Artist: Modest Mouse Album: Good News For People Who Love Bad News {2004}

INSTRUMENTAL

Ice-age heat wave, can't complain
If the world's at large, why should I remain
Walked away to another plan
Gonna find another place, maybe one I can stand
I move on to another day
To a whole new town with a whole new way
Went to the porch to have a thought
Got to the door and again I couldn't stop
You don't know where and you don't know when
But you still got your words and you got your friends
Walk along to another day
Work a little harder, work another way

Well, oh, oh, baby, I ain't got no plan
Well, I'll float on maybe, would you understand
Gonna float on maybe, would you understand
Well, I'll float on maybe, would you understand

The days get shorter and the nights get cold
I like the autumn but this place is getting old
I pack up my belongings and I head for the coast
It might not be a lot but I feel like I'm making the most
The days get longer and the nights smell green
I guess it's not surprising but it's spring and I should leave

I like songs about drifters - books about the same
They both seem to make me feel a little less insane
Walked on off to another spot
I still haven't gotten anywhere that I want
Did I want love, did I need to know
Why does it always feel like I'm caught in an undertow

Moths beat themselves to death against the lights
Adding their breeze to the summer nights
Outside water like air was great
I didn't know what I had that day
Walk a little farther to another plan
You said that you did, but you didn't understand

I know that starting over is not what life's about
But my thoughts were so loud I couldn't hear my mouth
My thoughts were so loud I couldn't hear my mouth
My thoughts were so loud

I backed my car into a cop car the other day
Well, he just drove off, sometimes life's okay
I ran my mouth off a bit too much, oh, what did I say
Well, you just laughed it off, it was all okay

And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, any way

Well, a fake Jamaican took every last dime with that scam
It was worth it just to learn some sleight-of-hand
Bad news comes, don't you worry, even when it lands
Good news will work its way to all them plans
We both got fired on the exactly the same day
Well, we'll float on, good news is on the way

And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, okay
And we'll all float on, all right
Already, we'll all float on
No, don't you worry, we'll all float on, all right
Already, we'll all float on, allright
Don't worry, we'll all float on

All right, already
And we'll all float on, all right
Already, we'll all float on, all right
Don't worry, even if things end up a bit too heavy
We'll all float on, all right
Already, we'll all float on, all right
Already, we'll all float on, okay
Don't worry, we'll all float on
Even if things get heavy, we'll all float on, all right
Already, we'll all float on - all right
Don't you worry, we'll all float on - all right
We'll all float on

Your body may be gone, I'm gonna carry you in
In my head, in my heart, in my soul
And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both live again
Well, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, don't think so

Well, that is that and this is this
You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get
You get away from me, you get away from me
Collected my belongings and I left the jail
Well, thanks for the time, I needed to think a spell
I had to think awhile, I had to think awhile

The ocean breathes salty, won't you carry it in
In your head, in your mouth, in your soul
And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both grow old
Well, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I hope so

Well, that is that and this is this
You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get
You get away from me, you get away from me
Collected my belongings and I left the jail
Well, thanks for the time, I needed to think a spell
I had to think awhile, I had to think awhile

Well, that is that and this is this
Will you tell me what you saw and I'll tell you what you missed
When the ocean met the sky - you missed
You missed when time and life shook hands and said goodbye
You missed - when the earth folded in on itself 
You missed - and said "Good luck."
For your sake I hope heaven and hell - you missed
are really there, but I wouldn't hold my breath - you missed
You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste death - you missed
You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste death

The ocean breathes salty, won't you carry it in
In your head, in your mouth, in your soul
The more we move ahead the more we're stuck in rewind
Well, I don't mind, I don't mind, how the hell could I mind

Well, that is that and this is this
You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get
You get away from me, you get away from me
Well, that is that and this is this
Will you tell me what you saw and I'll tell you what you missed
When the ocean met the sky - you missed
You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste the afterlife

