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Song of the day(Porch)

JDE-PJJDE-PJ Posts: 721
edited October 2003 in Words and Music...Communication
the 8th song off of Ten, this tune has at times found the lead singer performing this song in the crowd, in the rafters, and yes even in duct tape, it's a good one live or on memorex, so add some present or future thoughts if you like .



RrVwMirror
1/12/01 8:02 PM
SOTD: ....PORCH



El Conquistador
8/12/99 09:45 AM
this could be the day......PORCH

this is a great one!!!! what do you think the name means? what does the song say?

PORCH

What the fuck is this world
Running to, you didn't
Leave a message, at least I
Coulda' learned your voice one last time
Daily minefield, this could
Be my time, 'bout you?
Would you hit me? (2x)
Oh oh oh...oh whoa whoa...ow...

All the bills go by, and
Initiatives are taken up
By the middle, there ain't gonna be any middle any more
And the cross I'm bearing home
Ain't indicative of my place
Left the porch (2x)
Oh oh oh...
Hear my name, take a good look
This could be the day
Hold my hand, walk beside me
I just need to say...

Hear my name, take a good look
This could be the day
Hold my hand, lie beside me
I just need to say
I could not take a-just one day
I know, when I would not ever touch you
Hold you...feel you...ever hold...never again...
Yeah... (12x)






brokenarrow
8/12/99 10:25 AM
Re: this could be the day......PORCH

.......Jesus El Conquistador......I don't know!
........I LOVE this song, and yet I really don't know it's true meaning!
....Perhaps it's about daily life, the bills, the annoyances etc.... and yet again as in Black, another lost Love.
.......I've always had the feeling of those two things whenever I hear this song anyway......I think the "PORCH" is significant for daily life, so many people have a porch, I know I do alot of reflecting on mine. Sometimes just sitting out there quietly by myself reflecting.......
.......I can't WAIT to see what other people feel about this tune...I learned so much from the Evenflow thread....this is another one that I need some guidance with!!!
......As usual El,,,,,,you're Great!
......brokenarrow>


ps....to Kat....How come you haven't been adding to these like Evenflow?
..We LOVE to hear from you,,,,,let us know what you think about this little 'ol tune Ok?....love, broken>






MikesLoveChild
8/12/99 10:42 AM
Re: this could be the day......PORCH

Nirvana is hard to figure (who cares?) I've always thought PJ's lyrics were pretty clear. read the lyrics you types
and the meaning's right there. if you want to analyze a song, analyze "Red Mosquito".






Quarterman
8/12/99 10:46 AM
Re: this could be the day......PORCH

Definitely a tough one and I'm usually not good with the insight, but here goes...I've got a few ideas...
First, I'd like to say that I see a parallelism with Yellow Ledbetter...The whole idea of "leaving" and "not wanting to stay..."
Well, that's not much, but I think Porch is about getting up one day and leaving either the place you are at or the person you are with...
Anybody want to elaborate and take it further??






brokenarrow
8/12/99 10:55 AM
Re: this could be the day......PORCH

.....No No MikesLoveChild you don't understand. El Conquistador has started a
song a day thread...Today it's Porch....It started last week with once. We'll hit Red Mosquito when we get to No Code. Kat has even participated, on the song Evenflow.....It's actually quite fun!






evenkat
8/12/99 11:15 AM
Re: this could be the day......PORCH

I think the title, Porch, means being left out, not being invited in, your not welcomed anymore. Just my little interpretation.

I think it's a break up song. The person he is singing about has locked him out and he has come to that realization and is maybe looking for one more chance to say goodbye. He saying he's leaving now and moving on. He's left the porch.



