The ONLY thing I don't love about BS....
Backspacer_Backer
Posts: 1,023
Not looking to complain or criticize, I'm just curious if this bothers anybody else. I love the album, have listened to it nonstop since Friday, and the more I listen, the more I like the ENTIRE record from start to finish.
But as that process goes on, and i familiarize myself with the lyrics, Eddie's apparent new willingness to include religious (even Christian) messages in the music is a turn off to me. I don't mind anybody's religion, I just don't like it in my rock music. That's called Christian rock, and it's something I don't get into. I am glad that Ed is happy with his current life situation, and if that includes being born again or just more comfortable writing about his faith, great for him. For me as a listener, that's the one thing I would change about Backspacer. Too many soul saving and prayer references for my taste.
But as that process goes on, and i familiarize myself with the lyrics, Eddie's apparent new willingness to include religious (even Christian) messages in the music is a turn off to me. I don't mind anybody's religion, I just don't like it in my rock music. That's called Christian rock, and it's something I don't get into. I am glad that Ed is happy with his current life situation, and if that includes being born again or just more comfortable writing about his faith, great for him. For me as a listener, that's the one thing I would change about Backspacer. Too many soul saving and prayer references for my taste.
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but he does say he will say the prayers that belong to someone else.
and just saying that you have a soul that has been saved does not really make it a reigious or christian thing, in my book.
"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel
Ummm, last I checked Eddie was vocally non-religious and constantly jabbed at religion in his show banter. C'mon now....you're reaching.
The day Pearl Jam turns into a Christian Rock band is the day I find a new favorite band. Period.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
umm, no. what, you are a fan of the religious references in Backspacer?
Oh, I get it now. In Just Breathe Ed says he'll see someone on the other side. That's it, Ed is a BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN! Wow, Ed has been anti-Christian for like 18 years in this band, and he says "other side" and all of a sudden he born again. Terrible post. You really must hate Christians.
(Although Amongst the Waves does sound like Creed's Higher)
Do you consider Sunny Day Real Estate a band that writes religious or Christian music?
Amongst the Waves does have a very "inspirational", Christian Rock type vibe to it, I'll grant you that. Do I consider it a Christian song or that Ed is born again? Pshaw. He's just mushy happy.
Gonna see my friend: "Gonna take me an Astral Plane"
The Fixer: "I'll say your prayers. I'll take your side. I'll find us a way to make light"
Johnny Guitar: references the original sin "Foriginal sin". Clearly a Christian reference.
Just Breathe: "Hold me till I die, I'll meet you on the other side"
ATW: "I can feel like I have a soul that has been saved" Soul saving? seriously, this is not a gray area
Speed of Sound: "And yet I’m still holding tight to this dream of distant light" this is debateable, but worth considering
I'd say a few of those are reaching.
Did you like Marker in the Sand from the last album?
having the soul isn't Christian exclusively, or even religious. Having your soul SAVED is a religious or faith based ideal. If not for religion or faith, what would your soul need to be saved FROM?
http://www.cmj.com/newmm/qanda/veddergarofalo2.html
?
JG: On Elvis's birthday, by the way, p.s.
EV: It's Elvis's birthday, and he would be, I wonder how old. I have to admit, as much as Elvis is good, I'd be less interested in what Elvis had to say these days than what, maybe, John Lennon had to say these days, which might go back to our conversation that there's a big difference between art and entertainment.
JG: Explain more how it applies to John Lennon.
EV: I think John Lennon would be more art and Elvis would be more entertainment. Even though, Elvis kind of had a spiritual side, gospels and all that. But that seemed to be kind of... there was something spiritual going on there but, again, it's about God and not maybe based on reality.
JG: Can I ask what your feelings are about God?
EV: Sure. I think it's like a movie that was way too popular. It's a story that's been told too many times and just doesn't mean anything. Man lived on the planet -- [placing his fingers an inch apart], this is 5000 years of semi-recorded history. And God and the Bible, that came in somewhere around the middle, maybe 2000. This is the last 2000, this is what we're about to celebrate [indicating about an 1/8th of an inch with his fingers]. Now, humans, in some shape or form, have been on the earth for three million years [pointing across the room to indicate the distance]. So, all this time, from there [gesturing toward the other side of the room], to here [indicating the 1/8th of an inch], there was no God, there was no story, there was no myth and people lived on this planet and they wandered and they gathered and they did all these things. The planet was never threatened. How did they survive for all this time without this belief in God? I'd like to ask this to someone who knows about Christianity and maybe you do. That just seems funny to me.
