Pavement is an American indie rock band that formed in Stockton, CA, in 198… Read Full Bio ↴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. 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.
… and Carrot Rope
Pavement Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to say:
It's my second hand wonder, a thing that recovers the doubt
Slim door,
Like a rainstorm, you've got to do what you want and say it
It's of my design assembled at the cut
Slim door,
It's all right to shake, to fight, to feel
You go down, down, down, down
Slim door,
It's all right to shake, to fight, to feel
You go down, down, down, down
Harness your hopes to the folks with the liquor with the ropes. Red, red ropes, periscopes
They've got everything will ever need stored under the chair
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Don't waste your precious breath explaining that you are worthwhile
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Be patient and I'll let you see my
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
It's time to get me off of the ground,
The wicket keeper is down
the wicked keep us down?
Hey little boy, would you like to know what's in my pocket or not
It's no ploy, it's no gimmick,
It's the chance of a lifetime to see something that's never seen by mere mortals
Except me
And myself
And sweet I, so what do you say?
Would you like to play 20 questions with me?
A little, little Christian lie,
A little, little Christian lie
Debating if it's time to drop the bomb on you, my dear
A little, little Christian lie,
A little, little Christian lie
Let's get down to brass tacks and start it
A carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
A carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill
It's time to get me off of the grounds
The wicket keeper is down,
The wicked keeper is down
And he gets me off of the grounds
Leg
It's my second hand wonder, a thing that recovers the doubt
Slim door,
Like a rainstorm, you've got to do what you want and say it
Slim door,
It's all right to shake, to fight, to feel
You go down, down, down, down
Slim door,
It's all right to shake, to fight, to feel
You go down, down, down, down
Harness your hopes to the folks with the liquor with the ropes. Red, red ropes, periscopes
They've got everything will ever need stored under the chair
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Don't waste your precious breath explaining that you are worthwhile
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Be patient and I'll let you see my
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
It's time to get me off of the ground,
The wicket keeper is down
the wicked keep us down?
Hey little boy, would you like to know what's in my pocket or not
It's no ploy, it's no gimmick,
It's the chance of a lifetime to see something that's never seen by mere mortals
Except me
And myself
And sweet I, so what do you say?
Would you like to play 20 questions with me?
A little, little Christian lie,
A little, little Christian lie
Debating if it's time to drop the bomb on you, my dear
A little, little Christian lie,
A little, little Christian lie
Let's get down to brass tacks and start it
A carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
A carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill
It's time to get me off of the grounds
The wicket keeper is down,
The wicked keeper is down
And he gets me off of the grounds
Leg
The lyrics to Pavement's song "Carrot Rope" are a mix of abstract imagery and themes of self-reliance and perseverance. The opening lines suggest that the subject of the song has a second-hand item that helps them recover from doubt. The mention of a slim door seems to be a metaphor for a narrow opportunity or pathway that one must take, even if it feels like a rainstorm of uncertainty. The following lines suggest that the subject has designed this opportunity for themselves and that they have the strength to "shake, fight, and feel." The repeated "down, down, down" refrain may either be describing a descent or a release of emotions.
The rest of the song jumps between seemingly unrelated themes, such as harnessing hopes to those with "liquor with the ropes" and a playful conversation about playing 20 questions. The line "A little, little Christian lie" suggests a moral dilemma for the subject of the song, who is debating whether to reveal some truth that may be hurtful to a loved one. The repeated refrain of "carrot rope, feed my thrill" seems to be a call to push through obstacles and find excitement in life, even if one has been "beat by weather." The last line of the song, "The wicked keeper is down" may be a reference to the subjects finally overcoming their obstacles and taking control.
Line by Line Meaning
It's my second hand wonder, a thing that recovers the doubt
I have something old and reliable that helps me overcome uncertainty
Slim door,
A small entrance,
Like a rainstorm, you've got to do what you want and say it
Life is unpredictable, so you should be true to yourself and speak your mind
It's of my design assembled at the cut
I created it myself and put it together carefully
It's all right to shake, to fight, to feel
It's okay to be emotional and to express yourself physically and verbally
You go down, down, down, down
You're spiraling downward
Harness your hopes to the folks with the liquor with the ropes. Red, red ropes, periscopes
Put your trust in the people who have the power and influence, even if they're dangerous
They've got everything will ever need stored under the chair
They have access to all the resources you'll ever need, kept secretly hidden
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Calm down and relax
Don't waste your precious breath explaining that you are worthwhile
Don't bother trying to prove your worth to others
Be patient and I'll let you see my Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
Wait and I'll reveal something exciting and thrilling to you
I got beat by weather
I was defeated by the elements
It's time to get me off of the ground, The wicket keeper is down
It's time to rise above and take advantage of the situation
Hey little boy, would you like to know what's in my pocket or not
Hey, do you want to see what I have in my pocket or not?
It's no ploy, it's no gimmick, It's the chance of a lifetime to see something that's never seen by mere mortals
It's not a trick, it's a rare opportunity to see something incredible
Except me And myself
The only people who have seen it are me and myself
So what do you say? Would you like to play 20 questions with me?
Do you want to guess what it is?
