Pavement
Pavement is an American indie rock band that formed in Stockton, CA, in 1989. For most of the period to 1999, the band consisted of Stephen Malkmus (vocals, guitar), Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg (guitar, vocals), Mark Ibold (bass), Steve West (drums) and Bob Nastanovich (percussion, vocals). During that period, and since, they have frequently been described as one of the most influential bands to emerge from the American underground of the '90s. Read Full BioPavement is an American indie rock band that formed in Stockton, CA, in 1989. For most of the period to 1999, the band consisted of Stephen Malkmus (vocals, guitar), Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg (guitar, vocals), Mark Ibold (bass), Steve West (drums) and Bob Nastanovich (percussion, vocals). During that period, and since, they have frequently been described as one of the most influential bands to emerge from the American underground of the '90s. While their split in 1999 was reportedly rather acrimonious, they undertook a well-received reunion tour during 2010.
Pavement formed in Stockton, California, in 1989 as a studio project of guitarists and vocalists Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg, known originally only as "S.M." and "Spiral Stairs", respectively. Their debut EPs were extremely lo-fi releases titled Slay Tracks (1933-1969), Demolition Plot J-7, and Perfect Sound Forever. They were recorded at Louder Than You Think, the home studio of infamous Stockton local and former hippie Gary Young. The eccentric and aging hipster also provided drums. Upon first hearing the duo's songs, Young was quoted as saying, "this Malkmus idiot is a complete songwriting genius".
Pavement's most obvious influence during this time was English rock band The Fall, although Kannberg stated in a 1992 interview that he preferred The Replacements to The Fall. The Fall's primary member, Mark E. Smith, would often angrily claim through the years that Pavement was a "rip-off" of his band and that they didn't "have an original idea in their heads". However, some of the other members of The Fall actually enjoyed Pavement.
Around 1992 Pavement became a full-time band, with the addition of bassist Mark Ibold - who had been one of the band's first fans - and extra percussionist Bob Nastanovich (a fellow museum security guard along with Malkmus and David Berman, of Silver Jews) to help Young keep time. Their debut album, Slanted and Enchanted, was released commercially in 1992 after being circulated among critics and tastemakers for nearly a year, and became an instant indie classic. Though the percussive influence of The Fall was still pervasive (as was that of English post punks, Swell Maps), many of the songs also exhibited a strong sense of melody. The following year, the band released the EP, Watery, Domestic, which represented a balance between their earlier and later styles.
Gary Young's departure and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
The tour for Slanted & Enchanted gave Gary Young a chance to showcase his bizarre live behavior. He would act out by giving away cabbage and mashed potatoes to fans at the door of the venue, doing handstands, running around the venue and stage while the rest of the band was playing and drunkenly falling off his drum stool. His bizarre drug- and alcohol-fueled personality had grated on the rest of the band through several years of touring and recording and they could no longer take it. At the end of the tour, Young left Pavement. The final straw came when Young allegedly pulled a gun on Malkmus. (Malkmus later stated that this was not true: while Young had bought a gun, he never pulled it on Malkmus). The group soon after had a meeting in a hotel room in Copenhagen during which Malkmus, Kannberg and Ibold remained silent while Nastanovich (Young's best friend at the time) argued with the drummer and informed him that his antics were unnecessary. According to the band, Gary Young quit and was replaced by Steve West.
With an improved recording quality and more original songwriting, they released Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain in 1994. The record was far more indebted to the classic rock tradition than their more obscure debut. The single, "Cut Your Hair" was the band's closest brush with the mainstream, and briefly enjoyed airplay on alternative rock radio and MTV.
Another single, "Range Life", was infamous chiefly for lyrics that criticized alt-rock superstars The Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots. Malkmus has insisted over the years that the line is meant to be light-hearted and timely, sung from the point of view of the aging hippie character in the song - later live versions of the track had the singer substituting Spice Girls, The Counting Crows, or countless others for "Stone Temple Pilots". Billy Corgan, leader of The Smashing Pumpkins, threatened to drop his band from the 1994 Lollapalooza Festival if Pavement was allowed to play. The Smashing Pumpkins were headlining Lollapalooza that year. Corgan and Malkmus would trade barbs through the press for several years after.
