I'm listening to Yield right now. I don't find a common theme between the songs. I could probably find a common theme if I try really hard, but with TEN and Avocado Blue it is easier. The songs are more parts of the whole. I don't know if I can say those two albums are *concept album* as that may be disrespectful to an artist. However, what common themes in content do you find within the songs? Is there one? Is there a method to the order?
Maybe David vs Goliath? Some are David, some are Goliath, and some are David against Goliath. I guess that's just standard PJ theme, though, eh?
Oh, I love this. We've got some work to do. Not everyone agrees on this, but some of us do.....I believe that there is a linear story being told throughout YIELD. For me, the album is about ways to make change in our lives. It is about the difference between YIELDing (giving way, and using life's experiences to make positive change) vs escaping (giving up and just getting the fuck out). I believe YIELD gives examples of both, gives examples of what to do and what not to do, and shows us how to do it right. I'll give you a brief song by song summary. Last year we went WAY into depth on all this, and I'm not even sure where to start, so let me just give you a BRIEF summary. First, here's the exchange of posts that prompted us to look into this in the first place. I posted the following:
As I was reading "My Ishmael" this weekend, I came upon the following passage (I'm doing this from memory, so I may be paraphrasing a bit):
"Do you know what I think about all the time? And I mean ALL the time - at least 20 times a day. I think, 'I've got to get out of here.'"
"What does it mean?" Ishmael asked.
"I don't know."
He grunted. "Of course you do."
"I guess it's running from something."
"Running from what....Is your life in danger?"
"Yes, it is."
"From what?"
"From everything. From people blowing up planes and hospitals. From people dumping nerve gas in subways. From people pumping poison in the water we drink. From people cutting down the forests. From people making holes in the ozone layer. And I don't really know all this stuff, because I don't to listen. Do you know what I mean?"
At that point, I put down my book and just thought to myself, "Well, obviously it's being in a car and getting the fuck out of a bad situation." We're always running from something. There's still time for escape.
The more I read (and I'm not just talking about Daniel Quinn, I'm talking about ANYTHING) and the more I contemplate this album, the more I realize what a HUGE fucking concept YIELD is. When Jeff mentions creating artwork to represent infinite potential, I never realized exactly what he was going for. But when you start balancing the concepts of running and escape with the concepts of giving way, you can look at this from so many different angles. What are we escaping? And are we giving way to our fears by running or by staying?
i think you've hit upon the dichotomy of yield. it encourages escape, in a way views escape as a viable option, but at the same time, suggests that we yield to whatever comes our way. is escaping yielding? are they mutually exclusive?
And from that point, it was on. We began to question what this means and how it relates to the album. So here's a quick song by song summary:
Brain of J - For me, this is one of the easiest songs, and the perfect opener. It lies in the lyrics:
"You, you've been taught
Whipped into shape, now they got you in line
Stand behind the stripes
There will be order, so give it a good mind
The whole world will be different soon
The whole world will be relieved
And by name
The name they gave me
The name I'm letting go"
This sets up the mood of the album. The main character (us) has been beaten down by external forces within his/her surroundings, and is finally ready for change.
Faithfull - This one is one of the tougher songs to decipher. BrainOfJD has some of the best theories on this song. I always see this song as sort of a "taking stock" song. The main character is trying to balance his/her life through the prism of life, love, religion. It's somewhat of an empty cry for help (calling to god, but does he hear me??), which is a neccesary step in preparing for the upcoming change.
No Way - This song, for me, is pure unbridled determination. "I'll stop trying to make a difference, no way". Again, you have the ties to religion ("Let's call in an angel"), which is key because it shows that the inner conflict with these forces is still there.
Given To Fly - While the first 3 songs are setting up the change, this song is where it starts. Again, unbridled determination as the main character is spit upon and beaten down, but he's unable to be kept down and he finds a way to rise above it all. It's about soaring above everything that surrounds you. He could have given in, but instead, he gives way, and in the proccess he discovers the benefits.
Wishlist - This one kind of speaks for itself, but it's perhaps the first look at the dangers of escaping. Wishing to be all these other things rather than being at peace with who we are. Only when you learn from your past can you truly make positive change in your future. "I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish....I guess it never stops." That's escapism in a nutshell.
Pilate - Ok, this is one big monkeywrench in the system. I still don't FULLY get it, but likepilateihaveadog wrote a GREAT paper on this song, and after reading it, I began to understand this song a little bit more. For me, the tie-in with the main theme lies in the "Like Pilate I have a dog" line. We all have our dogs. But when we begin to understand that it's ok, and that we can learn from it, that's when we're truly accomplishing something. "Stunned by my own reflection, it's looking back, sees me too clearly and I swore I'd never go there again. Not unlike a friend that politely drags you down." This is what I mean about recognizing our mistakes and our weaknesses and learning from them.
