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.
Inside the Golden Days of Missing You
Silver Jews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the people of Cleveland
Who've suffered for so many years
The shattered glass cussed
And when it broke it spoke to us
It said "Hey, I know you, what's your name?"
I wish they didn't set mirrors behind the bar
When I don't know where you are
Then the feeling fades away
But you sort of wish it would of stayed
Inside, the golden days of missing you
What if life is just some hard equation
On a chalkboard in a science class for ghosts
You can live again
But you'll have to die twice in the end
In the end, we'll meet again
The lyrics to "Inside the Golden Days of Missing You" by the Silver Jews are poignant and thought-provoking. The song is primarily about a person who is struggling with the absence of a loved one. The first verse describes the feeling of missing someone so much that it becomes almost sacred. The singer is in Cleveland, a city that is described as having suffered for many years - perhaps reflecting the melancholy and nostalgia of the song's overall tone. There is a sense of brokenness and longing conveyed through the image of shattered glass.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's feelings of sorrow and isolation. The line "I wish they didn't set mirrors behind the bar" suggests that the singer is in a dark place emotionally and doesn't want to confront their own reflection. The uncertainty of not knowing where the missing loved one is adds to the feelings of displacement and anxiety. The final lines of the verse are particularly striking, as they express the desire for the feeling of longing to remain, despite the pain it causes.
The third verse takes on a more philosophical bent. The image of life being a "hard equation" suggests that existence is difficult and complex, like a math problem. The idea that we "die twice in the end" implies that death is both a physical and a spiritual process, and that death is not the end of our existence. The final line of the song, "In the end, we'll meet again," gives a hopeful and comforting note to the otherwise somber mood of the lyrics.
Overall, "Inside the Golden Days of Missing You" is a deeply introspective and emotional song that deals with themes of loneliness, loss, and mortality.
Line by Line Meaning
Inside the golden days of missing you
Reflecting on the past, in a state of nostalgia, longing for the return of a loved one
With the people of Cleveland
Surrounded by those who understand and share in the pain of losing a loved one
Who've suffered for so many years
The community has endured hardship and heartbreak for an extended period of time
The shattered glass cussed
The broken glass cursed, its sharp edges a metaphor for the pain felt from the loss of a loved one
And when it broke it spoke to us
The sound of the breaking glass served as a reminder of the pain that still lingers
It said "Hey, I know you, what's your name?"
The pain speaks to the listener directly, almost personifying the loss
I wish they didn't set mirrors behind the bar
The singer avoids looking at themselves in mirrors when they drink because it reminds them of their loved one
Cause I can't stand to look at my face
The pain of the loss is so great, the artist can't bear to face their own reflection
When I don't know where you are
The uncertainty of not knowing where the loved one is adds to the emotional turmoil
Then the feeling fades away
As time passes, the sharpness of the pain dulls slightly, making it more manageable
But you sort of wish it would of stayed
Despite the pain, the singer still longs for the return of their loved one and the intensity of the feelings that come with it
What if life is just some hard equation
The artist ponders the idea that life is a complex problem that can't be easily solved
On a chalkboard in a science class for ghosts
The use of the word 'ghosts' suggests a feeling of being disconnected or removed from everyday life
You can live again
Despite the pain of loss, there is still hope for a new beginning
But you'll have to die twice in the end
In order to start anew, the singer must first let go of the past and the person they used to be
In the end, we'll meet again
Despite the hardship and uncertainty, the artist holds onto the belief that they will be reunited with their loved one once more
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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