This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
This rock of ours is just some big mistake
And we will never know just where we go
Or where we have came from
These veins of mine are now some sort of fuse
And when they light up and my mind blows up
My heart is amused so
This heart of mine is just some sort of map
That doesn't care at all or worry about where the hell you're at
But you're right there
Well, I've been meaning to dismiss you
Yeah I have some plans to dismiss you
So stand by, by, by, by, bye-bye
Wave bye, sugar boats!
As soon as you paint every last grain of sand
As you soon as you paint every star
In the sky, sky, sky, sky, sky, sky
Wave bye, sugar boats!
Well, I'm swatting at mosquitoes as they're orbiting me
I'm orbiting the sun and this goes on and on and on, you see
This heart of mine is just some broke machine
And when it gets a-goin', and it often gets goin'
It starts blowin' steam
Here we go again!
This rock of ours is just some big mistake
And we will never know just where we go
Or where we have came from
This watch of mine is like some sort of void
Cause when I look in, and I shouldn't look in
I, I see it swallow my time
Oh no, there it goes!
I ain't getting on no fast plane
Hell, I ain't getting on no stuffy train
Sugar boats on the Atlantic are fine
The sugar boats, they're just fine
I'll stand on the deck so you could see
I'll stand on the deck you could wave bye, bye, bye, bye
Here's the ghost that goes and waves bye, bye, bye, bye
I'm the ghost that goes and waves bye, bye, bye
And we will never know just where we go
Or where we have came from
These veins of mine are now some sort of fuse
And when they light up and my mind blows up
My heart is amused so
This heart of mine is just some sort of map
That doesn't care at all or worry about where the hell you're at
But you're right there
Well, I've been meaning to dismiss you
Yeah I have some plans to dismiss you
So stand by, by, by, by, bye-bye
Wave bye, sugar boats!
As soon as you paint every last grain of sand
As you soon as you paint every star
In the sky, sky, sky, sky, sky, sky
Wave bye, sugar boats!
Well, I'm swatting at mosquitoes as they're orbiting me
I'm orbiting the sun and this goes on and on and on, you see
This heart of mine is just some broke machine
And when it gets a-goin', and it often gets goin'
It starts blowin' steam
Here we go again!
This rock of ours is just some big mistake
And we will never know just where we go
Or where we have came from
This watch of mine is like some sort of void
Cause when I look in, and I shouldn't look in
I, I see it swallow my time
Oh no, there it goes!
I ain't getting on no fast plane
Hell, I ain't getting on no stuffy train
Sugar boats on the Atlantic are fine
The sugar boats, they're just fine
I'll stand on the deck so you could see
I'll stand on the deck you could wave bye, bye, bye, bye
Here's the ghost that goes and waves bye, bye, bye, bye
I'm the ghost that goes and waves bye, bye, bye
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher, edited by ke1kun, Passenger146, McWeird007
Sugar Boats Lyrics as written by Eric Judy Isaac Brock
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song would seem to be largely about injecting drugs.
"These veins of mine are now some sort of fuse, and when they light up and my mind blows up, my heart is amused."
Shooting up drugs would probably make one's veins light up and mind blow up. Can't think of what else would.
The meaning of the term "Sugar Boats" escaped me until just today as I was listening to 3rd Planet from M&A, where he says "our blood is just like the Atlantic." When he says, "the sugar boats on the Atlantic are fine," my guess is that the Atlantic is once again his blood, and the sugar boats are drugs, possibly cocaine since that is the most likely to be compared to sugar.
@sslotsky I respectfully disagree. this song is about humanity and being a human being. If your interpretation of the songs leads you to it being about drug use that is fine but modest mouse lyrics are never that cliche. There is always more as you look deeper into it.
@joel101542 I can accept that this song is about more than just shooting up drugs, but there are a couple references that don't seem like they could be about much else. I could easily be wrong of course, but those lines I mentioned paint those pictures for me.
@joel101542 also I don't know how you can say that "their lyrics are never that cliche." First, I wouldn't say that making a metaphor for drug abuse is cliche. Fairly common maybe, but not the same thing IMO. Second, The Good Times Are Killing Me is completely about drug abuse, is it not? So why would he not allude to a topic metaphorically that he's written an entire song about? Just some thoughts that occurred to me. Interested to know what you think it's about specifically, as "humanity and being a human being" is pretty vague and doesn't say a lot.
@sslotsky just wanna start by saying that the fact we're talking about this is awesome and I don't wanna get into a comment war or anything and anyone who listens to the mouse is cool with me. And i won't deny that the best part of modest mouse is how each person can find something personal to relate to in a mm song and take it in different ways. For me he's never singing about drug use in a glamorized manner. it's part of life weather you use or not. and the metaphors are relatable. I'm trying to drink away the part of the day that I can not sleep away. Basically what I get from most mouse is that we are here, we don't know why, our habbits dictate who we are and that's okay. Sometimes the songs are fun (float on) and sometimes they are serious(little motel). and other songs like this one are just bad ass and possibly the best lyrics ever put to music. And i realize humanity is a vague subject but I love mm cuz he does it so well. It's hard to be a human being and it's harder as anything else.
@joel101542 I agree, not trying to start any kind of war here. I appreciate the discussion and apologize ahead of time if I sound too argumentative. Just having a fun conversation about a band I love. Saw them twice this summer with my wife and both shows were amazing.<br /> <br /> Also sorry about responding from a different username, couldn't remember my password last night :(<br /> <br /> Anyway, yes, I agree, Modest Mouse lyrics are deep and I think that there is more to Sugar Boats than just drugs. However, one thing I've noticed about Brock is that he repeats concepts and metaphors across his different songs and albums. I struggle to think of a good example right now, but he does repeat himself. So when he says, "Sugar boats on the Atlantic," there's a VERY good chance that the Atlantic refers to his blood when you think about the song "3rd Planet." <br /> <br /> And when your veins light up and your mind blows up and your heart is amused... that's pretty obvious what's going on to me. I'm not saying he's glorifying drug use, that's DEFINITELY not his way. But I do think he's making a comment about getting really high and temporarily dropping off the radar of all the bullshit that can be too much to deal with, the complicated relationships that he refers to when he mentions his heart being a map and a broke machine, the daily existential crises he alludes to when he talks about this rock of ours and this watch of his. Ride a Sugar Boat across the Atlantic and, in a ghostly manner, wave BYE BYE to ALL that shit.
Come to think of it, "This watch of mine" is a repeated concept too. "It's been a long time, which agrees with this watch of mine," from Trailer Trash (not telling you anything you don't already know, I'm sure)<br /> <br /> I'm pretty sure there are a few more phrases on the new album that reintroduce concepts he's sang about before, sometimes using mostly the same words. But it's early and I'm having a hard time remembering.
@sslotsky I'm a little late to the party. I think you both have valid points but you're missing the big picture.
@zestybesty please enlighten me!