The Tortoise And The Tourist

Album: Strangers to Ourselves (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "The Tortoise and The Tourist" tells a thought-provoking tale of a tortoise who possesses infinite knowledge of the universe, and a thoughtless, self-indulgent tourist. Despite the tortoise's best efforts to impart wisdom, the tourist prefers to kill the tortoise, pull its shell off its body and then use it to write a song.

    The song can be interpreted in multiple ways, with one reading seeing the tortoise as a symbol of knowledge and the tourist as one of ignorance, serving as a cautionary tale of the perils of not seeking understanding.

    Another interpretation sees the tortoise as a representation of nature, and the tourist as a stand-in for humanity's exploitative relationship with it.
  • The title of Modest Mouse's Strangers to Ourselves album is taken from this fable about humanity's ignorance and greed:

    We've been getting away
    We are strangers to ourselves
    We sneak out, drip by drip
    Through paper cuts on our hands


    The opening track is also named after the album, but the title doesn't actually appear in that song's lyrics.
  • Asked by HMV.com why the band decided on Strangers To Ourselves for the album title, vocalist Isaac Brock replied: "It was inspired by the notion that there are things we do in our lives that we know is wrong and we shouldn't do it, but we're still doing it. It's a good metaphor I think."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Jonathan Cain of Journey

Jonathan Cain of JourneySongwriter Interviews

Cain talks about the divine inspirations for "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully."

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Taylor Dayne

Taylor DayneSongwriter Interviews

Taylor talks about "The Machine" - the hits, the videos and Clive Davis.

Women Who Rock

Women Who RockSong Writing

Evelyn McDonnell, editor of the book Women Who Rock, on why the Supremes are just as important as Bob Dylan.

Bob Daisley

Bob DaisleySongwriter Interviews

Bob was the bass player and lyricist for the first two Ozzy Osbourne albums. Here's how he wrote songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" with Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.