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."
Real Emotional Trash
Stephen Malkmus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're taking out the wine
It's that kind of night
Well everybody talk, everybody listen
Nobody breathe
So take the time
Let him go down
'Cause daddy's on the run
The trail has two eyes
One is just eternal
The other is infernal
To the tune
Easier said but less often done
Point me in the direction
Of your real emotional trash
Abstract city sun
Abstract city sun
Up to now is done
Never gonna stray
Never gonna stray
Never gonna stray
So take the time
To let him go down
'Cause daddy's on the run
Daddy's on the run
And who will get the first
Shoot the (?) first
Easier said but less often done
Point my in the right direction
Of your real emotional trash
I traipsed over the Mexican border
In cheap pair of ban ban
Lockets (?)
In my stomach
I needed some relief
Take me back to Frisco
In your vanity chest
With painted ladies on house arrest
So wax up the wax crew
It's time for a shine
It's the old crew
That makes wine
Appeasement
Appeasement
Appeasement
Appeasement
You got no reputation
Never took swing
Silent when they hand the spines out
In the (?) marina playing kissing game
No time for you to pout
Down in Sausalito
We had clams for dessert
You spill some Chardonnay
On your gypsy skirt
There's no more time for apricots
He's got to make his own shape
Appeasement
Appeasement
Appeasement
Appeasement
The lyrics to Stephen Malkmus's song "Real Emotional Trash" tell a story about a group of people breaking out the wine and having an intense conversation. The song starts off with the repeated line, "We're taking out the wine," which sets the tone for what the night will bring. Everyone talks and listens intensely, and the suggestion is made to let "him go down," perhaps referring to someone taking a break from the discussion.
The chorus contains the enigmatic lyric, "Point me in the direction of your real emotional trash," which could mean many things. It could be a request to dig deeper into someone's soul or to expose their true motives. The second verse talks about a city sun that is abstract, and the lines "Never gonna stray" are repeated several times. The song then takes a strange turn with the story of someone traveling to Mexico and feeling a sense of relief. The lyrics return to the theme of appeasement, which suggests an attempt to calm things down after some intense emotional outpouring.
Line by Line Meaning
We're taking out the wine
We are preparing for a night that requires sobriety.
It's that kind of night
A special kind of night where certain rules apply.
Well everybody talk, everybody listen
Everyone has something to say and everyone is paying attention.
Nobody breathe
The situation is so intense that nobody wants to take a deep breath.
So take the time
We need to slow down and do things right.
Let him go down
Allow him to take risks and move forward.
'Cause daddy's on the run
Things are getting serious and someone needs to take action.
The trail has two eyes
The journey has both positive and negative aspects.
One is just eternal
One aspect will last forever.
The other is infernal
The other aspect is hellish.
To the tune
Everything is happening according to plan.
Easier said but less often done
It's easier to talk about taking action than it is to actually do it.
Point me in the direction
Please show me the way.
Of your real emotional trash
I want to explore the deeper, more intense parts of your being.
Abstract city sun
We are surrounded by a bright, but vague, cityscape.
Up to now is done
Everything leading up to this point has been taken care of.
Never gonna stray
We are focused and committed to our current path.
So take the time
Once again, we need to slow down and do things right.
And who will get the first
Who will take charge and make a move?
Shoot the (?) first
Unclear meaning or lyrics.
Point my in the right direction
Please show me the way.
Of your real emotional trash
I want to explore the deeper, more intense parts of your being.
I traipsed over the Mexican border
I took a risk and crossed a dangerous line.
In cheap pair of ban ban
I didn't even have expensive shoes to wear.
Lockets (?)
Unclear meaning or lyrics.
In my stomach
I was feeling anxious and scared.
I needed some relief
I needed to let go of some of my fears and worries.
Take me back to Frisco
I want to go back to a more familiar place.
In your vanity chest
A place to store personal and sentimental items.
With painted ladies on house arrest
The atmosphere is a bit suffocating and restrictive.
So wax up the wax crew
We need to prepare and get ready for what's to come.
It's time for a shine
We need to get things moving and make some progress.
It's the old crew
This is a familiar group of people we've worked with before.
That makes wine
We have a talent for creating something special out of simple ingredients.
Appeasement
A desire to calm or soothe someone's feelings or temper.
You got no reputation
You haven't made a name for yourself yet.
Never took a swing
You haven't taken any risks or tried anything new.
Silent when they hand the spines out
You haven't stood up for yourself or been assertive when you should have been.
In the (?) marina playing kissing game
Unclear meaning or lyrics.
No time for you to pout
You need to toughen up and deal with your problems head-on.
Down in Sausalito
A specific place where things happened before.
We had clams for dessert
We did something unconventional and unexpected.
You spill some Chardonnay
You made a messy, embarrassing mistake.
On your gypsy skirt
The mistake happened on something personal or sentimental.
There's no more time for apricots
We need to focus on more important things and let go of some of the little stuff.
He's got to make his own shape
He has to find his own way and establish his own identity.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind