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.
Ann Don't Cry
Pavement Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am not having fun anymore
Do what you do when you try
What you get when you see the light,
Come down I'll set my hope
In a wonderful hospital man
We got rooms to live room to live in
But you never had a chance
No you never had a chance
To those above take us out
Throw us down shove us out
We get down so so hard
But your vulgar display
Caught me off guard
Cold cold boy with American heart
Gonna run in
And lock up the shots again
But Ann don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann,
Don't you cry
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry
Well my heart is not
A wide open thing, I know,
There is hardly not a lot to say,
Except I met her
And her five false friends
They go, they go
Tied, tied, tied to the tracks
Just remember the facts
Repeat until you're running aground again
But Ann don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann,
Don't you cry
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry
Dear Ann, don't you cry
You'll sever the love
Take you away, don't you cry
You'll sever the love
Don't you cry
You'll sever the love
Don't you believe in what they say
Believe in what they say
Believe in what they
Believe in what they
Believe in what they say 'bout me
Sweet sweet Ann
The song, "Ann Don't Cry" by Pavement, conveys the singer's sense of hopelessness and disillusionment. The very first lines emphasize the singer's sense of disappointment as they state that the damage has been done and they are no longer having any fun. This may suggest that they have suffered some kinds of emotional or physical loss. They then continue to speak about the perplexing nature of life, asserting that one does what they can when they try and see the light. There is an air of ambiguity around the meaning of these lines as it remains unclear whether they are talking about hope and perseverance or just accepting their misfortune.
The chorus includes the phrase, "Ann don't you cry," which seems to address someone named Ann. There is no information provided about the relationship they share, making it unclear whether they are consoling her or blaming her. Nevertheless, they repeatedly request she does not cry, perhaps to maintain some semblance of hope amid misery. They continue with a description of themselves being trapped in their situation with nowhere to give or room to give in. It is possible that this is the reason for Ann's tears.
The song concludes with a request for Ann to believe in what they say about them, suggesting that the singer's reputation has come into question in some way. Overall, the song strikes a balance between the melody's upbeat tempo and the lyrics' underlying sense of hopelessness and despair, making it an intriguing composition.
Line by Line Meaning
The damage has been done,
I can no longer enjoy myself due to past events that have caused harm.
I am not having fun anymore
I am no longer able to find pleasure in the things that once made me happy.
Do what you do when you try
Continue to try even though there may be obstacles or setbacks.
What you get when you see the light,
When you finally see the truth or understanding, you will get a feeling of hope.
Come down I'll set my hope
I will place my hope in someone or something reliable and trustworthy.
In a wonderful hospital man
This trustworthy person or thing represents a place of safety and healing.
We got rooms to live room to live in
We have enough space to breathe and live - physically and emotionally.
Room to give but no room to give in,
We have room for generosity but we will not compromise our values or beliefs.
But you never had a chance
You were not given the opportunity to succeed or overcome your circumstances.
No you never had a chance
You were born into a disadvantaged or oppressive situation.
To those above take us out
The people in power have the ability to remove us from our situation.
Throw us down shove us out
They would rather get rid of us than help us.
We get down so so hard
We experience extreme hardships and challenges.
But your vulgar display
Your crude behavior or attitude is highly offensive or unacceptable.
Caught me off guard
It surprised me and I was not prepared for it.
Cold cold boy with American heart
Someone who appears unemotional or unfeeling, despite coming from a privileged background.
Gonna run in And lock up the shots again
I will take control of the situation and try to prevent any further damage.
But Ann don't you cry,
Despite the difficulties we face, do not lose hope or give up.
Don't you cry Ann,
We will get through this together and find a way out of our situation.
Well my heart is not A wide open thing, I know,
I am guarded and cautious with my emotions and do not reveal them easily.
There is hardly not a lot to say,
There is not much to discuss or explain about my current situation.
Except I met her And her five false friends
The only noteworthy thing is that I met a woman and her insincere companions.
They go, they go
They leave and disappear, having no genuine interest in me.
Tied, tied, tied to the tracks
I feel trapped and unable to escape my situation.
Just remember the facts
Remember the reality of the situation, instead of getting lost in emotion or illusion.
Dear Ann, don't you cry You'll sever the love
Dear Ann, do not let your tears create distance between us or damage the strength of our love.
Take you away, don't you cry You'll sever the love
If you allow yourself to be taken away from me, it will harm the love we share.