JG: Funny ha-ha or funny strange?
EV: Funny strange. Funny bad. Funny frown. Not good. That laws are made and wars occur because of this story that was written, again, in this small part of time. And now, this is my real concern, and it doesn't have that much to do with God, but what we've done in the last 50 years, which is like my fingernail, and how fast things are moving, and what's going to happen in the next bit. I mean, we're really fucking things up. And now I'm the young guy bitching but I think there is an answer and I hope people educate themselves about technology and what's happening. I think you should educate yourself about...
JG: Who, the you me? Or the you general?
EV: The you general.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
No, at least not until he became a born again after their, what, 3rd album?
(Going to see them on Monday!)
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
What frame of mind are you in where you can't handle these lyrics? What would be atheist lyrics? How depressing those most be.
right, the point is - the garafolo interview was done before ed's life changed significantly. this album has several songs with religious references, and GTF didn't actually have any within the lyrics. People just stretched the theme of the song in general.
it's not about atheism. i like all of pearl jam's music (as do, i assume, you.) The vast majority have no religious references.
Just Breathe and Johnny Guitar.
Just Breathe has a death/moody/relationship vibe. The other side makes sense. He's not gonna right a lyric "Hold me till I die, I'll meet you in the dirt"
And the Johnny Guitar is about what the Pimp Johnny Guitar, most people would think that having many women/being adulterous is a Sin. Nothing more than that really.
If he was writing these songs as an Eddie Vedder Autobiography then I'd agree with you . . . maybe.
Well, in your first sentence you say that a soul is not religious, so in turn then you must admit that having it saved must also not necessarily be religious. You can save my spot in line. A spot in line is not religious, just like you said a soul isn't necessarily religious.
What if Ed is talking about a soul that was destined for loneliness, anger, and unhappiness. Now he's happy and he feels like his soul has been saved. Also, where do you get that anyone other than a girl saved his soul? The type of saving you are referencing is by a higher power. Amongst the Waves sounds like a girl restoring his soul.
Killer. Let's rock!
This song is about, well, drugs. Sure, religion could be a drug, but I think that Astral Plane is more along the lines of chemical highs.
Prayers are obviously religious in nature. But this song is about doing anything and everything to fix something perceived to be broken. I think this is more along the lines of "I'll do anything it takes".
Obvious reference to Genesis from the Bible, sure. The context of the song however is merely that this chick can lure a guy into doing whatever she wants. He's using religious analogy to exemplify a lusty individual. It's actually a common literary technique to reference well-known works to make analogies. Please see "Satan's Bed". I don't think Ed is actually referring to the fallen angel.
Why is referring to the hope of reuniting in some form of afterlife automatically Christian/born again? It's a common theme in almost any religion. It's a source of hope. They have a song *called* "Other Side" for Christ's sake (no, I'm not Christian or born-again).
As someone already mentioned, "soul" is not necessarily religious, although saving typically is. Yes, religious reference, but another common phrase is writing that, to me at least, does not indicate any particular religious leaning of the writer.
Really? Light has so many meanings that this isn't even debatable.
again, i'll ask you, if not for religion, what does a soul need to be saved from? i believe that human beings may have a spirit (soul), but that doesn't mean that they requiring SAVING. soul saving is something that religious brainwashers cooked up to herd the sheep. this is pretty simply a religious lyric.
And, no, I don't find anything particularly religious about any of the lyrics....aside from maybe the reference to the other side, but the afterlife is something that has been referenced in his lyrics on several occasions.
They say every sin is deadly but I believe they may be wrong...I'm guilty of all seven and I don't feel too bad at all
Sure, sure, I'm going to grant you that "soul that has been saved" is a phrase that would not exist in our language if not for religion. Happy?
Now on to the actual context of the lyrics:
He feels as though he has a soul that has been saved. It's a way of describing the feeling of relief, of redemption, of feeling like his worries have been lifted off of him and he can breathe. Like other references, he simply uses a well known (arguably overused) concept of "soul saving" to provide a simile with his overall ellation.
who said anything about a medal of honor? i like my music better if it doesn't make me feel like i'm in church, that's all.
how do you know? save the Garafolo article. I realize he DIDN'T. There's know way for either of us to know if he DOESN"T. Unless you are his wife or something.