I also picked up on the similarity to Elliot Smith's "Say Yes", but I wouldn't call it the exact same melody. My interpretation:
My interpretation of this song is that Jenny is a young girl who goes to see a local (likely Grateful Dead) cover band. Sean is in the band, and young Jenny is impressionable at the age of eighteen and believes that he has the answers to what she needs in her life. If you are familiar with Grateful Dead/Phish/"Jam Bands", you know that a lot of their fans tend to be wealthy kids who are looking for meaning in life, hence Jenny being a "rich girl", and Sean is the son of a Coca-Cola middleman. These are two people, who despite their age, have a similar mindset and worldview. They aren't quite sure what to make of their lives.
"Brothers in Arms" is a Dire Straits song, released 13 May 1985. Their relationship revolves around the music that they listen to and it is an important element of their relationship.
"And if there's something wrong with this
They don't see the harm
In joining their forces and singing along"
Jenny and Sean are living in the moment. Knowing Malkmus, this lyric is likely ironic, but it could very well be sincere. Like the hippies of the 60's whom they imitate with their lifestyles, they feel like they are apart of something.
"See those rings on her toes
Check that frisbee in his Volvo
It's a Volvo with ancient plates
They've got a dog she named Trey
A retriever with a frayed bandanna around his neck"
The rings on her toes is imagery of Jenny's "style/fashion". She is the "free spirit" type, at this point. Frisbees and Volvos, are also very clear references to the types of people who "tour" with these bands. The Volvo is very old, and therefor has "ancient plates". The dog who Jenny named Trey is a reference to Trey Anastasio, the lead guitarist/frontman of Phish. If you've ever been to a Phish show, you know it's not uncommon to see the lot kids bring their dogs.
"Trey has a window into their relationship
The baby talk voices
And the post-Class A nasal drip"
Malkmus is being tongue-in-cheek with this first line of the stanza. He could be talking about Jenny's dog Trey, but I think it's more likely that he's actually referencing Trey Anastasio himself. Anyone familiar with the audience Malkmus is alluding to in the song knows that they enjoy illicit substances. It is possible the "post class-A nasal drip" is a drug reference, maybe cocaine. Some obsessed fans might even believe that Trey "understands" them on a level that others do not. Malkmus is pointing out how ridiculous this is, but "But it all seems to function
At least in the dog's mind"
"Let me out of here
Let me out of here
You got to let me out of here
You got to let me out of here
Let me out of here, out of here
Out of here, out of here
Let me out of here, I'll hit the ground running
Running..."
The relationship at this point has run its course. Jenny feels like she is being suffocated, so to speak, and this is her way of telling Sean she needs space.
"Jennifer left for school up in Boulder
And that Ess-dog came to visit when he could
But the strain was too much
They could not make up for distance
And the distance between their years"
Jennifer decides to go to school in Boulder, which in itself is known for being a part of the culture that this whole song has been playing on. At this point, they are in a "long-distance relationship", and they are seeing that it fails not just because of the distance geographically, but the difference in their maturity.
"Neither one listens to "Brothers in Arms"
The Ess-dog waits tables, and he sold his guitar
Jenny pledged Kappa and she started pre-law
And off came those awful toe rings
Off came those awful toe rings"
The final verse shows the changes that have occurred over time in the personalities/relationship of/between Jenny and Sean. Even when they listen to their "song" ("Brothers in Arms"), they still can't seem to feel the way they used to feel about each other. Sean has given up on his dreams of playing music, and has faced his reality: waiting tables. Jenny has decided to become a sorority girl in college, and she has stripped herself of her toe rings, both physically and metaphorically. She has decided to start "Pre-law", which is pretty much on the other end of the spectrum compared to where she was in the first verse.
I also picked up on the similarity to Elliot Smith's "Say Yes", but I wouldn't call it the exact same melody. My interpretation: My interpretation of this song is that Jenny is a young girl who goes to see a local (likely Grateful Dead) cover band. Sean is in the band, and young Jenny is impressionable at the age of eighteen and believes that he has the answers to what she needs in her life. If you are familiar with Grateful Dead/Phish/"Jam Bands", you know that a lot of their fans tend to be wealthy kids who are looking for meaning in life, hence Jenny being a "rich girl", and Sean is the son of a Coca-Cola middleman. These are two people, who despite their age, have a similar mindset and worldview. They aren't quite sure what to make of their lives. "Brothers in Arms" is a Dire Straits song, released 13 May 1985. Their relationship revolves around the music that they listen to and it is an important element of their relationship.
"And if there's something wrong with this They don't see the harm In joining their forces and singing along"
Jenny and Sean are living in the moment. Knowing Malkmus, this lyric is likely ironic, but it could very well be sincere. Like the hippies of the 60's whom they imitate with their lifestyles, they feel like they are apart of something.
"See those rings on her toes Check that frisbee in his Volvo It's a Volvo with ancient plates They've got a dog she named Trey A retriever with a frayed bandanna around his neck"
The rings on her toes is imagery of Jenny's "style/fashion". She is the "free spirit" type, at this point. Frisbees and Volvos, are also very clear references to the types of people who "tour" with these bands. The Volvo is very old, and therefor has "ancient plates". The dog who Jenny named Trey is a reference to Trey Anastasio, the lead guitarist/frontman of Phish. If you've ever been to a Phish show, you know it's not uncommon to see the lot kids bring their dogs.
"Trey has a window into their relationship The baby talk voices And the post-Class A nasal drip" Malkmus is being tongue-in-cheek with this first line of the stanza. He could be talking about Jenny's dog Trey, but I think it's more likely that he's actually referencing Trey Anastasio himself. Anyone familiar with the audience Malkmus is alluding to in the song knows that they enjoy illicit substances. It is possible the "post class-A nasal drip" is a drug reference, maybe cocaine. Some obsessed fans might even believe that Trey "understands" them on a level that others do not. Malkmus is pointing out how ridiculous this is, but "But it all seems to function At least in the dog's mind"
"Let me out of here Let me out of here You got to let me out of here You got to let me out of here Let me out of here, out of here Out of here, out of here Let me out of here, I'll hit the ground running Running..." The relationship at this point has run its course. Jenny feels like she is being suffocated, so to speak, and this is her way of telling Sean she needs space.
"Jennifer left for school up in Boulder And that Ess-dog came to visit when he could But the strain was too much They could not make up for distance And the distance between their years" Jennifer decides to go to school in Boulder, which in itself is known for being a part of the culture that this whole song has been playing on. At this point, they are in a "long-distance relationship", and they are seeing that it fails not just because of the distance geographically, but the difference in their maturity. "Neither one listens to "Brothers in Arms" The Ess-dog waits tables, and he sold his guitar Jenny pledged Kappa and she started pre-law And off came those awful toe rings Off came those awful toe rings" The final verse shows the changes that have occurred over time in the personalities/relationship of/between Jenny and Sean. Even when they listen to their "song" ("Brothers in Arms"), they still can't seem to feel the way they used to feel about each other. Sean has given up on his dreams of playing music, and has faced his reality: waiting tables. Jenny has decided to become a sorority girl in college, and she has stripped herself of her toe rings, both physically and metaphorically. She has decided to start "Pre-law", which is pretty much on the other end of the spectrum compared to where she was in the first verse.
Anyways, that's my take.