i think the song has turned into a classic.... and the fact that there are no lyrics to it just adds to its "mystique" (sorry, im tired, couldnt think of a better word). not to mention it has a kick as solo and an amazing chorus that EVERYONE loves to sing along to. give it 10 years and YL will be regarded as one of pearl jams best.
"Unsealed on a porch a letter sat.
Then you said I wanna leave it again.
Once I saw him on a beach of weathered sand. And on the sand; I wanna leave it again.
On a weekend I wanna wish it all away.
And they called and I said that "I want what I said" and then I call out again.
And the reason oughta' leave her calm, I know.
I said i don't know whether i'm the boxer or the bag.
Ah yeah, can you see them out on the porch? Yeah, but they don't wave.
I see them round the front way. Yeah.
And I know, and I know. I don't want to stay.
Make me cry...
I see... Ooh I don't know why there's something else.
I wanna drum it all away...
Oh, I said, "I don't, I don't know whether I was the boxer or the bag."
Ah yeah, can you see them out on the porch? Yeah, but they don't wave.
I see them round the front way. Yeah.
And I know, and I know. I don't wanna stay at all.
I don't wanna stay. Yeah.
I don't wanna stay. (x2)
I don't care what anyone thinks about this song, BUT the highlight of the Cleveland 2006 show was Mike playing the whole song with the guitar behind his back. Not behind his head, behind his back. It was a trip. I do think, IMO, many PJ fans are the most complacent fans I've ever seen.
The first few times I 've listened to this song I thought it was great. I didn't pay much attention to what Ed was saying, to me it was just another mumbling song. However when I found out that there were no actual lyrics I grew frustrated and now I can hardley stand to hear it. This song is good, but it could have been far far better had Ed taken the time to write lyrics and sing them clearly without the mumbling, it would have been an all time American classic. It detracts any meaning from the song and it can't be taken seriously, it's embarrassing to listen to. I don't care if Ed changes the lyrics every time he sings it live, but YL had so much potential and it was wasted away. It was too bad because everything else is perfect except for the inability to hear any of the "words". Lord knows Ed mumbles on enough songs, but to do it on YL is a slap on the listener's face. Just my opinion.
I totally understand your point of view, in fact to a certain extent i understand your view of wasting it, however, I like the song b/c of the mumbled lyrics and b/c its a very personal song. The listener is given the choice of what it means, dare i say this on this board, thats what "grunge and/or post-punk" used to be . . . in the immortal words of Kurt Cobain, "music first, lyrics second". Cobain also once said, which I believe has been echoed by Vedder, regarding what a particular song means, "its whatever you want it to mean". Man so called "grunge" used to be fun!!!!
But, again i understand your frustration and respect your point of view . . .
1996: Hartford; 1998: Hartford, Mansfield I & II
2000: Saratoga, Mansfield I & II; 2003: West Palm, Tampa, Mansfield I & II & III; 2004: Boston I & II; 2005: Montreal; 2006: Albany, Hartford, Boston I & II, East Rutherford; 2007: Lolla
2008: Tampa, MSG I & II, Hartford, Mansfield I & II; 2009: Chicago I & II, Philly I, III & IV; 2010: Cleveland, Buffalo, Hartford, Boston & MSG II.
The first few times I 've listened to this song I thought it was great. I didn't pay much attention to what Ed was saying, to me it was just another mumbling song. However when I found out that there were no actual lyrics I grew frustrated and now I can hardley stand to hear it. This song is good, but it could have been far far better had Ed taken the time to write lyrics and sing them clearly without the mumbling, it would have been an all time American classic. It detracts any meaning from the song and it can't be taken seriously, it's embarrassing to listen to. I don't care if Ed changes the lyrics every time he sings it live, but YL had so much potential and it was wasted away. It was too bad because everything else is perfect except for the inability to hear any of the "words". Lord knows Ed mumbles on enough songs, but to do it on YL is a slap on the listener's face. Just my opinion.