A little, little Christian lie, Debating if it's time to drop the bomb on you, my dear
I'm deciding whether to reveal a small lie or a big secret to you
Let's get down to brass tacks and start it
Let's get serious and start talking
The wicked keeper is down
The evil mastermind has been defeated
And he gets me off of the grounds
And he helps me rise above my problems
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@Devilish_stuff
Lyrics:
I want to say
It's my second-hand wonder
A thing that recovers the doubt
Slim like a rainstorm (door)
It's of my design assembled at the cut (you've got to do what you want and say it)
Slim door (down)
It's all right to shake, to fight, to feel
Slim door
It's all right to shake, to fight, to feel (down, down, down, down, down)
Harness your hopes to the folks
With the liquor, with the ropes
Red, red ropes, periscopes
They've got everything you will ever need
Stored under the chair
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Don't waste your precious breath
Explaining that you are worthwhile
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Be patient and I'll let you see my
A carrot rope, feed my thrill
I got beat by weather
A carrot rope, feed my thrill
I got beat by weather
A carrot rope, feed my thrill
It's time to get me off of the ground
The wicket keeper is down
Hey little boy, would you like to know
What's in my pocket or not
It's no ploy, it's no gimmick
It's the chance of a lifetime to see
Something that's never seen by mere mortals (except me)
And myself
And sweet I, so what do you say?
Would you like to play 20 questions with me?
A little, little Christian lie
A little, little Christian lie
Debating if it's time
To drop the bomb on you, my dear
A little, little Christian lie
A little, little Christian lie
Let's get down to brass tacks and start it
A carrot rope, feed my thrill
I got beat by weather
A carrot rope, feed my thrill
I got beat by weather
A carrot rope, feed my thrill
It's time to get me off of the grounds
The wicket keeper is down
The wicket keeper is down
And he gets me off of the ground
(Leg)
@0Ambiental0
[Spiral:] I want to say:
[SM:] It's my second hand wonder, a thing that recovers the doubt
[Spiral:] Slim door,
[Mark:] Like a rainstorm, you've got to do what you want and say it
[SM:] It's of my design assembled at the cut
[Spiral:] Slim door,
[SM:] It's all right to shake, to fight, to feel
[Mark:] You go down, down, down, down
[Spiral:] Slim door,
[SM:] It's all right to shake, to fight, to feel
[Mark:] You go down, down, down, down
[SM:] Harness your hopes to the folks
with the liquor with the ropes,
Red, red ropes, periscopes
They've got everything will ever need
stored under the chair
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Don't waste your precious breath
explaining that you are worthwhile
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Be patient and I'll let you see my
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
It's time to get me off of the ground,
The wicket keeper is down
[SM:] Hey little boy, would you like to know what's in my pocket or not
It's no ploy, it's no gimmick,
It's the chance of a lifetime to see
something that's never seen by mere mortals
[Mark:] Except me
[Spiral:] And myself
[SM:] And sweet I, so what do you say?
Would you like to play 20 questions with me?
[SM:] A little, little Christian lie,
A little, little Christian lie
Debating if it's time
to drop the bomb on you, my dear
A little, little Christian lie,
A little, little Christian lie
Let's get down to brass tacks and start it
A carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
A carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill
It's time to get me off of the grounds
The wicket keeper is down,
The wicked keeper is down
And he gets me off of the grounds
@Aizubunny
Lyrics
Spiral: I want to say:
SM: It's my second hand wonder,
a thing that recovers the doubt
Spiral: Slim door,
Mark: Like a rainstorm, you've got to do
what you want and say it
SM: It's of my design assembled at the cut
Spiral: Slim door,
SM: It's all right to shake, to fight, to feel
Mark: You go down, down, down, down
Spiral: Slim door,
SM: It's all right to shake, to fight, to feel
Mark: You go down, down, down, down
SM: Harness your hopes to the folks
with the liquor with the ropes,
Red, red ropes, periscopes
They've got everything will ever need
stored under the chair
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Don't waste your precious breath
explaining that you are worthwhile
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Simmer, simmer, simmer down
Be patient and I'll let you see my
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill,
It's time to get me off of the ground,
The wicket keeper is down
(the wicked keep us down?)
SM: Hey little boy, would you like to know
what's in my pocket or not
It's no ploy, it's no gimmick,
It's the chance of a lifetime to see
something that's never seen by mere mortals
Mark: Except me
Spiral: And myself
SM: And sweet I, so what do you say?
Would you like to play 20 questions with me?
SM: A little, little Christian lie,
A little, little Christian lie
Debating if it's time
to drop the bomb on you, my dear
A little, little Christian lie,
A little, little Christian lie
Let's get down to brass tacks and start it
A carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
A carrot rope, feed my thrill,
I got beat by weather
Carrot rope, feed my thrill
It's time to get me off of the grounds
The wicket keeper is down,
The wicked keeper is down
And he gets me off of the grounds
@advilbrewer
That thought never occurred to me in the countless times I've heard this album. This song is the end of Pavement. They left on a good note. When I hear it, I feel like they are saying to me, "Thanks for listening, I hope your life turns out great." And I usually feel like it just might once this song finishes.
@anyon1789
you made me sad
@kamrandiamonddarrell6527
yeay, its really spiritual. What a great end to the best event taht happened for the Alt Rock
@marcuslavaggi-bowen6539
They did release “Spit on a Stranger” and then “Major Leagues” from this album after “Carrot Rope”, but with all that said, this is still the last track on their last album, which only makes all this all the more fitting :(.
When it fades out at the end, you’re also seeing and hearing the end of this great band fade away with it :(.
@drone7890
Now I feel sad when I listen to this lol
@olderloverxx
Listening to this today first time in over 10 years. I thought this was the first track.
How wrong I was. Middle age anxieties.
@oooBUBU7ooo
I think it's the perfect finale for Pavement's studio career.
The fact that it's an upbeat song with slightly creepy undertones in a mostly dark album, Mark and Spiral singing with Steve for the first time, the reference to Harness Your Hopes in the lyrics, the way the ending of the verse recalls the chorus for Shady Lane... I think it has a strong "ending credits" quality, haha. I find it hard to believe Spiral had to fight to have it as the album closer!
@Oxycontent
Dude. Pavement.
@cassh7925
It’s like….everywhere!
@MilkcanRocks
I know