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."
Pink India
Stephen Malkmus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Known as a great, great game
And one of it's rooks came from stoke-on-trent
And mortimer was his name
An impotent tea-bag spazz
Pride of the vicar caste
Sent off to asia
Determined to be a man
Determined to be a man
Determined to be a man
Determined to be a man
Determined to be a man
He loved a nice sag aloo
The long, lazy afternoons
But soon he was singing
A different tune
It went something just like this
A billion flies on a horse's tail
The spirit of a late, lame raj
Punjabi's finest, bring me your wine list
As the news comes across the air today:
"tension grows in afghanistan
Carbine bullets could settle the score"--
I had a crap gin tonic it wounded me
Send my way off on one
Send my way off on one, two, three, four
The song 'Pink India' by Stephen Malkmus tells the story of an empire chase known as a great game. It speaks about a rook named Mortimer who belonged to the vicar caste and came from Stoke-on-Trent. Mortimer was determined to be a man and proved his worth by going to Asia as a representative of the empire expansion. He loved to eat a spicy Indian dish called 'sag aloo' and enjoyed the long and lazy afternoons. However, things changed when he got a message about the tense situation in Afghanistan, and he started singing a different tune. The song goes on to describe the spirit of the late lame raj and mentions Punjabi's finest, asking them to bring their wine list.
The lyrics seem to evoke an atmosphere of colonialism and its consequences. The story of Mortimer is a representation of the British imperialists who went to colonize different parts of the world to prove their masculinity and power. The song describes how imperialism has a dual nature; it brings some pleasures and luxuries to conquerors’ lives, but at the same time, it creates a sense of isolation and disconnection from the rest of the world. The particular reference to 'Pink India' could be a metaphor for a colonial state that has lost its meaning, vitality, and power. The song seems to suggest that the legacy of colonialism still persists in post-colonial societies.
Line by Line Meaning
There once was an empire chase
Referring to the history of colonialism where nations raced to establish and expand their empires.
Known as a great, great game
Colonization was viewed as a game by the colonizers, while the colonized suffered and lost their freedom.
And one of it's rooks came from stoke-on-trent
One of the pawns sent to colonize was from a working-class city in England.
And mortimer was his name
The character's name was Mortimer.
An impotent tea-bag spazz
An insulting reference to the colonizer, possibly indicating weakness or incompetence in his role.
Pride of the vicar caste
Despite his low birth, Mortimer was proud of his position in the church and society.
Sent off to asia
Mortimer was sent to colonize parts of Asia.
Expansion land
Referencing the idea of manifest destiny and the belief that the colonizers were entitled to the land they were seizing.
Determined to be a man
Mortimer was likely sent to the colonies to prove himself as a man and bring honor to his family or country.
He loved a nice sag aloo
Mortimer enjoyed the cuisine of the colonies.
The long, lazy afternoons
A reference to the hedonistic lifestyle the colonizers enjoyed while in the colonies.
But soon he was singing
Mortimer's experiences in the colonies caused a change in his attitude.
A different tune
He began to see things in a new light.
A billion flies on a horse's tail
A metaphor for the chaotic nature of life in the colonies, where things were often unpleasant and out of control.
The spirit of a late, lame raj
A reference to the British colonial occupation of India and the loss of power experienced by the Raj.
Punjabi's finest, bring me your wine list
Mortimer is now enjoying the finest things the colony has to offer, including its wine selection.
As the news comes across the air today:
A nod to the media and how news broadcasts were rapidly becoming a source of information for people around the world.
"tension grows in afghanistan
The lyrics pick up on the idea of the media feeding people information about conflict and tension in far-off lands.
Carbine bullets could settle the score"--
The media is broadcasting predictions of violence and death in the region, something that Mortimer seems to take in stride.
I had a crap gin tonic it wounded me
Mortimer seems to have overindulged in alcohol and is now nursing a hangover or other malady.
Send my way off on one
A call to be left alone and given time to recover from whatever ails him.
Send my way off on one, two, three, four
An intensification of the previous line, indicating how much Mortimer wants to be left alone to recover.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: STEPHEN MALKMUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind