Lyrics:Missing [Version (a)]:
I prayed heaven today
Would bring its hammer down on me
And pound you out of my head
I can't think with you in it
I dragged all that I owned
Down the dirt road to find you
And my shoes, worn-out and used
They can't take me much farther
Something always takes the place of missing pieces
You can take and put together
Even though you know there's something missing
The sun burned a hole in my roof
I can't seem to fix it
And I hope the rain doesn't come
Wash me down the gutter
Something always takes the place of missing pieces
You can take and put together
Even though you know there's something missing
She rides in a car
Like a queen on a card
And the guns of her mind
Aim a line straight at mine
To a heart that is broke
Tried to feel but got choked
In the smoke of a desert
A beach with no treasure
A night that's so blue
Feed the aching in you
And the background birds
Take a flight from the earth
A bonfire burns
And the night current turns
On a lifeboat floating
Down a river of sleep
I can't see her hollow eyes
Walking along with my boots full of rocks
Can't believe these tears are mine
I give 'em to you to keep away in a box
Something always takes the place of missing pieces
You can take and put together
Even though you know there's something missing
Something always missing
Always someone missing something
Something always missing
Always someone missing something
Something always missing
Always someone missing something
Heaven Hammer [Version (b)]:
I prayed heaven today
Would bring its hammer down on me
And pound you out of my head
I can't think with you in it
I'd drag all that I owned
Down the dirt road to find you
And my shoes, worn-out and used
They can't take me much farther
Ohhh
Something always takes the place of missing pieces
You can take and put together even though
You know there's something missing
Something always takes the place of missing pieces
You can take and put together even though
You know there's something missing
She rides in a car
Like a queen on a card
And the guns of her mind
Aim a line straight at mine
To a heart that is broke
Tried to feel but got choked
In the smoke of a desert
A beach with no treasure
A night that seems blue
Feed the aching in you
And the background birds
Take a flight from the earth
A bonfire burns
And the night current turns
On a lifeboat floating
Down a river of sleep
Can't see her hollow eyes
Walking along with my boots full of rocks
Can't believe these tears of mine
I give 'em to you to keep away in a box
I give 'em to you to keep away in a box
I give 'em to you to keep away in a box
I give 'em to you to keep away in a box
Something always takes the place of missing pieces
You can take and put together even though
You know there's something missing
Something always missing
Always someone missing something
Something always missing
Always someone missing something
Something always missing
Always someone missing something
Something always missing
Always someone missing something
Still Missing [Version (f)]:
Doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo
I prayed heaven today
Would bring its hammer down on me
And pound you out of my head
I can't think with you in it
I dragged all that I owned
Down the dirt road to find you
And my shoes, worn-out and used
They can't take me much farther
Something always takes the place of missing pieces
You can take and put together even though
You know there's something missing
The sun burned a hole in my roof
I can't seem to fix it
And I hope rain doesn't come
Wash me down the gutter
Ohhhh ohhhh
Something always takes the place of missing pieces
You can take and put together even though
You know there's something missing
Something always missing
Always someone missing something
Something always missing
Always someone missing something
Can't see her hollow eyes
Walking along with my boots full of rocks
Can't believe these tears of mine
I give 'em to you to keep away in a box
The Song:"Missing" is the third of Beck's Brazilian trilogy of songs, along with "
Deadweight" and "
Tropicalia." Beck loves Brazil, he listens to its music, he writes songs about it, and even takes
night flights there.
This article explores Beck's inspiration.
Beck talked briefly about the recording of this song to XFM in 2005. He noted that it started with a Brazilian loop of music, and was built up from there by him and the Dust Brothers. Also he liked how they recorded a "whole orchestra, pristene, state of the art" but then came back to the studio and put it through a "hundred dollar reverb box that made it sound like it was going through a can of tuna."
"Missing" is somewhat heavier than the earlier songs of the trilogy, musically. But like a lot of Brazilian music, it's heavy on melody. This track has a lot of percussion and strings as well. The lyrics are very strong and quite interesting. At first, it seems somewhat cobbled together. For instance, that first verse ("I prayed to heaven...") can be summed up as "trying to forget you, but can't." The second verse ("I'd drive all that I owned...") seems to be more "trying to find you, but can't." The third verse ("the sun burned a hole...") in turn is focused on "trying to survive, but struggling." Three different emotions for three different verses? (And who knows what's in that longer fourth one?)
Putting aside that the different emotions can be related, I think the chorus sums up this imperfection. The chorus, "Something always missing / Always someone missing something" is a clever and wonderful way of saying nothing is ever perfect. There's all these emotions and feelings but sometimes something is missing which can tie them together.
A slightly early version of
Guero leaked to the web a few months prior to its release. Most of the songs were the same, but the leaked version of "Missing" was slightly extended about 10 seconds. The official release ended with Beck singing "something always missing / always someone missing something" three times. The leak had him do it four times.