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.
Pretty Eyes
Silver Jews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But everybody's wants can't make it past the window sill
I can see you in yourt room at night
The pictures on your walls
Little forest scenes and high school Halloweens
But they don't come to you
They don't come to you at all
Our house dreams so hard
Outside you can see my shoeprints
I've been dreaming in your yard
One of these days these days will end
Thru the kitchen window the light will bend
You'll be carving a pumpkin with a knife
When someone at the table says
"That's not what I call a life!"
The elephants are so ashamed of their size
Hosing down I tell them "you got pretty eyes"
Out in the backyard I used to make like I was a cowboy
I'd set my dog before a hoop and say "now boy, now boy!"
When the governor's heart fails
The state bird falls from its branch
Icicles on hell's higher hills
Meanwhile back home at the ranch
I still get up early in the morning
And I never knew a better place
I believe the stars are the headlights of angels
Driving from heaven to save us
To save us
Won't you look at the sky?
They're driving from heaven into our eyes
And though final words are so hard to devise
I promise that I'll always remember your pretty eyes
Your pretty eyes
The song "Pretty Eyes" by Silver Jews explores the theme of perspective and the illusions we create for ourselves. The first stanza alludes to the concept of wanting to gain perspective from a higher vantage point but failing to achieve it due to our limitations. The singer then describes his perception of someone else's room at night, complete with little forest scenes and high school memories but acknowledges that they don't come to the person. This could be interpreted as the illusions or dreams we create for ourselves that ultimately don't come to fruition.
The second stanza examines the idea that "all houses dream in blueprints," meaning that we have plans and aspirations for our lives and the things we wish to achieve. The singer's house dreams so hard that outside you can see his shoeprints, implying that he is continuously trying to achieve something. The reference to the elephants being ashamed of their size could represent the singer feeling alienated by his own size or place in the world. He then tries to reassure them of their beauty by telling them they have pretty eyes. However, this doesn't diminish the singer's feelings of inadequacy as he reflects on pretending to be a cowboy in his backyard.
The final stanza shifts the focus to the governor's heart failing and the state bird falling from its branch, implying that the world is in chaos. Despite this, the singer finds comfort in the simple things, such as getting up early and enjoying the beauty of the stars. The song ends on a positive note with the singer promising to always remember the pretty eyes of someone, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the uncertainty of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody wants perspective from a hill
Everyone desires a broader view of the world from a higher place
But everybody's wants can't make it past the window sill
However, not everyone's wishes can become a reality
I can see you in your room at night
I have a clear visual image of you in your bedroom, even at night
The pictures on your walls
I notice the photographs and art that are hung up as decorations
Little forest scenes and high school Halloweens
The pictures depict outdoor settings and Halloween celebrations from the past
But they don't come to you
However, the significance of the pictures does not register with you emotionally
They don't come to you at all
You don't feel a personal connection to your own decorations
All houses dream in blueprints
Every home is a creation of someone's imagination before it becomes a physical structure
Our house dreams so hard
Our particular abode was designed with great passion and ambition
Outside you can see my shoeprints
There is physical evidence that I walked around your house recently
I've been dreaming in your yard
I have been deeply contemplating your vicinity and residence
One of these days these days will end
Eventually, in the near future, our current time period will be over
Thru the kitchen window the light will bend
The natural light will enter through the window and illuminate the surroundings
You'll be carving a pumpkin with a knife
You will be sculpting a gourd with a sharp blade
When someone at the table says
At that moment, someone at the table will utter the following words
"That's not what I call a life!"
"I don't believe your way of living constitutes a fulfilling existence!"
The elephants are so ashamed of their size
The pachyderms possess a sense of insecurity in relation to their own physical proportions
Hosing down I tell them "you got pretty eyes"
While dousing them with water to cool them off, I assure them that at least their eyes are attractive
Out in the backyard I used to make like I was a cowboy
When I was younger, I would pretend to be a western hero in your backyard
I'd set my dog before a hoop and say "now boy, now boy!"
I would command my canine companion to jump through a makeshift goal while using vocal cues
When the governor's heart fails
In the event of the chief executive of the state suffering a cardiac emergency
The state bird falls from its branch
The particular avian species designated as the state bird perishes as a result
Icicles on hell's higher hills
The jagged, hanging ice formations in areas of the afterlife reserved for the sinful
Meanwhile back home at the ranch
At the same time, activities and events are taking place at my personal abode
I still get up early in the morning
I adhere to my usual routine of waking up at dawn
And I never knew a better place
I consider my current residing location to be the most ideal and suitable for me
I believe the stars are the headlights of angels
I hold the belief that twinkling stars are actually the glowing presence of celestial beings
Driving from heaven to save us
These divine entities are in transit from the heavenly realm in order to rescue us
Won't you look at the sky?
I implore you to gaze upward at the expanse of blue and the celestial bodies above
They're driving from heaven into our eyes
These angels are approaching our planet and entering our line of vision
And though final words are so hard to devise
Even though selecting appropriate last words can be quite difficult
I promise that I'll always remember your pretty eyes
I solemnly vow to always cherish and recall the attractive appearance of your gaze
Your pretty eyes
Specifically, I am referring to the pleasing appearance of your eyes
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind