Modest Mouse – Tiny Cities Made of Ashes

• 0
  General Comment:This song is actually about the Great Gatsby. :D I know this for a fact. And, I know. I never would have guessed.

  Flag lucifersam116on November 24, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  My Interpretation:My theory is a lot of this song is referencing The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald. In the book the "valley of ashes" speaks to poverty and moral decay, and is watched over by a giant billboard for an optometrist. The billboard is a man's eyes framed in glasses, and represents the watchful eyes of God. The opening lines seem to be a reference to this; especially "punch you in your glasses." It's like punching God.
  
  Love the song!

  Flag dramabahnon October 25, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  Song Meaning:Gee, when I first heard this song I thought it was about New York and September 11. I'd like to know where Modest Mouse were on that day. It's like a poetic response to that event... the "punch you in the face " line expresses our urge to hit out at those responsible...hell is freezing over...get a sweater right now." this is an apocalyptic event of the first magnitude. "our hearts pump dust and our hair's all gray"- like the people running in the streets below...

  Flag oldtimesteveon February 11, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:capitalism? selling out? celebrity culture?
  just some ideas
  
  love this song!

  Flag bosskittyon February 10, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:This song is pretty much what Brock thinks is happening to the world. "The world is our ash tray," "Tiny cities made of ashes" means that we are making the world our own dump and making it a "dump" of a place to live in the filth we created. He choose to use "we're drinking coca coca cola" instead of soda to show obsessed the world is with consumerism (seeing as Coca-Cola around the world is the mist recognizable Soda brand). We are pretty much on a path of destruction where the Earth is not longer sustainable to human life (something that some might compare to something like Hell freezing over, some think the Earth will always be around, something that is not possible) and God is telling him to prepare for "hell frozen over" or telling him that it is happening and for him to prepare.

  Flag josemedinaon February 08, 2011   Link

  • 1 Reply Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
    0

    Sorry about all those typos.

    Flag josemedinaon February 08, 2011  
• 0
  My Interpretation:Totally agree with the people who say it reminds them of the great gatsby. Just got done reading that book for english class and as soon as i heard of the valley of ashes i automatically thought of this song. ha.
  

  Flag itskatieyallon November 13, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:Stanza 1:
  We're headed towards cities that are dead, burnt up.
  Violence.
  Ignorance (blindness)
  
  Stanza 2:
  Even hell has gone cold, dead, lifeless
  
  Stanza 3:
  We're "swallowing" our our endless consumption
  while headed for (S1)
  We're proudly proclaiming our own artificiality as individuality but
  We're all conforming to a mass culture
  
  Stanza 4:
  Does anyone know how to change course?
  
  
  Yeah, the rest just goes with the theme
  
  "I'm wearing myself a t-shirt that says the world is my ashtray"
  
  This song is so insightful, so real, and so sad. If you understand this song, realize you have a responsibility to help humanity pull over and ask for directions. This is why we need more women in politics.
  
  

  Flag emmawbon April 08, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:I interpret the song as: about how our own world, our lives, eventually become our own hell, and how we wish to get out of it. It expresses a life filled with apathy and that has become routinized. How we just don't give a fuck about what our lives have become, and how it's basically become our "ashtray." We eventually accept it, and do nothing to change.

  Flag messingwithbigfooton January 25, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:I think that they are mocking this "cold" world. I got a phone call from the lord saying ,"hey boy put a sweater on". Yet he's sitting in the SPA! getting coated with molasses, drinking coca cola (maybe alcohol and partying?). Maybe they are partying in this "cold world" saying "fuck you, I hate you too". Getting "dressed up"/"shaking hands with the masses"--its like we all put on some kind of mask.

  Flag shermasmon January 08, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:I know what this song means. I go to AA. My sponsor used to get stoned with Issac Brock; the lead singer of Modest Mouse. They used to go up to a spot in downtown Issaquah and have a bonfire and drink and smoke and party. When they kicked out the fire, the coals went everywhere while they were still glowing. They used to say that they looked like "Tiny Cities Made of Ash."

  Flag 9manon October 20, 2009   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!