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."
It Kills
Stephen Malkmus Lyrics
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I don't know, my friend
But I'm open to suggestion if you'll proffer two cents
Give me something I can hang my coat on, yeah!
Nine times out of ten
I'm not the guidance type
I've been sitting on a fencepost for the brunt of my life
It kills the time
Until you fill your heart, you'll see
There's more to you than what you think and need
Where you gonna go?
I don't know, my friend
But I'll take this road forever or until it does end
Here or there or someplace else, man, anywhere!
Maybe to the west
Where they don't fall down
In a canyon of a valley in a twenty-horse town
A voluntary rest home where they lecture you, it kills
It kills the time
Until you fill your heart, you'll see
There's more to you than what you think and need
We can share our bland opinions
About the quality of air
And all will be right
All will be right on top
There's a place in old dominion
Near that courthouse by the square
Where all will be right
All will be right on top of the day
The lyrics of Stephen Malkmus's song "It Kills" speak of uncertainty and indecisiveness in life, and how seeking guidance and support from others can help alleviate the pain that comes with such feelings. Malkmus claims in the first verse that he doesn't know what to do, but he is open to suggestions from his friends. He wants someone to give him an idea he can use as a starting point for his journey, a foundation upon which he can build. The next verse speaks of how he's been sitting on a fencepost for most of his life, implying that he's struggled with making decisions and committing to a direction. Now, he finds himself in a position where he needs help to figure out what he wants to do. The chorus of the song emphasizes how feeling lost and unsure about what to do can kill time, and that it's important to find something that will fill one's heart and give life purpose.
The second verse has Malkmus contemplating where he should go, but again, he lacks direction. He's willing to take any road, to any place, simply because he has no idea where he wants to be. He mentions a "twenty-horse town," which is a quaint rural area with few people and horses, that falls down into a canyon of a valley. In this kind of setting, there's a voluntary rest home where they lecture people. However, whatever place he goes to, he is aware that he will need to find a way to deal with the uncertainty and confusion he experiences as he lives his life.
The song's last verse speaks of how sharing opinions with others about unimportant things doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. However, he finishes by saying that there's a place in Old Dominion, near a courthouse by the square, where everything will be alright. It's a reference to a place where people can find peace and solace, and where the worries of the present world can be momentarily forgotten.
Line by Line Meaning
What you gonna do?
Asking what the listener intends to do next.
I don't know, my friend
Admitting to being unsure of the proper course of action to take next.
But I'm open to suggestion if you'll proffer two cents
Being willing to hear someone else's ideas or advice.
Give me something I can hang my coat on, yeah!
Requesting something concrete to work with or hold onto as a means of moving forward.
Nine times out of ten
Stating a generalization that may not always hold true.
I'm not the guidance type
Admitting to not being typically inclined or suitable for providing guidance or leadership.
I've been sitting on a fencepost for the brunt of my life
Feeling indecisive and stuck in a neutral position.
And now I need some help to find out what I feel, it kills
Describing the emotional distress caused by feeling unsure and lost.
It kills the time
Explaining how indecision can waste precious time.
Until you fill your heart, you'll see
Suggesting that a clear sense of purpose can help overcome feelings of confusion.
There's more to you than what you think and need
Encouraging the listener to consider their full potential when deciding what to do next.
Where you gonna go?
Inquiring where the listener intends to head next.
I don't know, my friend
Admitting once again to being uncertain.
But I'll take this road forever or until it does end
Committing to a path forward, even if it may not lead anywhere in particular.
Here or there or someplace else, man, anywhere!
Being open to any possibility or destination.
Maybe to the west
Suggesting a possible direction or destination.
Where they don't fall down
Describing an ideal place where one can feel secure.
In a canyon of a valley in a twenty-horse town
Painting a picture of a small, secluded location.
A voluntary rest home where they lecture you, it kills
Describing a place that should be peaceful and restful but in reality is oppressive and stressful.
We can share our bland opinions
Proposing a way to pass the time and connect with others.
About the quality of air
Using a mundane topic as an example of a topic of discussion.
And all will be right
Suggesting that life can feel easier and more manageable with social connections and conversation.
All will be right on top
Emphasizing the sense of comfort and satisfaction that comes with good company.
There's a place in old dominion
Announcing a specific location of interest.
Near that courthouse by the square
Providing more detail about the location being referenced.
Where all will be right
Again emphasizing the sense of contentment to be found in a particular location.
All will be right on top of the day
Contrasting the sense of positivity in one's surroundings with the challenges and stresses of daily life.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
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