Well, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
Oh, the dashboard melted
But we still have the radio

Oh, it should've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
Well, you told me about nowhere
Well, it sounds like someplace I'd like to go

Oh, it could've been
Should've been worse than you would ever know
Well, the windshield was broken
But I love the fresh air ya know
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)

Oh, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know, oh!
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)
Oh, we talked about nothing
Which was more than I wanted you to know-oh-oh-oh-oh
Now here we go!

Oh, it would've been
Could've been worse than it had even gone
Well, the car was on blocks, but I was already where I want
(It was impossible, we ran it good, we ran it good)

Why should we ever even ever really even get to know?
(It was impossible, we ran it good, we ran it good)
Oh, if the world don't like us
It'll shake us just like we were a co-oh-oh-oh-old
Now here we go!

Well, we scheme, and we scheme, but we always blow it
We've yet to crash, but we still might as well enjoy it
Standing at a light switch to each east and west horizon
Every dawn you're surprising
And the evening was consoling
Saying, "See, it wasn't quite as bad as"

Well, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know

I was patiently erasing and recording the wrong episodes
After you had proved my point wrong
It wasn't like I'd let it go, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
I just wanted to catch the last laugh of this show

Yeah, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know
Oh, the dashboard melted, but we still have the radio
(The dashboard melted, but we ran it good, we ran it good)

Hard-wired to conceive, so much we'd have to stow it
Even needs have needs, tiny giants made of tinier giants
Don't wear eyelids so I don't miss the last laugh of this show
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)

Oh, we could've been
Should've been worse than you would ever know
(The dashboard melted, but we still have the radio)
Well, you told me about nowhere
Well, it sounds like someplace I'd like to go-oh-oh-oh-oh
Now here we go!

Well, we scheme, and we scheme, but we always blow it
We've yet to crash, but we still might as well enjoy it
Standing at a light switch to each east and west horizon
Every dawn you're surprising
And the evening was consoling
Saying, "See, it wasn't quite as bad as"

Oh, it would've been
Could've been worse than you would ever know


Lyrics submitted by karlgetsalong, edited by TheDistantPanic, dodgerblue

Dashboard Lyrics as written by Isaac K. Brock Joe Plummer

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Dashboard song meanings
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253 Comments

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  • +7
    General Comment

    great song, modest mouse giving the usual pessimistic outlook on the surface, but the underlying profound implication is actually positive, to me. I take it as "sh*t happens but hey! we still got the radio". look for good in bad...an unusual modest mouse message

    terminelon January 10, 2007   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    You lose all your material items etc. but you still have the things that make life fun to you, family, friends, music etc. as well as many other smaller meanings.

    with that said, the quote ''they are still better than any other band out there.'' i find is talking down on modest's music and feel your not comfortable saying u enjoy there music. who gives a shit what 1st place prize modest mouse's music wins? who gives a shit if they take over the world with all the money they make? who gives a shit if there sound style changes? who really gives a rats ass if likeing one of there singles over all there older material makes you look like a poser!

    NONE OF THIS MATTERS IF U ENJOY THE DESIRE IN YOUR HEART TO LISTEN TO ANY BANDS MUSIC. I LOVE MODEST MOUSE'S MUSIC. THIS SONG INCLUDED.

    AND IF SOME KID LIKES FLOAT ON AND DOESNT NO THEY HAVE OTHER SONGS, WOO HOO, HE LIKES IT. THATS ALL THAT MATTERS. HE CAN BE THE BIGGEST POSER IN THE WORLD BUT IF HE TRULEY LIKES THE SONG IM HAPPY THAT HE HAS FOUND A PEICE OF MUSIC HE CAN RELATE TO. BIG DEAL FOLKS! AND BY THE WAY MUSIC CANT BE GRADED TO ALL THOSE MORONS OUT THERE, ITS BASED ON PERSONAL INTEREST. THATS THAT.

    blewandowski_69on January 15, 2007   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    'These lyrics are seriously incomplete. Why bother putting them up?'

    i got them from a live performance, different and incomplete from the current single. so they were complete at the time they were played

    thats why, dickhead

    karlgetsalongon January 13, 2007   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    I think the song is just about the brighter side of things, it could be worse.

    "Well, the windshield was broken but I love the fresh air you know"

    Each incident in the song I think is meant to be open to interpretation but I think the overall message is that things could be worse. I think the message makes itself clear at the end of the song when this is said:

    Every dawn you're surprising, and in the evening one's consoling Saying "See it wasn't quite as bad as"

    Oh it would've been, could've been worse than you would ever know.

    redexquision September 19, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Stop fucking crying when a band gets popular. If a band really is good, that's what happens. If you actually like the band, quit complaining. They're moving up in the world. If you honestly don't like the way the new stuff sounds, don't listen to it. Stick to the old stuff. If you think that somebody who likes Float On or Good News for People Who Love Bad News at all dont really like Modest Mouse, this is for you: FUCK OFF.

    Both are a part of Modest Mouse and saying that they ruined them is trashy. They put it out for a reason. Your shitty tastes dont need to be the standard for anybody who wants to listen to Modest Mouse. This band has the whiniest fan base ever.

    ALL IN ALL: if youre going to cry about a band becoming popular, of a band putting a song (or album) out that you dont like, or people you dont like listening to that band, you're better off just not listening to music. And for FUCK'S sake, if you listen to a band because nobody else knows about them, and then say they suck when people do, you are an ass hat.

    JoobaKoobaon August 06, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i'm sorry, but if you think this song is like "the beginning of the end" for modest mouse, then you are the worst kind of fan. just because your favourite obscure band gets signed by a big label and takes a different approach to their music you get all pissy about it.

    grow the fuck up. music is more like living thing than you could ever know. all genres inevitably change, and for a band to spend the entirety of their professional lives playing the same style, people would get bored.

    i've only recently discovered modest mouse, thanks to rock band, which i know will get me insulted, but they are my new favourite band. for me, songs like "Bukowski," "Fire it up," "Float on" and "Florida" are all brilliant, and their range of styles within an album are unparalleled.

    Jento113on December 03, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    These lyrics are seriously incomplete. Why bother putting them up?

    Relapseron January 08, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    this song rules

    Sleepagenton January 08, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Isaac is singing about how life is goes nowhere.

    Still waiting for the rest of the CD :(

    Xenotropicon January 09, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    you pretentious fans make me sick, heaven forbid this band gains popularity and makes money!! oh, if more than a thousand ppl listen to it then it sucks right? wake up and enjoy music for what it is. just because something becomes popular doesn't mean the quality degrades. if it wasn't for modest having a float on video i would've never bought a single cd, now i own every one they have put out, if that doesn't mean something then i don't know what does, get off your high horse and sit back and listen to the music you assholes, just because something is reaching beyond your group of ten friends doesn't mean it's bad music. you people act like these guys should stay obscure the rest of their lives, everybody wants to get paid, at least they make it sound good while they do it. stop bitching and give up your 12 bucks and enjoy it with the rest of us and let's toast the mouse and their new found (and well deserved) #1 album

    ps to you "indie rock and rollers, if you think you're special, please realize that you are not, and stop berating the people that enjoy good music, no matter how popular it is, the trolls that condemn new mouse fans are the same people that force listeners to keep focusing on fergie and stefani, give it a rest and embrace the newfound fans you miserable bastards

    ericharrison April 08, 2007   Link

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