At long last i have figured out the real meaning of this song!!
Verse 1: This song is in fact about the corporate marketing and advertising takeover of society. The first verse of the song implies that it is everywhere you look and it gets so overwhelming it can make anyone feel a little claustrophobic.
Verse 2: A man meets with an old acquaintance who he used to know, but know longer does because time changes people.That's why he calls him old friend and stranger at the same time. (Well, keep in mind you're an old friend, stranger). This old friend is talking about a possible business deal that has a low chance of failing ( I am not allowed much danger) which inspires the investor to give all his money to the business deal. He then says that (if you burn me in effigy then I'll burn you if effigy). This means that if the investor desecrates what remains of his money or livelihood then he will do the same in return. Brock than follows this interaction with a wild excuse from the old friend/stranger/business man about how the money disappeared because of some unlikely scenario involving a sheriff and a rattlesnake. The business man then turns the blame on the investor by saying it was his choice to invest and no one forced him to. The business man was such a smooth talker that the investor agrees by accepting his losses (hell yes the money's been spent). He later realizes after leaving the business man that all of his money is gone and he doesn't even have enough left to pay the rent.
Verse 3: Some people are so intent on selling (see: "bankrupt on selling" by Modest Mouse) that they would give anything for material gain. Even their conscience. But then Brock says you shouldn't do that even if you could because it's not really worth it when it in the end.
Verse 4: The TV was sold just so they could go out and buy more popular things that help them make friends through materialistic showing off. People who do this are the source of this materialistic mania , but Brock asks is this is worth it as well. Do you really need more clothes, friends, money, etc. to survive? Is all this madness really all that necessary.
Verse 5 Chorus: The man with teeth like god's shoeshine is the business advertising head that creates these trends until they fade and are replaced by new ones. This cycle continues till we die, but in the end orange julius is just thick syrup. In other words it's just cheap crap that runs our lives.
Verse 6: First off this verse is very powerful and amazing!! Love it!! Taking them all for the long ride means that the corporate heads are getting everyone hooked on their products for years to come until they spread throughout mainstream society and become a part of everyday mainstream life. According to the last to lines of this verse (Take them all for the sight of their happiness, From that deep hurt deep down inside) this spread of products uses an well known advertising tactic used on children that plays on human emotions to draw from social insecurities to make you believe that this product will bring you the happiness you lack.) This is why the corporate heads should be ashamed of their crowning achievements ( those being the mass marketing of their products), because they are brainwashing people for their own selfish gain. The people are so brainwashed that there is no one left to tell these marketers to faces that they should be ashamed of themselves.
Verse 7: Some people care so much about the number of "cool materialistic things" they have that all they do is think about them and how many they have and cool they are because of that. It can get to a point that people put this before their own health an well being. When you die none of this matters. When you die you realize that these thing were not really the best parts of life all along.
Verse 8: Chorus
Verse 9: the phone goes off indicating new opportunities. The narrator from verse 2 needs to go back to his roots and work to make life what it used to be. He needs to back to the beginning to find out what really matters in life. What is really the best of it.
Verse 10: same as verse 6, but with even MORE emotion (as if that were even freaking possible).
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy my interpretation of this song and that it helps you enjoy modest mouse even more.
At long last i have figured out the real meaning of this song!!
Verse 1: This song is in fact about the corporate marketing and advertising takeover of society. The first verse of the song implies that it is everywhere you look and it gets so overwhelming it can make anyone feel a little claustrophobic.
Verse 2: A man meets with an old acquaintance who he used to know, but know longer does because time changes people.That's why he calls him old friend and stranger at the same time. (Well, keep in mind you're an old friend, stranger). This old friend is talking about a possible business deal that has a low chance of failing ( I am not allowed much danger) which inspires the investor to give all his money to the business deal. He then says that (if you burn me in effigy then I'll burn you if effigy). This means that if the investor desecrates what remains of his money or livelihood then he will do the same in return. Brock than follows this interaction with a wild excuse from the old friend/stranger/business man about how the money disappeared because of some unlikely scenario involving a sheriff and a rattlesnake. The business man then turns the blame on the investor by saying it was his choice to invest and no one forced him to. The business man was such a smooth talker that the investor agrees by accepting his losses (hell yes the money's been spent). He later realizes after leaving the business man that all of his money is gone and he doesn't even have enough left to pay the rent.
Verse 3: Some people are so intent on selling (see: "bankrupt on selling" by Modest Mouse) that they would give anything for material gain. Even their conscience. But then Brock says you shouldn't do that even if you could because it's not really worth it when it in the end.
Verse 4: The TV was sold just so they could go out and buy more popular things that help them make friends through materialistic showing off. People who do this are the source of this materialistic mania , but Brock asks is this is worth it as well. Do you really need more clothes, friends, money, etc. to survive? Is all this madness really all that necessary.
Verse 5 Chorus: The man with teeth like god's shoeshine is the business advertising head that creates these trends until they fade and are replaced by new ones. This cycle continues till we die, but in the end orange julius is just thick syrup. In other words it's just cheap crap that runs our lives.
Verse 6: First off this verse is very powerful and amazing!! Love it!! Taking them all for the long ride means that the corporate heads are getting everyone hooked on their products for years to come until they spread throughout mainstream society and become a part of everyday mainstream life. According to the last to lines of this verse (Take them all for the sight of their happiness, From that deep hurt deep down inside) this spread of products uses an well known advertising tactic used on children that plays on human emotions to draw from social insecurities to make you believe that this product will bring you the happiness you lack.) This is why the corporate heads should be ashamed of their crowning achievements ( those being the mass marketing of their products), because they are brainwashing people for their own selfish gain. The people are so brainwashed that there is no one left to tell these marketers to faces that they should be ashamed of themselves.
Verse 7: Some people care so much about the number of "cool materialistic things" they have that all they do is think about them and how many they have and cool they are because of that. It can get to a point that people put this before their own health an well being. When you die none of this matters. When you die you realize that these thing were not really the best parts of life all along.
Verse 8: Chorus
Verse 9: the phone goes off indicating new opportunities. The narrator from verse 2 needs to go back to his roots and work to make life what it used to be. He needs to back to the beginning to find out what really matters in life. What is really the best of it.
Verse 10: same as verse 6, but with even MORE emotion (as if that were even freaking possible).
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy my interpretation of this song and that it helps you enjoy modest mouse even more.