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What the hell is Dissident about?

circlesdowncirclesdown Posts: 308
edited June 2010 in Words and Music...Communication
The words have always meant a lot to me, very powerful. Especially 'escape is never the safest path', but I'm pretty sure what it means to me is not what Ed was saying, which is fine with me andI'm sure is fine with Ed. But I'm just wondering, when looking at the lyrics as a whole, what this is about. Thoughts?

She nursed him there, over a night
I wasn't so sure she wanted him to stay
What to say...what to say
But soon she was down, soon he was low
At a quarter past...a holy no...
She had to turn around
When she couldn't hold, oh...she folded...
A dissident is here
Escape is never, the safest path
A dissident, a dissident is here

And to this day, she's glided on
Always home but so far away
Like a word misplaced
Nothing said, what a waste
When she had contact...with the conflict...
There was meaning, but she sold him to the state
She had to turn around
When she couldn't hold...she folded...
A dissident is here
Escape is never, the safest path
A dissident, a dissident is here

She gave him away when she couldn't hold...no...she folded...
A dissident is here
Escape is never, the safest path
A dissident, a dissident is here
Couldn't hold on...she couldn't hold...no...she folded...
A dissident is here
Escape is never the safest place
A dissident is here
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Johnny AggroJohnny Aggro Posts: 543
    In RAW magazine back in '93 they broke each song down and its meaning with conversations with Ed

    As far as memory serves songs on Versus are about as follows:


    Go: Can't remember
    Animal: The media's obession with the band
    Daughter: About a dyslexic girl and abuse suffered through ignorance
    Glorified G: Gun ownership. then drummer Dave Abruzesse stated during a conversation that he had a gun, in fact two.
    Dissident: About regret and not being able to shoulder the responibility of hiding a fugitive
    WMA: Racism
    Blood: Again the media treating them like circus animals
    Rats: Comparison of humankind to rats
    Elderly Woman: Self explanatory
    Leash: rebellion against authourity
    Indifference: Asking what if any impact we can all make

    NB Remember, all interpretations are valid as they are a point of view also

    Thanks


    JA
    RDS Dublin - Aug 26 1995 (Neil Young with Pearl Jam)
    Millstreet Arena - Oct 24, 1996
    The Point - Oct 26, 1996
    The Point - Jun 01, 2000
    The Point - Aug 23, 2006
    Wembley Arena - Jun 18, 2007
    Manchester Evening News Arena - Aug 17, 2009
    The O2 - Jun 22, 2010
    Odyssey Arena - Jun 23, 2010
    Manchester Evening News Arena - Jun 20 2012
    Amsterdam Ziggo Dome - Jun 26 2012
    Amsterdam Ziggo Dome - Jun 16 2014
  • Johnny AggroJohnny Aggro Posts: 543
    Sorry


    RVM: Continuation and eventual emancipation of the Daughter issue
    RDS Dublin - Aug 26 1995 (Neil Young with Pearl Jam)
    Millstreet Arena - Oct 24, 1996
    The Point - Oct 26, 1996
    The Point - Jun 01, 2000
    The Point - Aug 23, 2006
    Wembley Arena - Jun 18, 2007
    Manchester Evening News Arena - Aug 17, 2009
    The O2 - Jun 22, 2010
    Odyssey Arena - Jun 23, 2010
    Manchester Evening News Arena - Jun 20 2012
    Amsterdam Ziggo Dome - Jun 26 2012
    Amsterdam Ziggo Dome - Jun 16 2014
  • Backspacer_BackerBackspacer_Backer Posts: 1,023
    to expand on that, i think yeah, the "She" subject nursed a fugitive, probably a political rebel against her nation. ("when she had contact, with the conflict"). she had extremely difficult mixed emotions - falling in love with him, but knowing that she was a traitor against her own people, and that it couldn't materialize into a permanent relationship.....so she "sold him to the state" or "gave him away" when she "had to turn around" aka turn her back on him. just my two cents.
  • good news messengergood news messenger Posts: 36
    Thank you guys for this. I've always loved this song. Very powerful, but just didn't know why. Which the way Eddie sings and puts his own emotion into the lyrics always helps the song(s) be powerful.