Wowee Zowee and Brighten the Corners
Pavement's next album was the eclectic, inscrutable Wowee Zowee (1995). In eighteen tracks, the band covered a wide range of styles including punk, country and balladry, and largely dispensed with conventional song structures. The album was not widely admired at the time of release but is now generally embraced by fans. On the Slow Century DVD, Malkmus attributed his odd choice of singles to his pot smoking, stating that "I was smoking a lot of grass back then but to me they sounded like hits." Although Malkmus has said in recent interviews that the album is the last "classic Pavement record", Kannberg has voiced regrets about Wowee Zowee. "We made some mistakes on that record... we were kind of pressured into putting out a record a little faster than we were ready to. I mean, I'm totally into the record. It's just if we had another six months to think about it, it would've been much different." During the tour for the album, Nastonovich stated on the Slow Century DVD, the band would often not work out a setlist before shows, opting for drug and alcohol fueled jams over hit singles.
Wowee Zowee was followed up by the EP, Pacific Trim, which was recorded with only Malkmus and drummers Nastanovich and Steve West. Their studio time was originally reserved for a Silver Jews recording, but frontman David Berman walked out in frustration and the trio decided not to waste prepaid recording time.
1997's Brighten the Corners, a shorter, mellower and more focused record than the previous album, was produced by Mitch Easter. In style it resembled Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and contained two of the band's best known singles in "Stereo" and "Shady Lane". It was the only Pavement album to include a lyric sheet. The album sold better than its predecessors, but Pavement remained a cult band. It was at about this time that the band started to fragment, with its members focusing more on other musical projects or on raising families.
Terror Twilight and breakup
In 1999, the band released its final album, Terror Twilight. Bob Nastanovich came up with the title, and has revealed the meaning of it in several interviews: "Twilight Terror is the short span between sunset and dusk; this is considered the most dangerous time in traffic, because half of the people switch on the headlights, and the other half doesn't. It's when most accidents happen." During an interview on the Slow Century documentary DVD, he said that the band was having trouble coming up with names for the record until he put forth Terror Twilight. One of the final contenders was Farewell Horizontal (also the name of a 1989 science fiction novel by K.W. Jeter), and Nastanovich said, "There was no way I was going to be on the Farewell Horizontal tour for the next year."
Malkmus wrote the entirety of the record, and the recording of the music only featured minor contributions from the rest of the band. The music on the record is by far the gentlest and most emotionally direct in the band's discography, though the oddball Captain Beefheart homage "Platform Blues" is a nod to their more obscure roots. Its comparatively pristine production was helmed by Nigel Godrich, best known for his work with Radiohead and Beck.
The group released one last EP, titled Major Leagues. It features three Malkmus songs, two original Spiral Stairs songs and two covers: "The Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen and "The Classical" by The Fall. Stephen Malkmus sings on both of the cover songs.
After completing a world tour in London in 1999, the band announced that they were going on hiatus, which eventually revealed itself as an unofficial break-up. Nastanovich later said that it was a somewhat civil dissolution. "There was too much exhaustion for heavy emotion."
Slow Century and Perfect Sound Forever
In 2002, Slow Century, a documentary by Lance Bangs coupled with all of the band's music videos, was released as a 2 DVD set. Included was extensive footage, both professionally shot and taped by fans on camcorders, from the band's earliest shows in 1989 forward. The three final songs from the band's last show ever ("Stop Breathin'", "Conduit for Sale" and "Here") are presented at the end of the documentary. Also on the DVD is a hidden easter egg clip from the same show, wherein Malkmus apparently jokingly talks about how the handcuffs attached to his microphone stand "represent what it's like being in a band all these years." A bonus disc with a complete concert in Seattle, Washington, from the early part of the Terror Twilight tour was included on the second disc, as well as several songs from their second to last show.
2004 saw the publication of "Perfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement", a biography on the band written by Rob Jovanovic. Most reviews of the book rated it poorly, saying that it contained much of the same information as the Slow Century DVD and expanded very little on it.
Post-Pavement projects
* Stephen Malkmus has gone on to enjoy success as a solo artist combining his intricate guitar playing with a progressive rock influence. He has released four albums, Stephen Malkmus (2001), Pig Lib (2003), Face the Truth (2005), and Real Emotional Trash (2008) each garnering mainly warm reviews from critics and fans alike. Malkmus' new group has been known to treat audiences to Pavement songs every once in a while (On May 24, 2003, while touring in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his new band The Jicks, Malkmus opened the show by saying, "This is off our first record". The band then proceeded to play an evening's worth of Pavement songs. This show has been dubbed by fans as The Milwaukee Show). He is a revolving member of the group Silver Jews, led by David Berman.
