What exactly is garden about?
evenflow82
Posts: 3,892
Just looking over the lyrics to Garden, I have no idea what the song is about. I imagine it's about a death or breakup, but that's my best very broad guess. Does anyone have any actual information about what the song is about or your interpretations? Just curious. :-)
I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell.
-Christopher Walken
you're=you are
your=showing ownership
The truth has a well known liberal bias.
-Stephen Colbert
-Christopher Walken
you're=you are
your=showing ownership
The truth has a well known liberal bias.
-Stephen Colbert
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really funny, cuz right before the Kelly Curtis "fiasco" i was actually thinking of PEARL JAM related topics, and was going to post this same question.
I can tell you generally, it is about materialism\carnality and the discrepancies between the soul and material worlds, but the vagueness of "garden of stone" has me wondering what EXACTLY eddie is saying, if not just being overly poetic about "material world" or "city" (which would be a literal "garden" of stone).
"The direction of the eye - so misleading"
-- is either about materialism or carnality, or both, being ... "misleading".
"The defection of the soul, nauseously quick"
-- referencing the first line, is about the now mislead eye causing the soul to "defect"
in the carnal interpretation, this would be, caused one party in the relationship to become spiritually distant ... hard to say if it is the one doing the speaking, or the one who has cheated. but "i won't be taken" makes me think it's the speaker.
(btw, these first two lines are all very occult\metaphysical in one context)
"I don't question our existence"
-- is a metaphysical reference (possibly vaguely) where Eddie is saying he doesn't question "reality" or physical existence, like say, arguably the Buddhists do, and is essentially agreeing with Descartes ("i think therefore i am)
"i just question our modern needs"
-- again, materialism\carnality
is called in to "question"
Chorus
- I honestly have little conception of the literal interpretation of the chorus.
"hands bound" is probably a poetic metaphor for being bound by the terms of materialistic society, but i have no idea, and i have always suspected "garden of stone" is simply a poetic reference to "a modern city" ... but who knows. Maybe he thought Mr. Gossard had very oppressive flowers?
???
"after all is done, and we're still alone" \ "i won't be taken"
-- is probably the only line in the song that directly calls in to question the interpretation of this song as being strictly a diatribe against materialism, and forces one to consider whether "our modern needs" possibly refers to modern "sexual" needs ... and that "all is done" may be "cheating" (or a fight?) ... "i won't be taken" either being a sexual reference to "i won't kiss and make up with you, i no longer want you" or ... ?
"i don't need you, for me to live"
gives vague reaffirmation to the above cited line as re-framing the song in the context of a relationship gone sour.
---
my new brainstorm is that "garden of stone" may be an extremely over poetical way of saying "your now frozen\hardened love" ... or, more descriptively, "this hardened relationship". In other words, "this is all fucked up after what you did, but i'm still with you." Garden somehow representing a relationship, and stone being a descriptor as "hardened".
??? no idea though ???
still one of my favorites off of ten,
and one of the few (apparently) that really loved "new" garden.
If I opened it now would you not understand?
All that I once held as true
I stand alone without beliefs
The only truth I know is you.
FUCKIN YEAH!!!
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
so what does that mean for the general interpretation?
what "is done"
who is "still alone" with who?
This song is about a dead lover?
or what?
what contextual evidence is there for a cemetery,
and what does it mean in the context of the other lyrics?
If I opened it now would you not understand?
that .I will walk..my hands bound..with my face blood..with my shadow flag bring in mind a soldier
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Garden of Stone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arlington_ ... l_Cemetery
There's a lot of references to war, but IMO the particular one being sung about was:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Storm#Air_campaign
She don't wander in...don't wander in here, she...
She don't wander in here...don't wander in here...
'She' may be a reference to Lady Justice or Lady Liberty
The direction of the eye, so misleading
The defection of the soul, nauseously quick
The US's role, flip-flopping between the desire to cultivate ties with Iraq (the enemy) and eradicate terrorism
I don't question, our existence
I just question, our modern needs
need for oil
She don't wander in...don't wander in here, she...