"You know what it's like" EV




RrVwMirror
8/12/99 11:20 AM
Re: this could be the day......PORCH

Porch...
Hmmm...
I'll take a shot at it...
I think it is about the craziness of everyday life...the stress...the fast pace people are running at...people are so caught up in all of this that they are missing the point of life...Each day is to be lived as if it is our last...for who knows, it just may be...I think the character is expressing that all that is going on around him is not what he is really about...he does not want to get caught up in that rollercoaster...he is telling whoever...take a look at me...for what I truly am...love me for who I am...this could be our last day together...let all that other shit go...it is not important compared to the time they spend together...I think it is a love song that expresses all the stress and frustration people feel today when they are too busy to appreciate the truly important moments of life...like spending quiet times together. Don't take life for granted...we never know when our day will come!
I may be way off base here, but this is how I always interpreted the song...this is what it means to me anyway...






Cody
8/12/99 11:32 AM
Re: this could be the day......PORCH

As in most of Ed's lyrics, I think there are several themes going on here. One possible one is about his real Dad, not really getting to know him before he died. Especially in the following...

"Leave a message, at least I
Coulda' learned your voice one last time"











brokenarrow
8/12/99 11:37 AM
Cody....that makes alot of sense!

........Never looked at it from the Dad perspective......This is interesting!
....It certainly could have pertained to my Dad before he died in '87....same thing, I didn't know him
.....(alcohol)....blechhhh...






Talon
8/12/99 11:44 AM
Re: this could be the day......PORCH

Ok, I'll take a shot at this too. It could be that the world is really f'd up and he tries to leave all of that on the porch. Like not bringing outside worries in the house - Just a thought. But there are probably many things going on in this song.






RrVwMirror
8/12/99 11:51 AM
Oops...I forgot something...

I was in such a hurry (kids) that I forgot to mention the most important part...the "Porch"...
I believe that the porch is the most inviting, comfortable part of the home...it is the place where people feel most comfortabe...the place where the little things of life are so appreciated...I think he feels so overwhelmed in his life because he in a sense "left the porch"...I think there is a yearning to be back on that porch....






evenkat
8/12/99 11:54 AM
Re: Cody, wow, very insightful.

Never thought of it that way. But, after reading your post, it makes perfect sense.

Maybe, it could be about his real dad, leaving him some kind of message, a letter, a song possibly, and letting him get to know him in some very small way, at the very least. Maybe the song means he felt left out with his Dad.

I just read the other day, that Ed said, he never knew his real dad, he just bumped into him a couple of times. I thought that was a very sad way to remember how he knew his real dad.

But, anyway, takes on a whole new meaning.

"You know what it's like" EV



cheekywombat
8/12/99 11:54 AM
Re: this could be the day......PORCH

Yes Rearview, I agree with your interpretation...Taking a step further, I think the "porch" in this song, as in Yellow Ledbetter & Breath...all represent a kind of "limbo" It symbolizes the "area" between the sanctuary of the home & the crazy rat-racy insanity of the outside World, like in Breath where he sings "I suggest you step out on your porch.."....I think this song is about growing up & taking it on....or...leaving an unsavoury situation, kinda like Rearviewmirror or MFC.
I know someday you will have a beautiful Life


Jason
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • JDE-PJJDE-PJ Posts: 721
    kmj
    8/12/99 11:55 AM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    Could it have a "political" theme? In the second verse, taking the lines "all the bills go by and, initiatives are taken up,.."
    find the middle, there ain't gonna be any middle any more..." literally. Republicans vs. Democrats? No compromise,
    blind political ambition, no care for the little guy?

    Obviously, "hold you, feel you..." goes somewhere else. I've just always listened to the song as a sort of "call to action"

    "what the fuck is this world...running to..."

    kj







    El Conquistador
    8/12/99 12:02 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    this is one of hardest songs to figure out exactly to me....I disagree with MikesLoveChild...I think that when you just look at the surface it is just like looking that the tip of the iceburg....when you get underneth the words and you scratch the emotional, deeper surface then you can truely take something away from the song...that is the great thing about pj...the lyrics seem simple, but there is SO MUCH more in them...






