Song of the Week - Satin in a Coffin by Modest Mouse

Many of you (well, actually none of you) have asked how I pick the songs for Song of the Week. It's simple. I set iTunes on shuffle play and click the next song button until something interesting comes up. Then I have to be able to find a video for it, which hasn't been too difficult. The fun part of this (for me that is) is learning about the band. I first heard about Modest Mouse when they appeared on the The Late Show with Dave Letterman sometime after their album Good News for People Who Love Bad News CD came out in 2004. I liked them so much I went right out and bought the CD. Until now, I had though that this was their first CD, but it fact it was their 4th and that they'd been performing together since 1993. The very definition of overnight success.

I fall pretty easily for quirky bands and Modest Mouse, in my opinion, does quirky very well. Let's see, they've got a lead singer with a scratchy voice; a bass player who not only plays an upright bass, but he plays it with a bow; the keyboard player is playing a weird looking instrument that appears to be built into a wooden box; they've got wordy lyrics; and the song is has a lot of moving parts. Yep, quirky.



You were laying 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' about their short lists.
Everybody's talkin' about death.

You were laying 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.