Milk/Malkmus? Discuss.

Are we discussing his name, his music, or are we gonna "call the whole thing off"?

I thought the above post was a good way to start a discussion about how important folks think Malkmus' lyrics are. Do you listen to what he's saying, or do you listen to the way he delivers them, or what? And I figured, what better way to begin such a discussion than to do so obliquely, a la S.M., y'know?

I listen to the way he says the words. He can make the most meaningless phrase sound absolutely profound the way he pronounces it.

Mashed, please.

With that tasty cream gravy they put on the swedish meatballs at IKEA. Yummy!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: philosopherEric,

In isolation, a lot of Malkmus' lines are ridiculous and nonsensical. But I do think they often add up to something when put all together in the context of an entire song. Occasionally, chunks of his lyrics stand on their own as insightful and meaningful.

Some lines of his that I initially thought were throwaway, "hear how crazy this sounds" lyrics actually make sense after hearing them 50 times. I get a strong sense of, "I'm almost dismissing these lyrics but...wait a minute...hmmm...there's something going on here." I feel the same way about Ween.

In general I think the aural qualities of lyrics--the consonant and vowel sounds and how they relate to the rhythm and melody they're sung in--is more important to making a song good than what they actually mean. Words are just sounds really, not very different from drums or guitars in a sense. Which is why I think Malkmus is a great singer--like someone said above, his diction and delivery can make anything sound meaningful.

You may be true, even if I've never noticed it. I greatly enjoy Malkmus's lyrics. His first solo album is a true masterpiece, in every sense of the WORD, IMO.

"JoJo's Jacket" is one of my faves. What's not to like and to laugh at?

"And in a funny way, the shaving of my, uh, head has been a liberation from, uh, a lot of, uh, stupid vanities really. Uh, it has simplified everything for me, it has opened a lot of doors maybe." --Yul Brynner


I'm not what you think I am
I'm the king of Siam
I've got a bald head
My name is Yul Brynner
And I am a famous movie star
Perhaps you saw me in Westworld
I acted like a robotic cowboy
It was my best role
I can not deny I
Felt right home deep inside
That electronic carcass

You're such monumental slime
Let the punishment fit the crime
Tie it to a chair
The house music will blare
And turn your ears into
A medicinal jelly
Stay inside on Christmas Day
And make believe that you are my candy cane
You said, "I'm not that type,
No I'm not sweet, and I'm not overripe

Bob Dylan sang in
"Its alright mama im only bleeding",
Everything from toy guns that spark to flesh colored Christs that glow in the dark
Its easy to see we got in too far and not much is really sacred