    El Conquistador
    8/12/99 12:08 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    I agree with the political theme,....that make perfect sense....
    remember back on MTV unplugged Eddie stood on his stool during this song and wrote pro choice on his arms...so I do think that there is a political theme going on in at least that one verse...

    I really think it is just frustration with life, and he just wants someone to "Hold my hand, walk beside me".....it is a frustrated love song....You know how when you get frustrated, things just build and build....I think he is just letting off steam about the world, day to day life, and his desire to be with this person (who seems like she just dumped him...)






    LaterDays
    8/12/99 12:10 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    I've always thought it was about abortion. Eddie writes it from the perspective of a woman - pregnant and left by her boyfriend or whoever. "didn't leave a message... at least I could've heard your voice one last time." She faces "daily minefields" --- prochoices giving her hell which only adds to her trauma. And so on and so forth. That explains why Vedder often makes some prochoice comment before playing the song live. At a concert in 96 that I saw, he said, "My body's nobody's body but mine... you run your own body, let me run mine. Here's a little lesson about choice for everyone... 'What the fuck is this world...'" And like the MTV Unplugged show when he wrote PROCHOICE on his arm during the bridge and the whole... "There is something I don't mind... there's a choice in my time... and I don't think we're changing it and I could die to make a change for it.. there is something else I know... ANd I know how I want this... how I want to live... how I want to choose." Maybe it's unrelated to the song, but I don't think so. That's my 2 cents.

    I don't know what to say, so I'm just gonna say... I am a donut.




    El Conquistador
    8/12/99 12:12 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    EXCELENT POINT! Hmmm....then what would each line mean in context to abortion....I think you have hit on it!!!!






    evenkat
    8/12/99 12:13 PM
    Re: Laterdays, Even Better. wow.

    by george I think he's got it. Bam, it hit me.

    "You know what it's like" EV




    Elegant-Waste
    8/12/99 12:26 PM
    Re: Laterdays, Even Better. wow.

    I had a similar view as Laterdays, it was mostly influenced by the Unplugged performance and Ed's writing of "pro choice" on his arm and that additional verse. "I know, when I would not ever touch you Hold you...feel you...ever hold...never again..." to means the mother talking to the aborted child. However, the thing brought by others about the porch is also a great point.

    -My My Hey Hey Pearl Jam Is Here To Stay-







    El Conquistador
    8/12/99 12:28 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    Okay I will give this a shot in the context of abortion....this is a story of a woman who is pregnant who wants to get an abortuion....as we all know ed does sing from the voice of a femal from time to time...(daugter, one time he sang last kiss as though it was a girl who lost her boyfriend, etc....)

    What the fuck is this world
    Running to, you didn't
    Leave a message, at least I
    Coulda' learned your voice one last time
    Daily minefield, this could
    Be my time, 'bout you?
    Would you hit me? (2x)
    Oh oh oh...oh whoa whoa...ow...

    I think this might be a potentiall abusive relationship due to the would you hit me line....however I think that line might be "would you HELP me"...I don't know really....but that part is not such a big deal...what this verse is saying is that the man that got her pregnant left her without even telling her...you know how it goes...sometimes assholes get women pregnant then run becuase they cannot take it...

    All the bills go by, and
    Initiatives are taken up
    By the middle, there ain't gonna be any middle any more
    And the cross I'm bearing home
    Ain't indicative of my place
    Left the porch (2x)
    Oh oh oh...
    Hear my name, take a good look
    This could be the day
    Hold my hand, walk beside me
    I just need to say...

    This part is about bills in washington...not money....all these bills get passed to try to prevent abortion...it is saying that the parties are split 2 ways...there is no middle ground...just a constant battle for the laws and regulations surrounding abortion...

