Modest Mouse – The Good Times Are Killing Me

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  My Interpretation:I just think that it's about drug use, and how it kills him, and he knows it.
  I mean it kinda goes out and says it with "Fed up with all that LSD
  Need more sleep than Coke or Methamphetamines
  Late nights with warm, warm whiskey
  I guess the good times they were all just killing me"

  Flag alonzofon November 22, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:Maybe one of the best things about Isaac Brocks writing and Modest Mouse music in general is that though the majority is based on drug use, the songs (especially this one) are so open to interpretation. The good times really are killing us. Too much of a good thing, you know. Its like life cannot afford you to enjoy to much, all the best things will break you down. You don't have to do drugs to realize this. But I will say being 'experienced' will absolutely allow you to pick up on exactly what Brock is writing. Though we can all interpret it for ourselves, its nice to recognize it as he is interpreting it. He is one of the few musicians who really strike me deep, I really feel for this music. Its so perfectly real.

  Flag SydBaresIton August 20, 2012   Link

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  My Opinion:If you've ever personally experienced drug use, especially meth and/or LSD, you know exactly what this song is about...
  
  "Jaws clenched tight we talked all night
  Oh, but what the hell did we say?" <--- an obvious reference to meth use.
  
  If you've NEVER personally experienced drug use, you have no right to comment on the effects of said use. Without personal experience, your insight on the topic is COMPLETELY second hand.
  
  
  

  Flag SunshineSprNovaon August 22, 2011   Link

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    Your a fucking idiot. Anybody has the right to comment on anything they so choose to. You childish fuckwit, you don't have to do drugs to have the right to comment their effect. It may come as a surprise to someone with as little brain power as yourself but there's entire professions and sciences built around people who haven't experienced the effects of drugs, doctors, psychiatrists, you may of heard of them. They usually have a far better grasp of the effects of drug use than your average weekend partier you pretentious nonce.
    

    Flag superhero7on December 17, 2012  
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  Song Meaning:The great thing about this song is you do not even have to do drugs to relate to it.
  
  I am straight-edge (don't even drink alchohol) and yet I can relate this song to my escapism, and pretty much anyone can too. Everyone has something, whether it is drugs or sex or video games or books that they use to keep themselves from looking at the cruel monster that is reality, but every one of these "good times" have a debilitating effect along with the pleasure they bring, that slowly kill you.
  
  Plus the sort of low-quality, "acoustic" sound and the talking at the beggining which makes it feel like the guys just sat down in a circle in an empty room one night and churned this out... It's so gritty and fitting...

  Flag Sehnsuchton July 04, 2011   Link

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    couldnt agree with you more. Now if only i could afford an original cd and a half decent headphone.

    Flag pranav0091on November 21, 2011  
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  General Comment:just found this song again! haha
  definitely get the drug references. but i don't think it's a celebration of 'em this time though. shocker!

  Flag thegoodtimeson May 07, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I think this song is about Issac's drug use and how hes pretty much "fed up with all that lsd".

  Flag MUSEmofoon April 10, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:This used to be my theme song basically.
  
  "Have one, have twenty more "one more"s
  And oh, it does not relent"
  is true, you always want one more line, one more shot, it never stops
  
  "jaws clenched tight we talked all night oh but what the hell did we say"
  is also very true, you always clench your jaw down and talk about the craziest stuff but just like when you smoke you never remember what you were talking about.
  
  i think the whole song is just about them getting over their drug addiction

  Flag jmmilleron January 30, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:drugs didn't make IB creative, it gave him experiences to write about. The good times are killing me has a pretty obvious meaning behind it. After a long trip, or binge on meth/coke/alcohol etc. you feel terrible. To me it seems like this was written while coming down. This was his lifestyle, he had a lot of good times with drugs and not only were they killing him physically, they were also killing his spirit. While under the influence, the drugs allowed him to say things that he wouldn't say sober, to people he shouldn't have "...didn't like what i said", "...wanted me dead". When he wasn't high or when he was withdrawing/coming down off of the drugs it was never more obvious that he was slowly killing himself. For every high there is a low, and it sucks when the low is so terrible you try to stay high forever even though you know eventually "you will come down soon too, ...too soon" and have to face it head on.

  Flag verymodeston December 25, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I don't think that the "city slicker" part shoult be interpreted as a clearly autobiographical reference.

  Flag myironlungon November 03, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:The Baron Von Bullshit version is immeasurably better.

  Flag Willboeon April 15, 2010   Link

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