Bukowski

by

Modest Mouse

Album: Good News For People Who Love Bad News      Released: 2004

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This song is about anger at God. Lead singer Isaac Brock lost many people close to him. This song ponders: If God gives, why does he take? If he's really so loving, why does he insist on total control? (thanks, Andrew - Abyss, PA)

The song makes reference to Charles Bukowski, a German poet that is well known for his nihilistic writing style. Bukowski is often ranked among the likes of Burroughs, Ginsberg, Thompson, and Kerouac. The song asks, "Who would wanna be such an a--hole?" (thanks, Hunter - San Diego, CA)

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Comments:

I like this song a lot and i am a christian. I mainly like it because the mix of instruments and the total set up of the song is just amazing. i used to love the lyrics back when i used to find some truth in them. nowadays, i still love the song. but i've come to realize the blindness of calling god an a--hole. seriously. i used to be on the border of belief, i used to question everything, i used to want to take books and science and throw them in my pastors face.. but i realized something that so many people never step back and realize.. why don't you question science? evolution? every theory that you "believe," what makes them true besides what people have told you? studies, facts, yeah, i believe in that. but i also see flaws in everything that is man made. go ahead and google evolution and the theory of an intelligent designer.. in the science world, they've come to realize that their "facts" about evolution are based on more opinions than evidence. but anyways, my response is mainly this - "I mean if god is infallible, how come the humans he created were flawed, and sinned? Also, if god is so caring, how can he sit back and watch all the anger, hatred, and violence. How can he take those we love in an instant?" - Mike of West Bend, WI my answer - my imperfect, flawed answer - is that god gave us free will.. it isn't god that causes anger, hatred, and violence, that is US. that is you, that is me. if everything was perfect and we had no free will, then life would be meaningless, we'd simply be never changing parts in a puzzle. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you - mathew 7:7 if you don't seek out god, you won't find god.
- shawn, joplin, mo, MO

Kinda funny reading people saying how great Bukowski is and how similar he and Brock are, this song is a dig at Bukowski, not a tribute.. http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/9933 Isaac says he doesnt like someone glamourising something as destructive as alcoholism. "yeah i know hes a pretty good read but god who'd wanna be such an a**hole" ... "9 times out of ten our heart just gets disolved, well i want a better place, or just a better way to fall" Doesnt mean there arnt similarities in the two characters, obviously they both have dabbled in plenty of chemicals, but in the song "the good times are killing me" Isaac explains some of the contradictions of using drugs.
- Rick, London, United Kingdom

When I first started hearing Modest Mouse, I didn't like them because they seemed obsessed with death, and overly pessimistic about life. They have grown on me significantly over the past few years. This song is one of my favorites. I really feel it questions god in a way no one else tries to. I grew up Lutheran, and am now agnostic. Back in my church going days, I would have loved to play this song for the pastor. I mean if god is infallible, how come the humans he created were flawed, and sinned? Also, if god is so caring, how can he sit back and watch all the anger, hatred, and violence. How can he take those we love in an instant?

If the true god is the god of the Christians, then god probably hates me. Luckily for me, I don't believe that any one religion/god is correct.
- Mike, West Bend, WI

I believe Isaac Brock touches on the most important aspect of life as we know it, not just in Bukowski but many of his lyerics. The aspect that life sucks, but in the end life is beautiful because you are atleast lucky enough to experience its beauty wheater its beauty be complete misery or complete extecy. My view on the song Bukowski is, Isaac Brock's main feeling when he was wrighting his masterpeice was, YES, how life gets worse and worse but also how the more you think about why the Earth is the way it is the more it makes sence to be thankful you can experience this pain. -It is an amazing song and everyone should hear it.
- Sanje, Issaquah, WA

I believe someone touched on this, but my interpretation of this song, and i may be incorrect, is that Christians are too complacent with what they have and have no desire to dig deeper. I myself am a Christian and i this is one of my favorite songs. I do not take offense to this song. I think what Isaac is doing is calling people out on what they believe.
- Mike, STL, MO

I severely doubt that he's saying other than life is more like what Bukowski describes, which is this dead, feelingless, sarcastic existence. The "who would want to be an a-hole" line is in reference to God himself. If God controls the land and disease and keeps a watchful eye on me, if he's really so damn mighty, well my problem is I can't see, who would want to be such a control freak?
- NAthan, St Petersburg, FL

In my opinion, charles bokowski(bu-kov-ski) and issac brock are very much alike in many ways. Not only are they both extreme alchoholics but they both are "a**holes". That all depends on your definition of what an "a**hole" is, but in this sense it's not meant to be taken negatively. They've both have had hard lives and i think they would make a "good couple".
- charles, huntsville, AL

Have any of you actually read Bukowski's work? If you do it makes a complete diffrence in what this song means to you. Bukowski was a drunk, he was always drunk and he wanted to die. And if every night turns out to be a little bit more like Bukowski.. that means he turns out all little more drunk and depressed, and in your own world, where you don't care about anything other than yourself..and you don't have to. Everything I have read by Bukowski has always been soley about him. It is critizing religion but he is not coming out and saying he hates god. Also, Marc, Bukowski's writing is so much more than I've got a job..ect. Its about the loss sure but..theres so much more to him than that. Also,anyone else wonder about the reacurring theme of wedding cake?
- kp, Denton, VA

Hunter and Andrew are right, isaac hates god, he was forced to live in a house with a broken water pipe because there wasn't enough room for him in his mothers boyfriends trailer, so he started to question god then, and now here he is, a bada** non believer, he said in an interview, "I'm a strong believer that the christian religion, is a crock of sh*t."
- Kyle, Lee's Summit, MO

Theres not much to say. Its a good song. LISTEN TO IT
- Jake, San Fran, CA

Bukowski was a genius, and obviously an influence on Isaac Brock's true-life writing. I think the (deleted) line is meant in the best way possible. Bukowski really was a drunk old bastard, but he was only that way because he was so jaded with the world. That's what Isaac is going at: who would want to be the jerk who reminds everyone how crappy the world is.
- Marshall, Rochester, MN

Just wanted to say that I like this song, and Mike the Knife is correct. And yeah "he [Bukowski] is a pretty good read," as stated in the song. I don't know what the "a-hole" part is all about. His writing is raw, and quite good. He often portrays himself or his characters as vulgar drunks, sexist, pessimists, and realists.
- KEITH, Kyle, TX

Charles Bukowski's written often had a theme of "I got a job. I got a girl. I've got some money so I'm going to buy a bunch of wine. Lost the girl. Was so hungover that I lost the job. Repeat."
- Marc, Sarasota, FL

I love Isaac Brock. A true legend.
- Tim, Kilkenny, Ireland

Bukowski was born in Andernach, Germany in 1920 & moved to the US at the age of three. Not russian. Critically acclaimed poet & prose writer. Wrote the screenplay & had a cameo role in the film "Barfly" w/ Mickey Rourke.
- Mike the Knife, Norfolk, VA

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