Song of the day(Tremor Christ)

JDE-PJJDE-PJ Posts: 721
The fourth song off of Vitalogy, here is one they dusted off this last tour and played a time or two.


Tremor Christ






RrVwMirror
1/26/01 08:42 AM
SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST



Bastet
9/23/99 12:29 PM
TREMOR CHRIST


Song of the day and this is a great one!

TREMOR CHRIST

Wounded is the sailor...drifting by the storm...
Wounded is the organ he left all...bloodied on the shore...
Gorgeous was his savior, see her...drowning in his wake...
Daily taste the salt of her tears, but chance blamed fate...

Little secrets, tremors...turned to quakes...
The smallest oceans still get...big, big waves...

Ransom paid the Devil...he whispers pleasing words...
Triumphant are the angels if they can...get there first...

Little secrets, tremors...turned to quakes...
The smallest oceans still get...big, big waves...

I'll decide...take the dive...
Take my time...not my life...
Wait for signs...believe in lies...
To get by...it's divine...whoa...
Oh, you know what is't like...

Turns the bow back towards him...drops the line...
Puts his faith and love in Tremor Christ

>^--^<




Sister Parish
9/23/99 2:50 PM
Re: TREMOR CHRIST


This is a really hard one for me to try to interpret. I love the music and lyrics, but it's such a dense song, I've never been able to come up with a satisfying "meaning." I get that part of it is about the hypocracy of organized religion, but I feel like that barely scratches the surface of what this song is about. I'm very interested to see what other people get from it.







Bastet
9/23/99 3:19 PM
Re: TREMOR CHRIST


No, I don't know what it's like. I love this song and I've been thinking about it all day and I can't come up with anything, either. Anyone got any ideas?

>^--^<




believeyoume
9/23/99 4:00 PM
Re: TREMOR CHRIST


the smallest oceans still get big big waves, probably one of my favorite lines, kind of gives you hope to try whatever you can to succed and never give up, that the most obscure idea or attempt might give you what it takes to accomplish the task at hand

steve






eballad
9/23/99 5:39 PM
Re: TREMOR CHRIST


I dont have time to write anything long but just wanted to say that jeff's bass totally rocks in this song!....its definately one of his best






allareone
9/23/99 6:42 PM
Re: TREMOR CHRIST


Another awesome song from these brilliant musicians! So much feeling.

I always thought it was
winded is the sailor and wounded is the open healer...
but most of the lyrics I hear are different to whats being said I've discovered, thanks to the board.

Glorified version of a pelican ...being just one hehehe






OpenBand4TheSun
9/23/99 7:14 PM
I agree, very deep...


Infact... in some ways this song reminds me of deep... Although, Tremor Christ doesn't have the obvious suicidal tone.

I picture a "sailor" at the gates of ????, owning up to all the living/sins that he has done... to figure out if it is his time to go...

And in the end... NO it isn't! I can't say what exactly makes me say that, but just the way it ends... "Put's his faith and love in Tremor Christ..... ?".

Anyway this is an incredible song, and if you are one of the lucky ones, then you got to see the live version (Raleigh '98). Incredible!!!! I love this song... along with them all!!!!!

As you can see, Vitalogy rocks, and we are only on the 4th song.... big day t'morrow.... Nothingman. I better rest up, I've got 6 years to live t'morrow. You'll see....

"The Ocean's made me.... but who came up with love?"






Ranee
9/24/99 5:21 PM
Re: TREMOR CHRIST


I had to think this over for a day just to get something...and what I've got isn't much.

I thought that it may be a satire(is this the right term?) of christianity. A man lost and disillusioned(sp) by the world goes out to sea hoping to find the truth, maybe himself. But he couldn't find these answers and out frustration, fear, and/or confusion made his own. He creates a religion. It gives him any answer he wants. He thinks that these are the answers to the unanswerable questions, that they are the truth. But in actuality he abandons the truth, his only real savior, himself.
The bridge I think is Ed's take on the whole thing

Not sure that makes any sense.
sorry


I let my music take me where my heart wants to go....
~C.S.




theEarlofJam
1/26/01 08:51 AM
Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


i never liked this song at first but all of a sudden it just hit me. great bass. still trying to interpret the lyrics so i'll get back to you.

"Back that thang up" - my friends shirt




'Cher'
1/26/01 8:53 PM
Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


thast one of my favorites,






hedonist
1/26/01 9:26 PM
Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


Love the choppy feel of this song......

I have a real hard time understanding its meaning though...I'm sort of like Sister P in that I get that same sense of what it's about, but beyond that...just can't get to it.......