Do The Evolution - Another song that deals with conflict. Man vs man, man vs nature, man vs machine, man vs himself...It's all in here pretty much. It's raw aggression that comes the DEEP desire to quickly make change. It's an urgent plea to all of mankind. We NEED to make change and we NEED to do it NOW.
Red Dot - A much needed intermission, to allow us to digest what we've been through so far
MFC - Esapism. Pure and simple. "They said that timing was everything, made him want to be everyewhere, there's a lot to be said for nowhere." As Ed says in SVT "It's being in a car and getting the fuck out of there." This is YIELD's main lesson to us. It's the turmoil caused by escaping vs giving way.
Low Light - This song is the reflection after the escape. It's looking back and trying to make sense of what the fuck just happened. There are no answers or resolutions to be found in Low Light. It's a beautiful song, to be sure, but it's entirely hedonistic in nature. It's food for the peripheral senses, but offers nothing for the soul. "Sidetracked, low light
Can't see my tracks,
Your scent-way back
Can I be here all alone?
Clear a path to my home
Blood runs dry
Books and jealousy tell me wrong
All I feel, calm
Voice rolls by,
Low light
Car crash, low light
Can't wear my mask,
Your first, my last"
In Hiding - This song represent the main character picking up the pieces, learning from his/her mistakes, and giving way. It's a simple surrender, but a surrender with meaning. "It's been about three days now
Since I've been aground
No longer overwhelmed and it seems so simple now
It's funny when things change so much
It's all state of mind"
The war within is over, and the main character is ready for resolution.
Push Me, Pull Me - This song is the apex, climax, resolution (whatever you want to call it) of the album. "Like a cloud dropping rain
I'm discarding all thought
I'll dry up, leaving puddles on the ground
I'm like an opening band for the sun"
Our main character has finally learned from the past and made peace with who he/she is and where he/she is going. Only now is he/she really in control of their life. Here is where YIELD shows us just how much more peaceful and rewarding Giving Way is compared to Escaping.
All Those Yesterdays - Another tough cookie to decipher. The way I really see it, though, it's the perfect closer for this album. It's like a summary. It reminds us again of the perils of escape and the rewards of giving way. But it's also intentionally vague, giving us lines like "there's still time for escape." But again, this makes sense because it's intentionally vague. The ending isn't finite. Just because the main character knows how to make change, will they really follow it, or will they take the easy way out. And just because we've gone through this process once, it doesn't mean we'll never need it again. As linear as this story is, we find out in the end that the ending is circular. It's an ongoing process, one that never really ends. And that's what life is all about.
--"I'm like an opening band for the sun"
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
And just to be clear, no I do not think the band sat down and wrote it this way. I have always called YIELD an "accidental concept album". I think the band members were all in such a similar place mentally that it just sort of came out this way. And that's why YIELD is so special to me....more so than any other Pearl Jam album.
--"I'm like an opening band for the sun"
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
And just to be clear, no I do not think the band sat down and wrote it this way. I have always called YIELD an "accidental concept album". I think the band members were all in such a similar place mentally that it just sort of came out this way. And that's why YIELD is so special to me....more so than any other Pearl Jam album.
Nice work today, Sir.
I think you touched on almost everything we did last summer, and the escape and linear theories were quite interesting.
I guess something else to mention are the different definitions of yield, and the stopping and adapting parts are clear, but the 'return' idea is cool too. You know, the yield of your labor, what have you.
I guess maybe what comes of escaping is this new awareness, the yield of your yielding.
Thanks, RockKing, for the summary. I just watched SVT for the first time in a while. I think what you are saying about it being an accidental concept album is dead on. All the band members kind of say the same thing, about being in a similar place and most importantly, working collaboratively for the first time. While I was watching it, I really had the feeling that one of the things they had learned to do was to yield their egos a little bit.
We've been talking a lot about lyrics, but is there anyone posting to this thread who has some expertise with musical theory? I'm just curious about that. I don't know much...I played instruments in high school, and I've always noodled around on my accoustic guitar but just strumming chords to campfire-type songs and now lullabies for putting my children to sleep. However, don't you just FEEL there is some kind of transcendent quality to the music? What is it about those melodies and chords...when I listen to YIELD with respect to just the music, I have two reactions which are probably emotional but are experienced in a very physical way. The first is I feel an intense desire to run. It's not by accident that the first story I posted here had to do with running on a treadmill while listening to YIELD. The second feeling...um, I guess here is where my female perspective is going to come in, so please hear me out and don't freak when I say this...it's like crying after orgasm. Guys don't usually do that, but women do sometimes. It used to freak my husband out, like maybe something was upsetting me, but that's not it at all. It's more like an overwhelming ache, but also like an incredibly spiritual (not religious) wave washing over you. It's not that the music is sexual in any way. I'm probably explaining this poorly, aren't I? But can you kind of understand what I'm trying to describe? I really think it must have some kind of explanation in musical theory.
some of you people take this shit way too serious....
hehehehehe............
but to each their own.......
