Walls
By: Beck Hansen, Danger Mouse, Paul Guiot & Paul Piot
Written by: Beck Hansen, Danger Mouse, Paul Guiot & Paul Piot

Versions:
  1. Walls (2:22)
    Available on Modern Guilt.
    Credits
    Recorded at: Anonyme Studios
    Danger Mouse: Beats, Keyboard / Synthesizer, Keyboard Bass, Producer, Programming
    Drew Brown: Engineer
    Beck Hansen: Producer, Vocals
    Cat Power: Vocals
  2.  
  3. Walls (acoustic) (2:36)
    Available on Modern Guilt acoustic.
    Credits
    Bram Inscore: Bass
    Joey Waronker: Drums
    Beck Hansen: Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals
    Jessica Dobson: Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals (Background)
    Brian Lebarton: Harmonium
 
Lyrics:
Walls [Version (a)]:

Some days we get a thrill in our brains
Some days it turns to malaise
You see a face in the veneer
Reflecting on the surface of fear
Because you know that we're better than that
Some days are worse than you can imagine
How am I supposed to live with that
With all these train wrecks coming at random?

Hey, what are you gonna do
When those walls are falling down
Falling down on you?

Hey, what are you gonna do
When those walls are falling down
Falling down on you?

You got warheads stacked in the kitchen
You treat distraction like it's a religion
With a rattlesnake step in your rhythm
We do the best with the souls we've been given
Because you know we're nothing special to them
We're going someplace they've already been
Trying to make sense of what they call wisdom
And this riff-raff ain't laughing with them

Hey, what are you gonna do
When those walls are falling down
Falling down on you?

Hey, what are you gonna do
When those walls are falling down
Falling down on you?

You're wearing all of the years on your face
Turn a tombstone all over place
And your heart only beats in a murmur
But your words ring out just like murder
 
The Song:

This is one of the songs on Modern Guilt on which Cat Power apparently sings backup (the other is this one).

One lyric line was reported too (see above).

Rolling Stone called it "melancholy," and with that lyric, it would have to be.

The "hey" in the chorus sounds very very much like the "hey" in "Dior Theme." I wonder if any more of the song comes from there?
 
Live:

Played live 19 times:
Earliest known live version: June 27, 2008
Latest known live version: March 26, 2009