Float On Lyrics

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About

Genius Annotation

Indisputably Modest Mouse’s most popular song, “Float On” is about how no matter what happens it could always be worse, look at the bright side. The track was the band’s mainstream breakthrough and the lead single of their fourth LP, Good News for People Who Love Bad News. It was nominated for a Grammy in 2005 for Best Rock Song, which went to U2’s “Vertigo”

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Modest Mouse say about "Float On"?
Genius Answer

In an interview with The A.V. Club, lead singer Isaac Brock discussed the song’s positivity, a turn from the band’s earlier, more dour material.

I was just kind of fed up with how bad shit had been going, and how dark everything was, with bad news coming from everywhere. Our president [George W. Bush] is just a fucking daily dose of bad news! Then you’ve got the well-intentioned scientists telling us that everything is fucked.

I just want to feel good for a day. I’d had some friends die, and with Jeremy kind of losing it… After we got out of that dark spot with everything melting down with the band, I just wanted to make a positive record. I think we managed to make a quarter of the record positive, and the rest is either kind of dark or more just relaxing into things being how they are, resigned.

Jeremy is Jeremiah Green, the band’s original drummer, who left the group in 2003 due to a nervous breakdown. Green later rejoined the band shortly after Good News‘ release.

What accolades has the single achieved?
Genius Answer

“Float On” peaked at #1 on the Alternative Songs chart, and #68 on the Hot 100 chart. The single received a Grammy nomination in 2005 for “Best Rock Song.”

What did Isaac Brock say about "Float On" representing the band?
Genius Answer

In an October 2015 interview with Newstalk, Brock said:

When I put the song out, there was no expectation. I truly thought we were getting dropped from the label because no one knew who we were at the label. But the label didn’t know we existed or were on it. I think there were two or three people in the entire fucking organization who knew we were even on the label or had any interest in us. I think they were in the mailroom.

In the sense that it was like any other song that we do—just written for the sake of itself and the rest of the record—I think it’s a fine representation…. People who might be into that song and then try to dig deeper into our catalog [might say], “I don’t get it, why are there not five songs like this?” I’m not sure they’d feel like it’s representative of what we are. One thing that we consistently do is inconsistently write types of songs. There’s no one way about it for us.

Credits
Produced By
Mellotron
Drum Loops
Background Vocals
Recording Engineer
Mixing Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Percussion
Electric Piano
Recorded At
Sweet Tea Studio, Oxford, MS; Easley Recording, Memphis, TN
Release Date
November 15, 2003
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