Maybe. And some people on the forums spend their time talking about jello enemas (see the Stone Gossard thread for details). As you said, to each their own.
It's not by accident that the first story I posted here had to do with running on a treadmill while listening to YIELD. The second feeling...um, I guess here is where my female perspective is going to come in, so please hear me out and don't freak when I say this...it's like crying after orgasm.
However, what common themes in content do you find within the songs? Is there one? Is there a method to the order?
Not that I have the depth of analysis given by RockKing (fantastic work, by the way), but I've often thought of three lyrics and/or symbolic images when listening to YIELD through the years:
angels
cars
circles
The angel lyric appears in No Way, Pilate, Push Me, Pull Me, and (by inference, in the form of the hero/protagonist) Given to Fly. To me, the spiritual questions of 'the man upstairs', 'if there were no angels, would there be no sin', and the 'human being that was given to fly' lend much creedence to the theories that the song's writers were in a place of transcendence in their careers, their relationships, and their souls. Perhaps by pushing the threshold of 30 years old and by enduring the collective PJ turmoil for the few years preceding YIELD, the band members came to the recording studio seeking (or having recently experienced) catharsis and rebirth.
References to automobiles are also abundant, most notably in MFC, Do the Evolution, Wishlist, and Low Light. Motion is obviously important to the concept of yielding--without an established motion, one cannot possibly yield (in any sense of the word). It would appear that cars are means to escape, dominance, and freedom in these songs. The 'car crash' in Low Light is particularly interesting to this line of thought. If the protagonist is carrying a romantic notion of the full moon on the Camaro's hood, dominance in flattening out the rolling hills with his truck, or attempting to escape the inescapable, the car crashing brings a startling realization that the technology of man is not a means to harmony with nature/the universe.
The circles metaphor is bit tougher to pinpoint, but I think it has much in common with cycles of life, nature, and routine. Lyrically, circles are represented in No Way (latitudes, the globe), Wishlist ('I guess it never stops', the cycle; also perhaps symbolized by the mirrorball in concert), Pilate (punching and drawing circles), and In Hiding ('ignored all my rounds', routine maybe). Musically, I think circles/cycles appear heavily in Given to Fly, Wishlist, and Hummus. The rhythm of those songs could be described as circular because of the refrains and crescendos. I suppose it fits in that when one is willing to yield his/her own patterns of belief or practice, one may find greater balance with the larger cycles of life and nature. "Giving way...to nature," as Ed says with a wry smile.
I apologize if these points were made in earlier YIELD threads. I didn't read those nearly as intently as I have this one. Hopefully, there are some nuggets worth extracting and examining in the above. I can't count how many times I've thought of this while listening to The Album, yet I've never stopped to put it into words. Looking forward to some more discussion of YIELD.
.
Memphis 1994 New Orleans 1995 Fort Lauderdale 1996 Atlanta & Birmingham 1998 New Orleans 2000 Tampa 2003 Kissimmee 2004 New York City (x 2) 2008 East Troy (x 2) 2011 Chicago & New Orleans 2013 Hampton, Raleigh, Boston 2016 Baltimore2020 Louisville 2022 Philadelphia & Baltimore 2024
On a much lighter note, this thread (and newcomers to YIELD discussion) might benefit greatly from a re-posting of fanch's Drunken Review of YIELD.
I know I'd get a kick out of it.
.
Memphis 1994 New Orleans 1995 Fort Lauderdale 1996 Atlanta & Birmingham 1998 New Orleans 2000 Tampa 2003 Kissimmee 2004 New York City (x 2) 2008 East Troy (x 2) 2011 Chicago & New Orleans 2013 Hampton, Raleigh, Boston 2016 Baltimore2020 Louisville 2022 Philadelphia & Baltimore 2024
I was at Wembley Arena and was surprised and also chuffed to bits I got FOUR Yield songs , and was stunned and ecstatic when the opening chords of LOWLIGHT struck up, as I think that was only the 18th time since release its been played live, and I just felt so privelaged.With so many eminently knowledgable 'YIELDITES' on here , I was just wondering what is the most Yield tracks ever performed in one setlist?
'All the rusted signs,we ignore throughout our lives,
Choosing the shiny ones instead'
yield looses a bit of steam during wishlist and pilate after the bombardment of the brilliant first 4 opening tracks. do the evolution rocks the show back into life but then track 8 and 9 distracts again. i'v said it before and i'll say it again, yield is not pearl jam's greatest effort, spectacular as it may be.
i thought yield to be pearl jam's strongest offering for a long time - not anymore.
