“Maybe I don't have the patience to make a virtue of necessity - the patience to carry something all the way through, and to actually say something. Lately, the songs are more jagged and they don't really lend themselves to that. I just take it one bit at a time.” WaySongBitsVirtue Author:Stephen Malkmus
“Usually [the lyrics] go from one word to the next word - there's no finish line. The music was that way, too.” WayNextLinesOne WordFinish Line Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I feel the most natural thing is for music to come that way because it's sort of like poetry. Though I do think with poets that I like, like Charles Olson or Ezra Pound, they were rewriting constantly, until the poem becomes a diamond.But with music I don't really feel that way.” ThinkingWayFeelsNaturalPoetPoundsDiamondRewritingNatural Things Author:Stephen Malkmus
“Most people want to be seen or heard. You want to shine. That's my way of shining.” PeopleWayWantHeardShiningMy Way Author:Stephen Malkmus
“My wife says that I changed people's lives or ways of thinking and that I should always be proud and grateful. If I'm dismissive of what we do sometimes, a little bit, she's like, "I was a fan, you changed my life," or whatever. That's what she says.” PeopleIfsThinkingWayShouldLittlesSometimesBitsWifeFansChangedProudLittle BitGratefulMy WifeBe ProudWay Of ThinkingChanged My LifeYou Changed Author:Stephen Malkmus
“Like the song "Stereo", to me that's like, kind of hip-hop in that slacker way. There's some slackerisms mixed in with that stuff, but it wasn't really conscious, I guess. When things would get more typical rock'n'roll that was my fallback to go to those kind of lyrics instead of the alternatives.” WayKindSongStuffRocksConsciousHip HopHipsAlternativesHopsRock N RollTypicalSlacker Author:Stephen Malkmus
“You know, the songs that are self-conscious or jerky, they are that way, but the other ones aren't, so that's a good thing. Some of the songs are Beck-jokey, but the others, they have heart in them.” KnowsWayHeartSelfSongConsciousGood ThingsSelf Conscious Author:Stephen Malkmus
“Yeah, on the records, the guitars are made melodic, and I try to make it memorable. There's not much just wanking, to be honest - it's mostly melodic parts. I try not to play too many notes. It's just more instrumental music. It's a totally valid criticism if you don't like that kind of thing. It also is maybe a little anachronistic or unnecessary in a certain way.” IfsWayTryingKindLittlesMadePlayCertainRecordsHonestCriticismYeahNotesGuitarBeing HonestMemorableUnnecessaryInstrumental Music Author:Stephen Malkmus
“I'm not sure if you can blame everything on the American way of life, but the United States are big. So, if you have a lot of people there, the percentage of stupid people is bound to be higher.” PeopleIfsWayStatesBigsUnitedUnited StatesStupidHigherBlameBoundsNot SurePercentagesStupid PeopleAmerican Way Of Life Author:Stephen Malkmus
