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.
Pan American Blues
Silver Jews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
that fixed my arm. The federales back
from Tuscon, each one got an arm gone.
Limehouse Pratt got dim inside, can't see
the painted ladies runaround at night.
A wood-paneled room, my cigarette fumes
waltz and dissolve just for you.
There's gonna be a truce(x3) but
A jaguar simmering in a cage, give him
a chance, can you tell the answer from the
ants. History's got it's walking papers
can't get enough of the make-up
that makes it look so tough.
Well it ssssseems just like a freeze out (x3).
an undisclosed, deeply wooded
lose your way route.
The opening line, "a fifth on decoration day for the doctor that fixed my arm" sets the tone of the song as one of reflection and a recollection of a time in their life where they needed medical attention. It can be inferred that it was a significant moment as they commemorate it with a drink. However, the gravity of the situation is intensified with the following line, "The federales back from Tuscon, each one got an arm gone." This suggests that the situation they found themselves in was due to a much larger event, possibly a war, where multiple people lost limbs.
The next verse is rife with sensory imagery as the singer describes being in a wood-paneled room, smoking a cigarette. They paint a picture of Limehouse Pratt being "dim inside," which can be interpreted as despondent or uninterested in the painted ladies runaround at night. The atmosphere evoked by these descriptions is that of a bygone era, with nods to the early 20th century.
Line by Line Meaning
a fifth on decoration day for the doctor
I drank a fifth of alcohol on Decoration Day to thank the doctor who fixed my arm.
that fixed my arm. The federales back
The doctor fixed my broken arm and now the Federales have returned.
from Tuscon, each one got an arm gone.
The Federales have returned from Tuscon and each one of them lost an arm.
Limehouse Pratt got dim inside, can't see
Limehouse Pratt is depressed and unable to enjoy the company of the prostitutes at night.
the painted ladies runaround at night.
Limehouse Pratt is unable to see the painted ladies who walk around at night.
A wood-paneled room, my cigarette fumes
I am in a room with wood panels and smoking a cigarette.
waltz and dissolve just for you.
The smoke from my cigarette dances and fades away, as if it's trying to impress you.
There's gonna be a truce(x3) but
There will be a truce, but it won't happen until some tasks are completed.
first you got to set your horses loose.
Before the truce can be made, you must set your horses free.
A jaguar simmering in a cage, give him
There is a jaguar in a cage, and it is restless and waiting for something to happen.
a chance, can you tell the answer from the
If you give the jaguar a chance, can you tell the predator apart from the prey?
ants. History's got it's walking papers
Ants are small, but history has shown that even the smallest creatures can have a big impact.
can't get enough of the make-up
People can't get enough of the cosmetic changes that make history look tough and imposing.
that makes it look so tough.
People are fascinated by the makeup that makes history look strong and powerful.
Well it ssssseems just like a freeze out (x3).
It feels like there is a cold, hard stagnation in the air that is impossible to ignore.
an undisclosed, deeply wooded
There is an unmarked path through the woods.
lose your way route.
This path is easy to get lost on.
Contributed by Landon M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.