"Call me Ishmael. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world." Herman Melville : Moby Dick
I was at Wembley Arena and was surprised and also chuffed to bits I got FOUR Yield songs , and was stunned and ecstatic when the opening chords of LOWLIGHT struck up, as I think that was only the 18th time since release its been played live, and I just felt so privelaged.With so many eminently knowledgable 'YIELDITES' on here , I was just wondering what is the most Yield tracks ever performed in one setlist?
Minneapolis 6-30-98 had 9 songs if you include Leatherman.
Brain of J
Faithfull
Pilate
MFC
Wishlist
All Those Yesterdays
Do the Evolution
Given to Fly
Leatherman
Atlanta 9-1-98 had quite a few as well
Given to Fly
Do the Evolution
Wishlist
In Hiding
MFC
Brain of J
No Way
ATY as a tag to Daughter
I guess something else to mention are the different definitions of yield, and the stopping and adapting parts are clear, but the 'return' idea is cool too. You know, the yield of your labor, what have you.
I guess maybe what comes of escaping is this new awareness, the yield of your yielding.
That's definitely a side of it that we've had a tendency in the past to overlook. And I think that's why ATY is such an important song as the closer, because I think it attempts to deal with that. What are 'all those yesterdays'? You could argue they are the knowledge that you've gained to this point in your life. And it's all a part of that process. Good point Will.
--"I'm like an opening band for the sun"
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
Not that I have the depth of analysis given by RockKing (fantastic work, by the way), but I've often thought of three lyrics and/or symbolic images when listening to YIELD through the years:
angels
cars
circles
The angel lyric appears in No Way, Pilate, Push Me, Pull Me, and (by inference, in the form of the hero/protagonist) Given to Fly. To me, the spiritual questions of 'the man upstairs', 'if there were no angels, would there be no sin', and the 'human being that was given to fly' lend much creedence to the theories that the song's writers were in a place of transcendence in their careers, their relationships, and their souls. Perhaps by pushing the threshold of 30 years old and by enduring the collective PJ turmoil for the few years preceding YIELD, the band members came to the recording studio seeking (or having recently experienced) catharsis and rebirth.
References to automobiles are also abundant, most notably in MFC, Do the Evolution, Wishlist, and Low Light. Motion is obviously important to the concept of yielding--without an established motion, one cannot possibly yield (in any sense of the word). It would appear that cars are means to escape, dominance, and freedom in these songs. The 'car crash' in Low Light is particularly interesting to this line of thought. If the protagonist is carrying a romantic notion of the full moon on the Camaro's hood, dominance in flattening out the rolling hills with his truck, or attempting to escape the inescapable, the car crashing brings a startling realization that the technology of man is not a means to harmony with nature/the universe.
The circles metaphor is bit tougher to pinpoint, but I think it has much in common with cycles of life, nature, and routine. Lyrically, circles are represented in No Way (latitudes, the globe), Wishlist ('I guess it never stops', the cycle; also perhaps symbolized by the mirrorball in concert), Pilate (punching and drawing circles), and In Hiding ('ignored all my rounds', routine maybe). Musically, I think circles/cycles appear heavily in Given to Fly, Wishlist, and Hummus. The rhythm of those songs could be described as circular because of the refrains and crescendos. I suppose it fits in that when one is willing to yield his/her own patterns of belief or practice, one may find greater balance with the larger cycles of life and nature. "Giving way...to nature," as Ed says with a wry smile.
I apologize if these points were made in earlier YIELD threads. I didn't read those nearly as intently as I have this one. Hopefully, there are some nuggets worth extracting and examining in the above. I can't count how many times I've thought of this while listening to The Album, yet I've never stopped to put it into words. Looking forward to some more discussion of YIELD.
.
Rhino, this is great, thanks for adding to the discussion. I'll have to think about this, but that is a great observation.
Maybe there's some sort of similarity in the sounds of these songs as well...the car songs are about pushing it forward, about getting over something in a way. They're about the future.
The circle songs are cycling back, about the past. I'd include ATY here as well (paper plate is a circle)
The angel songs are about these mystical things that don't really have an explanation, they're about faith. I'd put Faithfull in this group as well.
That's definitely a side of it that we've had a tendency in the past to overlook. And I think that's why ATY is such an important song as the closer, because I think it attempts to deal with that. What are 'all those yesterdays'? You could argue they are the knowledge that you've gained to this point in your life. And it's all a part of that process. Good point Will.
i feel like the ATY issue is one your group here as overlooked over and over again. it is difficult to pin down.
hi. i love yield. and i am female. i just read this entire thread in its entirety.
i will also say that the comparison of given to fly to where the streets have no name is just absolutely brilliant.
both songs make your heart explode with an overwhelming sense of purpose and opportunity.
Welcome.
Yeah, when I was trying to match up a song with GTF, I knew the song had to match the size of GTF, which is no easy task. I was fortunate with 'Where The Streets Have No Name' because not only does the chorus of that song simply soar like GTF, but the lyrics have a similar moral to them.
