100 Things You Love About The Silver Jews

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1. "Read the metro section/read the metro section/read the metro section SEE MY NAME"

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 14:28 (7 years ago) Permalink

2. "So if you don't want me I promise not to linger / But before I go I gotta ask you dear about the tan line on your ring finger."

― PB, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 14:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

3. "...and the children's crusade/marchin' through the downtown..."

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 14:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

4. "I love the taste of whisky straight, the strongest thing she ever takes, is a sip from a small glass of chablis"

― bg (creamolafoam), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 14:48 (7 years ago) Permalink

"When the governor dies / The state bird falls from its branch"

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 14:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

(5)

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 14:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

6. "Alpha/gamma/delta/everybody's smoked"

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 14:51 (7 years ago) Permalink

"I want to wander through the night/like a figure in the distance, even to my own eyes"

(somehow i feel we did this thread before, but that's okay!)

― j fail (cenotaph), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 14:54 (7 years ago) Permalink

sometimes i wish we had a country music defender here as vigilant and ruthless as our rap gatekeepers

― jermaine (jnoble), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 14:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

And so the rent became whiskey
And then my life became risky

― Sprinkle Toes, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 14:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

10. "In 1984 I was hospitalized fer approachin' perfection"

― PB, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:04 (7 years ago) Permalink

11.
Grass grows in the icebox
the year ends in the next room
it is autum and my camouflage is dying
instead of time, there will be lateness

12.
The stars don't shine upon us, we're in the way of their light

― mike powell (mike powell), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

AUTUMN, of course

― mike powell (mike powell), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

13. "In the cold places where Spanish is spoken, most wars end in the fall"

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:31 (7 years ago) Permalink

14. "My ski vest has buttons like convenience store mirrors and they help me see/that everything in the room right now is a part of me."

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 15:32 (7 years ago) Permalink

15. “I saw BB King on General Hospital/In the Oakland dramhouse where we stayed...”

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:03 (7 years ago) Permalink

16. “The shattered glass cussed/and when it broke it spoke to us...”

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:06 (7 years ago) Permalink

17. “Watchin’ the make-up girls make out with the mannequins...”

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

"We're off to the land of hot middle-aged women."

― Suzy Creemcheese (SuzyCreemcheese), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:09 (7 years ago) Permalink

19. "I love your amethyst eyes and your protestant thighs/
you're a shimmering socialite jewel."

― Suzy Creemcheese (SuzyCreemcheese), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

20. The way he convinces the reader/listener of a concrete world filled with magic realism so casually (seemingly without effort)

― edsgsdg, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:18 (7 years ago) Permalink

21. "Honk if You're Lonely" (obviously)

― PB, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

22. D.C. Berman's drawings!

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:27 (7 years ago) Permalink

23 "No, I don't really wanna die / I only wanna die in your eyes",
and everything after.

― marc (drums) (marcdrums), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

24. "Why can't get monsters get along with other monsters" and the whole "Soi Disantra" debate that usually ensues.

25. "All houses dream in blueprints . . ." and "Pretty Eyes" in general

― eternal fields (eternal__fields), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:41 (7 years ago) Permalink

26.
you can't change the feeling
but you can change the feeling
about the feelings
in a second or two, uh uhhhuh

― teh Nü and Impröved john n chicago (frankE), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:44 (7 years ago) Permalink

27. I wish they didn't set mirrors behind the bar / cause I can't stand to look at my face when I don't know where you are

28. How did you turn a billion steers / into buildings made of mirrors

― mcd (mcd), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 16:46 (7 years ago) Permalink

29.) "I love to see a rainbow from a garden hose / lit up like the blood of a centerfold."

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 17:35 (7 years ago) Permalink

30.) "we're like plug-in reindeer / Whose cords can't stretch far enough to fly."

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 17:37 (7 years ago) Permalink

31.) (And that the SJ are indirectly responsible for me finding my beautiful bride.)

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 17:38 (7 years ago) Permalink

32. "Night Society" - my favorite Malkmus guitar moment
33. The piano on "Trains Across the Sea"

― Roadkill Bingo (Roadkill Bingo), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 18:02 (7 years ago) Permalink

34. The drums march along like the clip of an IV drip, like sparks from a muffler dragged down the strip, uh huh huh.

35. Why is there something instead of nothing?

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 18:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

36. That they only ever played like one live show, and they did it under another name! (War Comet)

37. "The myth about the microphone is that you gotta eat it raw."

