Lyric discussion by antrl 

This is just my intreperetation and I don't claim this to be the right, its just what I think. I think that this is deeper than just drugs or social pressure or something similar. Ithink the main purpose of this song is to describe depression. I think whoever wrote this song used a lot of heavy metaphor, tone of music, imagery, and description of depression (without directly addressing it). I think that this is true because of, for starters, the music itself is very dreary and depressing. The banjo (I think it is, correct me if I am wrong) alone gives the listener a sense of mourning throughout the song. For the purpose of my interpretation, I would say that sense of mourning is for the loss of happiness (or the lack of it). Also, the writer uses images that are visually empty like a desert or "parking lot fields". Besides this being completely brilliant (sorry if this is a tad off topic of my analysis, but I just can't resist), it also reflects the how the writer feels, emotionally, empty, barren. Such a feeling, is often a common sign of depression. Also, the author presents waking up and going to work, something that is an ordinary task for every working person as difficult, hence reflecting another sign of depression, the agony of merely living and carrying out a life, and the last verse in the second stanza, "this'll never end, this'll never end, this'll never stop" plays well with the former line described. It describes the never ending hopelessness of the depression that the writer faces every day. Sorry if it was a little long, but for those who read it, thank yhou. I apprecate your consideration for my opinion.

You took the words right out of my mouth. I read an article a couple months ago talking about songs that describe how depression feels and this is the first song I thought of. It just seems to describe the tedium of day to day life in the world really well.

Agree. I'm kind of depressed right now and this is the song i'm listening to. I can completely relate to how monotonous the "normal" life feels all of a sudden. And I'm in love with the phrases "I dont feel at all like I fall", "And we're losing all touch building a desert" Thats how this feels like. I normally dont comment on songs, but this is one of those few songs (like Radiohead's Motion picture soundtrack and Death cab's Line of best fit) that I simply feel like listening on forever. If they let me play a song at...

every single song by modest mouse makes people guess either drugs or depression. come on now.

An error occured.