--"I'm like an opening band for the sun"
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
I don't really know that U2 song...before my time.
Wow. In the last week I've learned that you don't know the Smashing Pumpkins and now I find out you're unfamiliar with U2's "The Joshua Tree". And if you're unfamiliar with that album, does that mean you're also unfamiliar with their album "War"? If so, we've gotta bring you up to speed on that one, my friend.
--"I'm like an opening band for the sun"
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
Wow. In the last week I've learned that you don't know the Smashing Pumpkins and now I find out you're unfamiliar with U2's "The Joshua Tree". And if you're unfamiliar with that album, does that mean you're also unfamiliar with their album "War"? If so, we've gotta bring you up to speed on that one, my friend.
Wow. In the last week I've learned that you don't know the Smashing Pumpkins and now I find out you're unfamiliar with U2's "The Joshua Tree". And if you're unfamiliar with that album, does that mean you're also unfamiliar with their album "War"? If so, we've gotta bring you up to speed on that one, my friend.
Thanks, RockKing, for the summary. I just watched SVT for the first time in a while. I think what you are saying about it being an accidental concept album is dead on. All the band members kind of say the same thing, about being in a similar place and most importantly, working collaboratively for the first time. While I was watching it, I really had the feeling that one of the things they had learned to do was to yield their egos a little bit.
That's always an overlooked aspect of the YIELD experience. You can actually WATCH this amazing process unfold a bit by popping the DVD in. To be able to experience the creative headspace the entire band was in at that moment in time is truly a priceless experience.
We've been talking a lot about lyrics, but is there anyone posting to this thread who has some expertise with musical theory? I'm just curious about that. I don't know much...I played instruments in high school, and I've always noodled around on my accoustic guitar but just strumming chords to campfire-type songs and now lullabies for putting my children to sleep. However, don't you just FEEL there is some kind of transcendent quality to the music? What is it about those melodies and chords...when I listen to YIELD with respect to just the music, I have two reactions which are probably emotional but are experienced in a very physical way. The first is I feel an intense desire to run. It's not by accident that the first story I posted here had to do with running on a treadmill while listening to YIELD. The second feeling...um, I guess here is where my female perspective is going to come in, so please hear me out and don't freak when I say this...it's like crying after orgasm. Guys don't usually do that, but women do sometimes. It used to freak my husband out, like maybe something was upsetting me, but that's not it at all. It's more like an overwhelming ache, but also like an incredibly spiritual (not religious) wave washing over you. It's not that the music is sexual in any way. I'm probably explaining this poorly, aren't I? But can you kind of understand what I'm trying to describe? I really think it must have some kind of explanation in musical theory.
We do have a tendency to focus very intently on the lyrics, because they are easier to quantify (or qualify, I suppose) than the music. But to be sure, as great as the lyrics are, this album wouldn't mean what it does to me or anyone else around here if the music was subpar. As cohesive and linear as the lyrics are or can be, so to is the music. Another point about the music that makes YIELD stand out for me, is a simple look at who wrote the music:
Brain Of J - Mike
Faithfull - Mike
No Way - Stone
Given To Fly - Mike
Wishlist - Ed
Pilate - Jeff
Do The Evolution - Stone
Red Dot - Jack
MFC - Ed
Low Light - Jeff
In Hiding - Stone
Push Me, Pull Me - Jeff
All Those Yesterdays - Stone
I'm always fascinated by that breakdown. 3 of the first 4 songs are written by Mike. Only 2 songs written by Ed. 3 songs by Jeff. This album was truly their best collaboration as a band, in my opinion.
--"I'm like an opening band for the sun"
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
Maybe. And some people on the forums spend their time talking about jello enemas (see the Stone Gossard thread for details). As you said, to each their own.
Hahaha, I love it. See, you fit in with this thread perfectly.
--"I'm like an opening band for the sun"
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
Brain Of J - Mike
Faithfull - Mike
No Way - Stone
Given To Fly - Mike
Wishlist - Ed
Pilate - Jeff
Do The Evolution - Stone
Red Dot - Jack
MFC - Ed
Low Light - Jeff
In Hiding - Stone
Push Me, Pull Me - Jeff
All Those Yesterdays - Stone
I'm always fascinated by that breakdown. 3 of the first 4 songs are written by Mike. Only 2 songs written by Ed. 3 songs by Jeff. This album was truly their best collaboration as a band, in my opinion.
That's neat. You know Ed had more in the tank...wonder if Grievance, Sad, those kind of things were floating around. I think the tracklist can be attributed to Ed's yielding to everyone else and Jack's influence, and now there's more of a balance, with half the songs (more or less) being his on the new ones...
