Modest Mouse – Satin in a Coffin

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  General Comment:I disagree with the interpretation of the "Now the blow's been softened..." section that argues it's about a realization that we ultimately spell our own demise. I think the repetition of "Now the blow's been softened" emphasizes an acceptance of death that results from realizing the state of the world is irrespective of us; the inevitability of the separate aspects of our experience (the air, the ocean, the world, our bodies) parallels the inevitability of death, softening the blow since the state of our death is almost indistinguishable from the state of our life. It all serves as our vessel in life and so naturally our coffin in death. It reminds me of the same ethos in a lot of Bright Eyes songs dealing with the same subject.
  
  On another note:
  The repetition of "Everybody's talkin' about" at that midpoint has always echoed the opening of John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" for me, no idea if that was at all intended. Anyone else experience that?

  Flag ZooNewtonon March 13, 2013   Link

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  Song Meaning:The song is about how belief in god is used to comfort people.
  
  "Do you believe what you're sayin'?"
  Yeah right now, but not that often.
  
  Although people are religious, they don't usually think about it until it matters.
  
  There are alot of these references on this album. Another good one is in "The Ocean Breathes Salty" when he talks about how people waste there lives, and use heaven as an excuse for it, for example when he mentions that life after death would be worthless considering most people waste life.

  Flag Daminalson December 11, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:Well now the blow's been softened
  Since we are our own damn coffins.
  
  The blows been softened AKA death, we are our own damn coffins, aka We all have our own beliefs.
  
  Everyone softens death with their own beliefs but ultimately death will be nothingness or a giant blow.

  Flag superflydemonon July 01, 2012   Link

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    I dont mean to dispute your idea, as everyone has their own interpretation. that is why we all love music. however i see the lyrics "the blow has been softened, we are our own damn coffin" as more of a 'wow, fuck, we all die because we exist. We create the world that kills us'

    Flag tuiSneakeron August 16, 2012  
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  General Comment:Listening closely to this song, I've thought that it was directed at society's views on death and reactions to death, or that it could be about a fight had with someone after a death.

  Flag dartigenon January 01, 2012   Link

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  Song Meaning:The songs about inner demons, in his case heavy drug usage. I think he actually means satan, but he said satin to make it more accessible and not scare people away.
  
  "You were laying on the carpet
  Like you're satin in a coffin
  You said, "Do you believe what you're saying?"
  Yeah, right now, but not that often
  Are you dead or are you sleeping?
  Are you dead or are you sleeping?
  Are you dead or are you sleeping?
  God, I sure hope you are dead"
  
  He's put the addiction behind him, and hopes it won't come back.
  
  "Well, you disappeared so often
  Like you dissolved into coffee
  Are you here right now or are there
  Probably fossils under your meat?"
  
  Only part I can't figure out
  
  "Now the blow's been softened"
  
  It's less painful, and he feels less guilty because of all the sin in the world(not in a traditional sense)
  
  "Since the air we breathe's our coffin
  Well, now the blow's been softened
  Since the ocean is our coffin"
  
  Are sin is in the environment
  
  "Often times you know our laughter
  Is our coffin ever after"
  
  Laughter often hides guilt
  
  "And you know the blow's been softened
  Since the world is our coffin
  And now the blow's been softened
  Since we are our own damn coffins"
  
  Are bodies are our coffins from drugs and junk food and shit like that.
  
  "Well, everybody's talking about their short lists
  Everybody's talking about death!"
  
  People are focusing on temporary happiness, like drugs and sex, things that can often cause you to die.
  

  Flag TheCrafton June 30, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I think a lot of you guys are right about things in the world around us that are harmful to us. I think the song is about cocaine, because I know how Modest Mouse are or how they use to be with speedy drugs, especially the singer. Now the blow's been softened....I think he means something like after so many times, or when it just isn't for fun anymore, when its for addiction instead of recreation, it's just not what it use to be and it's killing me, that is just what I think, and maybe it's about that and his experience with someone else one particular night.

  Flag jad528on October 19, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:Why does everyone seem to think this song is about him talking to God?

  Flag wynnakinon July 21, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:First, this song has nothing to do with organized religion, that's an ignorant statement, not every good musician hates religion. There's not even any way you can get that from this song, and as far as the whole "God" line, its an expression, don't be silly. I think it's about how we go on living our lives in neglect of whats going to happen to us, then complain about it later, I.E = Soda. Simple, yet, in no way shape or form is soda good for us, its toxic, its basically slowly committing suicide yet every day we look past that fact and we do it anyway, later on we take diet pills to lose weight to make us healthy, when its really not. "Now the blow's been softened, Since the air we breathe's our coffin" - I feel like what Isaac is saying here is that we are just used to killing ourselves, I.E = Cars, trucks, boats all that stuff is pollution, pollution = Cancer, everything = out to cancer, but the "Blow" Of cancer is softened because we are so used to it. Further, nature is becoming a threat too, I.E pollution again in the water, hence the line, "Well, now the blow's been softened, Since the ocean is our coffin." - We make here another excuse for our neglect, its polluted, we get all sorts of diseases from spoiled fish from pollution again, I'm not saying pollution is what he is talking about, it's just an easy explanation.
  
  This, I feel, is where Isaac seals the song up in summary
  
  "Often times you know our laughter
  Is our coffin ever after
  And you know the blow's been softened
  Since the world is our coffin"
  Here again he says, blatantly, that our joy, I.E = Soda again, kills us. But that fact is "Softened" since the world will kill us any way.
  
  Here's where he gets angry,
  "And now the blow's been softened
  Since we are our own damn coffins
  Well, everybody's talking about their short lists
  Everybody's talking about death!"
  I feel he's shouting out, bluntly, shut the fuck up already, we do this ourselves then complain. You can really feel his enthusiasm on the subject when he raises his voice on the line "Since we are our own damn coffins."
  
  -And that, is my interpretation. :) feel free to "Constructively!" Criticize me.
  

  Flag Dnapaloon May 01, 2010   Link

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    Isaac is an atheist, and a militant one at that. So yes. He's very against religion.

    Flag JaykGreyon October 17, 2010  

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    Also, ie is the same as "As in," whereas what you really mean is "eg" or "For example."

    Flag JaykGreyon October 17, 2010  

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    Gray is also spelled with an A. i.e., that comment is totally pointless Jayk.
    
    As for your Dnapolo, I think you're pretty close, if not spot on. A lot of Modest Mouse songs seem to hit that kind of point.

    Flag Moonlight772on October 17, 2010  
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  General Comment:I think that this one is about someone he knows that was important to him at one point, most likely a spouse or guardian that was a really flaky drunk or drug addict.
  
  "You disappeared so often like you dissolved into coffee"
  
  I imagine him coming home and seeing this person passed out on the floor, causing him to voice his frustration and finally letting him/her have it.
  
  "Are you dead or are you sleeping? God, I sure hope you are dead."
  
  This person is then surprised by his sudden outburst, which furthers the argument.
  
  "Do you believe what you're saying? Right now but not that often!"
  
  This basically assures that he truly means what he says, and it's not simply unchecked aggression.
  
  
  
  

  Flag Hylonomuson January 22, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:to me. . .this song is about living life and not just going through the motions. In a lot of people's lives it's like they are just waiting around for death. Just laying on the carpet. So when he says God, I sure hope you are dead, then it's like the only good reason to be just laying around is if you are in fact dead. If you're not dead then you should be out and about living your life. There's plenty of time to lay around when you are dead. They have other songs about living life like this one.

  Flag keegmanon June 05, 2009   Link

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