“Float On” by Modest Mouse, Tuesday March 16, 2021

In keeping with a recurring theme of emotions, I elect this song as a song of the day. Songs like "Blue" and "Rose-colored Boy" explored sadder emotions, but "Float On" by Modest Mouse takes on a cheery disposition. If it's bad, thank God it's not worse. It's the lyrics of this song that would have Paramore's Haley Williams upset, as Issac Brooks's lyrics certainly are rosy. While bad things happen, they could be worse. If it didn't kill you, you can get over it. Just float on, man. After all, isn't it the hardships ending that make the good times better?

I BACKED MY CAR IN TO A COP CAR THE OTHER DAY. An upbeat guitar rhythmically starts this indie-rock classic. Singer Isaac Brock's vocal style works out great for this track and only a few other Mouse tracks. The lyrics are funny, but not so Weird Al to make you stop singing along out of laughter. Sometimes bad things happen to us. Other times they happen out of an accident. And other times we bring them on by our own actions. The song talks about losing money in a scam, talking smack about someone, and getting fired with a friend. Sometimes the singer is let off the hook. The police man just drove away. A true friend knows when you're just B.S.ing and laughs it off. Losing money was worth it, because he learned from his mistake. And being fired from a job you hate can lead to a better career. The optimism in this song gets a little too extreme, but these are pretty hard times that need optimism. We need people to believe that they can make a difference and that things can improve.

ALRIGHT, ALREADY. However, I want to interject with Copeland's "Chin Up," though. Aaron Marsh sings, "If we only tip the bottle back to keep us filled up," meaning we can lie to ourselves about being half empty/half filled, or possibly it leads to getting drunk. In the chorus he warns, "You break your neck to keep your chin up." The 2021 School Year is certainly much better than 2020. We've learned a lot and we don't make the same mistakes. We're floating on. However, Copeland is reminding me that we shouldn't sweep the issues under the rug. There are still problems to address. If you were complaining about something in 2016 and it got worse and in 2021 it goes back to the same as 2016, is the problem solved? No, new problems were solved, but the underlying symptoms are unaddressed. Sometimes there's a time when all we can do is float. Sometimes we can fight for something better.