Comments
Oh, I love this. We've got some work to do. Not everyone agrees on this, but some of us do.....I believe that there is a linear story being told throughout YIELD. For me, the album is about ways to make change in our lives. It is about the difference between YIELDing (giving way, and using life's experiences to make positive change) vs escaping (giving up and just getting the fuck out). I believe YIELD gives examples of both, gives examples of what to do and what not to do, and shows us how to do it right. I'll give you a brief song by song summary. Last year we went WAY into depth on all this, and I'm not even sure where to start, so let me just give you a BRIEF summary. First, here's the exchange of posts that prompted us to look into this in the first place. I posted the following:
And Grace responded with:
And from that point, it was on. We began to question what this means and how it relates to the album. So here's a quick song by song summary:
Brain of J - For me, this is one of the easiest songs, and the perfect opener. It lies in the lyrics:
"You, you've been taught
Whipped into shape, now they got you in line
Stand behind the stripes
There will be order, so give it a good mind
The whole world will be different soon
The whole world will be relieved
And by name
The name they gave me
The name I'm letting go"
This sets up the mood of the album. The main character (us) has been beaten down by external forces within his/her surroundings, and is finally ready for change.
Faithfull - This one is one of the tougher songs to decipher. BrainOfJD has some of the best theories on this song. I always see this song as sort of a "taking stock" song. The main character is trying to balance his/her life through the prism of life, love, religion. It's somewhat of an empty cry for help (calling to god, but does he hear me??), which is a neccesary step in preparing for the upcoming change.
No Way - This song, for me, is pure unbridled determination. "I'll stop trying to make a difference, no way". Again, you have the ties to religion ("Let's call in an angel"), which is key because it shows that the inner conflict with these forces is still there.
Given To Fly - While the first 3 songs are setting up the change, this song is where it starts. Again, unbridled determination as the main character is spit upon and beaten down, but he's unable to be kept down and he finds a way to rise above it all. It's about soaring above everything that surrounds you. He could have given in, but instead, he gives way, and in the proccess he discovers the benefits.
Wishlist - This one kind of speaks for itself, but it's perhaps the first look at the dangers of escaping. Wishing to be all these other things rather than being at peace with who we are. Only when you learn from your past can you truly make positive change in your future. "I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish....I guess it never stops." That's escapism in a nutshell.
Pilate - Ok, this is one big monkeywrench in the system. I still don't FULLY get it, but likepilateihaveadog wrote a GREAT paper on this song, and after reading it, I began to understand this song a little bit more. For me, the tie-in with the main theme lies in the "Like Pilate I have a dog" line. We all have our dogs. But when we begin to understand that it's ok, and that we can learn from it, that's when we're truly accomplishing something. "Stunned by my own reflection, it's looking back, sees me too clearly and I swore I'd never go there again. Not unlike a friend that politely drags you down." This is what I mean about recognizing our mistakes and our weaknesses and learning from them.
Do The Evolution - Another song that deals with conflict. Man vs man, man vs nature, man vs machine, man vs himself...It's all in here pretty much. It's raw aggression that comes the DEEP desire to quickly make change. It's an urgent plea to all of mankind. We NEED to make change and we NEED to do it NOW.
Red Dot - A much needed intermission, to allow us to digest what we've been through so far
MFC - Esapism. Pure and simple. "They said that timing was everything, made him want to be everyewhere, there's a lot to be said for nowhere." As Ed says in SVT "It's being in a car and getting the fuck out of there." This is YIELD's main lesson to us. It's the turmoil caused by escaping vs giving way.
Low Light - This song is the reflection after the escape. It's looking back and trying to make sense of what the fuck just happened. There are no answers or resolutions to be found in Low Light. It's a beautiful song, to be sure, but it's entirely hedonistic in nature. It's food for the peripheral senses, but offers nothing for the soul. "Sidetracked, low light
Can't see my tracks,
Your scent-way back
Can I be here all alone?
Clear a path to my home
Blood runs dry
Books and jealousy tell me wrong
All I feel, calm
Voice rolls by,
Low light
Car crash, low light
Can't wear my mask,
Your first, my last"
In Hiding - This song represent the main character picking up the pieces, learning from his/her mistakes, and giving way. It's a simple surrender, but a surrender with meaning. "It's been about three days now
Since I've been aground
No longer overwhelmed and it seems so simple now
It's funny when things change so much
It's all state of mind"
The war within is over, and the main character is ready for resolution.
Push Me, Pull Me - This song is the apex, climax, resolution (whatever you want to call it) of the album. "Like a cloud dropping rain
I'm discarding all thought
I'll dry up, leaving puddles on the ground
I'm like an opening band for the sun"
Our main character has finally learned from the past and made peace with who he/she is and where he/she is going. Only now is he/she really in control of their life. Here is where YIELD shows us just how much more peaceful and rewarding Giving Way is compared to Escaping.