    And the character feels like the is being crucified for wanting/getting an abortion...but she knows that she is not a bad person for it...she feels it is her body and she should be able to control it...
    Hear my name, take a good look
    This could be the day
    Hold my hand, lie beside me
    I just need to say
    I could not take a-just one day
    I know, when I would not ever touch you
    Hold you...feel you...ever hold...never again...
    Yeah... (12x)

    This part is where she is asking for help...she wants support but she feels alone in her desicions....she is alienated because of her choices....but she can't take it, she has to go through with it...

    the last few lines might be refering to the unborn child...she knows that she will never touch him/her...fell him/her....hold, etc....

    What do you guys think?....






    RrVwMirror
    8/12/99 12:28 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    WOW...that abortion theory makes so much sense...I have tried to interpret this song for a long time...I knew there was a political issue in the song...but I thought it related to how people struggle everyday to make ends meet...when inevitably there will be no more middle...class that is...thanks to the way the government is running things...so I figured it all fell in line with the roller coaster of life, the constant stress, people getting caught up in life...struggling, and forgetting the the real menaing...
    BUT NOW...I see things so much clearer...THANK YOU...I feel like "finally the shades have been raised!"....

    (I never saw the MTV unplugged...does anyone know where I can get ahold of it?







    brokenarrow
    8/12/99 12:56 PM
    That MUST be it!!!!!!!

    ...Whew!!!! That blew me away! This is like a think-tank where scientists, philosophers etc....share their thoughts and come up with a "Law"....

    ........Abortion, of course! I don't know if any of you remember it, but Eddie was on the Cover of 'SPIN' magazine a whiles back....maybe it was the end of '92 or early '93????? I can't remember...He was sitting next to a chain link fence outside.....
    .......He was interviewed in Glasgow, Scotland and the article was about abortion, as a matter of fact, Eddie may have written the article himself....
    .He was refering to a young girl in Ireland, who at the time had been raped by her father, and how the Irish government had to make the decision on whether or not she should be allowed to go to England for the abortion...That story made major headlines all over the World....
    ........He was also talking about the necessity of Pro-Choice...not as a form of birth-control, but as a very serious, perhaps life changing decision. Never once did he take the issue lightly.......
    .......But the saddest part of the article.......
    ........He spoke of his own experiences, the choice he and a girlfriend had to make. They chose an abortion. He reflected on how different his life would have been, how he surely wouldn't have been in Scotland writing an article about pro-choice, touring, writing music/poetry for people to enjoy etc....
    .......He said he would probably be working at a gas-station trying to make ends meet.............

    ............Now this song makes alot of sense.........Especially with the Unplugged goings on....The writing on the arm, the added words etc.....


    ......This thread has to stay cool now, we need to just stick with the tune..
    cause I've seen this issue get very ugly on the old board, OK?
    I know someday you will have a beautiful Life


    Jason
  • JDE-PJJDE-PJ Posts: 721
    cheekywombat
    8/12/99 1:16 PM
    I think its a call for action...

    I don't see the abortion connection at all....sorry.
    What I do see is a call for action against a system that continually screws the public...in one way or another...its about stepping up & out against the powers that be, regardless of the particular issue at hand...during the 92/93 tour during Porch, Ed sang excerpts from The Rollins Band "Tearing" - "They don't mean to do it, you don't mean to do it. We're tearing each other apart. Fucking tearing each other apart. I see you, I see you, I won't forget you..."

    Also, during the Yield tour's stop in West Palm FLA, he sang something along the lines of "This is our last dance, its our last chance..etc, etc..) Either referring to the fact that the tour was ending or as a greater, more political, revolutionary statement.









    brokenarrow
    8/12/99 1:33 PM
    Cheeky.......

    ......See, I think that makes alot of sense too cheeky!
    ..I also like the thought of daily life, leaving the porch to say, Here my name, take a good look......I'm here to stay basically, and no matter what I will rise above it all!
    ........Very confusing tune eh? ......
    ......How's my glorious Montreal today Cheeky? Friends went up for a week, and came back loving it.....told them where to go etc....
    ......brokenarrow>




    cheekywombat
    8/12/99 2:04 PM
    Brokenarrow: my Mtl. connection!