* Scott Kannberg went on to form a musical group named Preston School of Industry, not to be confused with the Ione, California reform school nor the Pavement tune of the same name. They have released two albums with Matador Records, All this Sounds Gas (2001), and Monsoon (2004). The latter album boasts studio contributions from members of The Minus 5 and Wilco. Preston School of Industry has remained apparently inactive since the end of their September 2004 Australian tour.
*Mark Ibold has been reported to be working behind the bar at a restaurant called Great Jones Cafe in New York, New York. In early 2005, rumors began to spread on the internet that he had a new group called Cam'Ron's Foreskin. In the summer of 2006, Ibold joined Sonic Youth as their touring bass player for their Rather Ripped tour. He became a full time member of Sonic Youth and contributed to/co-wrote (as Sonic Youth albums are group efforts) on the new album The Eternal.
* Steve West lives in Lexington, Virginia. He has two children and works as a stonemason. He has released 3 albums as Marble Valley.
* Bob Nastanovich has a home in Louisville, Kentucky and produces a website called "Lonely on the Rail" which combines his passions for horse racing and writing. He tour managed for The Jicks during their first tour. Since then, Nastanovich has been a jockey agent for Greta Kuntzweiler. When asked if he was in contact with his former band members, he said, "West - yes, Malkmus - yes, Ibold - rarely, Kannberg - never". He accompanied Malkmus on drums for two songs during a solo acoustic set at the 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival.
* Gary Young has continued recording bands at his Stockton studio. He also has a new group, Gary Young's Hospital, with which he records and plays concerts. Young also invented the Universal Microphone Shock Mount, "an innovative approach to keeping your microphones isolated from stand vibrations."
Reunion
There is frequent speculation about the possibility of a Pavement reunion. In a 2006 Pitchfork interview, Scott Kannberg discussed the possibility of a reunion for the band's 20th anniversary in 2009. In a 2008 Entertainment Weekly article, Kannberg echoed the possibility of a 2009 reunion, and mentioned Matador Records' 20th anniversary. Mark Ibold was amiable to the idea; Malkmus, however, stated: "something small in 10 years like the Zeppelin thing sounds good to me."
On September 16, 2009 it was confirmed that Pavement will reunite for a show at Central Park's SummerStage on September 21, 2010.
Official statements by the band, label, venue and promoter were released on September 17, 2009 confirming the reunion. The announcement included one concert in Central Park and the promise of a tour, but said that the reunion may only be a one-off event. It said, "Please be advised this tour is not a prelude to additional jaunts and/or a permanent reunion. The band held rehearsal at Audio Cinema in Portland, Oregon. The band performed several shows throughout 2010.
There is another band with the same name:
2) Pavement was a British reggae-soul-ska band active in the late-60s. They released their eponymous album in 1969.
Pavement formed in Stockton, California, in 1989 as a studio project of guitarists and vocalists Stephen Malkmus and Scott Kannberg, known originally only as "S.M." and "Spiral Stairs", respectively. Their debut EPs were extremely lo-fi releases titled Slay Tracks (1933-1969), Demolition Plot J-7, and Perfect Sound Forever. They were recorded at Louder Than You Think, the home studio of infamous Stockton local and former hippie Gary Young. The eccentric and aging hipster also provided drums. Upon first hearing the duo's songs, Young was quoted as saying, "this Malkmus idiot is a complete songwriting genius".
Pavement's most obvious influence during this time was English rock band The Fall, although Kannberg stated in a 1992 interview that he preferred The Replacements to The Fall. The Fall's primary member, Mark E. Smith, would often angrily claim through the years that Pavement was a "rip-off" of his band and that they didn't "have an original idea in their heads". However, some of the other members of The Fall actually enjoyed Pavement.
Around 1992 Pavement became a full-time band, with the addition of bassist Mark Ibold - who had been one of the band's first fans - and extra percussionist Bob Nastanovich (a fellow museum security guard along with Malkmus and David Berman, of Silver Jews) to help Young keep time. Their debut album, Slanted and Enchanted, was released commercially in 1992 after being circulated among critics and tastemakers for nearly a year, and became an instant indie classic. Though the percussive influence of The Fall was still pervasive (as was that of English post punks, Swell Maps), many of the songs also exhibited a strong sense of melody. The following year, the band released the EP, Watery, Domestic, which represented a balance between their earlier and later styles.
