And it's true we named our children
After towns that we've never been to.
And it's true that the clouds just hung around
Like black Cadillacs outside a funeral.

And we were done, done, done
With all the fuck, fuck, fuckin' around.
You were so true to yourself.
You were true to no one else.
Well I should put you in the ground.

I've got the time, I got the hours,
I got the days, I got the weeks.
I could say to myself
I've got the words but I can't speak.
Well I was done, done, done
With all the circ, circ, circlin' round.

I didn't die and I ain't complainin'.
I ain't blamin' you.
I didn't know that the words you said to me
Meant more to me than they ever could you?
I didn't lie and I ain't sayin'
I told the whole truth.
I didn't know that this game we were playin'
Even had a set of rules.

We named our children after towns
That we've never been to.
And it's true that the clouds just hung around
Like black Cadillacs outside a funeral.
And we were laughing at the stars
While our feet clung tight to the ground.
So pleased with ourselves
For using so many verbs and nouns.

But we were all still just dumb, dumb, dumber
Than the dirt, dirt, dirt on the ground.
Well wings on flames, kings with no names,
Well this place just ain't got right air right now.
You were so all over town but still so Crayola brown.
Well you should run 'round yourself right now.
And we were done, done, done
With all the fuck, fuck, fuckin' around.
Circlin' round.



Lyrics submitted by nuclearjesus

Track duration: 02:43

"Black Cadillacs" as written by Isaac Brock, Eric Judy, Dann Gallucci

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Black Cadillacs song meanings
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71 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:I feel that this song is about politicians. The opening line about "naming our children after towns that we'd never been to" is referring to cities like New York and New Orleans. "The clouds just hung around like black cadillacs outside a funeral" is quite possibly referring to the high pollution and mortality rate in the addressed city.
    "We were done with all the fucking around" is the population of the city voicing their disappointment in their mayor/the politicians in the area. "You were true to yourself, you were true to no one else" is addressing the politician's hunger for wealth and personal success while making false promises to the city. "Well I should put you in the ground" is about the people looking to have him/her removed from office.
    "I got the time, I got the hours, I got the days, I got the weeks" is suggesting that the city has a high level of unemployment. "I've got the words but I can't speak" means that the kids in the school have a poor education.
    "I ain't complainin, I ain't blamin' you" most likely is about councils and the Congress making most real decisions, rather than smaller politicians. "I didn't know that the words you said to me meant more to me than they ever could you" is again about false promises- empty speeches rising hopes of the city's people that they may have hope on the horizon by electing this politician.
    "I didn't lie and I ain't sayin' I told the whole truth" referring to politicians who constantly bounce between viewpoints on subjects.
    "I didn't know that this game we were playin' even had a set of rules" meaning that behind the scenes, there's a lot of dirty attacks and psychological advertising going on to help the politician win his campaign.
    "And we were laughing at the stars while our feet clung tight to the ground" refers to the city's fear of change and its conservative ways.
    "So pleased with ourselves for using so many verbs and nouns
    But we were all still just dumb, dumb, dumber than the dirt, dirt, dirt on the ground"
    These couple of lines refer to politicians who have speeches prepared and are great public speakers, but truly have no knowledge of what they talk about.
    The last of the song is basically a summary of everything that the rest of the song covers. There are certainly other ways to interpret it, but this feels like the most thorough in my opinion.
    Flagged DoctorSpudon January 04, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:this song is about killing his girlfriend or wife. it follows the rest of the album,

    Good News for Poeple Who Love Bad News is an album about the life of a man from bigging to end. starts off happy into the middle gets a little depressing falls in life realizes he hates her kills her and gets fucked up on meth an other drugs in the end to coap with the fact he killed the one he "loved" thats why "One Chance" is the next song that songs about you only getting one chance to make life the way you want it. "The Good Times Are Killing Me" is the part where he starts his drug addicted life till the day he dies.
    Flag the7setaon January 18, 2011   Link
  • -1
    Song Meaning:( / too lazy to read all the comments ) ... "
    um. well ~ i think this song is talking about a relationship he had in the past, but how it had ended when he realised that they were both young, stupid, and waaaayy in over their heads. she still felt like she was totally bamf, while in reality, she was just a kid with a huge ego, as all youngsters (... aaand now i feel old. ._. ") are. so he left her, possibly to look for a more mature relationdhip.

