"The End" is stunning

CG49089

This song didn't hit me right off the bat.... but about 3-4 days in it hit me really hard.

This has to be one of the most beautiful and touching songs in the PJ catalogue... I didn't think I would be so happy with the album so soon, but I'm really pleased... and I haven't been able to say that without reservations for a long time... this album reminds me of what I love about Pearl Jam... and it is great to see them breaking new ground... I'm discovering a bunch of bright spots on the album... but I wanted to show particular attention to the"the End", because I haven't seen it discussed yet.

One of my favorite parts of the song is the sound of the line "I'm better than this... don't leave... me... so cold." that's Eddie hitting heights/depths where few others can reach in my opinion.

I love the way the song is poetic and direct at once... so effective and powerful.

theserialthrilla

100% behind you on this....cant believe some peeps slagging it of as boring...but if we all liked the same songs ever gig would be the same set list...and i cant see that happening. well unless they start doing 5 hours shows.hmmmmmmmmm thats a idea.

Niko80

The song is amazing.. Learned it on guitar last night and couldnt help notice how similar its chord & melody structure is to blackbird by the beatles. Eddie covered that song on his solo tour and it is obvious the end hails from that.

One of the stronger songs on BS.

ZiggyStar

Personally, it's one of my least favourite songs on the album. I don't dislike it....I just don't like it a lot.

orig_long red

i like it, but can do without all those convoluted strings.

Sian-of-the-dead

I absolutely adore this song.

Personally I think it's captured what I would assume to be the feelings of someone who's slipping away very well. It's captures the desperation, the apologies (even though it's no one's fault), the love and the fear in such a touching way. I don't think those kind of feelings would be easy to put into a poem or song, especially if the writer hasn't experienced it personally.

Serious kudos to Ed for writing such a real but beautiful song.

ZiggyStar

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

I absolutely adore this song.

Personally I think it's captured what I would assume to be the feelings of someone who's slipping away very well. It's captures the desperation, the apologies (even though it's no one's fault), the love and the fear in such a touching way. I don't think those kind of feelings would be easy to put into a poem or song, especially if the writer hasn't experienced it personally.

Serious kudos to Ed for writing such a real but beautiful song.

Maybe that's why I don't get it.....I haven't experienced that with someone REALLY close.....except my Boxer.....and that is still no comparison.

Niko80

ZiggyStar wrote:

Maybe that's why I don't get it.....I haven't experienced that with someone REALLY close.....except my Boxer.....and that is still no comparison.

Boxer the dog?
We have had boxers in the family during my entire upbringing. Those dogs are easy to love, very smart and such great personalities. My mom is the original boxer fanatic in the family, when she was a kid she had 4 boxers at the same time, naming them after the characters in 'The Flintstones'.

Now, there are no boxers. Last one said goodbye last summer and it was one of the saddest moments in my life having to be the one that had to take her to the vet.. To me, there are comparison. Losing dogs has always been tough..

ZiggyStar

Niko80 wrote:

ZiggyStar wrote:

Maybe that's why I don't get it.....I haven't experienced that with someone REALLY close.....except my Boxer.....and that is still no comparison.

Boxer the dog?
We have had boxers in the family during my entire upbringing. Those dogs are easy to love, very smart and such great personalities. My mom is the original boxer fanatic in the family, when she was a kid she had 4 boxers at the same time, naming them after the characters in 'The Flintstones'.

Now, there are no boxers. Last one said goodbye last summer and it was one of the saddest moments in my life having to be the one that had to take her to the vet.. To me, there are comparison. Losing dogs has always been tough..

Yeah! Boxers rock!! I've got one now...same blood line as the one I lost in 2004. BEST DOGS EVER!!

stardust1976

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

I absolutely adore this song.

Personally I think it's captured what I would assume to be the feelings of someone who's slipping away very well. It's captures the desperation, the apologies (even though it's no one's fault), the love and the fear in such a touching way. I don't think those kind of feelings would be easy to put into a poem or song, especially if the writer hasn't experienced it personally.

Serious kudos to Ed for writing such a real but beautiful song.