I can see why this didn't get much in the way of interps...though I also liked Open's thoughts (and not just 'cause I'm in love with him...ha!)

Also, I absolutely LOVE the way Ed purrs the last two lines of this song...and, of course, how he screams "you know what it's like".......

Really nice to see allareone's name too...anyone heard from her lately?






RrVwMirror
2/16/01 02:10 AM
Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


UP to the top...for "objetion!"

I let my music take me where my heart wants to go....
~C.S.




vitolochica
2/16/01 02:19 AM
"you know what its like..."


chills me to the bones every single time.....*brrr*....such a powerful song.

ya no sé si he vivido diez mil días o un día diez mil veces...




share
2/16/01 07:53 AM
Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


another one i missed

i've always thought this song was about survival and justification in sanity, love, success - in each you can
suffer major repercussions from small actions

and when surviving we always justify our actions, we need to keep our heads above water



"the hand of he, the promise that she is blessed among women"




WANNASURF
2/16/01 08:27 AM
Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


Thanks for the lyrics. Honestly, this has been my least favorite PJ song, I think I'll get the headphones out and try it again with the words. I do like the fact that there is harmony in this song.






RrVwMirror
2/20/01 00:46 AM
Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


up for GTF

I let my music take me where my heart wants to go....
~C.S.




GTF
2/20/01 00:51 AM
Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


thanks rearview, sounds like everyone has trouble interpreting tremor christ.






spanna161
4/17/01 08:28 AM
Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


ok... i got meself a kinda interpretation of this song... perhaps kinda cheesey but it's just what i invison when i hear it. basically it's about (in my opinion of course) about a man who get in a terrible fight with his girlfriend/lover and leaves her "winded is the sailor, drifting by the storm" - the recent fight 'feuls' his departure from her; "wounded is the organ, he left all bloodied on the shore" - his heart has been broken but remains with his lover for now.

the lover is left devasted by his departure and by what has happened "gorgeous was his saviour he saw, drowning in his wake".

then, i'm not too sure about the 'chance/fate" part...

the chorus... i think that means that even huge devasting problems and issues can arise in a relationship between just two people (as opposed to cities and even countries)

"ransom paid the devil, he whispers plesing words" - all he is thinking about is how much he hates her right now, prolly thinking some nasty things about her, but if the "angels can get there first" and make him not think those things, things may be able to heal.

that whole bit about "take my dive...".. kinda lost on it..

then the last verse, the man realises that he loves her, turns back and has faith in their love again.. i have NO idea what Tremor Christ means and that really bugs me..

so anyway.. that was my interpretation.. perhaps it'll help someone else..

vegetable rights and peace
I know someday you will have a beautiful Life


Jason
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • JDE-PJJDE-PJ Posts: 721
    Kevman02
    4/17/01 09:15 AM
    Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


    someone a couple weeks ago dissected this song line by line and came up with an incredible meaning to this song. He/she had it be about love had and love lost. It was an awesome interpretation. I am like the majority of people here I kinda missed the finer points of this song until i read the post. I hope they post it again.

    The K Man




    Overboard
    4/17/01 09:25 AM
    Alright (rolls up his sleeves) let's all focus...


    alright.... er uh the whole suicidal thing is in this but it really isn't what the song is about. The desperation expressed in the song is simmilar but in "take my time not my life" he is trying to clarify that it is more than just mortal life and death being talked about.

    Here is why...
    the song was written in two parts... the first is pretty simple...

    "Wounded is the sailor...drifting by the storm...
    Wounded is the organ he left all...bloodied on the shore...
    Gorgeous was his savior, see her...drowning in his wake...
    Daily taste the salt of her tears, but chance blamed fate...

    Little secrets, tremors...turned to quakes...
    The smallest oceans still get...big, big waves...

    Ransom paid the Devil...he whispers pleasing words...
    Triumphant are the angels if they can...get there first...

    Little secrets, tremors...turned to quakes...
    The smallest oceans still get...big, big waves...

    Turns the bow back towards him...drops the line...
    Puts his faith and love in Tremor Christ"

    ok now the chourus may not have been all worked out but this is my guess as to the first part, i figure he worked out the chorus and felt the song seemed too suicidal and the progression of the song needed a climactic feel.... enter 2nd part

    I'll decide...take the dive...
    Take my time...not my life...
    Wait for signs...believe in lies...
    To get by...it's divine...whoa...
    Oh, you know what is't like...

    it is my guess that this was worked out at the same time he originally wrote the lryics to the song but it may have been a last minute revision in the studio.