Don't you cry You'll sever the love
Your tears will create a division between us and weaken our bond.
Don't you believe in what they say Believe in what they say
Do not listen to false rumors or negative words from others; believe in their positive and true words.
Believe in what they Believe in what they say 'bout me
Believe in the positive things that others say about me, instead of the negative rumors.
Sweet sweet Ann
A term of endearment for the person named Ann.
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SL
The damage has been done,
I am not having fun anymore
Do what you do when you try
What you get when you see the light,
Come down I'll set my hope
In a wonderful hospital man
We got rooms to live room to live in
Room to give but no room to give in,
But you never had a chance
No you never had a chance
To those above take us out
Throw us down shove us out
We get down so so hard
But your vulgar display
Caught me off guard
Cold cold boy with American heart
Gonna run in
And lock up the shots again
But Ann don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann,
Don't you cry
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry
Well my heart is not
A wide open thing, I know,
There is hardly not a lot to say,
Except I met her
And her five false friends
They go, they go
Tied, tied, tied to the tracks
Just remember the facts
Repeat until you're running aground again
But Ann don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann,
Don't you cry
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry
Dear Ann, don't you cry
You'll sever the love
Take you away, don't you cry
You'll sever the love
Don't you cry
You'll sever the love
Don't you believe in what they say
Believe in what they say
Believe in what they
Believe in what they
Believe in what they say 'bout me
Sweet sweet Ann
Traduzir para o português
GoHawksGo
The damage has been done,
i am not having fun anymore.
Do what you do when you try
what you get when you see the light,
come down i'll set my hope
in a wonderful hospital man.
We got rooms to live room to live in
room to give but no room to give in,
but you never had a chance
no you never had a chance.
To those above take us out
throw us down shove us out.
We get down so so hard.
But your vulgar display
caught me off gaurd;
Cold cold boy with american heart
gonna run in and lock up the shots again
But ann don't you cry, don't you cry ann,
don't you cry. Don't you cry ann, don't you cry,
don't you cry ann, don't you cry.
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Well my (he)art is not a wide open thing, i know,
there is hardly not a lot to say,
except i met her and her 5 false friends.
They go, they go
tied, tied, tied to the tracks
just remember the facts
Repeat until you're running aground again.
But ann don't you cry, don't you cry ann,
don't you cry. Don't you cry ann, don't you cry,
don't you cry ann, don't you cry.
Dear Ann, don't you cry you'll sever the love.
Take you away, don't you cry you'll sever the love
Don't you cry you'll sever the love.
Don't you believe in what they say
believe in what they say
believe in what they
leave in what they
believe in what they say 'bout me
sweet sweet ann.
alyssa meckes
I always put this song on when I feel like I'm about to cry, it's comforting to me
Justin Wilder
Was hoping your name was Ann
SL
The damage has been done,
I am not having fun anymore
Do what you do when you try
What you get when you see the light,
Come down I'll set my hope
In a wonderful hospital man
We got rooms to live room to live in
Room to give but no room to give in,
But you never had a chance
No you never had a chance
To those above take us out
Throw us down shove us out
We get down so so hard
But your vulgar display
Caught me off guard
Cold cold boy with American heart
Gonna run in
And lock up the shots again
But Ann don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann,
Don't you cry
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry
Well my heart is not
A wide open thing, I know,
There is hardly not a lot to say,
Except I met her
And her five false friends
They go, they go
Tied, tied, tied to the tracks
Just remember the facts
Repeat until you're running aground again
But Ann don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann,
Don't you cry
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry,
Don't you cry Ann, don't you cry
Dear Ann, don't you cry
You'll sever the love
Take you away, don't you cry
You'll sever the love
Don't you cry
You'll sever the love
Don't you believe in what they say
Believe in what they say
Believe in what they
Believe in what they
Believe in what they say 'bout me
Sweet sweet Ann
Traduzir para o português
sychosnake
one of pavement's best and under-recognized tracks. brings me joy to hear it esp around the 2.30 mark :)
Katie B.
Hi
Nate Robinson
This is a great song on a great album.
Vini M
When I first heard this album, that was the first song I listened. Then I realized this was the last Pavement album.
Vini M
@el Cañuta you hit my nostalgia very hard, man.
F. Cañuta
dont you cry Vini
pookierules1
Terror Twilight is an album i dont listen to as often as i do crocked rain but when i do listen to it i wonder why i dont listen to it more often