“Pat” deals with the death of Martsch’s friend Pat Brown, co-founder of Martsch’s previous band Treepeople, who committed suicide in April 1999.
Previously the band had dedicated the album You In Reverse (2006) to Brown’s memory.
[Chorus 1]
Pat, we need your brains back
Pat, we need your fire and your imagination
Pat, we know you fucked up
But we don't care you fucked up, everybody's fucked up
[Verse 1]
Thought I heard your voice the other night
And sure enough, it came from you
Thought I'd be surprised that you weren't dead
But all I was was glad
[Chorus 2]
Just sitting by your bed
And talking to your head
And hearing what you said
As if you'd never left
[Verse 2]
Can't you see yourself yet, can't you see through our eyes?
Can't you see the truth?
Nothing's worse than ever, falling in a dream's where
We can see each other
[Chorus 3]
Saw you the other night
Have to say something wasn't right
Of course, but I didn't mind
Cause seeing you being all alive
[Verse 3]
Just walking in the room made me so relieved
Like everything was fine and you had never died
Or second-guessed your mind or gave up on our trust
Thought you'd gone too far for us to take you back
But distances like that, Pat, don't exist in fact
Pat was written by Built to Spill.
Pat was produced by Doug Martsch & Dave Trumfio.
Built to Spill released Pat on Tue Oct 06 2009.
*That was kind of like an eureka moment. This song had kind of been around for a few years, and every once in a while Built To Spill would attempt to do something with it. And, then, you know, I just had this moment where maybe a couple lines came to me seeing Pat in dream. You know, he was such an...