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.
Pet Politics
Silver Jews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While the rain turns the ditches to mirrors
By a vase of carnations from central Ohio
Where the looking machine can't here us
Deep in the night we dream of positions
There's a line for the phone in the hall
And in the cold places where Spanish is spoken
You never know where your pet will go
Pet politics
Pet politics
Pet politics
Pet politics
Still wearing last nights' mascara
Now that her pet was gone for sure
She was shivering so hard
It looked like there were two of her
I could see through the sleeve of her blouse
The plans of her architect lover
A tattoo of a boarded-up house
And ink door that belonged to another
When the rain hits you
It hits you slow
Stitch after stitch
Stitch after stitch
Stitch after stitch
Stitch after stitch
Adam was not the first man 'though the Bible tells us so
There was one created before him, whose name we do not know
He also lived in the garden
But he had no mouth or eyes
One day Adam came to kill him
And he died beneath these skies
I find it so amazing how
I go where I'm led
I go where I'm led
I go where I'm led
I go where I'm led
I suspect we could be losing now
Please guard my bed
Please guard my bed
Please guard my bed
Please guard my bed
The lyrics to Silver Jews' song "Pet Politics" explore themes of love, loss, and power dynamics. The opening verse sets the scene with imagery of rain turning ditches into mirrors and a vase of carnations from central Ohio. The singer asks someone to guard their bed while they dream of different positions, suggesting a desire for sexual experimentation. The mention of a phone line and references to Spanish-speaking places ending wars in the fall suggests a sense of disconnection from the world outside.
The chorus repeats the phrase "pet politics," which can be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be a commentary on the power dynamics between owners and pets, or it could be a metaphor for the interpersonal power dynamics at play in the singer's relationships. The second verse describes a woman who is still wearing last night's mascara and shivering after her pet has gone missing. The singer sees a tattoo on her arm depicting a boarded-up house, possibly representing a sense of entrapment or abandonment.
The third verse takes a more philosophical turn, referencing a figure who existed before Adam in the Garden of Eden and was killed by him. This could be interpreted as a commentary on the cyclical nature of power and violence in human history. The song ends with the singer acknowledging that they may be losing and asking someone to guard their bed.
Line by Line Meaning
Guard my bed
Keep watch over my bed
While the rain turns the ditches to mirrors
During heavy rain, the water-filled roadside ditches reflect like mirrors
By a vase of carnations from central Ohio
Next to a vase filled with carnations from the central area of Ohio
Where the looking machine can't here us
In a location where surveillance devices cannot hear us
Deep in the night we dream of positions
Late at night, we have vivid dreams of various states or situations we want to be in
There's a line for the phone in the hall
The phone in the hallway has a waiting line or queue
And in the cold places where Spanish is spoken
In areas with cold climates where Spanish is widely spoken
Most wars end in the fall
Historically, many wars have ended during the autumn season
You never know where your pet will go
Your pet can go anywhere and do anything without your knowledge
Pet politics
The complex politics and social hierarchy that exists in the world of pets and their owners
Still wearing last nights' mascara
She's still wearing the mascara she applied the previous night
Now that her pet was gone for sure
Now that she's certain her pet is no longer around
She was shivering so hard
She's trembling violently
It looked like there were two of her
Her shaking is so severe that it seems like there are two of her
I could see through the sleeve of her blouse
Through the sleeve of her blouse, I can see what's underneath
The plans of her architect lover
I can see the drawings or designs made by her architect lover
A tattoo of a boarded-up house
She has a tattoo of a house with boarded-up windows
And ink door that belonged to another
There is a tattoo of a door that potentially belongs to someone else
When the rain hits you
When you're hit by rain
It hits you slow
It falls on you gently
Stitch after stitch
The process of healing or repairing takes time and requires many steps
Adam was not the first man 'though the Bible tells us so
Despite what the Bible says, there may have been a different man created before Adam
There was one created before him, whose name we do not know
There could have been an unnamed man created prior to Adam
He also lived in the garden
The other man also resided in the garden
But he had no mouth or eyes
Uniquely, the other man had neither mouth nor eyes
One day Adam came to kill him
At some point in time, Adam attacked and killed the other man
And he died beneath these skies
The other man's death occurred under the same sky we live under
I find it so amazing how
I'm fascinated by the way that
I go where I'm led
I follow where I'm directed or guided
Please guard my bed
Please keep watch over my bed
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jonathan Boswell
This dude is/was the greatest living songwriter. I'd say he punches the proverbial Bob Dylan in the mouth with his words.
demanthor
AMEN
Ricardo Hernandez
David Berman is a brilliant writer with the sentiments of a transient hoping to find home again. In case you can't tell, I totally love, respect and admire him. Love the Silver Jews!!! Takes me back to finer, simpler...more fun times.
congo tronics
god only knows how much I loved this song......
bri
such an impactful songwriter. the world lost one of the greats. RIP
Pancho308
We need a reunion with Malkmus! These guys never get old....love American Water
Joe
rest easy big man
Sam Bunker
Rest In Peace this beer is for you
gskiesel
"Please guard my bed." I have a dying dog that is still doing that tonight. James Joyce talked about turning the bread of everyday life into something artistic. David Berman has done so, and then some.
Zakaria Meddings
So beautiful...