Would We Be Alive?

"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".Mark of the Mole / Intermission ESD/Torso CD liner notes, 1988 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!Mark of the Mole + Intermission Mute CD reissue liner notes, 2005
===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) 1982 Studio Version (5:13)
*Mark of the Mole / Intermission (1988) 1982 Studio Version (5:13)
*In Memoriam Torso (1994) 1982 Studio Version (5:13)
*Petting Zoo (2002) 1982 Studio Version (5:13)
*The Way We Were (2005) 2005 Live Version (4:10)
*Mark of the Mole & Intermission (2005)
*1997: The Missing Year - Adobe Disfigured Night (2009) 1997 Live Version (2:23) 
*The Wonder of Weird (2014) 2013 Live Version (4:39) 
*Disfigured Night (2016) 1997 Live Version 
*80 Aching Orphans (2017) 1982 Studio Version (5:13)
*I Am A Resident! (2018) 2017 Gretnoid Version (3:58)
*Mole Box (2019) 1982 Studio Version (5:13) 2005 Live Version (4:10)
===Versions===
Category:Mark of the Mole
Category:The Mole Trilogy
Category:Songs
Category:I Am A Resident!
==External links and referencess==
*"Would We Be Alive?" on Genius
Category:Non-album tracks
Category:Intermission
Category:Intermission music
Category:The Mole Show
Category:The Way We Were
Category:Disfigured Night
Category:The Wonder of Weird
Category:50th Anniversary secret show
Category:Faceless Forever