― Douglas (Douglas), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 18:22 (7 years ago) Permalink

"Ain't you heard the news? / Adam & Eve were Jews / And I Always Loved You To The Max."

― aegewagwes, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 20:42 (7 years ago) Permalink

39. "On the last day of your life, don't forget to die!"

― dar1a g, Wednesday, 27 July 2005 21:21 (7 years ago) Permalink

38. "So Hunter called/& said to me/'It's not as good as the first EP'"

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 27 July 2005 21:23 (7 years ago) Permalink

39. legends of gold i've tried to hold / in the grey half-light of the hallway at night

― andrew s (andrew s), Thursday, 28 July 2005 00:45 (7 years ago) Permalink

40. In 27 years I've drunk 50,000 beers.. and they just wash against me like the sea into a pier.

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Thursday, 28 July 2005 00:52 (7 years ago) Permalink

41. my promo copy of bright flight, labeled as such on the disc, with an exed out drawing of a used record store below (also labelled as such)

42. "i have not avoided certainty / it has always just eluded me"

― andrew s (andrew s), Thursday, 28 July 2005 00:56 (7 years ago) Permalink

"how can i love you/if you won't lay down?"

― ginger, Thursday, 28 July 2005 01:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

44. "Mother and child / with magazine / into a story / into a dream."

― Evan Kindley (goodoldneon), Thursday, 28 July 2005 03:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

45. the dream i have that one day berman will collaborate with howe gelb.

― club soda (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 28 July 2005 04:36 (7 years ago) Permalink

46. rhyming "south dakota" with "here comes the coda"

― club soda (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 28 July 2005 04:47 (7 years ago) Permalink

47. "Suburban kids with biblical names"

― PB, Thursday, 28 July 2005 14:01 (7 years ago) Permalink

48. Cause I'm a man who has a wife who has a mother who married one but she loved another

― ddb (ddb), Thursday, 28 July 2005 14:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

49. Andre was a young black Santa Claus

― ddb (ddb), Thursday, 28 July 2005 14:39 (7 years ago) Permalink

50. The font used in the "Silver Jews" logo.

― PB, Thursday, 28 July 2005 15:17 (7 years ago) Permalink

51. "Boy wants a car from his dad / Dad says 'son, first you gotta cut that hair' / 'Dad, Jesus had long hair / 'Yes son, and Jesus walked everywhere''"

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 28 July 2005 15:24 (7 years ago) Permalink

52. "It's been evening all day long, it's been evening all day long..."

― BlastsOfStatic (BlastsofStatic), Thursday, 28 July 2005 16:08 (7 years ago) Permalink

53. the photo on the back of Starlite walker

― Palpatean Mists, Thursday, 28 July 2005 16:11 (7 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 50 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

96. "black-eyed susans from the Maryland shore"

― I'm at WORK, Otto! (samjeff), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 02:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

97. "I'd rather live in a trash can
than see you happy with another man."

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 12:24 (6 years ago) Permalink

98.

He arm-wrestled my friend and former roommate Jeff, and we had this picture in our living room.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 12:29 (6 years ago) Permalink

99. We're seeing 'em tonight!

― I'm at WORK, Otto! (samjeff), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 15:13 (6 years ago) Permalink

100. "and then it ends"

― ath (ath), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 15:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

When God was young, he made the wind and the sun
Since then, it's been a slow education
And you got that one idea again
The one about dying.
Oh oh oh I'm lightning
Oh oh oh I'm rain
Oh oh oh it's frightening
I'm not the same, I'm not the same,
I'm not the same
There's a screen door banging in the wind
Remember you wanted to be like George Washington back then
Everybody's going down on themselves
No pardon me's or fare thee wells in the end

Oh oh oh I'm lightning
Oh oh oh I'm rain
Oh oh oh it's frightening
I'm not the same, I'm not the same,
I'm not the same

I normally don't care about lyrics in music, but nobody's lyrics sink into my head like Berman's. and this changes things. in fact without the lyrics, there is nothing there. its a different approach to listening. I feel like I'm hearing a real person.

― marbles (marbles), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 16:37 (6 years ago) Permalink

Ain't ya heard the news? Adam and Eve were Jews.

Good for Mr. Berman.