All Those Yesterdays - Another tough cookie to decipher. The way I really see it, though, it's the perfect closer for this album. It's like a summary. It reminds us again of the perils of escape and the rewards of giving way. But it's also intentionally vague, giving us lines like "there's still time for escape." But again, this makes sense because it's intentionally vague. The ending isn't finite. Just because the main character knows how to make change, will they really follow it, or will they take the easy way out. And just because we've gone through this process once, it doesn't mean we'll never need it again. As linear as this story is, we find out in the end that the ending is circular. It's an ongoing process, one that never really ends. And that's what life is all about.
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
i like it!
it's growing up just like me
________________________________
Washington DC 2006
Lollapalooza 2007
I think you touched on almost everything we did last summer, and the escape and linear theories were quite interesting.
I guess something else to mention are the different definitions of yield, and the stopping and adapting parts are clear, but the 'return' idea is cool too. You know, the yield of your labor, what have you.
I guess maybe what comes of escaping is this new awareness, the yield of your yielding.
hi. i love yield. and i am female. i just read this entire thread in its entirety.
i will also say that the comparison of given to fly to where the streets have no name is just absolutely brilliant.
both songs make your heart explode with an overwhelming sense of purpose and opportunity.
Did you see our posts before about matching up YIELD songs with other artists' songs? Any ideas?
We've been talking a lot about lyrics, but is there anyone posting to this thread who has some expertise with musical theory? I'm just curious about that. I don't know much...I played instruments in high school, and I've always noodled around on my accoustic guitar but just strumming chords to campfire-type songs and now lullabies for putting my children to sleep. However, don't you just FEEL there is some kind of transcendent quality to the music? What is it about those melodies and chords...when I listen to YIELD with respect to just the music, I have two reactions which are probably emotional but are experienced in a very physical way. The first is I feel an intense desire to run. It's not by accident that the first story I posted here had to do with running on a treadmill while listening to YIELD. The second feeling...um, I guess here is where my female perspective is going to come in, so please hear me out and don't freak when I say this...it's like crying after orgasm. Guys don't usually do that, but women do sometimes. It used to freak my husband out, like maybe something was upsetting me, but that's not it at all. It's more like an overwhelming ache, but also like an incredibly spiritual (not religious) wave washing over you. It's not that the music is sexual in any way. I'm probably explaining this poorly, aren't I? But can you kind of understand what I'm trying to describe? I really think it must have some kind of explanation in musical theory.
Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I entirely agree.
some of you people take this shit way too serious....
hehehehehe............
but to each their own.......
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
Maybe. And some people on the forums spend their time talking about jello enemas (see the Stone Gossard thread for details). As you said, to each their own.
After hittin it from the back, of course.
Sorry, I don't get what you mean.
pleasure to meet you .....
hope you had a wonderful holiday..........
Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
Not that I have the depth of analysis given by RockKing (fantastic work, by the way), but I've often thought of three lyrics and/or symbolic images when listening to YIELD through the years:
angels
cars
circles
The angel lyric appears in No Way, Pilate, Push Me, Pull Me, and (by inference, in the form of the hero/protagonist) Given to Fly. To me, the spiritual questions of 'the man upstairs', 'if there were no angels, would there be no sin', and the 'human being that was given to fly' lend much creedence to the theories that the song's writers were in a place of transcendence in their careers, their relationships, and their souls. Perhaps by pushing the threshold of 30 years old and by enduring the collective PJ turmoil for the few years preceding YIELD, the band members came to the recording studio seeking (or having recently experienced) catharsis and rebirth.
References to automobiles are also abundant, most notably in MFC, Do the Evolution, Wishlist, and Low Light. Motion is obviously important to the concept of yielding--without an established motion, one cannot possibly yield (in any sense of the word). It would appear that cars are means to escape, dominance, and freedom in these songs. The 'car crash' in Low Light is particularly interesting to this line of thought. If the protagonist is carrying a romantic notion of the full moon on the Camaro's hood, dominance in flattening out the rolling hills with his truck, or attempting to escape the inescapable, the car crashing brings a startling realization that the technology of man is not a means to harmony with nature/the universe.
The circles metaphor is bit tougher to pinpoint, but I think it has much in common with cycles of life, nature, and routine. Lyrically, circles are represented in No Way (latitudes, the globe), Wishlist ('I guess it never stops', the cycle; also perhaps symbolized by the mirrorball in concert), Pilate (punching and drawing circles), and In Hiding ('ignored all my rounds', routine maybe). Musically, I think circles/cycles appear heavily in Given to Fly, Wishlist, and Hummus. The rhythm of those songs could be described as circular because of the refrains and crescendos. I suppose it fits in that when one is willing to yield his/her own patterns of belief or practice, one may find greater balance with the larger cycles of life and nature. "Giving way...to nature," as Ed says with a wry smile.
