From the top of the ocean, yeah
From the bottom of the sky, goddamn
Well I get claustrophobic
I can you know that I can

And he said,
"I am not allowed much danger
Keep in line you're an old friend stranger.
You'll burn me in effigy and I'll burn you in effigy."
A rattle snake up in buffalo Montana
He bit the leg of the old sheriff
Ha! That boy fell down on his harelip -Ow! Ow!
Well I might be wrong
But you you tag along
And we we all been wronged
And I get dizzier by the mile
Said hell! The money's spent
Went to the county line
And paid the rent said "Uh-oh."

Oh! If you could compact your conscience
Oh! And you might.
Oh! If you could bottle and sell it you might have done
Oh! And you might
Oh! If you could compact your conscience

And sell it save it for another time
You might have to use it.
And the televisions gone
Go to the grocery store, buy some new friends
And find out the beginning, the end, and the best of it
Well, do you need a lot of what you've got to survive?

Here's the man with teeth like God's shoeshine
He sparkles shimmers shines
Let's all have another Orange Julius
Thick syrup standing in lines
The malls are the soon to be ghost towns
So long, farewell, good-bye
Take 'em all for the long ride
And you'll go around town
No one wants to be uptight anymore
You can be ashamed
Or be so proud of what you've done
But not no one, not now, not ever or anyone

Take 'em all for the sense of happiness
That comes from hurting deep down inside
Or you can walk th line and give a shit
I'm on the corner of this and this and this and this
And its all all wrong, and its all all gone
Well, you can add it up and give a shit

Go to the family doctor
Its all worth it
And its all all gone, and its all all wrong
Here's the man with teeth like God's shoeshine

He sparkles shimmers shines
Let's all have another Orange Julius
Thick syrup standing in lines
The malls are the soon to be ghost towns
So long, farewell, good-bye
And the telephone goes off
Pick to receiver up, try to meet ends
And find out the beginning, the end and the best of it



Lyrics submitted by PLANES

Track duration: 06:53

"Teeth Like God's Shoeshine" as written by Isaac Brock, Eric Judy, Jeremiah Green

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Teeth Like God's Shoeshine song meanings
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77 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment:I've read a lot of the comments about Isaac Brock's lyrics on this website, and I've noticed that a lot of people seem to think that Isaac is a Christian and that he writes Christian lyrics. I just wanted to point out that although Isaac was raised in a Christian household, he is an atheist, and has referred to the Bible as "a crock of shit" in the past. I just wanted to get that out there. It's good that you're interpreting the lyrics and applying some really good thoughts to them, but you shouldn't project your own beliefs onto another person's.
    Flag Carouselson January 24, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me this song also points out the meaninglessness and mundaneness of life, "The televisions on" "Go to the grocery store, buy some new friends. "Pick up the reciever, find out the end, the beginning, and the best of it."
    Flag Orienteon May 07, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:For me, like a lot of other Modest Mouse songs, are just about the frustration in general about modern life. I dont think Isaac went a certain direction these are just his emotions poured out and soaked up by our ears to be interpreted through our own experiences. To me, almost every lyric has to do with frustration I feel with not understanding life and the frustration of feeling like im the only one who thinks this shit is weird as fuck...Its just a jumble of emotions on multiple topics, stretching from religion to concepts of life/friends/society/business/greed everything. This music is not pre-meditated thought or emotion. This is real. The "All all gone" line reminds me of drug addiction especially the way he stretched out the notes.
    Flagged Orienteon May 07, 2012   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:and i forgot, the album, from the first to the last second, is a perfection. one of the best album ever.
    Flagged mistakenforvaljesteron February 23, 2012   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:I cant write english very well
    and it's a shame because i'm listening to that song right know,
    and i understand everything so clear
    for the first time

    Mr Isaack catch my attention and via his music, puts my mind right against his lyrics.
    and it hurts and feels good.

