Dark Center of the Universe

"'Dark Center of the Universe' is an introduction to the frustration and social isolation felt by a man whose potential search for his own soul resulted in the adoption of all the facets of another’s life. Consequently, the song stands as a realization of the fragility and futility of his situation."

From the Modest Mouse website. Gotta love this song. I just spent the last hour thinking about it and trying to figure it out.

I think that this song is aso just "god" talking about himself.

Well, I may disintegrate into the thin air if you’d like (YOU KNOW HOW HE CAN DISSAPEAR AND DO MIRACLES AND SHIT)

I'm not the dark center of the universe like you thought (JUST STATING AN AGNOSTIC POINT OF VIEW)

Well, it took a lot of work to be the ass I am (HE SEEMS AN ASS SINCE LIFE'S A BITCH, ISAAC WRITES LOTS OF SONGS ABOUT IT)

And I'm really damn sure that anyone can Equally, easily fuck you over (EVERYONE COULD DO THE SAME AND TELL YOU WHAT TO BELIEVE AND HOW TO LIVE)

Well, I said something but I didn't mean it (FREE WILL, LIFE BEING PEACEFUL AND STUFF)

Everyone's life ends but no one ever completes it (SO TRUE)

Dry or wet ice, they both melt and you're equally cheated (EH)

Well, an endless ocean landing on an endless desert (NO IDEA)

Well, it's funny as hell, but no one laughs when they get there (AGAIN, NO IDEA)

If you can't see the thin air then why the hell should you care? (HE'S THE THIN AIR, AND YOU CAN'T SEE HIM SO..)

Well, sure you'll tell me you've got nothing to say (PRAYING)

And our voice shook hands the other day (YOU CAN ONLY "TALK TO HIM". THIS IS ALSO A REFERENCE TO 3RD PLANET.. "YOU'RE GONNA SHAKE THAT EYE'S HAND".. WORD)

If you can't see the thin air then what the hell is in your way? (SAME AS ABOVE)

Well, god said something but I didn't mean it (SEE?) Everyone's life ends but no one ever completes it Dry or wet ice, they both melt and you're equally cheated.

i'm not sure about it.. this is just an idea.

=]

Madmouser, my interpretation is that "it took a lot of negative and bad life experiences to make me the jaded jerk/asshole that i have become, but at the same time, i don't think my experiences are unique to me, and therefor most everybody else is a jaded jerk/asshole too and could easily and equally fuck you over just like i would.

The simplest message of this song that I can come up with is that people don't really fixate on what they think of you, and believing that they do will only screw with your head.

"Well I might Disintegrate into the thin air if you like And I'm not

The dark center of the universe like you thought Well it took a lot of work to be the ass that I am And I'm pretty damn sure that anyone can Easily, equally fuck ya over"

If you have a heated argument with someone else, it's easy and not uncommon to judge them unfairly from that point onward and dwell on your dispute like it's the most important thing in the world. The truth is, people just don't get along sometimes and it's important to just accept that. It's hard to not worry about what other people think of you, but easy to exaggerate someone as the Devil incarnate just because you don't get along/hate one another.

Well i might disintegrate into the thin air if you like

He can just leave this girls life if she wants, just act like they never met if she wants him to

And I'm not the dark center of the universe like you thought

but hes not the big ass she thinks he is

When Isaac says "Well, an endless ocean landing on an endless desert" it sounds like he is saying Anti-social and on lsd..

I haven't read all the comments, so i could be wrong, but i haven't seen anything too close to my take on it. Isaac says that he is an atheist, but in several songs (Styrofoam boot, the ocean breaths salty, parasites from ugly casanova) god exists as a metaphorical character. In styrofoam boots god is portrayed as just some average every day guy.
This song seems to be god talking to Isaac.
"I might disintrigate into thin air if youd like" if people dont believe in god, then whats the point of him being there? "I'm not the dark center of the universe like you thought" adds to the idea since god is thought of as a entity off in heaven or space.
"I died saying something but I didn't mean it, It took a lot of work to be the ass i am.
And im real damn sure that anyone can equally, easily fuck you over" this shows god as someone who is a shitty person just like the rest of us, while he also is defending himself by saying "woah hold on i did some shitty stuff but im not the dark center of the universe like you thought. "well an endless ocean landing on an endless desert, its funny as hell but no one laughs when they get there" this is about life and death. Our lives are like being lost at sea, hoping to see land (death), but when you finally find it, its just a desert. You were looking for land but the desert is just as bad as the open sea. "well im sure youd tell me you got nothing to say, but our voices shook hands the other day" Voices shaking hands is prayer, and this is god basically telling isaac, "you say you dont believe in me, yet you were praying to me the other day. "if you cant see the thin air, then what the hell is in the way." Heaven and religion is the thin air, and if you cant see the obvious (its not there) then what is in the way? anyway thats my interpretation

i've seen two conflicting versions of the lyrics on this song, and i'm unsure which is correct - some differences between the two: "God saying something" doesn't come until later in the song, and the lyric is, instead, "well, died sayin' something, but didn't mean it." also, in the other version, it's not "dry and wet ice", but "dry OR wet ice." there are probably other differences as well, but those were the two i noticed... if anyone can help me out, that'd be great! because there really are about an equal number of both versions of lyrics when i search the song.

i love this song

yep, great song. :)