Turning his back

jwoodcock

Around the time vitology was out I was in college and I remember some fellow fans saying eddie was doing shows with his back to the crowd and really showing his irritation with fans. Does anyone have any youtube footage of this. I just wanted to see if it was true.

pjtradeking

edit.....

Fighting Hellfish

Maybe it was meant figuratively?

jwoodcock

What about the song not for you. They were absolutely irritated with fans back then they used to comment in the media about the frat boy date rape fan. They hated those poeple. Anyone who liked them because they were pop culture or "grunge", the fictional marketing word. How old are you guys 15?

Spot In The Sky

who is he, jim morrison?? im just kidding- i know jim did it cause he was nervous. but beautiful men thougn. i swear im not gay.

Them-Bones

jamie w wrote:

What about the song not for you. They were absolutely irritated with fans back then they used to comment in the media about the frat boy date rape fan. They hated those poeple. Anyone who liked them because they were pop culture or "grunge", the fictional marketing word. How old are you guys 15?

Actually I am, but I actually know Not For You isn't about the fans, I mean have you heard the lyrics?

a5pj

I know i've seen 1 or 2 where he's singing back by the drum kit peering around the side, (Pinkpop perhaps??) never seen with his back turned the whole show though.

Maybe youre thinking of Maynard from tool who signs from the back usually, and ive heard of some perfect circle shows where he would stay behind a backdrop so you could only see his shadow for the whole show.

Kilgore_Trout

jamie w wrote:

What about the song not for you. They were absolutely irritated with fans back then they used to comment in the media about the frat boy date rape fan. They hated those poeple. Anyone who liked them because they were pop culture or "grunge", the fictional marketing word. How old are you guys 15?

this is a pretty rude response... they answered your question... too bad it wasnt exactly what you expected... quite frankly i think you were wrong to begin with... if youve seen the unreleased video from the '95 tour youd see that ed seems to interact with the fans just fine... no back turned... and im 20, in case my age makes any difference to how you receive my response...

spikeyblue

Am I right in thinking that Ed used to face his back towards the crowd when he drummed in Hovercraft?

I seem to remember reading he did it so the crowd focussed on the music and the rest of the band instead of him.

I believe this to be around the same time frame as well.

fanforlife

Them-Bones wrote:

Actually I am, but I actually know Not For You isn't about the fans, I mean have you heard the lyrics?

So what is the song about? I have alawys wondered if it had to do with fans but have never been sure.

wolfamongwolves

Even though Ed said a few times during later shows that it wasn't, I think it's fairly obvious from the lyrics that it is about the fans, though in particular those who invade his space & privacy, and demand too much of him and the band. It's a running theme throughout all of Vitalogy.

During that whole period, they were very openly attempting to cut down their fanbase to a more manageable size, and to separate the wheat from the chaff - in terms of fairweather fans latching onto the hype. I think it's one of the reasons that there's so much arcane stuff on Vitalogy - to make it less accessible for people who just want radio-friendly anthems like Ten.

I've never seen any footage of Ed turning his back to the crowd except to concentrate on the music, but he's lambasted crowds enough times to show that he has at times gotten irritated with fans.

||Release_Me||

The only time i've seen Ed get pissed at fans is during shows when people in the crowd are doing dumbass stuff.

eg.1:Milano '92 - Some guy/girl is constantly jumping on top of people trying to crowdsurf and keeps hitting people in the head with his/her shoes. Ed motions a number of times to get the person to stop and even tries to get into the crowd at one point, as well as almost using his mic stand in anger lol! But Ed had every right to be pissed, the person in the crowd was being a complete douche.

eg. 2: Boston '98 - The Quarter Rant. Enough said.

I also read that he got pissed at some photographers at one of the New Jersey shows in 2006 because they were only supposed to stay for the first few songs but they didn't leave. Or they kept taking pics right at Eddie and it was putting him off, so he got pissed and threw a towel at one of them. Classic!

But yeah, i've never seen footage of him turning his back and performing with his back to the crowd. And i also think that while Not For You is about those annoying 'frat boy' fans who just jumped on the hype bandwagon, it's equally about the media.

emily18

jamie w wrote:

What about the song not for you. They were absolutely irritated with fans back then they used to comment in the media about the frat boy date rape fan. They hated those poeple. Anyone who liked them because they were pop culture or "grunge", the fictional marketing word. How old are you guys 15?

wow a little defensive over there?

pjtradeking

jamie w wrote:

What about the song not for you. They were absolutely irritated with fans back then they used to comment in the media about the frat boy date rape fan. They hated those poeple. Anyone who liked them because they were pop culture or "grunge", the fictional marketing word. How old are you guys 15?

Well then, since your such an expert on the subject, why dont you take yourself here

http://www.youtube.com

Search it out for yourself since all of us are to young and naive to be on the same playing field with someone so scary smart as yourself...Music my friend is about individual interpretation no matter how in the face and obvious the lyrics might be to someone.

You might see it as turning his back on the fans..or hate towards the fans....

Someone else might see it as telling the record excecs, media people, mtv, and the like that this is our music, we wrote it for us, we dont care how successful we become, we dont care if videos will help sales, it is not for you.

While others might look at is as a subliminal message from ed, saying..Okay, you are all invading our space, back the fuck off, I am not the savior, but if youkeep pushing me, I just may explode..

I have read all of those ideas over the years, and I dont think any one of them is wrong.

I hope you find your answer, but maybe rethink the way you comment on peoples help in the future...:)

josevolution

fanforlife wrote:

So what is the song about? I have alawys wondered if it had to do with fans but have never been sure.

it was wriiting for the media outlet's ,newspapers etc etc etc...

josevolution

pjtradeking wrote:

Well then, since your such an expert on the subject, why dont you take yourself here

http://www.youtube.com

Search it out for yourself since all of us are to young and naive to be on the same playing field with someone so scary smart as yourself...Music my friend is about individual interpretation no matter how in the face and obvious the lyrics might be to someone.

You might see it as turning his back on the fans..or hate towards the fans....

Someone else might see it as telling the record excecs, media people, mtv, and the like that this is our music, we wrote it for us, we dont care how successful we become, we dont care if videos will help sales, it is not for you.

While others might look at is as a subliminal message from ed, saying..Okay, you are all invading our space, back the fuck off, I am not the savior, but if youkeep pushing me, I just may explode..

I have read all of those ideas over the years, and I dont think any one of them is wrong.

I hope you find your answer, but maybe rethink the way you comment on peoples help in the future...:)

correct on all points ,specially at the 95" summerfest 1st night show he talks exactly about this points before playing an absolutly scorching version of the song mike smashes hi's guitar totally great i was there

Mal

If you get a copy of the 10/2/96 show in Hartford Conn. Eddie explains during the song that the song is for the media and people who think they are above the band, above the fans and above the music itself. He says the song is "Not For You" i.e. the fans.

fanforlife

Thanks for the Hartford show reference. I went to http://www.pearljamlive.com/ and listened. Thought I’d share the rant. The times are listed to give you an idea of timing. Between Eddie’s words, the music and light drums are in the background playing with what I would call the “Not for you signature sound” (what I hear and know it will be “Not for you”) Help me out here – what would be better words for that AND who’s on guitar there – I’m short and really can’t see at shows and always want to know who’s playing when.

So, here’s what Eddie says to the best of my ability:

3:01 How’s it goin’ out there?
3:14 I was thinking about you guys all day (crowd cheering).
3:22 Sometimes like touring and playing, it’s like uh, (pause) I don’t know, you’re away from home, and, sometimes it can feel a little bit like work.
3:38 But then I thought, you know, all these fuckin’ people, (pause) they’re just coming to have fun (pause, crowd cheering), so that’s what we came here for too (crowd cheering).
4: 04 So now I find, uh, we find ourselves playing this song, where it’s kind of, you know, uh, (pause) it’s a little bit angry isn’t it? (laughs, pause) There’s a few of them like that, yeah…
4:26 But first of all, I want to clarify that it aint for you, this song, it’s not for you (pause). It’s directed towards somebody, uh, a different entity, uh
4:51 I’m gonna go off for a second here if I can ‘cause it’s kind of nice (crowd cheering).
5:00 And it’s not like you’re gonna be reading any interviews soon or anything like that, so…
5:12 I sometimes like people who think that uhhh they’re more important than (pause) the people making the music, (pause) the people that listen to the music, (pause) or the music itself, (pause) and this is just a reminder (pause) that they’re not.
5:42 Thanks for listening

Then he ends the song with "thank a lot"

So, what do you make of these lyrics:

Restless soul, enjoy your youth
Like Muhammad, hits the truth

All that's sacred, comes from youth
Dedication, naive and true
With no power, and fuckin' nothing to do
I still remember, why don't you...don't you...

DriftingByTheStorm

jamie w wrote:

Around the time vitology was out I was in college and I remember some fellow fans saying eddie was doing shows with his back to the crowd and really showing his irritation with fans. Does anyone have any youtube footage of this. I just wanted to see if it was true.

I don't know about literaly turning his back on the fans,
but this is definately the Post-Some-Shit-Head-Stole-My-Notebook-Period where Eddie pretty much ceased to be animated on stage.

Like i said, dunno about literaly pulling a Jesus Mary Chain and playing back to the audience, but he definately stopped climbing rafters, head banging, and jumping around on stage like a freak ...

he became Mr. Folded Arms, stationary frontman ... arms cupped at the mic ... reserved and guarded ... singing ... and thats about it ... just singing.

I think Kurts death + his notebook being stolen + the general unpleasantness he was starting to perceive as the downside of success + the unreconciled feelings from his youth ... these things added up to equal one massively unhappy eddie during that period ... at least ... unhappy on stage.

Mike Gossard

isnt Lukin about the stalker fans and all the things that go with it?

pjtradeking

fanforlife wrote:

Thanks for the Hartford show reference. I went to http://www.pearljamlive.com/ and listened. Thought I’d share the rant. The times are listed to give you an idea of timing. Between Eddie’s words, the music and light drums are in the background playing with what I would call the “Not for you signature sound” (what I hear and know it will be “Not for you”) Help me out here – what would be better words for that AND who’s on guitar there – I’m short and really can’t see at shows and always want to know who’s playing when.