    .....i think. ^^
    Flag overcuteon January 07, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:I know that all songs are open to interpretation, particularly ones penned by masterful lyricist Isaac Brock, but I'm pretty sure this song is about University Of Ohio alumni and current NFL tight end Dallas Clark of the Indianapolis Colts. I'm telling you; try as I might, I cannot find any proof that his parents had ever been to Dallas, TX before naming him.
    Flag MattJHon November 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about life and death
    Someone close to death (I didn't die and I ain't complaining I aint blaming you) and the experience created meaningful truths and feelings inside that you want to teach so badly to others but somehow can't speak among the nameless chatter and ignorance of everyday speech and society, being done with fucking around, being grateful and understanding the time we have

    Thats how I feel when I hear this song because Ive spent alot of my life almost dying from heart failure and a new heart transplant (I'm only 21) and no one comes NEARLY as close as Issack Brocks in describing my feelings that I can relate to.
    Bless Modest mouse for realz yo
    Flag alyssaloveon June 02, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh my goodness, I love this song. It's so fantastically written and holds meaning in so many different ways.
    Flag jemmaCon May 13, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The great thing about music, to me anyways, is that it can be interpreted in a number of ways depending on who is listening.

    The thing I love about Modest Mouse and the lyrics is the use of metaphors, for me this song isn't so much about a relationship but more about missed opportunities and failed dreams. And Im not sure it's specifically about Isaac, but something that most people can relate to and interpret whichever way may work for them.

    "We named our children after towns, that we'd never been to" - Possibly notes that they wished they had traveled or expanded their horizons further

    "You were so true to yourself, You were true to no one else" - depending on how you look at it, it's almost as if it's third person. I've often caught myself not acting quite the way I want to, possibly not being honest with yourself or putting on a front that doesn't depict you as the real you.

    "And we were laughing at the stars
    While our feet clung tight to the ground
    So pleased with ourselves for using so many verbs and nouns
    But we were all still just dumb, dumb, dumber
    Than the dirt, dirt, dirt on the ground"
    - What I got out of this line is, no matter how far you may get in the world, like completing college, having a job and doing everything that the society considers "respectable and mature" member of society, if you forfeit your dreams to get where you are, you'll always just end up looking up at the "stars" and dreaming of what could have been. If everything you've learned in life is worthless to you yourself, then its about as worthless as the "dirt on the ground."

    - I feel like this kind of ties in with the "true to yourself, but true to no one else" line, as if he's telling us we have to be true to our dreams and follow them, or else we'll always be left wondering what could've been.

    This is just my take of this song, who knows though.
    Flag Hiton January 09, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I completely agree with bobbodian. Parents groups can go fuck themselves. Also sirgarycoleman. Modest mouse is so above break-up songs.

    No one else shares my idea that this might be about native americans and europeans clashing. The "verbs and nouns" part I tkhought should have at least given a hint that this song has something to do with ridiculing western culture. Guess not. They say "I didn't die snd I ain't complainin' I ain't blamin' you." The indians were a major factor in keeping the europeans alive, but once they had learned how to survive in america, they were "done done done with all the fuck fuck fuckin' around" and decided to pull out their guns and shoot the people who helped them. That's what you get for being a different culture.

    "You were so true to yourself you were true to no one else." that's what you get for not being true to christianity.
    Flag Modestmouse1115on October 26, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me this song means not putting up with bullshit after an important event in your life, could be a relationship or a fight. Its one of my favorites for Good News.
    Flag thescientist77on September 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think he's talking about how ridiculous people are really and how small minded too. Kind of agree it's about a break up, but I think cos he's upset about the break-up he's just looking at all the bad parts of the world. And how stupid people are. Particularly the bit where he says "we were laughing at the stars..." think he means, people take themselves too seriously and are really arrogant about stuff, but we are incapable of understanding stuff like the universe, like we're too obsessed with ourselves and how brilliant humans are to think about the universe. He thinks it's stupid that people give their kids names of places because it makes them sound clever or deep or that, when really it means nothing to them cos they've never been to the place. Basically people fuck about too much, and think they are smart when they're stupid and pretentous. The person he's had a break-up with he thinks of now as one of the people who thinks they're smart and they are fucking him about too i think.
    Flag Itsmeagainitsmeon January 24, 2009   Link

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