"Would We Be Alive?" is a song by The Residents, first heard as intermission music during the group's debut live tour The Mole Show, performed in 1982 and 1983.
It was released as the penultimate track on the Intermission EP in October 1982. New arrangements of the song were featured in The Residents' live performances in 1997, 2005 and 2013.
History[]
"Would We Be Alive?" was first featured as intermission music for The Residents' debut tour The Mole Show, between 1982 and 1983. It was also featured on the Intermission EP, released in October 1982.
In the Mole Show narrative, "Would We Be Alive?" takes place immediately before the events covered in "Another Land".[1] It is a hymn sung by the trilogy's central figures, the tireless and hard-working race known as the Moles, during their treacherous journey across the sea.
The lyrics of the song represent the Moles' belief system; they believe that work and struggle should be the basis of one's life, and that without inherent struggle there would be no life at all.
Later versions[]
"Would We Be Alive?" was first performed live by The Residents at their Adobe Disfigured Night performance in May 1997, with Molly Harvey on lead vocals. This version of the song opens with a monologue, with the rest of the song sung by Harvey in a slow voice.
The song next featured on the set list of the group's The Way We Were mini-tour of Australia in 2005, in a version which more closely resembles the original. It was next featured in a mash-up with other songs from the Mole Trilogy performed during the encore on their 40th anniversary tour, The Wonder of Weird, in 2013.
"Would We Be Alive" was covered by punk band Nomeansno in 1995, and released on an EP of the same name the following year. A version by Gretnoid, recorded in 2017, was featured on the expanded CD edition of the group's 2018 collaborative/cover album I Am A Resident!.
Lyrics[]
Original version (1982)[]
If we could see clearly what we were beside If there was no desperation Would we be alive? If there were no windows that we sit inside If there was no ugly feelings Would we be alive?
Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive?
Help us! Help us! Help us! Ahhh! Help us! Help us! Help us! Ahhh! Help us! Help us! Help us! Ahhh! Help us! Help us! Help us! Ahhh!
Won't you make me helpless so that I can be Longing for the sight of something that I cannot see I'll be a boat that's on the ocean Floating on the sea Floating in the drifting wind I wish that I could be Floating in a liquid Nice and thick and warm Floating where there is no pleasure And there is no harm Life would be so pleasant If we all could be Helpless hopeless creatures Just marching to the sea
Help us! Help us! Help us! Please! Help us! Help us! Help us! Please! Help us! Help us! Help us! Please! Help us! Help us! Help us! Please![2]
Adobe Disfigured Night version (1997)[]
If we could see clearly What we are beside If there was no desperation Would we be alive?
If there was no window That we sit inside If there were no ugly feelings Would we be alive?
Help me... Help me... Help me... Please Help me... Please, Please, Please
Won't you make me helpless (Help me) So that I can be (Help me) Longing for the sight of something (Help me) That I cannot see?
Help me... Help me... Help me... Please Help me... Help me... Help me... Please
The Way We Were version (2005)[]
Would we be alive? If we could see clearly What we are beside If there was no desperation? Would we be alive?
If there were no windows That we sit inside If there were no ugly feelings? Would we be alive?
Would we be alive? Would we be alive?
Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive?
Would we be alive? Would we be alive?
Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please...
Won't you make me helpless So that I can be Longing for the sight of something That I cannot see?
I'll be a boat that's on the ocean Floating on the sea Floating in the drifting wind I wish that I could be Floating in a liquid Nice and thick and warm Floating where there is no pleasure And there is no harm
Life would be so pleasant If we all could be Just, helpless hopeless creatures Floating to the sea.
Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please...
The Wonder of Weird version (2013)[]
If we could see clearly What we were beside If there was no expectation Would we be alive?
If there were fearful Somewhere deep inside If there was no desperation Would we be alive?
Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please, yeah... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please...
Won't you make me helpless So that I can be Longing for the sight of something That I cannot see?
I'll be a boat that's on the ocean Floating on the sea Floating in the drifting wind I wish that I could be Floating in a liquid Nice and thick and warm Floating where there is no pleasure And there is no harm
Life would be so perfect If we all could be Helpless, hopeless, creatures Just marching to the sea.
Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please, yeah! Help us... Help us... Help us... Please...
Gretnoid version (2017)[]
If we could see clearly What we were besides If there was no desperation Would we be alive?
If there were no windows That we sit beside If there were no ugly feelings Would we be alive?
Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive? Would we be alive?
Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please...
Uh, would you make me helpless Something I can be Longing for the sight of something That I cannot see?
I'd be helpless on the ocean Looking from the sea Looking in the drifting wind I wish that I could be Floating near a liquid Nice and thick and warm Floating where there is no pleasure And there is no harm
Life would be so pleasant If we all could be Helpless hopeless creatures Just marching to the sea.
Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please... Help us... Help us... Help us... Please...
If there was no desperation Would we be alive? If there were no ugly feelings Would we be alive? If there was no desperation Would we be alive? If there were no ugly feelings Would we be alive?
List of releases[]
- Intermission (1982) [Version 1]
- Mark of the Mole / Intermission (1988) [Version 1]
- In Memoriam Torso (1994) [Version 1]
- Petting Zoo (2002) [Version 1]
- The Way We Were (2005) [Version 2]
- Mark of the Mole & Intermission (2005)[Version 1]
- 1997: The Missing Year - Adobe Disfigured Night (2009) [Version 3]
- The Wonder of Weird (2014) [Version 4]
- Disfigured Night (2016) [Version 3]
- 80 Aching Orphans (2017) [Version 1]
- I Am A Resident! (2018) [Version 5]
- Mole Box (2019) [Version 1] [Version 2]
Versions[]
External links and referencess[]
- ↑ Mark of the Mole / Intermission ESD/Torso CD liner notes, 1988
- ↑ Mark of the Mole + Intermission Mute CD reissue liner notes, 2005
