King Rat

Modest Mouse

About King Rat

"King Rat" is a song by indie rock band Modest Mouse and appears as the title track to their fifth promotional single, following "The World At Large". The single was later released on the band's 2009 EP No One's First, and You're Next. The promo also features the song "Fire It Up" from their 2007 album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. The promo was given away through multiple online music stores when the individual purchased a pre-order of We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. The promo features the track "King Rat", later included on the "Dashboard" single, on the A-side, and "Fire It Up" on the B-side, although some discs are mislabeled, with Side A having "Fire It Up" and Side B having "King Rat" instead. Isaac Brock had stated in an interview published on 10 April 2007 that the band intended to release the song on an EP at a later date, along with other tracks that did not make the album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. 


Year:
2007
5:31
236 
#1

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Well!
Well!
Well!
Well!

We spun like birds on fire right down towards the residence and I
I took all that I desired, even crooks have to pay the rent.
We swam like rats on fire right, right down the reservoir
We took all that we could carry but we tried to carry more.

And you know you know you know it all went wrong.
And you know you know you know it was all wrong.

We choked on street tap water well I'm gonna have to try the real thing
I took your laugh by the collar and it knew not to swing.
Anytime I tried an honest job well the till had a hole and ha-ha
We laughed about payin' rent 'cause the county jails they're free.

And you know you know you know it all went wrong.
And you know you know you know it was all wrong.

Deep water, deep water
Senseless denial
I went down like a rag doll as you would, child
Deep water, deep water
Senseless denial
I went down like a rag doll as you would, child

Oh, lucky lucky lucky lucky me again.
I said it looks like I've got to use my feet again
Well I just spent my last one-hundred dollars
God I'll pay my bill again

Oh, I don't care
Oh, how I just don't care.

Deep water, deep water
Senseless denial
I went down like a rag doll shooken and shy
Deep water, deep water
Senseless denial
I went down like a rag doll rat of a child

Well King rat has me on his list again
I can never be on the fence again
I found out it's all loud
Open like an organ and it
Talk, talk, talk, talk again
He promised me that when I cheated him
But I could open my eye well

Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky,
Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky me again.

Deep water, deep water
This senseless denial
I got fed like a fish, full of open smiles
Blue water, deep water
Oh senseless denial
I got fed like a fish on the cardboard smiles

Well well
What do you have to say for yourself?
I said, well well
Well?
I said well, well, well, well!

Lucky, lucky, lucky, lucky me again.
I hardly knew I should use my feet again
What do you have to say for yourself?
What do you have to say for yourself?

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Modest Mouse

Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band who were formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, their lineup has centered around Brock, Green and Judy. Guitarist Johnny Marr (formerly of The Smiths) joined the band in May 2006, along with percussionist Joe Plummer (formerly of the Black Heart Procession) and multi-instrumentalist Tom Peloso, to work on the album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. Guitarist Jim Fairchild joined the band in February 2009. Their name is derived from a passage from the Virginia Woolf story "The Mark on the Wall" which reads, "I wish I could hit upon … more »

3 fans

Written by: JOE PLUMMER, ISAAC K. BROCK, JEREMIAH MARTYN GREEN, ERIC SCOTT JUDY, JOHNNY MARR, THOMAS P. PELOSO

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


10 facts about this song

Song Creation
"King Rat" was initially an unreleased track. Modest Mouse started playing the song in concerts around 2005 but only officially released it as part of the album "No One's First, and You're Next" in 2009.
Collaboration
The song features contributions from James Mercer of The Shins and Joe Plummer, who later joined the band in 2004. This was one of the first songs where Modest Mouse collaborated with other known indie artists.
Music Video
The music video for "King Rat" was directed by legendary actor and director, the late Heath Ledger. Interestingly, Ledger approached the band with the idea for the video.
Theme
The conceptual video and song lyrics for "King Rat" bring attention to the issue of illegal commercial whale hunting. The video reverses the roles of humans and whales, depicting a world where whales hunt humans, highlighting the cruelty and senselessness of the activity.
Ledger's Legacy
Heath Ledger was unable to complete the "King Rat" video before his untimely death. The project was then completed by the Masses, a film and music company that Ledger co-founded.
Charity
Proceeds from the iTunes downloads of the "King Rat" video were donated to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an international non-profit maritime organization committed to conserving and protecting the world's marine wildlife. It aligns with the eco-conservation theme of the song.
Unique Art Style
The video was lauded for its distinct creative artistry, featuring an almost entirely hand-drawn animation style.
Critical Perception
The song received a positive response from critics, with Pitchfork naming it the 86th best track of 2009.
Musical Style
"King Rat" has a distinctive sound and style compared to other Modest Mouse songs, featuring a heavy use of brass instruments and a prominent marching beat.
Influences
Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock has stated that his experiences growing up in a rural environment largely devoid of cultural diversity deeply influenced the songwriting, as seen in "King Rat".

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