Gary Young's departure and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
The tour for Slanted & Enchanted gave Gary Young a chance to showcase his bizarre live behavior. He would act out by giving away cabbage and mashed potatoes to fans at the door of the venue, doing handstands, running around the venue and stage while the rest of the band was playing and drunkenly falling off his drum stool. His bizarre drug- and alcohol-fueled personality had grated on the rest of the band through several years of touring and recording and they could no longer take it. At the end of the tour, Young left Pavement. The final straw came when Young allegedly pulled a gun on Malkmus. (Malkmus later stated that this was not true: while Young had bought a gun, he never pulled it on Malkmus). The group soon after had a meeting in a hotel room in Copenhagen during which Malkmus, Kannberg and Ibold remained silent while Nastanovich (Young's best friend at the time) argued with the drummer and informed him that his antics were unnecessary. According to the band, Gary Young quit and was replaced by Steve West.
With an improved recording quality and more original songwriting, they released Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain in 1994. The record was far more indebted to the classic rock tradition than their more obscure debut. The single, "Cut Your Hair" was the band's closest brush with the mainstream, and briefly enjoyed airplay on alternative rock radio and MTV.
Another single, "Range Life", was infamous chiefly for lyrics that criticized alt-rock superstars The Smashing Pumpkins and Stone Temple Pilots. Malkmus has insisted over the years that the line is meant to be light-hearted and timely, sung from the point of view of the aging hippie character in the song - later live versions of the track had the singer substituting Spice Girls, The Counting Crows, or countless others for "Stone Temple Pilots". Billy Corgan, leader of The Smashing Pumpkins, threatened to drop his band from the 1994 Lollapalooza Festival if Pavement was allowed to play. The Smashing Pumpkins were headlining Lollapalooza that year. Corgan and Malkmus would trade barbs through the press for several years after.
Wowee Zowee and Brighten the Corners
Pavement's next album was the eclectic, inscrutable Wowee Zowee (1995). In eighteen tracks, the band covered a wide range of styles including punk, country and balladry, and largely dispensed with conventional song structures. The album was not widely admired at the time of release but is now generally embraced by fans. On the Slow Century DVD, Malkmus attributed his odd choice of singles to his pot smoking, stating that "I was smoking a lot of grass back then but to me they sounded like hits." Although Malkmus has said in recent interviews that the album is the last "classic Pavement record", Kannberg has voiced regrets about Wowee Zowee. "We made some mistakes on that record... we were kind of pressured into putting out a record a little faster than we were ready to. I mean, I'm totally into the record. It's just if we had another six months to think about it, it would've been much different." During the tour for the album, Nastonovich stated on the Slow Century DVD, the band would often not work out a setlist before shows, opting for drug and alcohol fueled jams over hit singles.
Wowee Zowee was followed up by the EP, Pacific Trim, which was recorded with only Malkmus and drummers Nastanovich and Steve West. Their studio time was originally reserved for a Silver Jews recording, but frontman David Berman walked out in frustration and the trio decided not to waste prepaid recording time.
1997's Brighten the Corners, a shorter, mellower and more focused record than the previous album, was produced by Mitch Easter. In style it resembled Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain and contained two of the band's best known singles in "Stereo" and "Shady Lane". It was the only Pavement album to include a lyric sheet. The album sold better than its predecessors, but Pavement remained a cult band. It was at about this time that the band started to fragment, with its members focusing more on other musical projects or on raising families.
Terror Twilight and breakup
In 1999, the band released its final album, Terror Twilight. Bob Nastanovich came up with the title, and has revealed the meaning of it in several interviews: "Twilight Terror is the short span between sunset and dusk; this is considered the most dangerous time in traffic, because half of the people switch on the headlights, and the other half doesn't. It's when most accidents happen." During an interview on the Slow Century documentary DVD, he said that the band was having trouble coming up with names for the record until he put forth Terror Twilight. One of the final contenders was Farewell Horizontal (also the name of a 1989 science fiction novel by K.W. Jeter), and Nastanovich said, "There was no way I was going to be on the Farewell Horizontal tour for the next year."
