Float On (Modest Mouse song)

"Float On"
Single by Modest Mouse
from the album Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Released	February 14, 2004
Format	7", CD
Recorded	Fall 2003
Genre	Indie rock
Length	3:28
Label	Epic
Writer(s)	Isaac Brock, Dann Gallucci, Eric Judy, and Benjamin Weikel
Producer(s)	Dennis Herring
Modest Mouse singles chronology
"Heart Cooks Brain" (1999) "Float On" (2004) "Ocean Breathes Salty" (2004)
Music video "Float On" on YouTube

"Float On" is a single released by indie rock band Modest Mouse. It also appears on their album Good News for People Who Love Bad News. The song was written by Dann Gallucci, Eric Judy and Isaac Brock. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 2005. The single was mixed by Jacquire King, who was also responsible for the recording and mixing of the album.

Background

Asked about the song in an interview with The A.V. Club,^[1] Brock said that he consciously intended to write something that felt more positive than some of his previous work:

“	It was a completely conscious thing. 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.	”
	— Isaac Brock, The A.V. Club

The song was released on February 14, 2004 and was the first Modest Mouse song to gain mainstream popularity. Nearly six months after its release, it became the band's first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 70 and peaked at No. 14. In Australia, the song was ranked No. 11 on Triple J's Hottest 100 of 2004. In 2013 Triple J created a new list of the Hottest 100 songs of the past 20 years, Float On appeared at No. 45. In July 2009, it was also voted in at No. 94 in Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time. In December 2009 Rolling Stone named it the 39th greatest song of the 2000s (decade).^[2] The song is in the key of F# major.

Covers

The song was covered by Ben Lee, whose version can be heard on the soundtrack for the 2006 American film John Tucker Must Die.^[3]

It was also covered by Goldspot, whose version later appeared on the American television series The O.C.^[4]

Samples and usage in media

"Float On" is a playable track in the video games Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour, and was also in the game Rocksmith and Guitar Hero Live.

Part of the guitar riff in "Float On" is sampled in P!nk's 2012 song "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)". The song is also sampled and interpolated in Lupe Fiasco's song "The Show Goes On" from his album Lasers. "Weird Al" Yankovic uses part of "Float On" in his song "Polkarama!".

"Float On" was used as an entrance music for the late professional wrestler Larry Sweeney and in a commercial for OnStar.

"Float On" was also covered by Iron Horse on their album Pickin' on Modest Mouse.

The song was used in an episode of One Tree Hill.

Track listing

The following tracks appeared on the single:

1. "Float On" – 3:32
2. "I've Got It All (Most)" – 3:06

Personnel

• Isaac Brock - Vocals, Guitar
• Eric Judy - Bass, Mellotron, Backup Vocals
• Dann Gallucci - Guitar, Drum Loops, Backup Vocals
• Benjamin Weikel - Drums

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2004) Peak position US Billboard Hot 100[5] 68 US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[6] 1 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[7] 32 References Modell, Josh (April 7, 2004). "Modest Mouse interview". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved October 19, 2009. "Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums, Songs Of The '00s". Stereogum. Retrieved 2014-01-20. "John Tucker Must Die(2006) - Soundtracks". IMDb. 2010-04-07. Retrieved 2010-04-07. Lester, Paul (2007-07-06). "No 139: Goldspot". The Guardian. Retrieved 2010-03-14. "Modest Mouse – Chart history" Billboard Hot 100 for Modest Mouse. Retrieved September 7, 2015. "Modest Mouse – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for Modest Mouse. Retrieved September 7, 2015. "Modest Mouse – Chart history" Billboard Pop Songs for Modest Mouse. Retrieved September 7, 2015.