I apologize if these points were made in earlier YIELD threads. I didn't read those nearly as intently as I have this one. Hopefully, there are some nuggets worth extracting and examining in the above. I can't count how many times I've thought of this while listening to The Album, yet I've never stopped to put it into words. Looking forward to some more discussion of YIELD.
.
New Orleans 1995
Fort Lauderdale 1996
Atlanta & Birmingham 1998
New Orleans 2000
Tampa 2003
Kissimmee 2004
New York City (x 2) 2008
East Troy (x 2) 2011
Chicago & New Orleans 2013
Hampton, Raleigh, Boston 2016
Baltimore 2020
Louisville 2022
Philadelphia & Baltimore 2024
I know I'd get a kick out of it.
.
New Orleans 1995
Fort Lauderdale 1996
Atlanta & Birmingham 1998
New Orleans 2000
Tampa 2003
Kissimmee 2004
New York City (x 2) 2008
East Troy (x 2) 2011
Chicago & New Orleans 2013
Hampton, Raleigh, Boston 2016
Baltimore 2020
Louisville 2022
Philadelphia & Baltimore 2024
Choosing the shiny ones instead'
Reading 06 - Torino 06 - Wembley 07
i thought yield to be pearl jam's strongest offering for a long time - not anymore.
1.vitalogy
2.no code
3.vs
4.binaural (personal favorite)
5.yield
"Call me Ishmael. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world." Herman Melville : Moby Dick
Minneapolis 6-30-98 had 9 songs if you include Leatherman.
Brain of J
Faithfull
Pilate
MFC
Wishlist
All Those Yesterdays
Do the Evolution
Given to Fly
Leatherman
Atlanta 9-1-98 had quite a few as well
Given to Fly
Do the Evolution
Wishlist
In Hiding
MFC
Brain of J
No Way
ATY as a tag to Daughter
That's definitely a side of it that we've had a tendency in the past to overlook. And I think that's why ATY is such an important song as the closer, because I think it attempts to deal with that. What are 'all those yesterdays'? You could argue they are the knowledge that you've gained to this point in your life. And it's all a part of that process. Good point Will.
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
Rhino, this is great, thanks for adding to the discussion. I'll have to think about this, but that is a great observation.
Maybe there's some sort of similarity in the sounds of these songs as well...the car songs are about pushing it forward, about getting over something in a way. They're about the future.
The circle songs are cycling back, about the past. I'd include ATY here as well (paper plate is a circle)
The angel songs are about these mystical things that don't really have an explanation, they're about faith. I'd put Faithfull in this group as well.
Cool.
i feel like the ATY issue is one your group here as overlooked over and over again. it is difficult to pin down.
Welcome.
Yeah, when I was trying to match up a song with GTF, I knew the song had to match the size of GTF, which is no easy task. I was fortunate with 'Where The Streets Have No Name' because not only does the chorus of that song simply soar like GTF, but the lyrics have a similar moral to them.
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
Wow. In the last week I've learned that you don't know the Smashing Pumpkins and now I find out you're unfamiliar with U2's "The Joshua Tree". And if you're unfamiliar with that album, does that mean you're also unfamiliar with their album "War"? If so, we've gotta bring you up to speed on that one, my friend.
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
i agree. this is sort of appalling.
Ok.
I have some homework to do.
That's always an overlooked aspect of the YIELD experience. You can actually WATCH this amazing process unfold a bit by popping the DVD in. To be able to experience the creative headspace the entire band was in at that moment in time is truly a priceless experience.
We do have a tendency to focus very intently on the lyrics, because they are easier to quantify (or qualify, I suppose) than the music. But to be sure, as great as the lyrics are, this album wouldn't mean what it does to me or anyone else around here if the music was subpar. As cohesive and linear as the lyrics are or can be, so to is the music. Another point about the music that makes YIELD stand out for me, is a simple look at who wrote the music:
Brain Of J - Mike
Faithfull - Mike
No Way - Stone
Given To Fly - Mike
Wishlist - Ed
Pilate - Jeff
Do The Evolution - Stone
Red Dot - Jack
MFC - Ed
Low Light - Jeff
In Hiding - Stone
Push Me, Pull Me - Jeff
All Those Yesterdays - Stone
I'm always fascinated by that breakdown. 3 of the first 4 songs are written by Mike. Only 2 songs written by Ed. 3 songs by Jeff. This album was truly their best collaboration as a band, in my opinion.
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
Hahaha, I love it. See, you fit in with this thread perfectly.
--"We’re taking pills to get along with life… the pills are YIELD and PJ’s music. Then we create words to call our own = our analysis of YIELD." - YIH
That's neat. You know Ed had more in the tank...wonder if Grievance, Sad, those kind of things were floating around. I think the tracklist can be attributed to Ed's yielding to everyone else and Jack's influence, and now there's more of a balance, with half the songs (more or less) being his on the new ones...