Ok, so I don't really post on here (as you can see), but kind of felt like I had to add mine in for this song..I've been watching the threads here, and waiting to see if someone would mention this song..

Although the song itself may be about the absolute end...for me, it;s a bit more personal...My husband of 11 years (partner of 15) left me the day Backspacer came out...I listened to the album and immediately loved The End (just my kind of song really), but the lyrics struck home intantly.

SO yeah, it's probably about the literal end, but the lyrics kind of fit this situation too...Especially the "what were all those dreams we shared" and the "how it pains to leave you here with the kids alone"...

I love it, and find it very cathartic at the moment....it's a beautiful song with stunning melody and lyrics for me...

Bulldog88

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

I absolutely adore this song.

Personally I think it's captured what I would assume to be the feelings of someone who's slipping away very well. It's captures the desperation, the apologies (even though it's no one's fault), the love and the fear in such a touching way. I don't think those kind of feelings would be easy to put into a poem or song, especially if the writer hasn't experienced it personally.

Serious kudos to Ed for writing such a real but beautiful song.

Well put, I agree!

offigo

It is soo raw. It actually chokes me up a bit. Love it!!!

Brisk.

yuup!

OffHeGoes132

Niko80 wrote:

ZiggyStar wrote:

Now, there are no boxers. Last one said goodbye last summer and it was one of the saddest moments in my life having to be the one that had to take her to the vet.. To me, there are comparison. Losing dogs has always been tough..

Couldn't agree more. Losing a dog is one of the hardest things I've had to deal with; especially when it's one you grew up with. Call me a puss all you want - I'm sure many of you feel the same.

Oh, and the End is fantastic. Period.

velogator

Love this song...painful, beautiful, poetic, just a wonderful song.

OffHeGoes132

Niko80 wrote:

ZiggyStar wrote:

quote]



Now, there are no boxers. Last one said goodbye last summer and it was one of the saddest moments in my life having to be the one that had to take her to the vet.. To me, there are comparison. Losing dogs has always been tough..

Couldn't agree more. Losing a dog is one of the hardest things I've had to deal with; especially when it's one you grew up with. Call me a puss all you want - I'm sure many of you feel the same.

Oh, and the End is fantastic. Period.

EDIT: sorry double post

polaris_x

this song is gut-wrenching ... anyone who's witnessed someone change both physically and emotionally due to an illness knows that for many - they feel bad for not being there for their friends and family, not being the person they once were which in it of itself is sad ...

help me see myself ...
cuz i can no longer tell ...
looking up from the inside of the bottom of a well ...

PJStatTracker

definitely one of my favorites from the album...

cajunkiwi

OffHeGoes132 wrote:

Niko80 wrote:

ZiggyStar wrote:

Now, there are no boxers. Last one said goodbye last summer and it was one of the saddest moments in my life having to be the one that had to take her to the vet.. To me, there are comparison. Losing dogs has always been tough..

Couldn't agree more. Losing a dog is one of the hardest things I've had to deal with; especially when it's one you grew up with. Call me a puss all you want - I'm sure many of you feel the same.

Oh, and the End is fantastic. Period.

I'm not a crier at all - and I cried like a damn 5-year-old when my last dog died.

Gmoney

stardust1976 wrote:

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

I absolutely adore this song.

Personally I think it's captured what I would assume to be the feelings of someone who's slipping away very well. It's captures the desperation, the apologies (even though it's no one's fault), the love and the fear in such a touching way. I don't think those kind of feelings would be easy to put into a poem or song, especially if the writer hasn't experienced it personally.

Serious kudos to Ed for writing such a real but beautiful song.

Ok, so I don't really post on here (as you can see), but kind of felt like I had to add mine in for this song..I've been watching the threads here, and waiting to see if someone would mention this song..

Although the song itself may be about the absolute end...for me, it;s a bit more personal...My husband of 11 years (partner of 15) left me the day Backspacer came out...I listened to the album and immediately loved The End (just my kind of song really), but the lyrics struck home intantly.