    I've tried to figure this song out, but never could. Thanks again for sharing your understanding.
    "Before his first step.. he is off again."


    6/24/06-Cincinnati
    5/1/10- Jazz Fest
  • dimitrispearljamdimitrispearljam Posts: 139,687
    Animal was about a girl raped from 5 guys
    "...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
    "..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
    “..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
  • Macca.Macca. Posts: 19
    dimitrispearljam wrote:
    Animal was about a girl raped from 5 guys

    The 5 against 1 is about the band vs the world.
  • DY223975DY223975 Posts: 2
    I always liked interpreting the song as a woman in a relationship that she couldn't stay in. She was a dissident to her own life, her ambivalence about the relationship was the conflict.
    Diana
  • timctimc Posts: 664
    or putting a kid up for adoption/abortion???
  • pandorapandora Posts: 21,855
    circlesdown wrote:
    The words have always meant a lot to me, very powerful. Especially 'escape is never the safest path', but I'm pretty sure what it means to me is not what Ed was saying, which is fine with me andI'm sure is fine with Ed. But I'm just wondering, when looking at the lyrics as a whole, what this is about. Thoughts?

    She nursed him there, over a night
    I wasn't so sure she wanted him to stay
    What to say...what to say
    But soon she was down, soon he was low
    At a quarter past...a holy no...
    She had to turn around
    When she couldn't hold, oh...she folded...
    A dissident is here
    Escape is never, the safest path
    A dissident, a dissident is here

    And to this day, she's glided on
    Always home but so far away
    Like a word misplaced
    Nothing said, what a waste
    When she had contact...with the conflict...
    There was meaning, but she sold him to the state
    She had to turn around
    When she couldn't hold...she folded...
    A dissident is here
    Escape is never, the safest path
    A dissident, a dissident is here

    She gave him away when she couldn't hold...no...she folded...
    A dissident is here
    Escape is never, the safest path
    A dissident, a dissident is here
    Couldn't hold on...she couldn't hold...no...she folded...
    A dissident is here
    Escape is never the safest place
    A dissident is here
    This is one song I always took literally, like a story from long ago, a time long ago. Never questioned it or wondered. It fit perfect, the music and lyrics to a time of long ago political change and one person helping another in need.
  • DreamOfAngelsDreamOfAngels Posts: 829
    wikipedia has a quote from Ed about the meaning of Dissident. Pasted below is what is posted on wikipedia


    In "Dissident", I'm actually talking about a woman who takes in someone who's being sought after by the authorities for political reasons. He's on the run, and she offers him a refuge. But she just can't handle the responsibility. She turns him in, then she has to live with the guilt and the realization that she's betrayed the one thing that gave her life meaning. It made her life difficult. It made her life hell. But it gave her a reason to be. But she couldn't hold on. She folded. That's the tragedy of the song.

    Jones, Allan. Pearl Jam - The Illustrated Story, A Melody Maker Book. Hal Leonard Corp, 1995. ISBN 0793540356
  • DissidentmanDissidentman Posts: 15,378
    DreamOfAngels wrote:
    wikipedia has a quote from Ed about the meaning of Dissident. Pasted below is what is posted on wikipedia


    In "Dissident", I'm actually talking about a woman who takes in someone who's being sought after by the authorities for political reasons. He's on the run, and she offers him a refuge. But she just can't handle the responsibility. She turns him in, then she has to live with the guilt and the realization that she's betrayed the one thing that gave her life meaning. It made her life difficult. It made her life hell. But it gave her a reason to be. But she couldn't hold on. She folded. That's the tragedy of the song.

    Jones, Allan. Pearl Jam - The Illustrated Story, A Melody Maker Book. Hal Leonard Corp, 1995. ISBN 0793540356

    And there you have it.
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