This song also seems to pick up a theme that many of Modest mouse's other songs do. They seem to refer to the fact that no matter what, you never really know people, even the ones that are close you to. And in this instance that may include yourself.
"It's hard to get hold of and hard to let go always something we'd looked for from the day we were born," for me refers to finding yourself, and in that regard, what truly makes you happy with the realization that it may be impossible to be happy when you are trying to make everyone else happy. This song affirms that the coexistence of true happiness for more than one person is not possible due to human nature. The music video really shows this aspect as well, and I think that the band emphasizes this with the use of a tree as the girls boyfriend. A sort of inanimate object that defies the complexities of human nature and human life, but at the same time remains vulnerable to the dark side of it in order to highlight this impossible coexistence of happiness.
"because you're the people that I wanted to know," here I think they are talking about that idol in your life, and how ultimately we all base our lives around the goal of being just like that idol.
"...and then bark at the dog he's sniffling and whimpering for someone to know," for me refers to a deep loneliness that occurs often in life because you may find yourself ultimately lonely. Here I think the band questions why we do try to please people instead of ourselves. And they then give the answer... we don't want to be by ourselves. Why he chose a dog, perhaps because its known as the most loyal animal, it may just symbolize loyalty and how loyal we are to making others satisfied for our sake, but ultimately we lose ourselves.
This song also seems to pick up a theme that many of Modest mouse's other songs do. They seem to refer to the fact that no matter what, you never really know people, even the ones that are close you to. And in this instance that may include yourself. "It's hard to get hold of and hard to let go always something we'd looked for from the day we were born," for me refers to finding yourself, and in that regard, what truly makes you happy with the realization that it may be impossible to be happy when you are trying to make everyone else happy. This song affirms that the coexistence of true happiness for more than one person is not possible due to human nature. The music video really shows this aspect as well, and I think that the band emphasizes this with the use of a tree as the girls boyfriend. A sort of inanimate object that defies the complexities of human nature and human life, but at the same time remains vulnerable to the dark side of it in order to highlight this impossible coexistence of happiness. "because you're the people that I wanted to know," here I think they are talking about that idol in your life, and how ultimately we all base our lives around the goal of being just like that idol.
"...and then bark at the dog he's sniffling and whimpering for someone to know," for me refers to a deep loneliness that occurs often in life because you may find yourself ultimately lonely. Here I think the band questions why we do try to please people instead of ourselves. And they then give the answer... we don't want to be by ourselves. Why he chose a dog, perhaps because its known as the most loyal animal, it may just symbolize loyalty and how loyal we are to making others satisfied for our sake, but ultimately we lose ourselves.