    i wish i coul write about the way i see this song, "my meaning", but i can't.
    Flagged mistakenforvaljesteron February 23, 2012   Link
  • +1
    Lyric Correction:Potential correction: I think "Let's all have another Orange Julius thick syrup..." should be "Let's all have another Orange Julius mixer...". Makes a bit more sense too.
    Flag swoopeon January 26, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is my 2nd favorite modest mouse song. The first is Ocean Breathes Salty

    When i heard "If you can combat your conscience", i immediately thought of a businessman or something, who works for a company that does horrible things, like bp. But, he simply must combat his conscience, he can have this high paying job. He doesn't need his friends, he can always find new ones (Go to the grocery store, buy some new friends)and has practically his whole life planned for him (And find out the beginning, the end, and the best of it)

    He is soon molded into a "perfect" member of society (teeth like god's shoeshine), who has plenty of money (let's all have another orange julius), and who is settled in with life (thick syrup standing in line), and is only focused about his job (The malls are the soon to be ghost towns, well, so long, farewell, goodbye)

    The bridge is his conscious fighting back, trying to invoke self-pity and shame (You should be ashamed To be so proud of what you've done)

    I don't think religon has anything to do with it, honestly
    Flag Sonicyouth8848on October 29, 2011   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:Okay, I'm not sure if the question of meaning has actually been answered, so I'm going to answer it, cuz it looks kind of obvious to me. This song kicks off the theme of the entire album, that theme being in the title, Lonesome Crowded West. It's about the bastardization of the old west, which compares to the end of the final frontier, the end of true freedom and ultimately the death of the American Dream.

    I can prove my point verse for verse, line for line almost. "Well I get claustrophobic" translates to how a big city, such as Seattle, or LA, is such a small amount of space. The west used to be open and free, but we just cramp ourselves up into these cities where there's little breathing room. Everywhere you look, it's buisnesses, apartments, cars and people. Nothing is open anymore, it's all very claustrophobic.

    "Keep in mind you're an old friend, stranger." Think about your neighbors. Now, some people really are good friends with their neighbors, but a lot of people live next to eachother for years and years and never ever talk. Ask yourself, do you know your neighbors? They're always there, but they're complete strangers. Snake in the sheriff simply symbolizes the west's death, as what symbolizes the old west better than a sheriff with a hairlip. The man with teeth like God's shoeshine himself symbolizes industry, modernization, consumerism and the raping of the American Dream. You could call this my interpretation, but frankly, given that the overarching theme of the entire album, and a common theme in Long Drive, is the killing of the old west, I'd say it seems kind of obvious. And it just makes it that much better. I could continue on proving my point on this song, but I'm lazy, and I think I've said enough. Not like anyone's going to read this anyway. Damn SongMeanings, placing the newest content on the last page.
    Flag colbygb12on April 30, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:
    "let's all have another orange julius
    thick syrup standing in line"

    i have no idea if this is even remotely correct but those lines above remind me of methadone. orange syrup that you have to wait in line to get. and i guess i can see how it could relate to everyone else's opinions about this song. you know like let's get all the heroin addicts (who are using an illegal substance) to switch to methadone (a legal but just as harmful substance) which is controlled by the government. it's a really great image of control over consumers. "well, you guys are no better off now than you were before, but at least now you're buying OUR shit"

    just a thought
    Flag sorefeeton February 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:just watch the movie "Rampage" or think of columbine. there is definately enough resentment in this song to warant the need to go on a rampage and shoot up a whole mall-full of idiot consumers. the parts in the beginning of the song almost seem to be describing two men going on this spree together, one of them for ideology and the other just to score some quick bucks and get high using all of that money to fuel his addictive behavior (he is one sick fuck and is the one who should be ashamed). the character who is in it for nothing is more like isaac's personality, and has almost a grandiose opinion of his mission, much like a messiah and the type of churches isaac spent some time at as a kid. but isaac himself understands the rediculous nature of these religious freaks, he knows if he believed in a god, his God would have no concern with the day to day lives' of man; nope, isaac's God had given up an humankind long ago.
    Flag losingmylifetoawhorewithdiseaseon January 26, 2011   Link

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