Who is 'Light Years' about?
Ledbetterus
Posts: 592
I've recently re-discovered Light Years. I've always been a fan, but I never paid attention to the lyrics/message. It's an amazing song. I was wondering if Eddie ever said who it was about or what?
Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you are a racist, I will attack you with the North."
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- Mr. Edward Vedder 7/11/03
2008: MSG 1, Hartford, Mansfield 2, Ed Solo NYC 1
2009: London (O2), Philly 1, 2, 3, & 4
2010: Hartford, Boston, MSG 1 & 2
2011: Ed Solo Hartford
2012: Philly (MIA Fest)
2013: Worcester 2, Brooklyn 1 & 2, Hartford
2006: Berlin
2007: Munich * Düsseldorf
2009: Berlin * Manchester * London
2010: Dublin * Belfast * Berlin
2012: Amsterdam I & II * Berlin I & II * Stockholm * Oslo * Copenhagen
EV 2012: Amsterdam I & II
2014: Amsterdam I & II * Milan * Trieste * Vienna * Berlin
EV 2017: Berlin
2018: Amsterdam I & II * Prague * Krakow * Berlin
2022: Berlin- Vienna - Prague - Amsterdam I - Amsterdam II #
2024: Berlin I & II
~~~
“It is curious that while good people go to great lengths to spare their children from suffering, few of them seem to notice that the one (and only) guaranteed way to prevent all the suffering of their children is not to bring those children into existence in the first place.”
― David Benatar - Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence
the song is obviously about death. I could be way off, but I always thought the song was originally written about kurt cobain. "your light made us stars".
Another habit says its long overdue
Another habit like an unwanted friend
I'm so happy with my righteous self
I always thought the same thing...
...I was always a DeadHead, but when I first heard Winston Rodney, aka the Burning Spear, sing, I became a SpearHead too!
the song was written and recorded before the accident.
EV- 08/09,10/2008.06/08,09/2009
bb
sneaky bastard! LOL
EV- 08/09,10/2008.06/08,09/2009
It was really eerie though, because the single came out right after that. It just happened to be the next single. The song sounded like it was written about them. Sort of like I Am Mine(which actually was written about them). It was released a year after 9/11, and it sounded like a tribute to those people who died that day. And some of the lyrics, like "We're safe tonight", "There's no need to hide". But the song wasn't about 9/11 at all. It was written a month after Roskilde, on the eve of their U.S. tour, and the year before 9/11 happened.
Another habit says its long overdue
Another habit like an unwanted friend
I'm so happy with my righteous self
Amazing video! Man...look how young he looked at 35...the beard has really aged him.
BTW...I think we all know who that song is about.
Edit: there is an interviw with Ed on KROCK from 2000 on http://pearljamlive.com/ that pretty much sums it up.
Hint: He wrote it while going through his divorce. He say's something along the lines of "I think you could probably figure out what it's about'
you knuckle chuck...that was the saratoga 2000 show, and it was dedicated to the inventor of the lava lamp because he had died.
10/4/96, 9/11/98, 8/25/00, 8/27/00, 8/30/00, 10/4/00, 4/29/03, 7/3/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/24/06, 5/25/06, 6/3/06, 10/22/06, 8/5/07, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 8/2/08 (EV)
Well, then my guess on page 1 was right---hooray, hooray!
2006: Berlin
2007: Munich * Düsseldorf
2009: Berlin * Manchester * London
2010: Dublin * Belfast * Berlin
2012: Amsterdam I & II * Berlin I & II * Stockholm * Oslo * Copenhagen
EV 2012: Amsterdam I & II
2014: Amsterdam I & II * Milan * Trieste * Vienna * Berlin
EV 2017: Berlin
2018: Amsterdam I & II * Prague * Krakow * Berlin
2022: Berlin- Vienna - Prague - Amsterdam I - Amsterdam II #
2024: Berlin I & II
~~~
“It is curious that while good people go to great lengths to spare their children from suffering, few of them seem to notice that the one (and only) guaranteed way to prevent all the suffering of their children is not to bring those children into existence in the first place.”
