Stephen Malkmus (born May 30th, 1966, Santa Monica, California) is an indie… Read Full Bio ↴Stephen Malkmus (born May 30th, 1966, Santa Monica, California) is an indie-rock musician, a former member of the bands Pavement, Silver Jews, and the The Crust Brothers. His works released under his own name or as part of Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks include Stephen Malkmus (2001. with The Jicks), Pig Lib (2003, with The Jicks), Face the Truth (2005), Real Emotional Trash (2008, with The Jicks) and several singles.

Malkmus knew fellow Pavement songwriter Scott Kannberg (aka Spiral Stairs), of the Preston School of Industry, since childhood in Stockton, California. Malkmus attended the University of Virginia, where his father is also an alumnus. While at UVA, he also met Bob Nastanovich, another member of Pavement.

Malkmus currently resides in Portland, Oregon with his partner, artist Jessica Jackson Hutchins. In 2005, Hutchins gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter named Lottie.

In 2008 Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks released the album, Real Emotional Trash — the group’s first album with new drummer Janet Weiss from Sleater-Kinney. In 2020, Stephen released Traditional Techniques. Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the album as "an amiably trippy and decisively mellow psych-folk adventure."

I've Hardly Been
Stephen Malkmus Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Rationalized confusion, memento morial
You're turning ugly into ease, you're naked in a towel
Well pride's a swollen subset
It will never never never pipe down

At the yoga olympics, murdered by a single kick
You tower over everything the rest are dog tits
The cemetery headstone is a rock in the rain, the rain

Is pain

I've hardly been
Cannot get in
Unlike the sky:
Wide and never lost

The fallacy of selflessness, the friendship etiquette
Normal is weirder than you would care to admit
Fatigued by socialized
You're tired and tender

I went to see a "go to gigs a lone type of band"
They elucidate something that all alone understand
The shab ability to locate quagmire hearts on the map
It's a trap!

I've hardly been
Cannot get in

Unlike the sky:
Wide and never lost

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Stephen Malkmus's song "I've Hardly Been" are a combination of paradoxical descriptions of life, societal norms, and human relationships. The song opens with "Rationalized confusion, memento morial," which suggests the contradiction between trying to make sense of life while at the same time understanding its transience. This leads to "turning ugly into ease," which could mean finding beauty in imperfection or taking the path of least resistance. The phrase "you're naked in a towel" highlights the vulnerability that comes with exposing oneself.

The second verse begins with an absurd image of the "yoga olympics," followed by the violent and dominating phrase "murdered by a single kick." This sudden shift in tone juxtaposes the idea of peace and wellbeing associated with yoga against the reality of competition and aggression. The line "you tower over everything the rest are dog tits" uses a crass analogy to belittle others and inflate one's own ego. The cemetery headstone being a "rock in the rain" adds to the dreariness and sorrowful tone, with the rain symbolizing pain.

The third verse outlines the difficulty of friendship and societal norms, with "the fallacy of selflessness" and "friendship etiquette" suggesting the confusion and awkwardness of human relationships. The phrase "normal is weirder than you would care to admit" highlights the idea that everyone is strange in their own way, but society tries to force people into conformity. The song ends with the inspiring lines "unlike the sky: wide and never lost," which suggests the vast possibilities of life and the infinite freedom that comes with it.

Line by Line Meaning

Rationalized confusion, memento morial
You have found a way to feel comfortable in situations that should cause confusion and anxiety, but you also know that you must face the inevitability of death.

You're turning ugly into ease, you're naked in a towel
You are able to make difficult or unpleasant situations feel easy and routine, as if you are completely comfortable even in your vulnerability.

Well pride's a swollen subset
Despite its negative associations, pride is a part of who you are and cannot be separated from your identity.

It will never never never pipe down
Your pride will always be there, perhaps even overpowering other aspects of your personality.

At the yoga olympics, murdered by a single kick
You may be skilled or experienced in a particular area, but in the end, a small misstep or mistake could cause everything to come crashing down.

You tower over everything the rest are dog tits
In some settings, you feel superior or more capable than those around you.

The cemetery headstone is a rock in the rain, the rain Is pain
The cemetery symbolizes the inevitability of death and the sadness that comes with it.

I've hardly been Cannot get in Unlike the sky: Wide and never lost
You feel disconnected from the world, but the sky is always present and vast as a reminder that there is more to life than human struggles.

The fallacy of selflessness, the friendship etiquette
You recognize that true selflessness may not be possible, and that even in friendships there are rules and expectations that must be followed.

Normal is weirder than you would care to admit
What is considered normal or typical behavior is often strange and hard to comprehend.

Fatigued by socialized You're tired and tender
Socializing can be draining and leave you feeling vulnerable and raw.

I went to see a "go to gigs a lone type of band" They elucidate something that all alone understand The shab ability to locate quagmire hearts on the map It's a trap!
You sought out a band that attracts people who enjoy going to concerts alone, and their music speaks to a certain sense of loneliness and outsiderness that you can relate to. However, identifying with this perspective can be limiting and keep you stuck in negative emotions.

I've hardly been Cannot get in Unlike the sky: Wide and never lost
Again, you return to the idea that you feel disconnected and lost, but the sky offers a sense of permanence and peace.

Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC

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