What People Are Made Of by Modest Mouse Lyrics Meaning – Delving into the Profundity of Human Existence
Lyrics
Or he’ll hit the ground low, hard and out of his back
At the battle at the bottom of the ocean, well the dead
Do rise
You need proof I got proof at the surface you can watch
‘Em float by
Way in back of the room, there sits a cage
Inside it’s a clock that you can win if you can guess its age
Which you never can do ’cause the time it constantly changes
For luck or lack
I guess that is the saying
On the first page of the book of blue it read
“If you read this page, than that’ll be your death”
By then it was too late
And you wound up on an island of shells and bones that
Bodies had left
And the one thing you taught me
’bout human beings was this
They ain’t made of nothin’ but water and shit
Infused with introspection and metaphor, ‘What People Are Made Of’ by Modest Mouse challenges the listener to gaze beyond the surface level of human existence. This track, nestled in the band’s third studio album ‘The Moon & Antarctica,’ serves as a raw confrontation with the gritty truths of our nature and presents a tapestry woven with philosophy and poetic imagery.
Mastermind Isaac Brock’s lyrical prowess unfolds a vivid exploration of life, death, and the intrinsic composition of the human condition. The song harnesses the power of storytelling and imagery to propel its message into the minds of its audience, leaving a lingering impact long after the last note has faded.
The Ladder’s Fragility: Understanding our Mortal Peril
The lyric ‘Rag weed tall better hope that his ladder don’t crack’ speaks to the precarious nature of human aspirations. As we aim high, striving for lofty goals, the threat of a sudden, great fall looms large. It’s an evocation of the myth of Icarus, whose waxen wings melted when he flew too close to the sun.
This line resonates with the universal understanding that our pursuits and dreams, no matter how grand, are backed by the frailty of our mortal coil. The inevitability of failure, and the impact it has on our human spirit, is a central theme of the song, inviting listeners to contemplate the balance between ambition and the capacity for collapse.
Ocean’s Depths and Human Myths: A Dead Man’s Float
Brock’s reference to ‘the battle at the bottom of the ocean’ metaphorically dives into the subconscious, where the dormant thoughts and dead dreams reside. The mention of the dead rising is akin to our repressed fears, failures, and regrets surfacing despite efforts to keep them submerged.
This part of the song may serve as a grim reminder that the darker aspects of the self can often come back to haunt us. Furthermore, the evidence of these submerged truths ‘floating by’ offers a moment of clarity – in the depths of introspection, there is still an observable proof of existence and experience, shaping who we are.
The Elusive Clock: Unraveling the Enigma of Time
The clock in the cage, with its unfathomable age, represents our relationship with time, an ungraspable and constantly fluid concept. This device challenges our perception of time’s linear narrative and prompts a realization that our understanding of time is confined to how we experience it, rather than its true nature.
By alluding to the impossibility of guessing the clock’s age, Brock echoes the futility in trying to contain or define time, reminding listeners that our existence is temporally tethered to the present moment, even as it slips through our fingers like grains of sand.
Island of Remnants: A Legacy of Echoes
The imagery of an island constructed of shells and bones depicts a final resting place made from the remnants of what was once alive – a stark representation of mortality. It is a memento mori, a somber reflection on the temporary state of the body and the legacies left behind.
In this sense, the island becomes a metaphysical location embodying the aftermath of existence where the ‘bodies had left.’ It is a space filled with echoes of the past, where one confronts the physical and existential detritus of what it means to have lived.
The Quintessence of Humanity: A Potent Conclusion
The song’s final revelation, ‘They ain’t made of nothin’ but water and shit,’ serves as a cutting reminder of the finite and basic biological elements that compose the human form. The rawness of this statement strips back any romanticized notions about the grandeur of humanity, underscoring a more humbling perspective.
In its unvarnished candor, the line draws a line under the ornate illusions we create about our nature and existence. Modest Mouse here dissects the human condition to its elemental core, a provocative and grounding reflection that leaves listeners pondering the stark reality of ‘What People Are Made Of.’
