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.
Sometimes a Pony Gets Depressed
Silver Jews Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cows in the ballroom, chickens in the farmer's corvette.
Sometimes a pony
Sometimes a pony
Sometimes a pony
Gets depressed!
How does an animal see once the sun has set?
Bandits in the capital, limited civilian unrest.
Sometimes a pony
Sometimes a pony
Sometimes a pony
Gets depressed!
What kind of animal needs to smoke a cigarette?
Grass in the pasture is sharper than a bayonet.
Sometimes a pony
Sometimes a pony
Sometimes a pony
Gets depressed!
"Happiness won't leave me alone!" Sings the bird in his nest.
"Get a load of this fucking view, it's the best in the west!"
Sometimes a pony
Sometimes a pony
Sometimes a pony
Gets depressed!
The lyrics to Silver Jews's song "Sometimes a Pony Gets Depressed" are a series of perplexing, surreal questions that seemingly have no clear answers or connections. It is not entirely clear what the song is about, but it could be interpreted as a commentary on the difficulties of life and the unpredictable nature of existence.
The first verse seems to be asking where animals go to sleep when the ground is wet. The bizarre imagery of cows in a ballroom and chickens in a car suggests a sense of displacement and confusion. The second verse asks how animals see at night, with the strange image of bandits in the capital and limited civil unrest suggesting the chaos and unpredictability of daily life. The third verse asks what kind of animal needs to smoke a cigarette, which could be interpreted as a commentary on addictive behavior and self-destructive tendencies.
Throughout the song, the repeated line "Sometimes a pony gets depressed" anchors the surreal imagery and suggests a sense of melancholy or sadness. The final verse, in which a bird in a nest sings about the beauty of the world, could be seen as a moment of hope or optimism in an otherwise strange and unsettling song.
Overall, the lyrics to "Sometimes a Pony Gets Depressed" are open to interpretation and may mean different things to different listeners. However, the sense of strangeness and unpredictability conveyed in the lyrics is likely intentional, and underscores the difficulty of finding meaning and happiness in an often confusing and chaotic world.
Line by Line Meaning
Where does an animal sleep when the ground is wet?
In unfavorable conditions, animals like cows find themselves in unexpected places like a ballroom, while others like chickens find themselves cramped in an expensive car.
Sometimes a pony
Sadness is not exclusive to humans, and even innocent animals like ponies can fall victim to depression.
Gets depressed!
Like anyone else, ponies may find themselves feeling down and out of luck.
How does an animal see once the sun has set?
In uncertain situations, animals like bandits can take over or cause unrest, whereas civilians may find themselves unable to cope with the darkness.
What kind of animal needs to smoke a cigarette?
Even seemingly carefree animals like those in a pasture can be subjected to stress-inducing situations, like grass that is sharper than a bayonet.
"Happiness won't leave me alone!" Sings the bird in his nest.
Sometimes, even when things seem to be going exceedingly well, there may be a nagging sense of discontent that is hard to shake, like the bird's persistent feeling of happiness.
"Get a load of this fucking view, it's the best in the west!"
Despite any external circumstances or the state of one's inner world, some animals still maintain a positive outlook on their surroundings, even if others don't see it as favorable.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind