why no love for Unemployable?

slightofjeff

Better Dan wrote:

I like the song, but I don't like the line "jumping trains just to survive." I dunno ... sounds a little overdramatic and doesn't seem to fit the rest of the song's lyrics to me. From the other lyrics, he's a family man with a lot of bills..has a wife and kids. He stays up at night thinking about how he's going to pay the bills. Where does the jumping trains come in? Just cringe when I hear the lyrics.

I don't know if you're making a joke here, but that line most certainly fits with the rest of the song's lyrics.

It doesn't mean literally jumping trains, like Superman. It means "hopping on trains, by means of transportation, because that's the only means he has to get to whatever job he has." If you're poor in NYC, for instance, you probably live in one of the outer boroughs ... which means you probably have to change trains multiple times to get to your destination, if it's in Manhattan.

"Jumping trains" is a figure of speech.

While we're on the subject, the protagonist in Sleight of Hand doesn't literally shrink himself down to miniature size to hide in his radio. Again, figure of speech.

butte1

Unemployable is by far the best song on that album and that album is a good album IMHO across the board. It's lyrics and unique sound are what make it stand the test of time. It is a song that honestly I wasn't sure about the first time i heard it but the more I hear it the more I love it. I find the songs I love the most are usually songs I maybe didn't like the very first time I heard them but then after several listens they become the best of the bunch. Sometimes the songs I like right off the bat don't hold up over time but Unemployable definitely holds up, in fact if we only hear one song from that album during the PJ20 weekend I hope it is Unemployable

Better Dan

starmap3333 wrote:

Better Dan wrote:

I like the song, but I don't like the line "jumping trains just to survive." I dunno ... sounds a little overdramatic and doesn't seem to fit the rest of the song's lyrics to me. From the other lyrics, he's a family man with a lot of bills..has a wife and kids. He stays up at night thinking about how he's going to pay the bills. Where does the jumping trains come in? Just cringe when I hear the lyrics.

jumping trains could mean jumping from job to job with no progress... it could mean literally jumping trains in a big city as a means of public transportation to get to work and what a pain in the ass it is to get to and from... either way it's a metaphorical line and it's worth something.

Good point. :thumbup:

nocode85

Love this post. I started one just like it 2 years ago. Anyway, Unemployable is by far my favorite song on that record. The lyrical content is just so relevant to what was and still is going on in the the job market. At the time, I was working with a guy who got fired and I just couldn't help but think about how heartbreaking it must have been for him to have to go home to his wife and kid and explain to them what happened. I still think about him every time I hear this song. Additionally, the song just has a great sound that is very unique and, perhaps, not "Pearl Jam" but I think thats ok. I think thats what makes this band great is that they can diversify their sounds and styles and still create wonderfully talented and imaginative music.

slightofjeff

nocode85 wrote:

Love this post. I started one just like it 2 years ago. Anyway, Unemployable is by far my favorite song on that record. The lyrical content is just so relevant to what was and still is going on in the the job market. At the time, I was working with a guy who got fired and I just couldn't help but think about how heartbreaking it must have been for him to have to go home to his wife and kid and explain to them what happened. I still think about him every time I hear this song. Additionally, the song just has a great sound that is very unique and, perhaps, not "Pearl Jam" but I think thats ok. I think thats what makes this band great is that they can diversify their sounds and styles and still create wonderfully talented and imaginative music.

I'm not completely into the song musically. Just not really my cup of tea. Lyrically, though, it is pretty stellar.

2-feign-reluctance

Love
There you go

slightofjeff

This thread forced me to bust out Avocado again. So that's a good thing.

mcameronrocks

slightofjeff wrote:

This thread forced me to bust out Avocado again. So that's a good thing.

Glad I could help! I find that happens to me a lot on this board. Especially with boots. I have so many now that reading about peoples favorites etc., really helps me to "find" what I have in my collection.

DewieCox

slightofjeff wrote:

I can stand Unemployable. It's OK. The music is a little too ... I don't know ... "classic rock" for me ... but I can handle it.

Seems to me there would be alot of PJ tunes you wouldn't like if you have a problem with them sounding too "classic rock"



Unemployable's cool. Wouldn't put it among the best.

Would you, that dislike the "uh whoa oh oh" part, like it better if there was lyrics?

dr0ptheleash

pjfan31 wrote:

One of Pearl Jams best lines imo

'thinkin if he can't sleep how will he ever dream'

Agreed! Love that line, really dig Unemployable, and I also think Self-Titled is very underrated. I like the Beatles influence in Parachutes, too. Beautiful song if you listen to it. I like when people use it for weddings too. Nice soft touch.

"All the dreams we shared and, lights we turned on. But the house is getting dark, and I don't want to know your past, but together share the dawn. And I won't need, nothing else cause when we're dead, we would've had it all."

slightofjeff

DewieCox wrote:

slightofjeff wrote:

I can stand Unemployable. It's OK. The music is a little too ... I don't know ... "classic rock" for me ... but I can handle it.

Seems to me there would be alot of PJ tunes you wouldn't like if you have a problem with them sounding too "classic rock"

Unemployable, in parts, reminds me of something by Blue Oyster Cult, only with not nearly enough cowbell. Not my first choice in music.

Grandmas Jam

mcameronrocks wrote:

Seems like this track does not get love from peeps on the board. I can't understand why! This is my favorite song on the album and one of their best of the catalogue.

The drum track is killer with the ride cymbal and the awesome hi-hat "stop" in the verse. The guitar riff is very "groovy" and is right up Stone Gossards alley. Vocally, I love the sound of the recording. I can't think of another studio recorded song that has this particular sound. Finally, lyrically, it is EXTREMELY current for what was happening in 2006 and per usual...wonderfully crafted by Eddie.

If this is not your song...tell me why?

a better question should be is why is there no love for Avacado, everyone here loves Backspacer and hates Avacado. I think Avacado was one of their best albums ever and backspacer was one of thier worst.

slightofjeff

Grandmas Jam wrote:

mcameronrocks wrote:

Seems like this track does not get love from peeps on the board. I can't understand why! This is my favorite song on the album and one of their best of the catalogue.

The drum track is killer with the ride cymbal and the awesome hi-hat "stop" in the verse. The guitar riff is very "groovy" and is right up Stone Gossards alley. Vocally, I love the sound of the recording. I can't think of another studio recorded song that has this particular sound. Finally, lyrically, it is EXTREMELY current for what was happening in 2006 and per usual...wonderfully crafted by Eddie.

If this is not your song...tell me why?

a better question should be is why is there no love for Avacado, everyone here loves Backspacer and hates Avacado. I think Avacado was one of their best albums ever and backspacer was one of thier worst.

I'll split the difference with you. I think Backspacer is the best album since Yield. I think Avocado is the second-best. Like them both. Like Backspacer just a little bit more.

Fair enough?

boyo79

I love Unemployable, I think it was my favourite when the album came out. Bizarrely It reminded me of REM (musically at least). Lyrically, I think its fantastic and I think its probably more relevant now than when it first came out, what with the financial crisis across the globe.

I'd love to hear it live.