    See, all interps. kinda work!...perception, differences of perception & acceptance of differences of perception are all great things! I'd like to hear about where you sent your friends while they were in town! email me: carloss@tecsys.com







    RrVwMirror
    8/12/99 2:23 PM
    Now I'm Depressed!

    I feel so bummed out now...I can't explain it...all this time, I interpreted this song one way, now I find out it has a completely different meaning...so I just had to go listen to it again, and now the song sounds SO DIFFERENT to me...I feel like I just saw a video for it and it ruined my whole idea of the song!...I am NOT complaining, please don't get me wrong,...this is a great idea, and gives us such a better understanding of the music we 'thought' we understood! I just feel bummed out about THIS song...does that make any sense?
    Maybe it's just my mood today... :-(
    I feel a little better now that I vented!



    El Conquistador
    8/12/99 2:25 PM
    Re: I think its a call for action...

    I think it makes sense eityher way...I just thought the abortion interpretation makes sense because of eddies performace at mtv unplugged, pklus when he introduced the song as one about making ckoices....hmmmm....






    El Conquistador
    8/12/99 2:27 PM
    Re: Now I'm Depressed!

    hey man.....no one says that your interp isn't right...this one is tricky...really confusing...






    JDE-PJ
    8/12/99 2:36 PM
    Re: Now I'm Depressed!

    Do not worry how other's interpret the song, instead focus on what the song has always meant to you I'am sure when Eddie was growing up he did that to Who songs and just like you he may have had a totally different view point on one song than somedody else, do not let others ruin the song just because we all have different viewpoints and differing opinions on one song or another we are all right if the song in question has any meaning at all to us individually because that is what music is.

    Hear my name

    Jason






    Bastet
    8/12/99 3:33 PM
    Re: song interpretations

    This post shows exactly why I don't like videos (well except for the few PJ has made!). Songs should be left to individual interpretation. But sharing those ideas is a very good thing. I always thought of "the porch" as a metaphor for not participating in life, just sitting back thinking that you can't make a difference. When you "leave the porch" you take control of your life. And that works in any interpretation - abortion, politics or a lost love.

    =^--^=





    pearlgirl
    8/12/99 3:37 PM
    wow, el...

    that's a great, detailed interp! i've always heard that it was about abortion and in parts of the song i could see that, but other parts, i was just like, "um, what?" but now you made a good connection. very nice. :)

    -jen

    "music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life."
    -berthold auerbach





    eballad
    8/12/99 4:24 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    hey all!....i have been tryin to post but my username was screwed up...ive loved readin the posts on the songs the last few days....
    For porch i definately think abortion is the main focus but..maybe we should analyze what the reference with the porch is...if we could do that it would prob be easier to figure out ledbetter and breath
    i left the porch...i suggest you step out on the porch...and a letter sitting on a porch...the comments on the porch so far have made some sense but i thought if we concentrated on that we could figure somethin else out
    by the way will we do the ten b-sides before vs?
    I know someday you will have a beautiful Life


    Jason
  • JDE-PJJDE-PJ Posts: 721
    share
    8/12/99 4:35 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    that was amazing - i never saw the song in that light (saw the song??)
    you know i see these every day and i don't hop in because of the number of responses you
    get - but now i'm gonna go back and read the previous ones
    hey - good for you!!






    RrVwMirror
    8/12/99 4:43 PM
    Re: Now I'm Depressed!