― David Benatar - Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence
I always thought that it was about his marriage.......it just seemed a lot like a relationship that went sour that if you listened to it in that context you could think of it that way.
And I think anyone who writes could say that when something was written it was written with one person in mind but then afterward, it could really be read or sang for many, you know?
But just in response to the pinkpop clip, I also was thinking that the past 7 years must have been rough because he does look a lot different. I do think the red hair looks good; I never saw that look from him. (I personally did not like the mohawk look or the dad look).
But hell, here I am, commenting on the current "look" and whether or not I (like who the hell am I???????) think it's a good look. Shit, life would be hard for me if people commented on my current "look".........and we wonder why Eddie isn't interested in exposing himself to the public.......
look at poor Britney..........
just kidding.............
Together we will float like angels.........
In the moment that you left the room, the album started skipping, goodbye to beauty shared with the ones that you love.........
I could've sworn that that's what he said about "thumbing my way"? I can't find that quote in his 2000 interview with KROCK (http://web.archive.org/web/20050317235714/www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/krock_ev_intv2000.shtml) or with KROQ (http://web.archive.org/web/20060325142926/www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/kroq.shtml). Are those the right interviews or is there another?
I think that the song is just about the loss of a loved one and he could have had multiple people or situations in mind while writing it.
Anyway, it seems like Eddie is pretty big on not revealing a lot about where the songs come from or what they mean to him because he thinks it's more important for the listener to figure out what it means to them instead.
power to the peaceful
written around the same time.
my personal feeling is 'light years' was on binaural instead of 'sad' b/c someone thought 'light years' would sell more records at a time they 'needed' to sell more.
on their own, light years may have more meaningful lyrics to most, but to me, with everything that goes into the song (music, lyrics, etc)...i'd rather have 'sad' be about me.
light years.
Ive used hammers made out of wood.
I have played games with pieces and rules.
I undeciphered tricks at the bar, but now youre gone.
I havent figured out why.
Ive come up with riddles and jokes about war.
I figured out numbers and what theyre for.
Ive understood feelings and Ive understood words but how could you be taken away?
And wherever youve gone and wherever we might go.
It dont seem fair. today just disappeared.
Your light reflected now. reflected from afar.
We were but stones. your light made of stars.
With heavy breath awakened regrets.
Back pages and days that could have been spent together but we were miles apart.
Every inch between us becomes light years now.
No time to be void or save up on life.
Oh, you got to spend it all.
And wherever youve gone and wherever we might go.
It dont seem fair. you seam to like it here.
Your light reflected now. reflected from afar.
We were but stones. your light made of stars.
And wherever youve gone and wherever we might go.
It dont seem fair. today just disappeared.
Your lights reflected now. reflected from afar.
We were by stones. your light made of stars.
'sad'
All the photographs were peeling
And colors turned to gray
He stayed... in his room with memories for days
He faced... an undertow of futures laid to waste
Embraced... by the loss of what he could not replace
There is no reason that she passed
And there is no god with a plan
It's sad... and his loneliness is proof
It's sad... he could only love you
It's sad
The door swings to a passing fable
A fate we may delay
We say... holding on...delivered in our own brace
He let ‘em as he laid in bed
H oping that dreams would bring her back
It's sad... and his loneliness is proof
It's sad... he could only love you
It's sad
Holding his last breath
Believing... he'll make his way
But she's not forgotten
He's haunted...he's searching for escape
If just one wish could bring her back
It's sad... and his loneliness is proof
It's sad... he will always love you
It's sad
Eddie: Dublin & London
What is a knuckle chuck? I was @ that show also. I thought he said it @ Tampa show. Remembered and was going to share it but you beat me to it.
The song Love Boat Captain was written about the fans at Roskilde. The verse "lost 9 friends we'll never know" refers to them.