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.
My Pillow Is the Threshold
Silver Jews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Two sugars and one cream
I don't see the use in staying up
Just to watch tv
I unplug all the neon
Turn the ringer off the phone
Throw my thoughts like tomahawks
Because the pillow that i dream on
Is the threshold of a kingdom
Is the threshold of a world
Where I'm with you
Its a dark and snowy secret
And it has to do with heaven
And what looks like sleep
Is really hot pursuit
I hold your picture in my mind
It makes me warm when I'm cold
It gets me up, it makes me walk
It makes me question what I'm told
Somewhere in a foggy atlas
Lookout mountain, lookout sea
First life takes time, then time takes life
Now the next move's up to me
Because the pillow that I dream on
Leads to some fantastic glory
It's a threshold of a world
I can't ignore
Like time on school from heaven(?)
Did you find me sleeping in your doorway
Now I'm here for good
I won't leave you anymore
The lyrics to Silver Jews' song "My Pillow Is the Threshold" appear to describe the singer's peaceful routine before bed and his deepest desires and dreams. He starts off by ordering his decaf coffee with two sugars and one cream, indicating that he doesn't feel the need to stay up late and watch TV, and cherishes his sleep time. He unplugs all the neon lights and turns off his phone to create a peaceful environment to sleep in.
The singer mentions throwing his thoughts like tomahawks into the world which he disowns, suggesting that he has a deep disconnect with the world outside of his sleep space. He believes that his pillow represents a threshold to a kingdom or world that he can't ignore - this is where he dreams of being with someone he cares about. He goes on to say that what appears to be sleep is actually "hot pursuit," implying that he feels he’s achieving or searching for something meaningful during this restful state.
Throughout the song, the singer seems to be holding onto a picture of someone that he cares for deeply. This picture provides him with the warmth he needs when he's feeling cold and pushes him to question everything he's been told. Near the end of the song, he mentions the location of Lookout Mountain and the sea, reminding us that time is fleeting and we need to move forward. He admits that he wants to remain in this dream world forever, as it represents a fantastic glory and a world he cannot ignore, and suggests that he has found the person he was searching for, and that he is now here for good.
Line by Line Meaning
I take decaf coffee
I prefer non-caffeinated coffee
Two sugars and one cream
I have a specific way of adding sugar and cream to my coffee
I don't see the use in staying up
I don't find it meaningful to stay awake unnecessarily
Just to watch tv
Only to watch television
I unplug all the neon
I turn off all bright lights
Turn the ringer off the phone
I silence my phone
Throw my thoughts like tomahawks
I unleash my thoughts violently
Into this world which I disown
To the world that I no longer accept or want to be a part of
Because the pillow that i dream on
The pillow I sleep on
Is the threshold of a kingdom
Is the doorway to a world I can't access while awake
Is the threshold of a world
Is the entrance to an alternate reality
Where I'm with you
A world where I am with someone I cherish
Its a dark and snowy secret
It's a hidden, mysterious and possibly dangerous secret
And it has to do with heaven
Related to how heaven may be perceived
And what looks like sleep
And what appears to be sleep
Is really hot pursuit
Is actually a passionate search or chase
I hold your picture in my mind
I picture someone I care about in my thoughts
It makes me warm when I'm cold
Thinking about this person brings me comfort
It gets me up, it makes me walk
This motivates me to keep going
It makes me question what I'm told
It challenges the things I am told to believe
Somewhere in a foggy atlas
In an unclear and distant place
Lookout mountain, lookout sea
A scenic view of mountain and sea
First life takes time, then time takes life
Life has its own pace, and over time it comes to an end
Now the next move's up to me
It's my turn to decide what to do next
Because the pillow that I dream on
The pillow I sleep on
Leads to some fantastic glory
Opens a path to a wonderful place
It's a threshold of a world
It's the entrance to an alternate reality
I can't ignore
Something too important to disregard
Like time on school from heaven(?)
Could be a metaphor for something not fully understood
Did you find me sleeping in your doorway
Have I been desperately seeking your comfort and haven't realized it
Now I'm here for good
I am here for the long-term
I won't leave you anymore
I will not abandon you again
Contributed by Matthew A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@DreaMist4256
This song is amazing
@mrbeanonemillion
great song great album
@googleisgay3289
A truly amazing song.
@youthofyesterdayrecords
His masterwork and statement of ultimate purpose ... Goodbye David. 💙
@MrDFlexer
DCB's lyrics have followed me throughout my life. It is amazing how different albums of his can speak directly to my soul in different periods of my life.
@josephreising9269
Wow. I continue to be amazed by the songs and lyrics on this album. I meant to check it out in 2008 but I'm glad I didn't that year because there was so much good music that year that that I might not have appreciated these songs for their genius
@brandonjubbjubb1
Like time unspooled from heaven*
@johnzale7748
Pain works on a sliding scale. So does pleasure in a candy jail.
@presentfuture7563
In other words, don't flinch, don't foul, and hit the line hard. - Teddy Roosevelt
@alansherwood5319
Please, please Mr. Berman make a new album. You guys keep getting better.