Malkmus wrote the entirety of the record, and the recording of the music only featured minor contributions from the rest of the band. The music on the record is by far the gentlest and most emotionally direct in the band's discography, though the oddball Captain Beefheart homage "Platform Blues" is a nod to their more obscure roots. Its comparatively pristine production was helmed by Nigel Godrich, best known for his work with Radiohead and Beck.
The group released one last EP, titled Major Leagues. It features three Malkmus songs, two original Spiral Stairs songs and two covers: "The Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen and "The Classical" by The Fall. Stephen Malkmus sings on both of the cover songs.
After completing a world tour in London in 1999, the band announced that they were going on hiatus, which eventually revealed itself as an unofficial break-up. Nastanovich later said that it was a somewhat civil dissolution. "There was too much exhaustion for heavy emotion."
Slow Century and Perfect Sound Forever
In 2002, Slow Century, a documentary by Lance Bangs coupled with all of the band's music videos, was released as a 2 DVD set. Included was extensive footage, both professionally shot and taped by fans on camcorders, from the band's earliest shows in 1989 forward. The three final songs from the band's last show ever ("Stop Breathin'", "Conduit for Sale" and "Here") are presented at the end of the documentary. Also on the DVD is a hidden easter egg clip from the same show, wherein Malkmus apparently jokingly talks about how the handcuffs attached to his microphone stand "represent what it's like being in a band all these years." A bonus disc with a complete concert in Seattle, Washington, from the early part of the Terror Twilight tour was included on the second disc, as well as several songs from their second to last show.
2004 saw the publication of "Perfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement", a biography on the band written by Rob Jovanovic. Most reviews of the book rated it poorly, saying that it contained much of the same information as the Slow Century DVD and expanded very little on it.
Post-Pavement projects
* Stephen Malkmus has gone on to enjoy success as a solo artist combining his intricate guitar playing with a progressive rock influence. He has released four albums, Stephen Malkmus (2001), Pig Lib (2003), Face the Truth (2005), and Real Emotional Trash (2008) each garnering mainly warm reviews from critics and fans alike. Malkmus' new group has been known to treat audiences to Pavement songs every once in a while (On May 24, 2003, while touring in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with his new band The Jicks, Malkmus opened the show by saying, "This is off our first record". The band then proceeded to play an evening's worth of Pavement songs. This show has been dubbed by fans as The Milwaukee Show). He is a revolving member of the group Silver Jews, led by David Berman.
* Scott Kannberg went on to form a musical group named Preston School of Industry, not to be confused with the Ione, California reform school nor the Pavement tune of the same name. They have released two albums with Matador Records, All this Sounds Gas (2001), and Monsoon (2004). The latter album boasts studio contributions from members of The Minus 5 and Wilco. Preston School of Industry has remained apparently inactive since the end of their September 2004 Australian tour.
*Mark Ibold has been reported to be working behind the bar at a restaurant called Great Jones Cafe in New York, New York. In early 2005, rumors began to spread on the internet that he had a new group called Cam'Ron's Foreskin. In the summer of 2006, Ibold joined Sonic Youth as their touring bass player for their Rather Ripped tour. He became a full time member of Sonic Youth and contributed to/co-wrote (as Sonic Youth albums are group efforts) on the new album The Eternal.
* Steve West lives in Lexington, Virginia. He has two children and works as a stonemason. He has released 3 albums as Marble Valley.
* Bob Nastanovich has a home in Louisville, Kentucky and produces a website called "Lonely on the Rail" which combines his passions for horse racing and writing. He tour managed for The Jicks during their first tour. Since then, Nastanovich has been a jockey agent for Greta Kuntzweiler. When asked if he was in contact with his former band members, he said, "West - yes, Malkmus - yes, Ibold - rarely, Kannberg - never". He accompanied Malkmus on drums for two songs during a solo acoustic set at the 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival.
* Gary Young has continued recording bands at his Stockton studio. He also has a new group, Gary Young's Hospital, with which he records and plays concerts. Young also invented the Universal Microphone Shock Mount, "an innovative approach to keeping your microphones isolated from stand vibrations."
