This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Well all's not well
But I'm told that it'll all be quite nice
You'll be drowned in boots like Mafia
But your feet will still float like Christ's
And I'll be damned
They were right
I'm drowning upside down
My feet afloat like Christ's
I'm in heaven
Trying to figure out which stack
They're going to stuff us atheists into
When Peter and his monkey laugh
And I laugh with them
I'm not sure what at
They point and say
We'll keep you in the back
Polishing halos, baking manna and gas
Well some guy comes in looking a bit like everyone I ever seen
He moves just like Crisco disco
Breath a hundred percent Listerine
He says looking at something else
But directing everything to me
Ever time anyone gets on their knees to pray
Well it makes my telephone ring
And I'll be damned
He said you were right
No one's running this whole thing
He had a theory too
He said that God takes care of himself
And you of you
It's all nice on ice alright
And it's not day
And it's not night
But it's all nice on ice alright
But I'm told that it'll all be quite nice
You'll be drowned in boots like Mafia
But your feet will still float like Christ's
And I'll be damned
They were right
I'm drowning upside down
My feet afloat like Christ's
I'm in heaven
Trying to figure out which stack
They're going to stuff us atheists into
When Peter and his monkey laugh
And I laugh with them
I'm not sure what at
They point and say
We'll keep you in the back
Polishing halos, baking manna and gas
Well some guy comes in looking a bit like everyone I ever seen
He moves just like Crisco disco
Breath a hundred percent Listerine
He says looking at something else
But directing everything to me
Ever time anyone gets on their knees to pray
Well it makes my telephone ring
And I'll be damned
He said you were right
No one's running this whole thing
He had a theory too
He said that God takes care of himself
And you of you
It's all nice on ice alright
And it's not day
And it's not night
But it's all nice on ice alright
Lyrics submitted by numb, edited by shaungrady, tejedu, anthonyyyg
Styrofoam Boots/It's All Nice on Ice, Alright Lyrics as written by Isaac Brock Eric Judy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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It's a song about god not being what you expected. God could never be 'the god' to the degree we hold him to. so, you go up to heaven and find there's no divine intervention. things just happen. "no one's running this whole thing." "he said that god takes care of himself and you of you ." he's saying God's no god, he's just another guy, and if he was the god you thought he was, what would he ever want to be concerned with you for? he's not speaking in third person, he's talking about the all powerful god he isn't. It's one of the most creative songs i've ever heard lyrically. its brilliant in how it makes clear the sort of things that could depress anyone. there is no god as we know it, heaven isn't really heaven, its all flawed, just like every where. that's some heaven.
They point and say/ we'll keep em in the back/ polishing halos/ building manna and gas---
I agree with most of what the board has come to a consesus on....but check that line out. Manna was the "food" that God dropped to the hundreds of thousands of Jews that were following Moses out of Eqypt. The story goes that for 40 years these people wandered a desert and how did hundreds of thousands of people find enough food? God..of course! Maybe he should have dropped a map at some point too, but hindsight is 20/20 and so that is what baking manna would be for. Baking Gas might not make sense, until you realize that fossil fuels are mostly dead dinosaurs. Alot of hardcore christians dont believe in dinosaurs, and why would they, there is no mention of them in the bible. So how do we get gas without dinosaurs...Isaac has to bake it with the rest of the atheists in heaven.
God Damn that guy can write a song! That is one frickin line, one verse! He is a caveman in a spaceship!
The man who moves carefree and smells like Listerine, and he is God/Jesus....and he is too busy having a good time to answer your calls....and his secret to you is to take care of yourself.
Baking mana and gas could just refer to working forever.<br /> <br /> and he's a spaceman in a cave. Calling him a caveman sounds negative.
The "and you of you" thing supports this idea as in people need food and in today's world people think they need gas to the point to where we've become dependent on it so for all practical purposes we do "need" it* so since atheists ("humans") are actually in heaven baking the manna and the gas for the humans on earth (I assume that's where it goes), it is actually "you" (the humans in heaven) taking care of "you" (the humans on earth) with god not playing a role. <br /> <br /> This song is a clear example of why I love Modest Mouse.
Besides the rather obvious varied part (before he starts repeating "It's all nice on ice, alright"), I just wanted to comment on the end.
I think when he is saying "It's all nice on ice, alright" he is saying two things: One: that Jesus walking on water is nothing special, because walking on ice is walking on water. Two: When you die they put you on ice and that's it, and that's fine, because life is quite enough of a ride to not need an 'after'.
@HiveNode It's also a reference to meth - there's multiple meanings to the saying, which is why it's the title. 'Ice' being a slang term for methamphetamine and Isaac's use of the drug during this time pervades the songs on the album - Trucker's Atlas and Lounge (Closing Time) specifically, in addition to this song.
This song came about when Isaac had a "crazy idea" about "the mafia killing you by making you wear styrafoam boots and walk on water" i read in an interview hahah cuz your feet would float so youd drown upside down... and... It's all nice on ice, because you dont have to worry about drowing upside down, but then the whole song has a different theme it seems on god and athiests and what not, this song is awesome ... i love how the drums and bass kick in all unexpectedly half way through
i love the bass kicking in too, but it scares the shit out of me everytime, LoL...And I listen to it alot. Haha
haha..me too..but i looove it :)
Same here.
I know what you mean because the music chillllls out out so much, then outta nowhere he changes it up, I actually love it. love music like that, that's why I love Modest Mouse oh so dearly. :)
How's about that part of "Tundra/Desert"? That one really scares me. And "Shit Luck."
How's about that part of "Tundra/Desert"? That one really scares me. And "Shit Luck."
The fact that the song is about an atheist who goes to heaven after trying to walk on water like Christ, and then actually meets God who admits it all entirely pointless (we are all but variables in a never ending math equation, after all) makes this song one of the best, EVER. I love how MM can be so folk, anti- folk, country western (on this album particularly), indie, rock, occasional punk, pop, and almost everything else all at once! Modest Mouse sounds like many things, but nothing sounds like them. It's what perfect modern music should sound like, yet it's so rarely achieved.
st. peter was crucified head down, he did not consider himself worthy to die in the same way as his savior. Also, he was the apostle that denied knowledge of Jesus(three times, as prescribed by jesus), much as brock does. does this mean isaac will repent? we hope not. also, according to matthew when jesus walked on water, peter walked on water for a moment until his faith began to waiver. isaac brock obviously would have had a far deeper understanding of scriptures when he wrote this than any of us should ever be forced to have, but i'm with him when he says that he is basically an atheist who just finds that type of shit interesting. so i think isaac is drowning upside down in this song due to his wavering faith. envision a crucifixion gone wrong so they dump him in the river. the top heavy cross would sink to the bottom leaving the feet aflaot like christ's.
it is possible that he's speaking in the third person. It's god talking to the person that doesn't realize that he's actually speaking to god. Great song nonetheless. But once again, Isaak presents some genius challenging the norm.
The movie theater concept of heaven is great. I think the line about "God takes care of himself and you of you" <--- that might be pointing to how religious folk seem to always be praying to God in time of trouble, "God help me do this and that"... instead of just doing it themselves.
its scares me too! hahaha i'll put it on a CD and go to sleep to it or some shit, and i'll always be like ooook it's comming on.... NOW but i'll be wrong every time, then ill be like NOW and be wrong, and then it comes on when i don't expect it, and i just jump it's awesom though... hahah