Static

Static is the eleventh and final listed track on Mutations.

Description
Static first appeared on stage as "Plague". It did not appear on Odelay, pretty obviously. A few years later, Beck used the music from Plague as "Static", and changed the words. Plague did share a few lines, however ("who are you fooling when the fools are right?"). It also had lines that reference other songs on Odelay ("puzzles and pagans" on "Jack-ass")

The first verse appears to paint a portrait of someone feeling hopeless, beat down and weary. This really quickly paints a picture of a man with his head down, sick of making attempts at improvement. With the addition of the "Who you fooling if the fools are right?" really make this song a downer. This song seems to be about being depressed. Those depressive feelings are harsh, and tricky, and will "pacify your mind," leaving you "stranded with a broken engine". All the static, noise, pollution, information pacifies your mind. Makes it hard to think, feel, be. To just want to lock yourself inside for a day.

Beck does hint at hope in the song, though. Tiny slivers of hope, "shock electric wave" being the key one. The moment of inspiration that can help you get out of the blues, finally motivate you, and keep you going forward.

Static
It's so easy to laugh at yourself

When all those jokes have already been written

Seems like another vain attempt

To let yourself fall out of the oven

Holy mountains, they look so tired

And it's a perfect day to lock yourself inside

Who're you fooling if the fools are right?

It's the same thing but it's almost as different

Hard to tell when it pacifies your mind

And leaves you stranded with a broken engine

Lazy desert looks so mangled

Let me drown in a convalescent bliss

Get up from your bed of rest

It's been a long time since you've lived

But the static in your mind leaves you hollow and unkind

With a shock electric wave turns you on

You've been flunked out of the devil's house

Delinquent hygienes are so abrasive

And some distortion that's never been known

On the treadmill, you'll be running forever

Holy mountains, they look so tired

And it's a perfect day to lock yourself inside

We go, we go

Plague
Taking off for the (inaudible)

(inaudible)

Who would gamble such a (inaudible)

Lady luck will never rest her head

Wild cards (inaudible)

(inaudible)

(inaudible)

Feel the testaments of puzzles and pagans

Upon the treadmills of the borderlines

They're waiting for the (inaudible)

They're lonesome (inaudible)

While the (inaudible)

There's a plague, just let yourself go

The chances are lost (inaudible)

And the travels like a (inaudible)

Who could turn on her face

With a shock electric wave

(inaudible)

I don't mean it, but it's all the same

There's (inaudible)

Who are you foolin' when the fools are right?

You can make it flat as the (inaudible)

One dimension, a vacant lot

Kill the jukebox one more time

Trivia

 * "Static" is also the name of an unreleased track from around 1995.