Ongoing History Daily: Modest Mouse and the story of “Float On”
Before Modest Mouse released “Float On” in the spring of 2004, the band was best described as a cult act, an indie group with a small but loyal fanbase. But after that song (and the album, Good News for People Who Love Bad News), Modest Mouse became a multi-platinum act four albums deep into their career. But what’s “Float On” all about?
Singer Isaac Brock wrote it about the gloom in the US following the 9/11 attacks. I quote: “I was just kind of fed up with how bad [things] had been going and how dark everything was. I just wanted to make a positive record.” The result was a song about perseverance, the need to keep going when everything seems like it’s going down the toilet. The world will “float on” regardless of what happens to us. Good advice, I guess.
