#-----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE------------------------------#
# This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation #
# of the song. The owner of this website has not reviewed the contents of #
# this file. If you feel that the content of this file may be violating #
# copyright law, you may not use the information displayed here in any way. #
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
Tabbed by: CMM
Email: no.
Tuning: Standard
Main Riff (Intro/Chorus)
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-4/5p0--0--0-0-0-0---------------------------------------------------------|
D|-4/5p0--0--0-0-0-0--4-4-42--2-2-2-2-2h4-4-4p2-----------------------------|
A|--------------------5-5-53--3-3-3-3-3---3-3---2--2-2-2--2-2-2--2-2-2------|
E|-----------------------------------------------3--3-3-3--3-3-3--3-3-3------|
2nd Guitar (Intro/Chorus)
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|-12-10----------10------12-10----10---12-10--------------------------------|
G|-------12----12----12---------12------------12--12~------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Fills (played during verse)
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------8-----------------------------------|
G|-7--8-9---9-8-7------------------7-8-9---9-8-7-----------------------------|
D|--------9------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Bridge
e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--4-4-4-4-4/5--5-----4-----4---4-------------------------------------------|
D|--4-4-4-4-4/5--5-----5-----5---5-------------------------------------------|
A|--2-2-2-2-2/3--3--5----5-5---5---------------------------------------------|
E|------------------3----3-3---3---------------------------------------------|
Note: The B5 chord is played many times more than I typed during the bridge,
also, listen to the song for the timing. I have done my best to indicate the
rhythm by leaving more spaces between notes to inicate a rest or whole note,
or what have you. Also, no more float on tabs please. The songs been flogged to death,
let it rest already.
| / slide up
| slide down
| h hammer-on
| p pull-off
| ~ vibrato
| + harmonic
| x Mute note
===============================================================================
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Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
|
No Picture
Zach Wanna Be |
#1 by Zach Pain at Sep 24, 1974 at 1:57 AM EST |
| Modest Mouse has the amazing ability to stick so much meaning into one song. They dont fallow the rules of music, they raise the bar so far its hard to see. I find myself addicted to a new MM song every day and I've had all of their cds on my playlist for 5-6 months straight now. I cant get over them, I cant explain to other people how profound their messages are. Everything is done so perfectly, I dont understand how they can do this. This song just reaffirms that. One chance to get everything right... | |
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No Picture
Brad Lead Player |
#2 by Brad Vincent at Aug 20, 1976 at 12:13 PM EST |
| king you definately hit the nail right on the head. and this song is absolutely amazing, one of my personal fav's of mm. i'm surprised there isn't more people commenting on this song. Good job guys. | |
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No Picture
Ashley Rhythm Player |
#3 by Ashley 666 at Feb 16, 1982 at 5:25 PM EST |
| I think its about a person who is in the habit of protecting himself from the world and suddenly realizes that he can't protect himself forever. He's surrounded himself with friends, habits and family. He realizes that he has one chance to get everything right and values his friends habits and family as part of the everything that he needs to get right. He first comes to the realization that he can't protect himself forever when the ships sink, his friends or family or habits die or don't stand up for him. He realizes that he didn't get the balance of friends, family and habits right | |
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No Picture
Austin Rhythm Player |
#4 by Austin at May 14, 1993 at 4:32 AM EST |
| This is definitely one of my favorite MM songs, although every time I try to declare one song my favorite, I end up finding another I like better. I agree with what all of you guys have said (very insightful!), but there's a little detail I'd like to get your thoughts on. During the second "I'm just a box in a cage." refrain, there's a specific change to the lyrics that caught my attention: "I'm just a box in a cage. An OPEN box in a cage. I'm just a box, just a box in a cage. I'm just..." This is pretty interesting to me, because my interpretation is the same as some of yours: We get this one great chance at life, but we have to spend it trapped within a trap, implying a sense of futility that no matter how much we make of our one chance, we're still bound by the "cage". But this variation, "An open box in a cage" sort of feels like a more personal statement. I'm not terribly familiar with his personal life, except for the bits and pieces I've read in researching their music, but many of their songs - present one included - have this sort of frustrated sense of release to them, as if being able to write this music gives his thoughts and emotions an exposure to others (the open box), yet he's still trapped within in the limitations of the "cage", be it mortality, the Universe, what have you. There's definitely an underlying sense of futility and mortality in this song, which is why I think it connects so well with people. Or I'm I just REALLY bored and looking into this too much? | |
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No Picture
Mat Average |
#5 by Mat Hancock at Apr 7, 1996 at 6:38 AM EST |
| Isaac's been using "I'm just a box in a cage" since 1996, maybe even earlier. I guess he finally found where to put it. It did fit quite well in Trucker's Atlas, though. | |
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No Picture
Ryan Average |
#6 by Ryan Noffke at Jan 23, 1998 at 9:14 PM EST |
| "I'm just a box in a cage." I'm sure Isaac didn't intend this line to mean what I think it means. But I think this line sums up the objective human condition pretty well. We're just perceptual beings (boxes) in a Universe where we're bound by the laws of physics (a cage). | |
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No Picture
phoen Average |
#7 by phoen bay at Jan 10, 2003 at 1:12 AM EST |
| i agree with ophelia, good point there. | |
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