing tosay, such an awful thing to say. I didn’t mean to bite yousorry. What always did, what “always” did, what alwayshad to slang. Cheer up baby it wasn’t really always quiteso bad for every bit of venom that came out the ant i -

dote was had. (Pump Organ: Dennis Herring)

PEOPLE AS PLACESAS PEOPLE

To answer the questions it’ll probably takemore. If you’re already there, well you prob-

ably don’t know. Well we were the peoplethat we wanted to know and we’re the placesthat we wanted to go. It’s hard to get hold of

and hard to let go. Always something we’dlooked for from the day we were born. Instead

we’re the people that we wanted to know. And we’rethe places that we wanted to go. And we’re the places

that we wanted to go. And we’re the places that wewanted to go. And we’re the places that we wanted to go.

Always askin’ a question and I don’t want to know, likethe wind across strings that had finally let go. And the

people you loved but you didn’t quite know. And they’rethe places that you wanted to go. Bark at the neighborsand then bark at the door a snifflin’ and wimperin’ for

someone to know, but we were the people that we want-ed to know. And we’re the places that we wanted to go.Yeah we’re the places that we wanted to go. Yeah the

places that we wanted to go. It was not the intention butwe let it all go, well it messed up the function and it

fucked up the flow! I hardly have people that I needed toknow. ’Cuz you’re the people that I wanted to know. All

this scrambling ’round huntin’ high and then low.Lookin’ for a face, love or somewhere to go. I hardly

have places that I needed to go. ’Cuz you’re the placesthat I wanted to go, yeah you’re the places that we want-ed to go. Yeah you’re the places that we wanted to go.You shouldn’t have to ask, ’cuz we are your ripcord.

INVISIBLEWell listen dancing shifter, got a strong cell phone arm.Oh you’re not invisible inside your car. No matter whatconsuming sort of mission you’re on, well you’re notinvisible inside your car. So absolutely mental gonna

ramble and charge. No you’re not invisible inside yourcar, no matter you just breathe it like your flies in a jar.

No you’re not invisible. I like the saline tea. Well it’s truethat the moon can pull it back and forth away from me. Ishould just let it be. Well it’s true that the moon can pul lyou back and forth away from me. Well it had to happen

sometime gonna shake like a charm. Well we weren’tinvisible not all along. No matter how many eons came

and are gone. We were not invisible. I like the saline tea.Well it’s true that the moon can pull it back and forth

away from me. And there’s the orphaned sea, we werenever invisible, but that I guess we didn’t see. Of coursethis all had been laid down way before. We laid down forit all before we had a course, of course, of course this allhad been laid down before. Of course we lay down. I like

the saline tea. Well it’s true that the moon can pull itback and forth away from me. And like the orphanedsea, we were never invisible but that I guess we couldnot see. We’ll get crushed by the ocean, but it will not

get us wet.(Programming: Kyle “Slick” Johnson)

MODEST MOUSE We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

Produced by Dennis Herring / Engineered by Joe Zook & ClayJones / Assisted by Tom Queyja & Rob Cooper / Recorded atSweet Tea, Oxford, MS & Audible Alchemy, Portland, OR /

Additional Engineering by Kyle “Slick” Johnson, Reto Peter & TomQueyja / Mixed by Joe Zook & Dennis Herring / Mixed at Sweet

Tea, Oxford, MS, “Little Motel” Mixed at AUS California, Studio City,CA / Mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk, New York, NY

Lyrics by Isaac Brock © 2007 Ugly Casanova (ASCAP)/ TschudiMusic (ASCAP)/ Crazy Gnome (ASCAP)/ Marr Songs Ltd. (BMI)/

Party Pants Music (BMI)/ Robot Horse Music (BMI). All RightsReserved. Used by Permission.

Modest Mouse is Isaac Brock, Jeremiah Green, Eric Judy, JohnnyMarr, Tom Peloso, Joe Plummer

Art Direction by Isaac Brock, Christian Helms & Naheed Simjee /Design by Christian Helms & Geoff Peveto at The Decoder Ring /

Interior Illustrations by David Ellis & Casey Burns

A&R: Kaz Utsunomiya / Management: Ravenhouse, Ltd./ James Mercer of The Shins appears courtesy of

Sub Pop Records

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