SO yeah, it's probably about the literal end, but the lyrics kind of fit this situation too...Especially the "what were all those dreams we shared" and the "how it pains to leave you here with the kids alone"...

I love it, and find it very cathartic at the moment....it's a beautiful song with stunning melody and lyrics for me...

So sorry to hear... what a bitter sweet day. I am and have been torn from day one as to whether or not this song is actually about death. At first I was convinced that it wasn't, and that it simply was written by someone who recognized the end of a relationship and was suffering greatly from it. The only thing that has slightly changed my mind, making me lean toward it being about death is the "gasp" at the end of the song. As if it's the last breath...

vito

This song sums up everything that I love about EV. His voice on this kind of a song is comparable to no-one. The lyrics are absolutely brilliant both beautiful and gut-wrenching. And lastly listen to this song w/ headphones on at a good volume and it will shake you to the bone. THE END= A PJ MASTERPIECE!

Brain Of Jeremy

Song really has grown on me.

I read some people don't like abrupt ending.

I LOVE IT!!!

It is kind of like the end of the movie "No Country For Old Men"....

*****Spoiler Alert for those who haven't seen****



The movie ends right in the middle of Tommy Lee Jone's dialogue...just cuts out and goes to black. A lot of symbolism and meaning behind a sudden end like that. Think it is haunting and cool considering the subject matter of the song.

greenmanny

The song is so awesome. However, the album version doesn't compare to when Eddie played it live at the Ryman this past summer.

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

the ending is perfect. i like Just Breathe a little more though. feels more complete.

acutejam

It's a lot like a Randy Newman song in Toy Story II -- when the girl doll Josie sings about her child abandoning her. "When She Loved Me", it was sung by Sarah Ann McLachlan -- and wow, it was nominated for the oscar but lost to phil collins tarzan something.... sigh.

Amazing song for me. Not a song I especially wanted, but a song I needed. That I was there when Ed first performed it (6/12) was one of those cosmic karmic events in life....

There's something to be said for recognizing that it's simply the human condition to go through incredible, "searing" emotional pain -- knowing that others are going through it, others are writing about it perhaps having weathered it, survived.... That the inverse of that pain is in fact something quite beautiful.

Like this song. Like Black.

viewtopic.php?p=740808#p740808

FrankY59

greenmanny wrote:

The song is so awesome. However, the album version doesn't compare to when Eddie played it live at the Ryman this past summer.

That was my biggest concern in how would the song play live without the string, horn and violin arrangements. It helps make the song what it is and that is remarkable. Albeit, Eddie's voice is the dominant force but you cannot argue the influence of the instruments.

To the lady whose husband left her...that is very sad to hear. I am a true believer in that everything in life happens for a reason and I hope that reason becomes obvious to you sooner than later.

CG49089

vito wrote:

This song sums up everything that I love about EV. His voice on this kind of a song is comparable to no-one. The lyrics are absolutely brilliant both beautiful and gut-wrenching. And lastly listen to this song w/ headphones on at a good volume and it will shake you to the bone. THE END= A PJ MASTERPIECE!

I second this emotion... for anyone who hasn't fallen for this song yet... try listening with a good pair of headphones... or just any headphones... at night in bed is a great time... allows you to focus.

malcyrvs

He did this solo at SBE in August, I thought to myself then, wow!
When I heard the album verson it totally floored me.
I've read a lot of threads since the album was released, we all have opinions I know, but one was regarding his voice not sounding polished, and rubbish on headphones with regard to this song in particular.
In my humble opinion his vocals on The End are up there with the best he's ever done. He absolutely nails it for me, it's so raw, it very nearly cracks as he wrings out the emotion to the nth degree.
Stunning vocal.

LennonMcCartneyFanatic

I agree, it is the best song on the album and one of the all-time PJ classics. Such emotion, passion and lyrical mastery. Along with a great melody line. Brilliant.

MrMerkinball

The line: "leave you with the kids alone" gets me every time.

hollow bottle

I'm listening to it right now. It has the ITW feel. I love it. I loved it the first time I heard it. The way the lyrics are put to the music, brilliant!