You completely missed the point.
Boston II 94 Boston II 06 Mansfield I 08 Mansfield II 08 Seattle I 09 Seattle II 09
Hartford 10 Boston 10 Wrigley 13 Worcester I 13 Worcester II 13 Hartford 13
NYC I 16 NYC II 16 Fenway I 16 Fenway II 16 Fenway 1 18 Fenway II 18
E.V. Boston II 08 E.V. Albany II 09 E.V. Providence 11, E.V. Boston 11
Troubled Souls Unite
I would love to hear Ed use those words in a live performance of Yellow Ledbetter.
maybe he has...!
i remember reading an interview with Lemmy where he said he got so bored of playing Ace Of Spades that for quite a while he was singing "The eight of spades..."
Oh yeah? Well, I've had about enough of morons and halfwits, dolts, dunces, dullards and dumbbells - and you chowderhead yokel, you blithering hayseed, you - you've had enough of me?
Comments
I agree, I think it's already one of their best.
MSG 1+2. 2010
Wrigley. Brooklyn 2. Hartford. 2013
St. Louis. Denver. 2014
Global Citizens Festival. 2015
MSG 2. Fenway 2. Wrigley 1. 2016
Safeco 2. Missoula. 2018
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Yellow-Ledbetter-lyrics-Pearl-Jam/71E379F9314EE6A248256862000B9699
"Unsealed on a porch a letter sat.
Then you said I wanna leave it again.
Once I saw him on a beach of weathered sand. And on the sand; I wanna leave it again.
On a weekend I wanna wish it all away.
And they called and I said that "I want what I said" and then I call out again.
And the reason oughta' leave her calm, I know.
I said i don't know whether i'm the boxer or the bag.
Ah yeah, can you see them out on the porch? Yeah, but they don't wave.
I see them round the front way. Yeah.
And I know, and I know. I don't want to stay.
Make me cry...
I see... Ooh I don't know why there's something else.
I wanna drum it all away...
Oh, I said, "I don't, I don't know whether I was the boxer or the bag."
Ah yeah, can you see them out on the porch? Yeah, but they don't wave.
I see them round the front way. Yeah.
And I know, and I know. I don't wanna stay at all.
I don't wanna stay. Yeah.
I don't wanna stay. (x2)
Oh..."
I totally understand your point of view, in fact to a certain extent i understand your view of wasting it, however, I like the song b/c of the mumbled lyrics and b/c its a very personal song. The listener is given the choice of what it means, dare i say this on this board, thats what "grunge and/or post-punk" used to be . . . in the immortal words of Kurt Cobain, "music first, lyrics second". Cobain also once said, which I believe has been echoed by Vedder, regarding what a particular song means, "its whatever you want it to mean". Man so called "grunge" used to be fun!!!!
But, again i understand your frustration and respect your point of view . . .
2000: Saratoga, Mansfield I & II; 2003: West Palm, Tampa, Mansfield I & II & III; 2004: Boston I & II; 2005: Montreal; 2006: Albany, Hartford, Boston I & II, East Rutherford; 2007: Lolla
2008: Tampa, MSG I & II, Hartford, Mansfield I & II; 2009: Chicago I & II, Philly I, III & IV; 2010: Cleveland, Buffalo, Hartford, Boston & MSG II.
Leave Yellow Ledbetter Alone!
This is a funny post. I'm not guilty of this of course... but I do find this funny.
Hartford 10 Boston 10 Wrigley 13 Worcester I 13 Worcester II 13 Hartford 13
NYC I 16 NYC II 16 Fenway I 16 Fenway II 16 Fenway 1 18 Fenway II 18
E.V. Boston II 08 E.V. Albany II 09 E.V. Providence 11, E.V. Boston 11
Troubled Souls Unite
maybe he has...!
i remember reading an interview with Lemmy where he said he got so bored of playing Ace Of Spades that for quite a while he was singing "The eight of spades..."