Florida

I don't think this song has anything to do with Florida really. I think it has to do with drugs.

When he says he's leaving Florida, I think he means that's a euphemism as getting high.

"Although we often wondered It was no thing of wonder The shit that flew from our minds"

Perhaps referring to a psychedelic like LSD or peyote? The wonder and awe one might experience can easily later be described as nothing more than an effect of the drug.

"While wearing stains of fresh fruit And riding on shoes of horse glue On this ridiculous climb"

How obvious can he be? Horse glue is a metaphor for drugs. "On this ridiculous climb" is describing the ascent of a drug high.

"With great tunnel vision We built ourselves a mission To ride our motives design"

He's saying they took the drugs with purpose; they got high for the sake of getting high--that was the mission, the goal.

"It was always worth it That's the part I seem to hide"

He's saying for all the downsides to his drug use, it was worth it in the end for the positive experiences he had.

"And the busy ant empire Put up the closing sign"

Busy ant empire meaning society. Needing to function in this "ant empire" requires sobriety.

"I wasn't always cargo I was once kind of my own I guess I'll pack up my mind"

He wasn't always controlled (or carried) by the drugs, he was once sober. Packing up his mind is a euphemism for getting high, letting the drugs take him (cargo) away.

"It took so much effort Not to make an effort Oh, what a flawless design"

It takes a lot of work to get high and do nothing.

"Even as I left Florida Far enough, far enough Wasn't far enough Couldn't quite seem to escape myself"

He's saying he couldn't ever get high enough.

"I stood on my heart's porch thinking "Oh my God, I'll probably have to carry this whole load" I couldn't remember if I tried I couldn't remember if I took my brain out Threw it so directly at the goal I couldn't remember if I I could have my mind erased And still not know exactly what I don't already know"

I think this describes introspective struggles of a psychedelic trip perfectly. He wonders if he has to "carry this whole load" meaning a very large dose; he doesn't know if his mind can handle it. Heart's porch is a metaphor for caring about oneself.

First of all i love this song its completely sweet and i think this song means that he doesnt like himself and you cant escape yourself in this case "Florida" like when he says Couldn’t quite seem to escape myself Far enough, far enough Far from Florida

this song in my opinion is the best song on the album...the way its played and then the way it ends it just really blew me away. I loved how the song just sounds so sunny and busy like Florida and then eventually it just slows way down and gets into this awesome hard rock chords....then, "Even as I left Florida..." amazing!

Isaac apparently spent a rough portion of his life in the Sunshine State. If you've ever so much as visited the state, it's not hard to discern why.

I think the song is more about his distaste for Florida, and through leaving, hoping that it would change the state of affairs. But as you can see "...far enough wasnt far enough from Florida"

you can hear johnny marr in this song so much, the way it's structured, the guitar tones/layers, etc.

the lyrics seem pretty accurate to me, good job

It was always worth it That’s the part I seem to hide

great line, the guy from the shins also makes this song so much better.

"I stood on my hearts porch thinking oh my God I probably have to carry this whole load"

When that line comes in it just blows me away. Every Modest Mouse song sends me deep into myself...there shit makes you think...and that line just defines that for me.

Damn good song...cant stop listening to the new album.

"even as I left Florida far enough far enough wasn't far enough"-great line

Florida wasn't the problem...it was him because he "couldn't seem to escape" himself. He thought that moving would make him happy, and sometimes it helps, but it doesn't make you happy...it took me three colleges to figure that out :)

What strikes me is that Isaac always sang about cold places in his early albums. Basically it seemed like he loved these sort of cold and grey places when he was younger. Now in this latest CD he talks about running the hell away from Florida, a very hot place. Seems like theres a relation between the two.

I interpreted this song as describing people who don't try at anything. They see no purpose in doing so and wonder why others do.

"Oh my God, I'll probably have to carry this whole load I couldn't remember if I tried"

This line is describing how overwhelmed these people are when something difficult comes their way; they never tried, thus have no experience, thus can't believe how hard some things in life are.