Are you diggin'
I hope you're dead
You're really diggin'
I hope you're dead

We were shootin' at a mound of dirt
Well, nothing was broken, nothing was hurt
But I probably really should have been at work
But if my freetime's gone, would you promise me this
That you will please bury me with it
Please bury me with it

Well, sure as planets come, I know that they end
And if I'm here when that happens, will you promise me this, my friend
Please bury me with it
I just don't need none of that Mad Max bullshit

Well, the suit got tight and it split at the seams
But I kept it out of habit and I kept it real clean
But if it's gettin' faded, if it's runnin' outta thread
Could you just do this for me, my friend
And please just, please bury me with it
Please bury me with it

Well, we moved to the left and we moved to the right
And sure as hell we stayed out almost every single night
But if the party's over, if the fun has to end
Could you do this for me, my friend
Would you just please bury me with it
Please bury me with it

Good news for people who love bad news
We've lost the plot and we just can't choose
We are hummingbirds who are just not willing to move
And there's good news for people who love bad news
We are hummingbirds who've lost the plot and we will not move
We have good news for anyone who loves bad news

We were aiming for the moon, we were shooting at the stars
But the kids were just shooting at the busses and the cars
So, don't drink the water, don't you breathe the air
And if it's gotten to that point then I have to declare
That you can please bury me with it
Please bury me with it

Well, fads, they come and fads, they go
And God I love that rock and roll
Well, the point was fast but it was too blunt to miss
Life handed us a paycheck, we said, "We worked harder than this!"
Please bury me with it
Please bury me with it
Ah, shit now

We are hummingbirds who are just not going to move
And there's good news for people who love bad news
We are hummingbirds who've lost the plot and we will not move
We have great news for anyone who loves bad news

I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
Well, I'm giving myself another one, I have too much to say

Dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna angle for telepathy cos I don't know the words to say

Well, I'm gonna act up but not in your fuckin' play
I'll let you win the argument if things still go my way
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day

I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day

Well, I haven't had enough and I said I had my fill
The past does not exist and I'm told it never will
I guess that I'm stuck here like a plant on a windowsill

I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna tell you what you want to hear anyways

I'm gonna give myself a shot, I could get myself a shot
I'm gonna go and try to buy a little more time to kill
I need a can opener cos I got some beans to spill

I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day

Well, somehow or another I fell for every scam
But I was dancin' on the tin roof, cat be damned
Committing crimes, running down the alley
I am the captain and you are in the galley

I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna dance all Dance Hall every day
I'm gonna Dance Hall dance all night long right now

Woke up this morning and it seemed to me
That every night turns out to be
A little bit more like Bukowski
And yeah, I know he's a pretty good read
But, God, who'd wanna be, God, who'd wanna be such an asshole
God, who'd wanna be, God, who'd wanna be such an asshole

Well, we sat on the edge of the river
The crowd screamed, "Sacrifice the liver!"
If God takes life, he's an Indian giver
So, tell me now why, you'll tell me never
Who would wanna be, who would wanna be such a control freak
Well, who would wanna be, who would wanna be such a control freak

Well, see what you wanna see - you should see it all
Well, take what you want from me - you deserve it all
Nine times out of ten our hearts just get dissolved
Well, I want a better place or just a better way to fall
But one time out of ten, everything is perfect for us all
Well, I want a better place or just a better way to fall
Here we go

If God controls the land and disease
Keeps a watchful eye on me
If he's really so damn mighty
Well, my problem is I can't see
Who would wanna be, who would wanna be such a control freak
Well, who would wanna be, who would wanna be such a control freak

Evil home stereo
What good songs do you know
Evil me, oh yeah, I know
What good curves can you throw

Well, all that icing and all that cake
I can't make it to your wedding, but I'm sure I'll be at your wake
You were talk, talk, talk, talkin' in circles that day
When you get to the point, make sure that I'm still awake, okay 

Went to bed and didn't see
Why every day turns out to be
A little bit more like Bukowski
And yeah, I know he's a pretty good read
But, God, who'd wanna be, God, who'd wanna be such an asshole


