"Missed the Boat" as written by Isaac Brock, Eric Judy, Tom Peloso, Jeremiah Green, Johnny Marr and Joe Plummer....
While we're on the subject
Could we change the subject now?
I was knocking on your ear's door, but you were always out
Looking towards the future
We were begging for the past
Well, we know we had the good things
But those never seemed to last
Oh, please just last
Everyone's unhappy
Everyone's ashamed
Well, we all just got caught looking
At somebody else's page
Well, nothing ever went
Quite exactly as we planned
Our ideas held no water
But we used them like a dam
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Saying, "Yes, this is a fine promotion"
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Of course everyone goes crazy
Over such and such and such
We made ourselves a pillar
We just used it as a crutch
We were certainly uncertain
At least, I'm pretty sure I am
Well, we didn't need the water
But we just built that, good God damn
Oh, and I know this of myself
I assume as much for other people
Oh, and I know this of myself
We've listened more to life's end-gong
Than the sound of life's sweet bells
Was it ever worth it?
Was there all that much to gain?
Well, we knew we missed the boat
And we'd already missed the plane
We didn't read the invite
We just dance at our wake
All our favorites were playing
So we could shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
Tiny curtain's open, and we heard the tiny clap of little hands
A tiny man would tell a little joke, and get a tiny laugh from all the folks
Sitting, drifting around in bubbles, and thinking it was us that carried them
When we finally got it figured out, that we had truly missed the boat
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and we owned all the tools ourselves
But not the skills to make a shelf with
Oh, what useless tools ourselves
Could we change the subject now?
I was knocking on your ear's door, but you were always out
Looking towards the future
We were begging for the past
Well, we know we had the good things
But those never seemed to last
Oh, please just last
Everyone's unhappy
Everyone's ashamed
Well, we all just got caught looking
At somebody else's page
Well, nothing ever went
Quite exactly as we planned
Our ideas held no water
But we used them like a dam
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Saying, "Yes, this is a fine promotion"
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Of course everyone goes crazy
Over such and such and such
We made ourselves a pillar
We just used it as a crutch
We were certainly uncertain
At least, I'm pretty sure I am
Well, we didn't need the water
But we just built that, good God damn
Oh, and I know this of myself
I assume as much for other people
Oh, and I know this of myself
We've listened more to life's end-gong
Than the sound of life's sweet bells
Was it ever worth it?
Was there all that much to gain?
Well, we knew we missed the boat
And we'd already missed the plane
We didn't read the invite
We just dance at our wake
All our favorites were playing
So we could shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
Tiny curtain's open, and we heard the tiny clap of little hands
A tiny man would tell a little joke, and get a tiny laugh from all the folks
Sitting, drifting around in bubbles, and thinking it was us that carried them
When we finally got it figured out, that we had truly missed the boat
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and we owned all the tools ourselves
But not the skills to make a shelf with
Oh, what useless tools ourselves
Lyrics submitted by ripelivejam, edited by asjniem, sheionizes, passionatesleepyhead, RocketFall, tejedu, Ye Olde Gangsta
"Missed the Boat" as written by Isaac Brock Eric Judy
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
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I believe this song is about humankind itself, something very unique and something we often take for granted. If you take a look, you will notice the prevalence of communal words such as "we" and "everyone". "Missing the boat" to me is something human beings have been very good at for the past 6000 years or so, beginning with the idea that we are rulers over nature. This idea changed human nature and created the world we live in now. One where we live each day working endlessly for money, in hopes that it will provide happiness. One where we deplete natural resources, such as fossil fuels, not thinking about the implications we are having on all other life and the future. We develop all these seemingly great ideas and act on them impulsively, as if we have no conscience. This is the reality of human nature. It has been deeply ingrained into each generation, making it normal. However, these consequences are beginning to catch up with us. People are finding out each day that we are being lied to. Life is looking less and less like the blissful dream we were told about. Perhaps "the way to hell" is a fine promotion from humanity. Whatever is going on, one thing is clear. Human beings have certainly "missed the boat". We are drowning in this thing we have created, and we will continue to do so until we make a 90 degree turn and change our basic fundamental beliefs.
While we're on the subject
Could we change the subject now?
I was knocking on your ears
Don't worry, you were always out
Looking towards the future
We were begging for the past
Well, we know we had the good things
But those never seemed to last
Oh, please just last
We are too busy regretting the past to plan for the future. We have so many opportunities (knocking on our ears), but we are too busy worrying about the mistakes we have made to take advantage of new opportunities (we were always out). We yearn to return to the good times of the past, hoping they would just last, instead of focusing on the future to create new good times.
Everyone's unhappy
Everyone's ashamed
Well we all just got caught looking
At somebody else's page
Everyone compares themselves to other people, wishing we could have their lives. We're unhappy and ashamed because we believe our life is not good enough compared to others.
Well, nothing ever went
Quite exactly as we planned
Our ideas held no water
But we used them like a dam
People are stubborn. We have a picture of how our life should be, and even if our plans are completely impossible or illogical (they held no water), we stick to them anyway (used them like a dam).
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Saying, "Yes, this is a fine promotion"
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
This doesn't mean hell in the religious sense. Everyone should know Isaac is an atheist. Hell means a horrible life. We act like things that don't matter do (we carried it all so well), clinging to achievements that don't really make us happy (like a promotion at a job we hate). We laugh all the way to hell, meaning we act like our life is going exactly how we want, when it isn't.
Of course everyone goes crazy
Over such and such and such
We made ourselves a pillar
But we just used it as a crutch
We were certainly uncertain
At least I'm pretty sure I am
Well, we didn't need the water
But we just built that good goddamn
This seems like mostly a rehash of previous themes. I'm tempted to think that he means people literally go crazy. Our pillar is the fake "great" life we build for ourselves, used to convince ourselves that our life meant something. No one is ever really sure what they want though. In the end, we realize that most of it didn't matter (we didn't need the water), but we did it anyway. I think it's intentional that it went from "dam" to "goddamn", it shows that as we near the end of our lives, we look back and can really see what didn't matter, which leads to anger and regret.
Oh, and I know this of myself
I'd assume as much for other people
Oh, and I know this of myself
We've listened more to life's end gong
Than the sound of life's sweet bells
Isaac is speaking from experience, but it's a good bet that most people feel the same way. We spend so much time planning our life that we miss out on so much. This reminds me of the John Lennon quote: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."
Was it ever worth it?
Was there all that much to gain?
Well, we knew we'd missed the boat
And we'd already missed the plane
When we look back, we question our actions. Was it ever worth it to pretend to enjoy life? What did we gain other than fleeting contentment? We always have a nagging feeling that we are making the wrong choice, that we're missing the boat.
We didn't read the invite
We just danced at our own wake
All our favorites were playing
So we could shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
Tiny curtains open and we heard the tiny clap of little hands
A tiny man would tell a little joke and get a tiny laugh from all the folks
Sitting, drifting around in bubbles and thinking it was us that carried them
When we finally got it figured out that we had truly missed the boat
The curtains opening is the end of a show, the end of our lives. We are the tiny man, and the tiny clap is the meager acceptance for our meager accomplishments. We think we're important in peoples' lives (it was us that carried them), but it doesn't even matter. Only at the end do we realize that we lived for all the wrong things, we truly missed the boat.
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and we owned all the tools ourselves
But not the skills to make a shelf with
Oh, what useless tools ourselves
Everyone has the opportunity to lead a great, happy life (we owned all the tools ourselves). But we don't know how to do it, how to make the most of our time. "what useless tools ourselves" sums up the entire song: it is about deeply regretting the way we have lived, blaming ourselves for having missed the boat.
I'd just like to add...
"Looking towards the future
We were begging for the past"
We hardly ever live in the present - we're always looking to the future or past, as if it will be, or was, better than the present. We shouldn't necessarily focus on the future, or we may just miss the boat.
"I was knocking on your ears
Don't worry, you were always out
Looking towards the future
We were begging for the past"
There's the common phrase "opportunity aknocking" which could relate to knocking on your ears, a more direct knock to a person but they still miss the boat and regret missing the opportunity because its missed due to thinking about other opportunities that aren't happening so the real ones go right by.
So I wouldn't say its so much as a relationship, but the relationship between people and Lady Luck, or opportunity, as depicted in the image for Machiavelli's poem.
Could we change the subject now?
I was knocking on your ears
Don't worry, you were always out
Looking towards the future
We were begging for the past
Well, we know we had the good things
But those never seemed to last
Oh, please just last
I think it is your own conscious trying to tell you over and over to start living as you want to but just ignoring it hoping things would get better while you stay the same...fear of change. Then while you are happy you think you have it figured out but always in the back of your mind you have that voice telling you it is all going to go away because what you have on earth is temporary.
Everyone's unhappy
Everyone's ashamed
Well we all just got caught looking
At somebody else's page
Well, nothing ever went
Quite exactly as we planned
Our ideas held no water
But we used them like a dam
Everyone is unhappy/ashamed/depressed/confused etc...and we try to look at others and copy them to see if we can gain the "happiness" and "success" they have but the problem is we are all looking to each other (using each other and comparing ourselves to them (though they are no better off than we are) and if we fit in then that will be what holds us together aka a dam) and making the same mistakes over and over when really we have what we are looking for inside of us...which also comes into play in the last verse of the song.
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Saying, "Yes, this is a fine promotion"
Oh, and I laugh all the way to hell
Of course everyone goes crazy
Over such and such and such
We made ourselves a pillar
But we just used it as a crutch
We were certainly uncertain
At least I'm pretty sure I am
Well, we didn't need the water
But we just built that good goddamn
I think the pillar here is God...everyone is going all crazy trying to figure out the "meaning of life" so they created some higher being to give themselves a nice fluffy answer...using God as the crutch to make them feel like they have a purpose. There wasn't an actual reason or need to create a higher being but once you hear it or think about it you start to believe it but you always have that doubt inside you.
Oh, and I know this of myself
I'd assume as much for other people
Oh, and I know this of myself
We've listened more to life's end gong
Than the sound of life's sweet bells
Everyone goes around worrying about the future, wondering what happens when you die, where you go, what your purpose was instead of living in the present and enjoying what you have and this entire experience.
Was it ever worth it?
Was there all that much to gain?
Well, we knew we'd missed the boat
And we'd already missed the plane
We didn't read the invite
We just danced at our own wake
All our favorites were playing
So we could shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I think he is speaking from someone who has just passed away's perspective in this verse... was all the stuff I did in my life all the suffering and pretending I put myself through worth the effort? I'm dead and it doesn't even matter now. I didn't read the invite (didn't listen to your conscious telling you to live life for you and how you want) but now that you have passed on into the next life you realize that either way it doesn't matter because after this life your atoms/molecules/matter/consciousness transcend and you see how meaningless all your worry and effort was, so it is his spirit dancing at the wake out of happiness and new found enlightenment.
Tiny curtains open and we heard the tiny clap of little hands
A tiny man would tell a little joke and get a tiny laugh from all the folks
Sitting, drifting around in bubbles and thinking it was us that carried them
When we finally got it figured out that we had truly missed the boat
I think this is again talking about how we have to put up this personality to everyone and be "normal" and amusing...or respected in some cases...and even fooling yourself...but you catch yourself daydreaming about how this isn't really you but feeling it is too late to change.
Oh, and we carried it all so well
As if we got a new position
Oh, and we owned all the tools ourselves
But not the skills to make a shelf with
Oh, what useless tools ourselves
here he is saying we have every capability (tool) to achieve happiness and enlightenment within ourselves but we have no idea how to do it making our powers useless if you don't ever learn or utilize them. (quantum physics really)
that's all i got hehe....I highly doubt this is at all what he had in mind but that is what it means for me.
anyhow, this is probably my favorite track off of the new album. the backup vocals are awesome.. and the vocal inflections that make modest mouse -- just super.
Was there all that much to gain?
Well, we knew we'd miss the boat
And we'd already missed the plane
A tiny man would tell a little joke and get a tiny laugh from all the folks
Sitting, drifting around in bubbles and thinking it was us that carried them
When we finally got it figured out that we had truly missed the boat
This part may be about religion and how destructive to one's life it can be. I believe the plane is heaven. They had already missed it because it doesn't exist. A plane goes upward, into a fabled land of bliss. But was it worth it? Is there something to gain by going for Heaven and missing it? No.
Now, to the tragic part of the song. Missing the boat. Boats remain terrestrial. The boat could be a metaphor for life. Going for the plane, missing it, and in doing so causes you to miss the boat. Now, there is more going on in this song, and my theory may not have been intended by Brock. This song is a great mantra of not letting your life waste by. Almost as good as "lives", but no.
MARCH 20!!!
can't wait.
Anyways, I think this song is about being denied from heaven