― Savvy Jones (Savvy Jones), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 05:45 (6 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I noticed the Jewish Forward did an article on him too. It's kind of funny.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 12:07 (6 years ago) Permalink

This is one of those things that says more about me than Berman, but is anyone else somewhat frightened about the implications for his next album due to his newfound strong faith?

― like murderinging (modestmickey), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 15:20 (6 years ago) Permalink

so, how was the show?

― arjun (arjun), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 15:58 (6 years ago) Permalink

It was really nice... the band sounded good (three guitars, keyboard, Paz on violin), especially on the new songs. DCB forgot the lyrics to a few songs (both from "American Water"), and was a little stumbly in general (he seemed more into performing at the Pitchfork Fest show), but it's not like you go expecting Neil Diamond.

One kinda bummer was that Cassie B. sang "The Poor, The Fair, and the Good" (my favorite) in a faux-"country" twang (as if maybe to emphasize its affinity with a Nashville ballad), which didn't work for me.

― I'm at WORK, Otto! (samjeff), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 16:41 (6 years ago) Permalink

I thought the "the poor..." sounded like that on the CD

― marbles (marbles), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 16:47 (6 years ago) Permalink

I sing all of the silver jews songs in a faux country twang. its kind of fun actually. either that or a faux punk clip. which works pretty good too.

― marbles (marbles), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 16:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

On the sidewalk after the show, I bought a black long-sleeved tee for $5 - it has a white transfer of the promo pic above (DCB with the newspaper), and "Silver Jews" in vertical lettering... it's great!

― I'm at WORK, Otto! (samjeff), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 16:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

I'll have to listen closely to the CD - I thought she sang normally on there. The put-on accent had too much of a "meta" effect onstage... like she was bored with the song, or something. It undercut the impact for me (I think the choruses are so beautiful).

― I'm at WORK, Otto! (samjeff), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 16:57 (6 years ago) Permalink

x-post Mickey. I don't see why it should frighten you that he's become more religious, especially since it seems like it happened before the recording of Tanglewood. He's going to a conservative congregation, so it's not like he's become a hassid or Matisyahu Berman. And if he needs some religion to keep himself sane, off crack, and not suicidal, shouldn't you be happy for him?

― Jacobo Rock (jacobo rock), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 16:58 (6 years ago) Permalink

I mean, the last line of the last song on Tanglewood Numbers (repeated over and over again) is "I saw God's shadow on this world".

― Jacobo Rock (jacobo rock), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 17:07 (6 years ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

Thought some people might like to know that David Berman will be one of the guys featured on Quickmuse next Tuesday.

― Jamesy, Friday, 15 June 2007 13:59 (5 years ago) Permalink

4 years pass...

Do you believe in MGM endings? Everybody's coming back to Christmas for Texas.

― rustic italian flatbread, Sunday, 30 October 2011 10:32 (1 year ago) Permalink

Build a stage for autumn's bitch

― answering_machine, Sunday, 30 October 2011 11:32 (1 year ago) Permalink

Sigh. Every time I see these thread revived I think he's come back to music.

― kraudive, Monday, 31 October 2011 00:53 (1 year ago) Permalink

I had this friend his name was Marc with a c
His sister was like the heat coming off the back of an old tv

― kraudive, Monday, 31 October 2011 01:28 (1 year ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

Realizing is how it feels inside when it happens to you

― beachville, Friday, 2 March 2012 14:51 (1 year ago) Permalink

Forgot all about this

― Raymond Cummings, Friday, 2 March 2012 15:09 (1 year ago) Permalink

PP, how did the Silver Jews help you meet your bride?

I caught that 2006 tour - will have to post a link to my review here later.

176 (or whatever): BEING IN LOVE DOESN'T MEAN BEING YELLED AT ON A FRIDAY NIGHT (I'm sure Ive misquoted that)

177. All of The Portable February

― Raymond Cummings, Friday, 2 March 2012 15:22 (1 year ago) Permalink

178. 'I wish I had a thousand bucks / I wish I was the Royal Trux'

― Despite all my cheek, I am still just a freak on a leash (bernard snowy), Friday, 2 March 2012 18:33 (1 year ago) Permalink

176 (or whatever): BEING IN LOVE DOESN'T MEAN BEING YELLED AT ON A FRIDAY NIGHT (I'm sure Ive misquoted that)

I think you have too! What song are you trying to quote?