    ElConquistador & JDE-PJ...thanks for the pep talk...
    I just realized the abortion theory was correct and for some reason now my visualization is gone...but thats OK...I learned something today and that is more important!
    JDE-PJ you are so right, that is what music is all about...individual meanings!...I lost sight of that I guess...Thanks! :-)






    DISSIDENT
    8/12/99 5:10 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    I've taken notice to something...the repetitive use of words in PJ songs. The words porch and OCEANS really stand out to me. He uses the word porch in Yellow Ledbetter too. Did you ever notice the feeling of relaxation you get when you sit on a porch? I don't know if that has much to do with "Porch" but Yellow Ledbetter always gives me a 'sitting on the porch' feeling. Haha, I'm probably not making much sense right now and that's usually why I don't openly analyze songs here in the message pit. I just let the mood I'm in at a particular moment analyze the song for me. That's how I've solved many mixed emotion problems I've had lately (granted, the problems aren't solved yet but I feel better dealing with them now). Wow did I spill there or what? Sorry if I didn't make any sense but hell..I needed to post, I've been missing from the board for a while :)
    Love,
    Dissident
    "When she couldn't hold, she folded..."
    (Haha...I can't wait until that song comes up to analyze.)






    El Conquistador
    8/12/99 5:17 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    I am planning on posting the b sides from 10 plus the songs from the singles soundtrack before vs if everyone agrees.






    Nikki
    8/12/99 5:45 PM
    Re: Oops...I forgot something...

    this isnt really realated to interpretation of the song, but when i read your thoughts on the porch itself, namely that its "where the little things in life are so appreciated," it hit me really hard for some reason. i think my heart skipped a beat. past moments flashed before my eyes, when my family and I would just sit out on the porch talking and laughing and getting along really well.

    I'm not sure what to think of the song as a whole. Personally I've always sensed a lot of anger and stress, just with everyday life and everything that goes along with it. I also think it probably has to do with a breakup... not as much sadness as in black, but more rage. Someone else said something about relating the song to abortion, the lyrics written from the pt of view of a woman, and that also seems to make a lot of sense

    I don't know what to say, so I'm just gonna say, uh, I am a donut.




    RrVwMirror
    8/12/99 6:27 PM
    Re: Oops...I forgot something...

    Nikki...I like your name...(we just named our puppy "Nikki"!) Anyway, I am glad you could relate to the porch thing...I love porches! I also have some very fond childhood memories all from the "Porch".
    You got to wonder why this song about abortion is titled "Porch"...what does it all mean?...I think someone did post that we should analyze the meaning of the word Porch in a few of PJ's songs...It is a good idea, but I my brain is too mushy for that much thinking today!...Good 'Ol Eddie...always giving us food for thought!






    Dayjobber
    8/12/99 6:55 PM
    Re: Oops...I forgot something...

    This post is sort of directed towards RrVwMirror...Eddie has always tried not to give away the true meaning to his songs because he wants his fans to interpret them the way it comes to them....I love this song, its my favorite on Ten, and I honestly thought your post makes the most sense to me because I always thought it was a good song to go with everyday life and everyday may be your last...Dont get yourself down,pretend its your song, and think of it how you want.






    RrVwMirror
    8/12/99 7:12 PM
    Re: Oops...I forgot something...

    :-)

    Thank You! That was so nice! Thanks for taking the time to post...I mean this whole heartedly...you made me feel much better! I will take your advice and try to make this 'my song' once more! ...... :-)






    brokenarrow
    8/12/99 7:43 PM
    To RrVwMirror......

    .......Aw shucks......(Kick's heel in ground)....don't feel bad...
    I feel bad, that you feel bad, about feeling bad..........
    .......Please don't let our dissecting songs ruin your vision!
    ........I LOVED your vision! And Cody's about the Dad bit, and Later Days about the abortion thought.
    And El's interp. word for word from the song!
    .......I also loved Cheeky's vision....I loved everyones' vision, that's what makes this so cool! This is one of the things that makes this band so great!
    ......People still sit around dissecting some of the great masters and what they had in mind..re:Shakespeare, Milton, Burns etc.....
    .........Smile my friend!
    ........(ps. last night I read Polar Express on the sofa, I thought of you!)
    ......brokenarrow>






    OpenBand4TheSun
    8/12/99 8:54 PM
    My view on the subject

    First and formost, this song kicks friggin' ass!! I love it!!!

