Pavement, a band started by Malkmus post-Ectoslavia, pre-New York, at this point began to gain attention. This attention resulted in a record deal and a constant inferiority plague placed upon the 'Joos with Berman totally at the forefront of the group. Misinformed music fans now saw the band as a side-project and, even worse, Berman as being not good enough to play with Pavement, many band members being shared between the two bands.
The connection to Malkmus and the now blossoming Pavement was not all negative, however. Drag City, then not the bastion of American folk music it is today, agreed to release the band's debut EPs which has led to a fruitful relationship (the label continues to release the band's records, right up to album number 7 in 2008, (Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea).
The Silver Jews in their later days primarily consisted of David and Cassie Berman who contributed most of the lyrics, and a changing cast of characters. They had numerous indie stars in a rotating line up, including Willie T. of Lambchop, and Brian Kotzer of Tim Chad and Sherry.
David Berman is also a poet and has been published in numerous poetry magazines and journals. He also has a book of poetry and rants entitled "Actual Air," which was released in 1999 and received favorable reviews from The New Yorker and GQ.
On the 22nd of January, 2009, David Berman announced on the Drag City messageboard that their show on the 31st of January in Tennessee would be their last. "Can't be like all the careerists doncha know. I'm forty two and I know what to do. I'm a writer, see? I always said we would stop before we got bad." After 10 years off, Berman reappeared in 2019 as Purple Mountains.
David Berman died from suicide on August 22, 2019 after a long battle with depression.
Federal Dust
Silver Jews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They don't vote and they don't smoke.
I know you're blue…
They don't cream and they don't dream in Kansas City.
They don't crack and they don't act.
I know you're ready…
They don't cry and they don't die in South Dakota.
They don't match and they don't hatch in South Dakota.
Here comes the coda.
Not much water coming over the hill…..
The lyrics in Silver Jews' song "Federal Dust" use a series of contrasting statements to express feelings of isolation and disconnectedness. The opening lines suggest a sense of detachment from the glamorous and privileged lifestyle associated with Malibu, where people do not even seem to have basic human characteristics like walking and talking. The following lines about Kansas City present a different picture, where the people are not motivated to succeed or innovate but rather accept a mundane existence with no aspirations. Finally, with the lines about South Dakota, the lyrics create a bleak image of a place where people's lives lack significant emotional experiences like crying or dying, and they seem to be living in a stagnant state.
Overall, these lyrics convey a sense of alienation and detachment from society, with no sense of connection or belonging, and a feeling that life has lost its meaning. The last line "Not much water coming over the hill" adds to this gloomy atmosphere, as it suggests that there is a lack of renewal or replenishment in life. It seems to be a metaphor for the lack of hope and inspiration that the singer sees in the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
They don't walk and they don't talk in Malibu.
The people in Malibu are so absorbed in luxury that they have lost the ability to communicate and travel by foot.
They don't vote and they don't smoke.
These people are so removed from societal concerns that they don't participate in politics nor do they engage in harmful vices.
I know you're blue...
The singer is aware that the listener is feeling melancholic and may relate to this sense of detachment from the world.
They don't cream and they don't dream in Kansas City.
Even in a bustling city like Kansas, there are those who don't strive for success or ambition to live their dreams.
They don't crack and they don't act.
The people who live in Kansas City aren't prone to blemishing or fabricating their lives for the sake of appearances.
I know you're ready...
The singer acknowledges that the listener is ready to accept or understand the reality of their situation.
They don't cry and they don't die in South Dakota.
In the state of South Dakota, people don't show emotion nor do they pass away as frequently compared to other parts of the country.
They don't match and they don't hatch in South Dakota.
People in South Dakota don't try to fit in and conform nor do they have aspirations to build new lives there.
Here comes the coda.
The song is reaching a concluding passage or section.
Not much water coming over the hill….
There isn't much happening in the world or in the lives of these people described in the song. There's little progression or change.
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