So, here’s what Eddie says to the best of my ability:

3:01 How’s it goin’ out there?
3:14 I was thinking about you guys all day (crowd cheering).
3:22 Sometimes like touring and playing, it’s like uh, (pause) I don’t know, you’re away from home, and, sometimes it can feel a little bit like work.
3:38 But then I thought, you know, all these fuckin’ people, (pause) they’re just coming to have fun (pause, crowd cheering), so that’s what we came here for too (crowd cheering).
4: 04 So now I find, uh, we find ourselves playing this song, where it’s kind of, you know, uh, (pause) it’s a little bit angry isn’t it? (laughs, pause) There’s a few of them like that, yeah…
4:26 But first of all, I want to clarify that it aint for you, this song, it’s not for you (pause). It’s directed towards somebody, uh, a different entity, uh
4:51 I’m gonna go off for a second here if I can ‘cause it’s kind of nice (crowd cheering).
5:00 And it’s not like you’re gonna be reading any interviews soon or anything like that, so…
5:12 I sometimes like people who think that uhhh they’re more important than (pause) the people making the music, (pause) the people that listen to the music, (pause) or the music itself, (pause) and this is just a reminder (pause) that they’re not.
5:42 Thanks for listening

Then he ends the song with "thank a lot"

So, what do you make of these lyrics:

Restless soul, enjoy your youth
Like Muhammad, hits the truth

All that's sacred, comes from youth
Dedication, naive and true
With no power, and fuckin' nothing to do
I still remember, why don't you...don't you...

I thought that speech came from the Soldier Field 95 show?? Was that Hartford? I am gonna have to get that boot out and take listen.

jwoodcock

So no footage. That is okay, this is the time they became super mysterious. Around the stolen notebook time like someone else posted. You didn't have the technology back then to know for sure. I just wanted to see if the story I heard from other people was true. I guess it wasn't. I think what some of you guys are not understanding with my comments is that you think Eddie's frustration is all about the media. It is well documented that this was his main focus, but he equally hated success and fame at the time. With fame comes less privacy, irritating conversations with people who think they know you "never would of known of me before" "got so crowded, I can't make room". How about when he hears someone chant "Eddie, Eddie". How many times has he gotten fired up at this. I don't see why everyone on here gets so fired up. It is not a question about disliking some goof ball fans. I just wondered about the youtube clip. Here is another one for you. I was watching the best songs of the 90's and during there band intro they showed a discussted clip of Eddie being irritated and it talked about them being dissenchanted with some fans. I just want to watch these things myself and make my own decission due to the fact that I could not be there during that time.

Kilgore_Trout

umm... youtube?

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=pearl+jam+1995

this interweb is really something!

slightofjeff

wolfamongwolves wrote:

Even though Ed said a few times during later shows that it wasn't, I think it's fairly obvious from the lyrics that it is about the fans, though in particular those who invade his space & privacy, and demand too much of him and the band. It's a running theme throughout all of Vitalogy.

I think it's more about turning your back on the music industry than the fans, although I can certainly see how you might get that interpretation.

Wasn't it there a '94 show, before Vitalogy was even released, that he introduced the song as "This is not not for you?"

Also, I think the "all that's sacred comes from youth" line points to the song being "for" the fans, not necessarily "about" them.

slightofjeff

pjtradeking wrote:

I thought that speech came from the Soldier Field 95 show?? Was that Hartford? I am gonna have to get that boot out and take listen.

At Solider Field, the song was introduced by Ed's story about "the billboard that's every-fuckin-where" in Chicago for a radio station that says, "something, something This is Not For You."

"Well, the joke's on them, because it's not for them."

jwoodcock

I love all the different interpretations, that is what makes Pearl Jam so great. I thought is was about Ed getting sick of everyone saying that there songs were written about them or something or for them in a way. You know the crazy superfan. I remember him stating in an interview that it was crazy how many people related to the songs and stuff and I always thought this song was saying this is not about you or it wasn't written for you. I swear there is an interview about this somewhere. I used to know more about this, but I haven't read the articles in years. I think I saw it on Five Horizons.

pjtradeking

slightofjeff wrote:

At Solider Field, the song was introduced by Ed's story about "the billboard that's every-fuckin-where" in Chicago for a radio station that says, "something, something This is Not For You."

"Well, the joke's on them, because it's not for them."

Cool, THANKS! I knew there was SOME sort of speach at Soldier Field as well.

slightofjeff

Mike Gossard wrote:

isnt Lukin about the stalker fans and all the things that go with it?

It's about one specific stalker fan, to be honest ...

Fighting Hellfish

I always thought NFY was about the record company execs, TicketMaster, and the marketing execs, Pepsi type guys who would try to blanket a PJ show with their ads and logos. I interpreted it to mean that the music they were making was not for some corporate suit, or for some hack company to sell tickets and keep a hefty cut for themselves. it was for them , and their fans. That's just my thinking. I agree with the sentiment that that's one of the things that make this band so great. The songs are wide open to interpretation, and I've even heard Ed say that whatever interpretation YOU have, that's it