    IMHO it seems it is about a spiritual battle, "belive in lies to get by it's devine" -the feeling of being lost and "wounded is the sailor, drifting by the storm" which sets this tone of emptyness throughout the song.

    the "storm" is the battle, the "woman" is his grounding in reality which he is hurting so he can go off into the storm and find his faith and purpose, wether or not she is a literal part of this song is at best trivia.

    the organ is of course his heart, because we all know hte heart is our weakness. It could be her heart, but she isn't introduced untill the next line so i think that it relates the the first.

    the chourus is what i haven't completly figured out... i mean i understand it but i guess i'm not sure how to explain it just yet... i'll have to give it some more thought...

    well thats my take

    "if my wings should fail me lord, please meet me with another pair"








    zkipper
    4/17/01 1:16 PM
    Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


    Wounded is the sailor....drifting by the storm
    Wounded is the organ he left all.....bloodied on the shore

    --to me this seems like a guy that's watching
    a bad situation happen, someone is breaking his
    heart and that's what's bloodied on the shore

    Gorgeous was his savior, sees her.... drowning in his wake
    Daily taste the salt of her tears, but.. chance blamed fate

    --he cherish's this beautiful girl, and something that's
    happened (i think she was unfaithful) is killing him inside

    Little secrets, tremors.....turned to quake
    The smallest oceans still get.....big big waves

    --he's been hearing rumors and shit, and then realizes that
    it's not just rumors, it's fact....what to do what to do

    Ransom paid the devil....he whispers pleasing words...
    Triumphant are the angels if they can.... get there first...

    --he doesn't know what to do....he's hearing voices from
    the devil... possibly contemplating suicide or something
    else insane.....but if he can just listen to the right
    voices of angels/god then he'll be ok

    chorus again.......

    I'll decide.......take the dive
    Take my time......not my life
    Wait for signs........believe in lies
    To get by........it's divine...ohhh
    Oh, you know what is't like

    --maybe he listened to the angels.. he's going to
    figure out some other way to deal with this... he's
    not going to kill himself.... gonna wait for a sign(s)
    and unfortunately decides to look away and not believe
    what he truely knows... this will help him get by for
    now.........

    Turns the bow back towards him.......drops the line
    Puts his faith and love in ..........Tremor Christ

    --he's turning the ship back around, and taking another
    chance at it......putting his faith and love in
    Tremor Christ (i think meaning Christ can be a little
    shakey and hard to figure out)

    This is my take on an amazing song.......






    liltplace
    4/18/01 10:06 AM
    Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST...termor void


    'nuff said

    *something smells fishy*






    AustralianSmile
    4/18/01 10:26 AM
    Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST...termor void


    Great interp!!! The key is tremor Christ. The key to the entire song and no-one can pin it down






    GrantMeThis
    4/18/01 3:38 PM
    Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


    This is one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs. I loved it when I first heard and I still love it today. I am not really sure of the literal meaning, but that is part of the mystique of the song. The guitar, the lyrics, the sound...it's GREAT!!

    Little Secrets tremors, turned to quake
    Smallest oceans still get big big waves






    liltplace
    4/19/01 06:59 AM
    Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST...evacuation


    linking the chains, there aplenty..surprised more on this board don't pin it down..cool words together 'pin it down' btw






    evenkat
    4/19/01 07:06 AM
    Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


    I swear i remember replying on this post?

    "You know what it's like?" EV




    RrVwMirror
    4/19/01 09:04 AM
    Re: SOTD: ....TREMOR CHRIST


    HI evenkat!
    If you did reply....Not sure what happened to it!

    I let my music take me where my heart wants to go....
    ~C.S.




    brokenarrow
    4/19/01 09:58 AM
    Re: Alright (rolls up his sleeves) let's all focus...


    Wow Overboard, that is an excellent interpretation! I really loved reading it, it's how I've felt about Tremor Christ, for me, it's all about a bad relationship and getting through the pain....we've all had them and get through the intense loss however best we can...

    very cool to see these being brought up again!






    evenkat
    4/19/01 10:17 AM
    Re: Hi RrVwMirrow :x


    It might have been the first installment remember the board had some problems and everything was gone and we had to do them again. :)

    "You know what it's like?" EV




    Overboard
    4/19/01 10:49 AM
    Re: Alright (rolls up his sleeves) let's all focus...


    yeah i really liked these posts too, they were always fun
    I know someday you will have a beautiful Life


    Jason
  • I just think about a guy on a boat who's drifting in a storm and has all these crazy things going on in his head. That's what I think about with this song.
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