Silver Jews was an American indie rock band from New York City. The band's … Read Full Bio ↴Silver Jews was an American indie rock band from New York City. The band's earliest incarnation was the college band Ectoslavia, formed by future Pavement founders Bob Nastanovich, Stephen Malkmus and frontman David Berman at the University of Virginia in 1989. An exercise in joyous noise, the band disbanded after graduation and the three friends moved to New York to take up various jobs - Nastanovich, a bus driver, and Berman and Malkmus, art museum security guards.

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.

Living Waters
Silver Jews Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Now people are good and people are bad
And I'm never sure which one I am
So, come in out of the storm
What you need is an imitation of home

Your at home
You're all alone
And nobody's calling on the telephone

Now people are good and people are bad
People they butch, people they brag
People they test, people they breast(?)
People make sex, it's their favourite thing to do (?)

So if you run, then run to me
And if you can swim then swim to me
Just come in out of the storm
What you need is an imitation of home

Your at home

You're all alone
And nobody's calling on the telephone

Overall Meaning

In "Living Waters" by Silver Jews, the first verse reflects on the ambiguities of human nature. Lead singer David Berman, who often examines themes of identity and self-discovery in his lyrics, is conflicted about whether he fits into the category of "good" or "bad" people. He acknowledges the complexity of human behavior, suggesting that it's not always easy to distinguish between the two. The second verse touches on themes of loneliness and isolation, as the listener is invited to take refuge from an emotional storm in an illusory "imitation of home." The repeated line "Your at home, You're all alone, And nobody's calling on the telephone" underscores the crushing reality of solitude.

The chorus offers a glimmer of hope, as Berman sings of unconditional acceptance and support. He encourages the listener to seek comfort in him, whether by running or swimming towards him. He reiterates the need to find refuge from difficult emotions, but this time with a more concrete call to action. Interestingly, the song title "Living Waters" can refer to both calm, refreshing waters as well as churning rapids, which mirrors the emotional ups and downs referenced throughout the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

Now people are good and people are bad
Humans have both good and bad qualities

And I'm never sure which one I am
The singer is uncertain whether he is good or bad

So, come in out of the storm
Seek shelter from the difficulties and hardships of life

What you need is an imitation of home
You need something that resembles home, a place of safety and security

You're at home
You are physically present in your house

You're all alone
You are by yourself with no one else around

And nobody's calling on the telephone
No one is trying to contact you

People they butch, people they brag
People have different ways of expressing themselves, some more boastful than others

People they test, people they breast(?)
People experiment with different things in life, sometimes involving their bodies

People make sex, it's their favourite thing to do (?)
People have sex as a common activity and enjoyment

So if you run, then run to me
If you need help or support, come to me