― beachville, Friday, 2 March 2012 18:41 (1 year ago) Permalink

178. I'm gonna shine out in the wild kindness and hold the world to it's word.

I've always found that line kinda hopeful, like he's finally ready taking the world on again (although it's written before the suicede attempt.. In the context of the song then at least)

― Mule, Friday, 2 March 2012 18:41 (1 year ago) Permalink

*to take, not taking..

― Mule, Friday, 2 March 2012 18:42 (1 year ago) Permalink

whenever i see a silver jews thread revived here i hope it's news of berman returning to music-making. respect to the guy for bowing out if he wasn't feeling it anymore, but i miss the Jews!

― tylerw, Friday, 2 March 2012 18:46 (1 year ago) Permalink

I think we all do

― Mule, Friday, 2 March 2012 18:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

I miss him too, but I did not love that last record. I think it signalled a need to give it up for at least a while.

― grandavis, Friday, 2 March 2012 18:50 (1 year ago) Permalink

I't didn't quite convince me either, but I still hunger for more..

― Mule, Friday, 2 March 2012 18:57 (1 year ago) Permalink

If he comes back I imagine it will be because he feels he has something new to say musically. I think that last record was evidence that he just wasn't feeling it any more. I think he made the right call for now.

― grandavis, Friday, 2 March 2012 19:04 (1 year ago) Permalink

179. the line he leaves to the bass in "I'm Gonna Love The Hell Out Of You"

― beachville, Friday, 2 March 2012 19:28 (1 year ago) Permalink

Beachville : it was from a b side on an ep that dropped in advance of Bright Flight

― Raymond Cummings, Friday, 2 March 2012 21:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

Before I knew what I said I said KILLER CUT

― Raymond Cummings, Friday, 2 March 2012 22:38 (1 year ago) Permalink

Sleep on your back, and ash in your shoes, and always use the old sense of the word.

― simulation and similac (Hurting 2), Friday, 2 March 2012 23:55 (1 year ago) Permalink

http://www2.citypaper.com/arts/story.asp?id=11635

― Raymond Cummings, Saturday, 3 March 2012 04:16 (1 year ago) Permalink

182. "She and he laid the stems down flat in the middle of a field"

― Despite all my cheek, I am still just a freak on a leash (bernard snowy), Saturday, 3 March 2012 06:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/02/arts/design/renzo-pianos-nasher-museum-in-dallas-has-sunburn-problem.html?hp

Oh Dallas, you shine with an evil light
How'd you turn a billion steers
Into buildings made of mirrors?

― how's life, Wednesday, 2 May 2012 15:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

183. Every line of "I Remember Me" is amazing, but the ending to the story never fails to absolutely devastate me:

He bought a little land with the money from the settlement
And he even bought the truck that had hit him that day
He touched the part where the metal was bent.
And if you were there you would hear him say.

I remember her and I remember him
I remember them and I remember then..
I'm just rememberin' I'm just rememberin'

― Walter Galt, Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:03 (1 year ago) Permalink

184. My horse's legs look like four brown shotguns

― Walter Galt, Thursday, 3 May 2012 14:05 (1 year ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

185. Girl in a special economic zone
Girl in a special economic zone
Closed sign swinging in the window of a liquor store

― how's life, Wednesday, 31 October 2012 09:56 (6 months ago) Permalink

186. How can I love you
(how can I love yoooouuu)
If you won't
(if you won't)
Lie down?
(LAH DOWN!)

― how's life, Wednesday, 31 October 2012 10:44 (6 months ago) Permalink

187. Chanting more and of rumors of more

― how's life, Wednesday, 31 October 2012 11:56 (6 months ago) Permalink

188. Punks in the beerliiiiight/Toulouse-Lautrec!

― how's life, Friday, 2 November 2012 18:05 (6 months ago) Permalink

http://mentholmountains.blogspot.de/

― Duke, Friday, 2 November 2012 20:33 (6 months ago) Permalink

190. If it ever gets really really bad
If it ever gets really really bad
And let's not kid ourselves:
It gets really really bad

― xanthanguar (cwkiii), Friday, 2 November 2012 20:38 (6 months ago) Permalink

191. (or 189a.)

― Perfect Chicken Forever (Merdeyeux), Friday, 2 November 2012 20:45 (6 months ago) Permalink

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