Reunion
There is frequent speculation about the possibility of a Pavement reunion. In a 2006 Pitchfork interview, Scott Kannberg discussed the possibility of a reunion for the band's 20th anniversary in 2009. In a 2008 Entertainment Weekly article, Kannberg echoed the possibility of a 2009 reunion, and mentioned Matador Records' 20th anniversary. Mark Ibold was amiable to the idea; Malkmus, however, stated: "something small in 10 years like the Zeppelin thing sounds good to me."
On September 16, 2009 it was confirmed that Pavement will reunite for a show at Central Park's SummerStage on September 21, 2010.
Official statements by the band, label, venue and promoter were released on September 17, 2009 confirming the reunion. The announcement included one concert in Central Park and the promise of a tour, but said that the reunion may only be a one-off event. It said, "Please be advised this tour is not a prelude to additional jaunts and/or a permanent reunion. The band held rehearsal at Audio Cinema in Portland, Oregon. The band performed several shows throughout 2010.
There is another band with the same name:
2) Pavement was a British reggae-soul-ska band active in the late-60s. They released their eponymous album in 1969.
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Cut Your Hair
Pavement Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
(Stop it)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
Darlin' don't you go and cut your hair
Do you think it's gonna make him change?
"I'm just a boy with a new haircut"
And that's a pretty nice haircut
Charts are like a puzzle
Hitmen wearin' muzzles
Hesitate, you die
Look around, around
The second drummer drowned
His telephone is found
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
Music scene is crazy
Bands start up each and every day
I saw another one just the other day
A special new band
I don't remember lying
I don't remember a line
I don't remember a word
But I don't care
I care
I really don't care
Did you see the drummer's hair?
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
"Advertising looks and chops a must
No big hair!"
Songs mean a lot
When songs are bought
And so are you
Face right down to the practice room
Attention and fame's a career
Career, career, career, career, career
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
Darlin' don't you go and cut your hair
Do you think it's gonna make him change?
"I'm just a boy with a new haircut"
And that's a pretty nice haircut
Charts are like a puzzle
Hitmen wearin' muzzles
Hesitate, you die
Look around, around
The second drummer drowned
His telephone is found
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
Music scene is crazy
Bands start up each and every day
I saw another one just the other day
A special new band
I don't remember lying
I don't remember a line
I don't remember a word
But I don't care
I care
I really don't care
Did you see the drummer's hair?
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
"Advertising looks and chops a must
No big hair!"
Songs mean a lot
When songs are bought
And so are you
Face right down to the practice room
Attention and fame's a career
Career, career, career, career, career
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
(Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh)
The song “Cut Your Hair” by Pavement appears to be about the record industry and the commercialisation of music. The lyric “Advertising looks and chops a must, no big hair” is a reference to the industry’s pressure to look good and conform to certain styles in order to be marketable. The song argues that these superficial elements have little to do with the true essence of music, such as the quality of songwriting or technical ability. This is evidenced in the lines “Songs mean a lot, when songs are bought, and so are you”, which imply that money can buy success and that sometimes the best music goes unnoticed.
The song’s repeated line “Darling don’t you go and cut your hair, do you think it’s gonna make him change?” could be interpreted as a warning against conforming to the crowd and changing oneself for external validation. The lyric “I’m just a boy with a new haircut, and that’s a pretty nice haircut” could be seen as satirical, as it implies that it’s easy to manipulate the public’s perception by simply changing one’s appearance in line with trends.
Overall, the song suggests that the music industry is fickle and that tastes change frequently. The line “Music scene is crazy, bands start up each and every day, I saw another one just the other day, a special new band” reinforces this idea.
Line by Line Meaning
Darlin' don't you go and cut your hair
Don't change yourself for someone else
Do you think it's gonna make him change?
Changing your appearance won't make someone like you more
"I'm just a boy with a new haircut"
People can reinvent themselves, but it doesn't necessarily change who they are at their core
And that's a pretty nice haircut
Acknowledging that the new look is aesthetically pleasing
Charts are like a puzzle
Success in the music industry is complex and hard to predict
Hitmen wearin' muzzles
People in power use their influence to control and manipulate others
Hesitate, you die
Inaction or indecision can have dire consequences
Look around, around
Be aware of your surroundings and situation
The second drummer drowned
People in the music industry can easily get lost or overwhelmed
His telephone is found
Even in death, technology follows us
Music scene is crazy
The music industry is chaotic and unpredictable
Bands start up each and every day
New trends and performers emerge all the time
I saw another one just the other day
The narrator encounters new artists frequently
A special new band
Noticing something different or unique about a particular group
I don't remember lying
The narrator is truthful and genuine
I don't remember a line
Songs or lyrics don't stick with the narrator the way they used to
I don't remember a word
The narrator is disconnected from the music scene and indifferent to its trends
But I don't care
The narrator is apathetic to the opinions of others
I care
But at the same time, the narrator cares at least a little bit
I really don't care
The narrator is trying to convince themselves that they don't care
Did you see the drummer's hair?
