Modest Mouse – Crazy Gnome

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  My Interpretation:This song is about all the material possessions that you work for to achieve. Also its about yourself. But you realize that none of the material matters and it makes you feel like a fool for having it and putting so much time into getting it. It also makes you question yourself and feel self conscious about your life, your appearance, your relationships and what you're living for. Crazy Gnome is your own mind working against you. Eventually all of this nonsense will make you go crazy if you dwell on it for long enough.

  Flag toastcheeon March 23, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:No way can't you love this song. Isaac's mumbling near the end is hilarious. Just the way he says "Oh, it's just that weird little mailman."

  Flag xTheGrandIllusionxon March 14, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:i was at the crazy gnome show (cleveland, late 1998) and actually recorded the show. i have no idea about the reason for the song but there are a few things i vividly remember about the show:
  
  - a lot of people at the show (not limited to the audience) were quite possibly on mind-altering substances.
  - there was this really short guy (gnome-esque in stature) walking around wearing a 4 foot artificial xmas tree on top of his head. isaac was staring at him quite a bit.
  - this was a very 'loose' show. they played another very long song (with the chorus of 'grandma told my mom that she's a whore') that never made it on to moon & antarctica. i don't think it was ever played again, but it was pretty awesome.

  Flag crispingsleeveon June 26, 2010   Link

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    I am so fucking jealous of your life.

    Flag missproteinon July 21, 2010  

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    ditto

    Flag Suhmeron February 24, 2011  

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    holy shit me too

    Flag expressfreelyon March 26, 2011  
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  General Comment:While I agree with some of the above comments that this was just a fun thing they did just because they are awesome I did see some meaning in it.
  "And he looks at all your stuff and he laughs at you" seems like its making fun of greed and just the rat race of life overall. Usually this would seem like grasping at straws but considering the subject matter of most Modest Mouse songs it seems plausible.
  
  
  
  

  Flag caraz5624on June 15, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:haha
  ah geez Issac

  Flag modesthareon April 12, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:Oh and he's singing the song because someone in the audience is shrooming hard. He wanted to direct their trip. It probably worked.

  Flag fuzzfooton December 15, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:"Wavy Caps" are a nickname for Psilocybe cyanescens, a variety of psychedelic mushroom commonly found in the PNW in late summer and fall. Mushrooms and gnomes have long been associated in folklore and drug-use circles.
  
  Tripping on mushrooms for Halloween (when P. Cyans are fruiting) is a rite of passage for many psychonauts. Psychedelics are non-addictive and many casual users only imbibe once or twice a year.
  
  I believe that the "Crazy Gnome" is Isaac under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms, stripped of ego and re-experiencing once familiar surroundings.

  Flag fuzzfooton December 15, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:brock is gawd

  Flag pet moustacheon July 15, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:it sounds like isaac told everyone else to "play this over and over" and he just played a bunch of weird stuff and made stuff up about crazy gnome.
  
  and, just because he's isaac brock, this song ends up being fucking marvelous

  Flag xylotehwarrioron July 11, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:i think this song is about religion but i dont know.

  Flag modestmousenirvanaon May 07, 2007   Link

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    Conrary to popular belief, not all Modest Mouse songs are about religion or drugs (granted, this song proably has something to do with drugs.)
    

    Flag xTheGrandIllusionxon October 04, 2012  

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