Absolutely Necessary Never

By Modest Mouse

On An Eraser and a Maze

Released on June 5, 2026

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[Verse 1]

Never been quite what I meant to

I don't really expect to

But God, I want to build you a castle

Oh, God, I want to save you the trouble

Opening your mouth's a disaster

It doesn't matter if you were or weren't plastered

And I'm drinking all the blood from my shadow

Drinking all the blood from my shadow


[Chorus]

Absolutely necessary, never

Absolutely necessary, never

Absolutely necessary, maybe

Absolutely necessary, maybe


[Verse 2]

Layover in Dеnver, Colorado

They say that therе's another underneath there

Blank shells in a shotgun

Accidentally fired, oh, I think I may have got one

And I killed, I killed my own shadow

And I killed, I killed my own shadow


[Chorus]

Absolutely necessary, maybe

Absolutely necessary, maybe

Absolutely necessary, maybe sometimes

Absolutely necessary, never sometimes

Absolutely necessary, maybe

Absolutely necessary, maybe


[Bridge]

What does it all mean?

D'ya get high on your low self-esteem?

Did you fall on your own only dream

And crush it until it was all broke?

Good goddamn, what a hassle

I stand in line, I'm a king at White Castle

And I'm waiting to go home

Yeah, I'm waiting just to get to go home


[Chorus]

Absolutely necessary, maybe

Absolutely necessary, maybe

Absolutely necessary, never

I'm approached to be beyond reproach

Absolutely necessary, maybe

Absolutely necessary, maybe sometimes

Oh, absolutely necessary, never, sometimes

Absolutely necessary, maybe