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Silver Jews – Random Rules / Smith & Jones Forever

May 22, 2018 Peter Kimpton
David Berman from Silver Jews

David Berman from Silver Jews

Moving from yesterday's Smog/Bill Callahan songs, today let's sample another brilliant lyricist who specialises in dark and  droll delivery, taken from the lo-fi 1998 album American Water. Ex-Pavement's Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich were the other two of the three founding members in, but the focus point is singer David Berman's songwriting, and these first two tracks set the tone for this critically acclaimed work.

The opener, Random Rules, contains one of the most ironic and memorable first lines, and moves from the pitfalls of the single lifestyle to an attempt at reconciling with a former lover. The second parodies what seems idea of American cowboy heroes, Smith and Jones, but are they really hobos,  common thieves, or false Hollywood stars with glued-on moustaches and duct-tape shoes? Both songs open the album which is below. American Water was the third of six albums (four of which included Malkmus) released between 1994 and 2008.

In 1984 I was hospitalised for approaching perfection
Slowly screwing my way across Europe, they had to make a correction
Broken and smokin' where the infrared deer plunge in the digital snake
I tell you, they make it so you can't shake hands when they make your hands shake

I know you like to line dance, everything so democratic and cool
But baby there's no guidance when random rules

I know that a lot of what I say has been lifted off of men's room walls
Maybe I've crossed the wrong rivers and walked down all the wrong halls
But nothing can change the fact that we used to share a bed
And that's why it scared me so when you turned to me and said:

"Yeah, you look like someone
Yeah you look like someone who up and left me low
Boy, you look like someone I used to know."

I know you like to line dance, everything so democratic and cool
But lately, there's no guidance when random rules

I asked the painter why the roads are colored black
He said, "Steve, it's because people leave
And no highway will bring them back."
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

No one should have two lives
Now you know my middle names are wrong and right
Honey we've got two lives to give tonight. 

Are you honest when no one's looking?
Can you summon honey from a telephone?
They sat there with their hooks in the water
And their moustaches caked with airplane glue

O come let us adore them
California overboard
When the sun sets on the ghetto all the broken stuff gets cold

[Chorus]
Smith and Jones forever!
Smith and Jones forever!
Smith and Jones forever, together forever and ever

Build a stage for autumn's bitch
They walk the alleys in duct tape shoes
They see the things they need through the windows of a hatchback
The alleys are the footnotes of the avenues

O come let us adore them
California overboard
Holding up their trousers with extension cords

[Chorus]
Smith and Jones forever!
Smith and Jones forever!
Smith and Jones forever, together forever and ever

I've got two tickets to a midnight execution
We'll hitchhike our way from Odessa to Houston
And when they turn on the chair
Something's added to the air
When they turn on the chair
Something's added to the air forever

[Chorus]
Smith and Jones forever!
Smith and Jones forever!
Smith and Jones forever, together forever and ever.

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In 1998, alt-country, Americana, indie Tags songs, song of the day, Silver Jews, David Berman, Stephen Malkmus
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