I thought that's the last line

All those people that you know
All those people that you know
All those people that you know
Floatin' in the river are logs
I could buy myself a reason
I could sell myself a job
I could hang myself on treason
All the folks I know are gone
All the people that you know
All the people that you know
All the people that you know
Floatin' in the river are logs

So I ate the wedding cake 
Till the whole damn thing was gone
And I'm gonna drown the ocean
Now ain't none of that so wrong
All the people that you know
All those people that you know
All those people that you know
Floatin' in the river are gone

Gonna take this sack of puppies
Gonna set it out to freeze
Gonna climb around on all fours
Till all the blood falls out my knees
All the people that you know
All the people that you know
All those people that you know
Floatin' in the river are logs

Well, let's take this potted plant
To the woods and set it free
I'm gonna tell the owners
Just how nice that was of me
I could buy myself a reason
I could sell myself a job
I could hang myself on treason
Oh, I am my own damn god

Your gun went off
Well, you shot off your mouth and look where it got you
My mouth runs on, too
Shouts from both sides
Well, we've got the land but they've got the view
Well, now here's the clue

Life it rents us
And, yeah, I hope it put plenty on you
Well, I hope mine did, too

As life gets longer, awful feels softer
Well, it feels pretty soft to me
And if it takes shit to make bliss
Then I feel pretty blissfully

Your gun went off
Well, you shot off your mouth and look where it got you
My mouth runs on, too
Shouts from both sides
Well, we've got the land but they've got the view
Well, now here's the clue
We are fixed right where we stand

Life it rents us
And, yeah, I hope it put plenty on you
Well, I hope mine did, too
We are fixed right where we are

As life gets longer, awful feels softer
Well, it feels pretty soft to me
And if it takes shit to make bliss
Well, I feel pretty blissfully

For every invention made how much time did we save
We're not much farther than we were in the cave

As life gets longer, awful feels softer
And it feels pretty soft to me
And if it takes shit to make bliss
Well, I feel pretty blissfully
If life's not beautiful without the pain
Well, I'd just rather never, ever even see beauty again
Well, as life gets longer, awful feels softer
And it feels pretty soft to me

For every good deed done there is a crime committed - we are fixed
For every step ahead we could have just been seated - we are fixed

As life gets longer, awful feels softer
Well, it feels pretty soft to me - we are fixed
And if it takes shit to make bliss
Well, I feel pretty blissfully - we are fixed
We are fixed, we are fixed
We are fixed right where we stand

You were layin' on the carpet
Like you're satin in a coffin
You said, "Do you believe what you're sayin'?" 
Yeah, right now, but not that often
Are you dead or are you sleepin'
Are you dead or are you sleepin'
Are you dead or are you sleepin'
God, I sure hope you are dead

Well, you disappeared so often
Like you dissolved into coffee
Are you here right now
Or are there probably fossils under your meat
Are you dead or are you sleepin'
Are you dead or are you sleepin'
Are you dead or are you sleepin'
God, I sure hope you are dead

Now the blow's been softened
Since the air we breathe's our coffin
Well, now the blow's been softened
Since the ocean is our coffin
Often times you know our laughter
Is your coffin ever after
And you know the blow's been softened
Since the world is our coffin
Well, now the blow's been softened
Since we are our own damn coffins
Well, everybody's talkin' bout their short lists
Everybody's talkin' bout death

You were layin' on the carpet
Like you're satin in a coffin
You said, "Do you believe what you're sayin'?" 
Yeah, right now, but not that often
Are you dead or are you sleepin'
Are you dead or are you sleepin'
Are you dead or are you sleepin'
God, I sure hope you are dead

INSTRUMENTAL

Blame it on the Tetons, yeah, I need a scapegoat now
No, my dog won't bite you, though it had the right to
Y'all give her credit cos she knows I would've let it happen

Blame it on the weekends, God, I need a cola now
Oh, we mumble loudly, wear our shame so proudly
Wore our blank expressions trying to look interesting
Blame it all on me cos, God, I need a cold one now

