Float On

There are good days and there are bad days. Sometimes things go the way we planned but most of the times they don’t. When things don’t go the way we planned, it is easy to become distraught and angry at the world. This is where Modest Mouse comes in and their song “Float On” exemplifies the remedial power of music.

The crux of Float On lies within the electric guitar that is played throughout. The famous riff is gratifying to the ear and creates a happy atmosphere through its constant repetition. Because the cheerful tune is played throughout the entirety of the song, it contrasts moments where Isaac Kristofer Brock (lead singer and songwriter) describes himself having a bad day. The stunning contrast between the lyrics and the music makes the message of the song pop which can be seen in the first stanza.

The first stanza sets up the theme for the rest of the song.

I backed my car into a cop car the other day
Well, he just drove off – sometimes life’s okay
I ran my mouth off a bit too much, ah what did I say?
Well, you just laughed it off and it was all okay

In the first line, Brock describes a situation in which he hit a cop car. This is a situation that nobody wants to be in. Hitting someone else’s car would be a bad day for anyone but hitting a cop car? That is another level of having a bad day. However, instead of fining him, the cop just takes off as if nothing happened. Unexpectantly, a potential bad day turned into a good one. In moments like this, we have to realize that life is good, and we shouldn’t take for granted a day such as Brock’s.

The second half of the first stanza also describes a potential bad situation. In these lines, Brock describes a relatable situation that he had with his friend. Sometimes when we are having a bad day, our stress builds up so much that we like to take it out on those who are closest to us. It is possible to say things we didn’t mean which ends up hurting those who we love. However, in this situation, Brock’s friend brushes the situation off as if it was nothing and forgives him. Here, another bad situation unintendedly turns into a good situation just like earlier with the cop. In life, things just find a way of working themselves out.

The second stanza of lyrics is similar to the first.

A fake Jamaican took every last dime with that scam
It was worth it just to learn some sleight of hand
Bad news comes, don’t you worry even when it lands
Good news will work it way to all them plans
We both got fired on, exactly, the same day
Well, we’ll float on, good news is on the way

In the first couple of lines, Isaac describes a situation in which he was scammed out of his money. For most people, this would be an outrage, but Brock is still able to find a silver lining. Instead of becoming angry, Brock sees it as a learning experience. Instead of wasting his emotional energy, he now knows he will never fall into such a scam again. The next couple of lines are a little bit broader. Throughout our lives, we are going to receive bad news. This could be a poor exam grade, the death of a relative, or even something such as your favorite sports team losing. Even though all of these situations can be painful to deal with, good news will eventually come your way. The poor exam grade could make you more determined to perform well in class. The death of a relative could bring you closer to your family. If your favorite sports team loses, they have the chance to come out again and win with even more fire in their bellies. Such as in the last lines, you could get fired from your job which may open up another job opportunity that you find you like even more than your last job. With this way thinking, we look at the glass have full instead of half empty.

The main stanzas of Float On are then followed by lyrics of the utmost optimism.

And we’ll all float on okay
And we’ll all float on alright

These lines are repeated throughout the song and serve as a reminder that no matter how bad things may appear to be, something good is always going to come along. No matter how bad a day you may be having, in the end everything is still going to be okay. With this mentality, it becomes easier to look at the silver lining within every situation. This is the purpose of Float On and appears as though it has achieved its purpose due to its 150,000,000 listens on Spotify. If we can live every day knowing that we will all still Float On, the world becomes a better place to enjoy the adventures of life.

See the music video for Float On here: