Let's get this started by eliminating songs 96 to 100. Before I offer my comments and critique the songs, I want to make it clear that I love every song on the list. In fact, I had a particularly hard time cutting the last 23 songs just to get to 100 remaining.
100. Birds Vs Worms (Sad Sappy Sucker)
Self pity, me so pitiful,
You can see that birds and worms don't get along.
Self righteous, me so wrong
You can see that we don't have to get along.
Self pity, me so pitiful
You can see that birds and worms do not agree.
And we will crawl.
The opener from Sad Sappy Sucker is a simple song, but it shows how the band's sound was beginning to evolve. It would have been their debut album, but it was shelved until 2001. The song was actually recorded in 1994. I like the quiet guitar and Isaac Brock's laid back vocals. He sings the lyrics as though they are indisputable facts.
99. Fire It Up (We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank)
Etceteranough
Etceteranough
Etceteranough
Etceteranough
Etceteranough
Etceteranough
Etceteranough
Fire it up
Fire it up
When we finally turn it over
Make a beeline towards the border
Have a drink
You've had enough
Fire it up
Fire it up
If you need some conversation
Bring a magazine to read around
Our broke-down transportation
Fire it up
Etceteranough
Etceteranough
Etceteranough
Fire it up
Fire it up
When we find the perfect water
We'll hang out on the shore
Just long enough to leave our clothes there
Fine enough
Fine enough
Oh we ate all of the oranges
Off the navels of our lovers
Grabbed a book and read the cover
It honestly was beautifully done
We'd tried to hide the daylight from the sun
Even if we had been sure enough
It's true we really didn't know
Even if we knew which way to head
But still we probably wouldn't go
Fire it up
Fire it up
We push off we are rolling borders
Crashing down the mirrored stairways
Two of life's best mine canaries
Fire it up
Fire it up
When we fix the carburetor
Then we'll push off once again
In an hour or so later
It honestly was beautifully bold
Like trying to save an ice cube from the cold
Even if we had been sure enough
It's true we really didn't know
Even if we knew which way to head
But still we probably wouldn't go
Well we always
Well we always
Had it all
Had it all
Well we always
Well we always
Had it all
Had it all
Well we always
Well we always
Had it all
Fire It Up is such a polished song. It's easy to see the huge difference in the band's sound 13 years after Birds Vs Worms. Some of the sequences in this song flow wonderfully, while others stutter a little. I might choose this type of sound for someone exploring alternative rock for the first time, but I obviously have 98 songs ranked higher. It works especially well live and I highly recommend seeing Modest Mouse in concert any chance you get.
98. We've Got Everything (We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank)
We've got everything
We've got everything
We've got everything down to a science
So I guess we know everything
We know everything (We know, we know)
We know everything (We know)
We know everything was built to expire
So I guess we've done everything
If we carried it out to sea
Pushed it over the edge
We'd of all been through
Well first off Garry got drunk
Fell asleep in his car till about noon
Flattop Tony got all messed up
Split his lip chasing cheap perfume
Well look at our boat in the bay
It looks like some sad ass little canoe
We've done everything (We've done, we've done, we've done)
We've done everything
We've done everything like trial by fire
So I guess we've stopped trying now
We've tried everything
We've tried everything (We've tried)
We've tried everything half assed and as liars
And that's how we got everything
If we carried it out to sea
Pushed it over the edge
We could of all been through
Well no one even bothered showing up
But we still did what
We should have thought through
We crashed in like waves up to the store
Didn't want it, didn't need it
But we knew that we could see it
So we opened up the door
We receded like waves out of the store
Didn't want it, didn't need
But we knew we that we could steal
Left it dying on the floor
We were there...
We've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got
We've got, we've got, we've got, we've got, we've got
We've got
We've got everything (We've got, we've got, we've got)
We've got everything (We've got)
We've got everything down to a science
So I guess we know everything
We've got everything (We've got everything)
We've done everything (We've done everything)
We've tried everything (We've done everything
We've got everything (We've got everything)
We've got everything
Here's a song that I think would be better without the backing vocals. The chorus doesn't match the quality of the verses. I still like Brock's vocals, and it loses nothing when he rants. If I had any criticism of We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, it's that the production is a little too slick.
97. Dukes Up (Sad Sappy Sucker)
So you wonder how
Get them up, put them up
Get your dukes up now!
Got no time, no money, that's why
Get them up, put em up
Get your dukes up now!
Soda fountain crowd
Button up, shut em up
Getting fed up now!
Got no time, no money, goddamn
Get them up, put them up
Get your dukes up now!
So you wonder how
Get them up, put them up
Get your dukes up now!
Got no time, no money, that's why
Get them up, put em up
Get your dukes up now!
Soda fountain crowd
Button up, shut em up
Getting fed up now!
Got no time, no money, goddamn
Get them up, put them up
Get your dukes up now!
The intricate guitar provides the structure for another song from 1994. One thing that I notice on this track is Jeremiah Green's drumming. On a lot of the early releases, the drums are very prominent in the mix. It's almost as if the microphone is inside the drum at times. I'm not sure that I have ever appreciated another drummer more than Green.
96. Out of Gas (The Lonesome Crowded West)
Out of gas
Out of road
Out of car
I don't know how I'm going to go and
I had a drink the other day
Opinions were like kittens
I was giving them away
I had a drink the other day
I had a lot to say
And I said:
You will come down soon, too
You will come down too soon
You will come down soon, too
You will come down
You'll come down, come down
You will come down soon, too
You will come down too soon
You will come down soon, too
Soon enough you will come down, come down
Out of gas
Out of road
Out of car
I don't know how I'm going to go and
I had a drink the other day
Opinions were like kittens
I was giving them away
I had a drink the other day
I had a lot to say
And I said:
You will come down soon, too
You will come down too soon
You will come down soon, too
Soon enough you will come down, come down
You will come down soon, too
You will come down too soon
You'll come down, come down
You'll come down, come down
It irks me to put a song from my favorite album this low on the list. In fairness, it works a lot better in the context of the album. The lyrics fit the meandering mood of the song. It's on my list of favorite driving songs. It's hypnotic and strangely compelling.
Thanks for reading. The next installment includes songs ranked 91 to 95.
Here are the other parts of this series:
Building nothing out of something (overview)
Building nothing out of something - songs 100 to 96
Building nothing out of something - songs 95 to 91
Building nothing out of something - songs 85 to 81Building nothing out of something - songs 95 to 91
Building nothing out of something - songs 80 to 76
Building nothing out of something - songs 75 to 71
Building nothing out of something - songs 70 to 66
Building nothing out of something - songs 65 to 61
Building nothing out of something - songs 60 to 56
Building nothing out of something - songs 55 to 51
Building nothing out of something - songs 50 to 46
Building nothing out of something - songs 45 to 41
Building nothing out of something - songs 40 to 36
Building nothing out of something - songs 35 to 31
Building nothing out of something - songs 30 to 26
Building nothing out of something - songs 25 to 21
Building nothing out of something - songs 20 to 16
Building nothing out of something - songs 15 to 11
Building nothing out of something - songs 10 to 6
Building nothing out of something - the Top 5
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