    Next I would have to agree with most of you who say this song is about the hustle and bustle of daily life even with a touch of romance thrown in there. But I would have to add that it is from the viewpoint of someone that is close to the end. "Ain't gonna be any middle anymore" It makes me think of an apocalypse, or revolution.

    Well, that is my short and sweet of it.... Everyone else?






    JamFan
    8/12/99 10:10 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    Thanks for answering my questions about b-sides even if you didn't see my earlier post. This is one of my favorite songs. I see all the different posts about meanings. This one is personal, to me and Eddie, so I will pass on this discussion.

    I don't want to take what you can give. I would rather starve that eat your bread.-EV




    SteinbeckPearl
    8/12/99 10:55 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    When I first read the subject title of your post, I thought "could this be about American Pie?" I've enjoyed looking through these posts and have thought about porches for some time now, since the general theme seems clear to me already. The symbolism behind a porch is its contradictoringly simple. To me, porches are places for reflecting, relaxing; they are cocoons of peace and of safety, things we commonly associate with comfort, stability and freedom. After all, where else can one graciously step outdoors while staying indoors, being not quite in the home and not quite out of it, in a ~neutral~ territory that can be both an open connection to the Outside and a pleasant outlet for the Inside?

    Peace.




    SteinbeckPearl
    8/12/99 11:20 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    By the way, don't mind the errors on my previous post... unfortunately I've lost the habit of proof-reading (and it is rather late) What I meant to say is that a porch is within two worlds, and that for this reason its definition seems contradictory, although the concept is simple (and one that appeals greatly to me). And as a side note, I would like to add that I never had a porch, I have lived my whole life in a building, my country does not hold any tradition of having them, and especially in the concrete jungle of Sao Paulo, Brazil, I rarely spot one. Nevertheless, I have promised myself I will one day have a porch to perch on.

    Peace.
    I know someday you will have a beautiful Life


    Jason
  • JDE-PJJDE-PJ Posts: 721
    open window
    8/12/99 11:32 PM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    To me, Porch is relaying the idea that in this society, we are moving much too fast. We can't even focus on what we need with human emotion and touch. As we fly through life, without taking the time to smell the roses, we can't help but feel that something's missing.

    There's always time to enjoy life






    wicca
    8/13/99 01:23 AM
    wow this could be the longest!

    Damn you guys were busy today! I'm intimidated. But I always thought it was about a troubled relationship in a troubled world and this could be the day he finally (and not without regrets) leaves it. You guys always give me a lot to think about!












    JDE-PJ
    8/30/99 02:48 AM
    Hold my hand

    Take a good look!

    I know someday you will have a beautiful life

    Jason




    BillNkay
    8/30/99 11:29 AM
    Re: this could be the day......PORCH

    The best live version of porch in my mind is the version from the 4/3/94 atlanta concert. Thr long extended jam is awesome. Thats just my opinion and I could be wrong.

    "This could be the day, I feel alone, I'll give my blood, I'll give my place, To you To you, For you For you"



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




    spanna161
    4/15/01 07:24 AM
    Re: SOTD: ....PORCH

    That abortion theory.. hell that is GOOD. (although still a little lost on how 'porch' fits into it). But i do also agree that every song can have more than one interpretation, and if you believe in your own, then that is true enough.

    vegetable rights and peace




    NeverNamed
    4/15/01 2:21 PM
    Re: SOTD: ....PORCH

    One of my fav. songs. So glad to hear discussion about it. IMO, the song is whatever you get out of it. But, to add to the abortion/pro-choice interpretation, don't forget Ed said something along those lines during the SNL '92 version of Porch.

