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."
No One
Stephen Malkmus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get it out of my mind
I can bend the rules with primitive tools and stutters
I feel right at home beside the wood shed
Give as good as I do get
And I heart the part when you play the concerned friend
When will it end?
From the never-ending night life that we shared
I cannot even do one sit-up
Sit-ups are so bourgeoisie
I'm busy hanging out and spending your money
What does it mean?
I want to be there
The lyrics of this song by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks convey a sense of restlessness and a desire for something more, something different. The opening lines express frustration with being unable to contain or control one's own thoughts and emotions. The use of the phrase "primitive tools and stutters" suggests a struggle to communicate effectively, perhaps due to feeling overwhelmed or disconnected from others.
The mention of the wood shed and the sense of feeling "right at home" there evokes a sense of nostalgia or longing for a simpler time, before the pressures and complexities of modern life took hold. The reference to "playing the concerned friend" suggests a degree of insincerity or superficiality in certain social interactions.
The lines "none of us will get away spared / From the never-ending night life that we shared" convey a sense of shared experience and inevitability of certain aspects of life. The final lines express a desire to be present and engaged in life, rather than simply going through the motions or following societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't contain the motion
I am overwhelmed by my thoughts and feelings and cannot control them.
Get it out of my mind
I need to find a way to express these pent-up emotions and ideas.
I can bend the rules with primitive tools and stutters
I may not have all the resources or skills, but I can still find a way to be creative and innovative.
I feel right at home beside the wood shed
I am most comfortable in simple, rustic settings, away from the distractions of modern life.
Give as good as I do get
I expect others to treat me with the same level of respect and generosity that I offer them.
And I heart the part when you play the concerned friend
I appreciate it when people show genuine care and concern for my well-being.
When will it end?
I am tired of the constant struggles and challenges in life and yearn for a time when things are easier.
Unfortunately none of us will get away spared
We are all susceptible to the hardships and difficulties of life, no matter who we are or what we do.
From the never-ending night life that we shared
We have all experienced the highs and lows of an active nightlife, with all its pleasures and pitfalls.
I cannot even do one sit-up
I am not physically fit and cannot even complete a basic exercise like a sit-up.
Sit-ups are so bourgeoisie
I am not interested in conforming to mainstream exercise routines or cultural ideals of fitness.
I'm busy hanging out and spending your money
I am enjoying leisure time with friends or acquaintances, possibly at someone else's expense.
What does it mean?
I am curious about the significance or implications of a particular situation or action.
I want to be there
I desire to be present at a specific location or event, possibly for personal or relational reasons.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dylan McIntosh
Stephen Malkmus continues to evolve and improve musically. The horns in this tune are pretty epic giving a totally laid back vibe. This guy has written hundreds of totally solid tunes and continues to sound fresh without sounding burnt out or overproduced. And I bet he smokes a fucking metric tonne of reefer. I'm betting he'd be a pretty cool guy to hang with.
BTBTND
Este disco me gusta cada vez mas, gracias Stephen y los Jicks!!!
Miguel Santos
Awesome!!! Thanks for another great song and album Stephen :D
Marito D. R.
qué pedazo de músico! larga vida al gran SM!
pizzainacupable
Beautiful video and song ' I can bend the rules with primitive tools , and stutters' perfect !
Kiscokid
The brass is outstanding....great work from Beck H - nice touch with SM's fam in the vid.
Effect Simon
j'adore this song. fantastica!
Tony Doni
amazing song and incredibal video stephen malkmus is simply fuckin cool
Gustavo Inciarte Damian
Great song!
CR4GETH
Stephen Malkmus is my hero.