Cowboy Dan by Modest Mouse

Album: The Lonesome Crowded West (1997)

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Songfacts®:

This song follows a pattern much like another track from the same CD - "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine". The song begins with the insinuation of bitterness or anger. It escalates into clear anger, then calms down and turns depressed. After some time of depression, it quickly turns back into anger for a memorable finish. >>
Suggestion credit:
Andrew - Abyss, PA

Comments: 6

Jesse from San Antoino, Txpowerful lyrics
Robert from Beverly Hills, United StatesIsaac Brock has actually said this is one of his only songs that he wrote about a person he knew.
Mike from Willoughby, OhCowboy Dan is someone who has lost a major in possession in his life, likely his job. He feels it has been unfairly taken from him. Brock mentions he goes to "Reservation" to drink, like how Native Americans were said to be driven to drink "firewater" out of the despair that their land and way of life was being permanently taken by the ever-expanding American menace. He realizes he's in that downward spiral, despairing that things will never change from his current misfortune as he "Can't get that that engine turned over," so he seeks temporary escape in alcohol, where he turns into bleeding heart to whoever he's drinking with (probably strangers or himself, where he'd scream at God) and tells them all to watch out that there's not enough air for everyone to live and what happened to him will happen to them soon.

On an somewhat related note, I had a dream where I was on the last day of my job at a restaurant and all of the restaurant patrons (all unrelated and strangers to me) started singing this song a cappella as I left the restaurant for the last time.
Marcus from Claremore, OkAnother fact
this song was written after one of isaacs friends dad whose name happened to be Dan.

HES GONNA START A WAR!!!
Karyn from Canadai love isaac brock
= my hero .
Jeff from Barrington, IlI saw Modest Mouse in concert last weekend and they played this song. All the people who had never heard it before clapped when they thought the song was over, they ended up clapping three times before finally getting it right.

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