Recognizing that appearance is a major part of the music industry, even for drummers
"Advertising looks and chops a must
In the music industry, marketability is just as important as talent
No big hair!"
Big hairstyles aren't in fashion right now
Songs mean a lot
At their core, songs have the power to convey emotion and connect with people
When songs are bought
But in the music industry, artists are commodified and songs are marketed like products
And so are you
People are also commodified and marketed like products
Face right down to the practice room
Hard work and practice are key to success
Attention and fame's a career
Many people pursue fame and attention as a means to make a living
Career, career, career, career, career
The music industry can be a cutthroat career path that requires constant effort and attention
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Stephen Malkmus
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Mir Sadat Hossain
[Verse 1]
Darling don't you go and cut your hair
Do you think it's gonna make him change?
"I'm just a boy with a new haircut"
And that's a pretty nice haircut
Charge it like a puzzle
Hitmen wearing muzzles
Hesitate you die, look around, around
The second drummer drowned
His telephone is found
[Verse 2]
Music scene's crazy
Bands start up each and every day
I saw another one just the other day
A special new band
I remember lying
I don't remember a line
I don't remember a word
[Chorus]
But I don't care
I care
I really don't care
Did you see the drummer's hair?
[Verse 3]
Advertising looks and chops a must
No big hair!
Songs mean a lot
When songs are bought
And so are you
Bitch, right down to the practice room
Attention and fame's a career
Aizu
I'm French and I'm here because of my American friend. And I'm glad, Pavement is so good! ♡
Lyrics :
Darlin' don't you go and cut your hair
Do you think it's gonna make him change?
"I'm just a boy with a new haircut"
And that's a pretty nice haircut
Charge it like a puzzle
Hit me wearin' muzzles
Hesitate to die, look around, around
The second drummer's drowned
His telephone is found
Music scene is crazy
Bands start up each and every day
I saw another one just the other day
A special new band
I remember lying
I don't remember lies
I don't remember what
But I don't care
I care
I really don't care
Did you see the drummer's hair?
Advertising looks and chops a must
No big hair!
Songs mean a lot
When songs are bought
And so are you
Bitch, rant down to the practice room
Attention and fame so
Career, career, career
Colorfull Cute
Darling don't you go and cut your hair
Do you think it's gonna make him change?
"I'm just a boy with a new haircut"
And that's a pretty nice haircut
Charge it like a puzzle
Hitmen wearing muzzles
Hesitate you die, look around, around
The second drummer drowned
His telephone is found
Music scene's crazy
Bands start up each and every day
I saw another one just the other day
A special new band
I remember lying
I don't remember a line
I don't remember a word
But I don't care
I care
I really don't care
Did you see the drummer's hair?
Advertising looks and chops a must
No big hair!
Songs mean a lot
When songs are bought
And so are you
Bitch, right down to the practice room
Attention and fame's a career
Vinny Gooch
March 2022 update: My Grandfather Vincent (The Barber) is still alive, and very much well. He just turned 80 in September 2021. I wish I can add photos onto the comment here to show you guys. Believe it or not he still cuts hair for some of my family members in his home!
catsandpiano
Omg cool! so he's an actual barber, not just an actor for the video. living legend. maybe you could post pictures on some kind of social media
catsandpiano
@Vinny Gooch cool thanks!
James Barrett
Legend
lichen
im glad hes doing well and thank you for keeping us updated! i remember seeing your other comment on here years ago lol
Geoffery
NICE
wysoft
I hate that this era is gone. Fun, upbeat and cynical all at once.
James Haldane
Check my band The Idle Silence - we’re upbeat and depressing all at once 😃
daniel, you’re still a chad
Doesn't make u good
cmpdas
it wasn't fun kurt cobain killed himself okay. everyone was depressed all the time and hated themselves. after beyonce everything got better for me