    "Pray for Mojo"




    AustralianSmile
    4/15/01 2:39 PM
    Re: SOTD: ....PORCH

    I'd like to throw a spanner in the works of this one by presenting a new theory, well, my take on it anyway. Again, as with OCEANS - I reckon the telling part is in the final verse. I believe the person is speaking of a loved one with a terminal illness, probably AIDS. The entire song just seems to have a feeling of pending tragedy about it. The person is feel the anguish of knowing that their lover will leave them any day now and they cannot take the pain that comes with feeling that the last time that they see them could be their last. 'Hear my name, take a good look, this could be the day' - the person is urging the dying partner to take him/her as their last vision/memory in death. The safety and warmth of those days sitting together on the Porch are now gone. You have left the Porch, you have left our world, you have left me.






    spanna161
    4/16/01 06:01 AM
    Re: SOTD: ....PORCH

    nice interperation AustralianSmile... nice...

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


    Jason
  • i forgeti forget Posts: 281
    To me it's about deciding to be free.
    Enjoy nature and share the glory.
    Simple, yet comforting.
    I love Porch!!
  • 3sheets3sheets Posts: 284
    my fav. PJ song (along w/ Breath). Great raw power and honest emotion come flowing thru this classic tune. Like many PJ songs it has different meanings, usually dependent on your mood/emotional situation. Normally, I view this song on par w/ Black in its lyrical content. I usually think Porch is about a relationship that has just ended or is about to end and it comes from one perspective, from one of the people in the relationship and how it is affecting them. However, after losing some very close people to me, I was listening to this song one night and it sounded different to me. It sounded like the song was talking about the permanent loss of a loved one (i.e. death). The lines "Would you hit me, would you hit me hard" really sunk in. I took it to mean "what would the loss of someone close do to you, how would their death/life affect you." In all, Porch, to me, is a very sad, longing song concealed in a powerful rock song.
    Live Free or Die!
  • christmas cleanchristmas clean Posts: 60
    Ive always believed Porch to be about Abortion. and ive always felt it was from the mans point of view. ( dont know why. ) ... I think "Porch" fits in because the porch is a warm safe cocoon, just like the womb. Is leaving the porch being likened to a termination?
    And we're all allowed to dream of the next time we touch.
  • SiNAMONGiRL67SiNAMONGiRL67 Posts: 21
    PRO-CHOiCE........
    LiFE FLOWS, With Or Without You, LiFE MOVES on, LiKE I Do.....
  • {[Pearl_Jam}]{[Pearl_Jam}] Posts: 852
    wow!!

    what a song!
    Don't let me know we're invisible
    Don't let me know we're invisible
    We could dance, dance, dance thru' the fire
    Dance, dance, dance thru' the fire
  • SiNAMONGiRL67SiNAMONGiRL67 Posts: 21
    Unfortunately...I remember seeing this UNPLUGGED..on MTv...
    Ed climb uptop a bar stool..and spun on it singin the song like a mad man..
    MTv...sucks
    butt, Pj...rules
    LiFE FLOWS, With Or Without You, LiFE MOVES on, LiKE I Do.....
  • i forgeti forget Posts: 281
    Much needed bump for this amazing song!!
    I LOVE IT!! Muchos gracias, Pearl Jam!!
  • citizendickcitizendick Posts: 106
    This song must always be played LOUD!!


    I could not take a-just one day
    I know, when I would not ever touch you
    Hold you...feel you...ever hold...never again!!!!!!
    "every show is a great show. bitches...." --twolegsyield
  • WhizbangWhizbang Posts: 1,314
    Originally posted by citizendick
    This song must always be played LOUD!!


    I could not take a-just one day
    I know, when I would not ever touch you
    Hold you...feel you...ever hold...never again!!!!!!

    My voice was pretty much gone by the time they hit Porch at Boston I...but I lost it on this line....vocal cords fried....love this song and yes, it has to be played LOUD!!
    believe it or not, we don't "need" anything. that is only the spoiled brat in us trying to fill some temporary solution to an emptyness that does not exist.

    I have eaten so much gold I crapped excellence - drtyfrnk29

    Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all!
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