All them eager actors gladly taking credit
For the lines created by the people tucked away from sight
Is just a window from the room we're bound to
If you find a way out, oh, would you just let me know how
Would you just let me know how

Blame it on the web, but the spider's your problem now
Language is for liquid that we're all dissolved in
Great for solvin' problems after it creates a problem
Blame it on the Tetons, God, I need a scapegoat now

Everyone's a building burning
With no one to put the fire out
Standing at the window looking out
Waiting for time to burn us down
Everyone's an ocean drowning
With no one really to show how
They might get a little better air
If they turned themselves into a cloud

And it's true we named our children after towns that we've never been to
And it's true that the clouds just hung around like black Cadillacs outside a funeral
And we were done, done, done with all the fuck, fuck, fuckin' around
You were so true to yourself, you were true to no one else
Well, I should put you in the ground
I've got the time, I got the hours, I got the days, I got the weeks
I could say to myself I've got the words but I can't speak
Well, I was done, done, done with all the circ, circ, circlin' round

I didn't die and I ain't complainin', I ain't blamin' you
I didn't know that the words you said to me meant more to me than they ever could you
I didn't lie and I ain't sayin' I told the whole truth
I didn't know that this game we were playin' even had a set of rules

We named our children after towns that we'd never been to
And it's true that the clouds just hung around like black Cadillacs outside a funeral
And we were laughin' at the stars while our feet clung tight to the ground
So pleased with ourselves for using so many verbs and nouns
But we were all still just dumb, dumb, dumber than the dirt, dirt, dirt on the ground
Well, wings on flames, kings with no names, well, this place just ain't got right air right now
You were so all over town but still so Crayola brown, well, you should run round yourself right now
And we were done, done, done with all the fuck, fuck, fuckin' around, circlin' round

We have one chance, one chance
To get everything right
We have one chance, one chance
And if we're lucky we might

My friends, my habits, my family - they mean so much to me
I just don't think that it's right
I've seen so many ships sail in, just to head back out again
And go off sinking

I'm just a box in a cage, I'm just a box in a cage
I'm just a box, just a box in a cage
I'm just a box, just a box in a cage
I'm just a box, just a box in a cage
I'm just a box in a cage

Didn't mean to laugh, didn't know I had
Didn't know the better part of what you said
Cos in your head you are not home
Didn't get the joke, didn't mean to poke another
Just to save myself from some, something, something or another one
Well, walk home

I'm just a box in a cage, I'm just a box in a cage
I'm just a box, just a box in a cage
I'm just a box in a cage
I'm just a box, just a box in a cage
I'm just a box, just a box in a cage
I'm just a box in a cage

We have one chance, one chance
To get everything right
My friends, my habits, my family - they mean so much to me
I just don't think that it's right
I've seen so many ships sail in, just to head back out again
And go off sinking

Is there an ashtray out here, or what
Can we smoke in here
Yeah, Eric said those pockets


The good times - yes
Who needs the good times
The good times are killing me
The good times are killing me
Here we go

Got dirt, got air, got water and I know you can carry on
Shrug off shortsighted false excitement and, oh, what can I say
Have one, have twenty more "one mores" and, oh, it does not relent
The good times are killing me

Kick butt, buzz-cut dickheads who didn't like what I said
The good times are killing me
Jaws clenched tight, we talked all night, oh, but what the hell did we say
The good times are killing me
The good times are killing me
The good times are killing me

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

Got dirt, got air, got water and I know you can carry on
The good times are killing me
Enough hair of the dog to make myself an entire rug
The good times are killing me
Have one, have twenty more "one mores" and, oh, it does not relent
The good times are killing me
Shit-kicker, city slickers who all wanted me dead
The good times are killing me
Get sucked in and stuck in late nights with more folks that I don't know
The good times are killing me

The good times are killing me
The good times are killing me - the good times are killing me
The good times are killing me
The good times are killing me - the good times are killing me
The good times are killing me
The good times are killing me - the good times are killing me
The good times are killing me
The good times are killing me