She don't wander in here...
I will walk...with my hands bound obligation to country
I will walk...with my face blood violence and maybe a feeling of shame for having a 'part' in perpetuating it
I will walk...with my shadow flag Big Brother; unnamed threat, i.e. terrorism
Into your garden, garden of stone...yeah...
After all is done, and we're still alone one dies alone, regardless of one's service and sacrifice for country
I won't be taken, yet I'll go...with my hands bound deployment in a war that may not be justified
I will walk...with my face blood
I will walk...with my shadow flag Big Brother; unnamed threat, i.e. terrorism
Into your garden, garden of stone Arlington Cemetery
I don't show...I don't share... military secrecy
I don't need, yeah...What you have to give... benefits of being a citizen of a country and what is asked for in return
Oooh, I will walk...with my hands bound
I will walk...with my face blood
I will walk...with my shadow flag
Into your garden, garden...oh...
I will walk with my hands bound
I will walk into your garden, garden of stone...
I don't know...I don't care...
I don't need you for me to live...yeah, yeah, yeah, oh... defiance
Uh huh huh... (8x)
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
whoa.
i NEVER, in a million years, would have thought about the song that way.
I'm not sure if that is, in truth, what the song was intended to be about,
but i guess we all know it wouldn't be out of the question.
Yellow Ledbetter was from the same time period, and was admittedly an "anti-war" song,
so ... ???
kudos to you for that.
:shock: :shock:
If I opened it now would you not understand?
Thanks.
The timeline fits, plus the one-two punch of Reagan and Bush Sr. Bad economy, unemployed and depressed young people signing up due to lack of opportunities being shipped off to war... very much related to Yellow Ledbetter, IMO.
Very political stuff shrouded so it may be interpreted more personally...
Look at this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL2cyZ9pEbU
One of my all time favorite songs & the one I would ask about first if I ever had the chance...I always had the relationship equation in my head ...the nuances in this song are mesmerizing to me. Now, after watching this, I have a whole new meaning to decipher....
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
yeah,
the more i think about this, the more i'm wondering.
the chorus has ALWAYS confused me.
if you take the first few lines as a rail against consumerism\materialism, or even carnality\infidelity ...
the chorus is a non sequitur.
hands bound, face blood, shadow flag ...
hands bound ... maybe,
but the other two ... i almost tend to even mentally DELETE from the song when thinking about interpretation.
I guess in the context of a political rant in opposition to war, they would make much better sense.
Thanks again, man, for spinnin me widdle head.
If I opened it now would you not understand?
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD THAT'S HEAVY. AWESOME.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
lol.
WOWZERS
guess that settles it.
Eddie sure can write some cryptic fucking political rants.
Guess thats how he "gets away" with it.
Fuck all!
If I opened it now would you not understand?
oh FUCK yeah.
I think it was the pefect "counter" to the dead \ flat version they were playing circa 2001.
They played "new" garden for most of '06 (though some shows saw the old version), and then it just dropped of the face of the earth.
love the power chord riff (from chorus) thrown in to the intro, and the chorus dropped (like some versions of Jeremy) ...
This one has a bit more "crunch" in it, even.
If I opened it now would you not understand?
Whoa. Haven't seen that before. Awesome!
bloody awesome.
anyone ever notice that Ed seems to introduce this song as "Garden of Stone". I never noticed that until the movie, but then the first vid you posted he intro'd it the same way. Did they just shorten it to look pretty on the back of Ten?
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Either way, it seems like the relationship or the love is dying because of the graveyard setting.
Look at what this poster posted:
no need to wonder any more.
lol.
It only took us 20 years to decipher Eddie's "hidden" meaning on this one.
If I opened it now would you not understand?
WE ARE ONTO YOU, EDWARD. :twisted:
PJ: 2011-09-03 2011-09-04
but when i used to listen to this album on my walkman out in the park and this song would come on, ohhh jeez
i hope they play this at my next show whenever that is!!
Wrigley Earthcam/Hartford 2013
I just watched that video for the 1st time, whats funny is you can hear my wife scream when he intros the song.