Severed Hand interpretations....

Dissentist

Spirituality is what most of Pearl Jams songs are about. Or the search for it. It's all over the lyrics. Noticed how Ed is a totally differant person these days? He's found it. Listen people, listen.

Flannel Shirt

Merkyjamm wrote:

Off topic a bit, but still on Severed Hand:

Anyone else find the vocals and chord change at "If I don't, lose control, explore and not explode" sounds like a certain "bombs, dropping down, please forgive our home town", just a lil bit slower?

Exactly. I knew I heard it. This was discussed in another post, but I coudnt pin point it. Thanks!

cookies

A song will take you where you need or want to go, its always up to the listener. However I feel Severed Hand is about a drug the drug we named Love and Marriage and making it work. The big man being his conscious saying don't do it and he is giving reason why he should. the dragons are about really seeing the other half, the room is taller because of growth. And if you stay calm and explore and not explode it allows you to grow even more.

So yes it is spiritual an about a drug. does anyone else agree with me

Cookies

Merkyjamm

Flannel Shirt wrote:

Exactly. I knew I heard it. This was discussed in another post, but I coudnt pin point it. Thanks!

that is bizzle

Merkyjamm

AngelofIndifference wrote:

What I think happened here is that for you, you took one lyric (only one) "big man" and immediately thought this was about God. The words "big man" obviously means God in your lexicon.

I agree. When I heard Big Man, I just assumed it meant a thug, or something, considering the following line...

Vedd Hedd

cookies wrote:

A song will take you where you need or want to go, its always up to the listener. However I feel Severed Hand is about a drug the drug we named Love and Marriage and making it work. The big man being his conscious saying don't do it and he is giving reason why he should. the dragons are about really seeing the other half, the room is taller because of growth. And if you stay calm and explore and not explode it allows you to grow even more.

So yes it is spiritual an about a drug. does anyone else agree with me

Cookies

Thats an interesting take on it. I can kinda see that.

However, (and this isnt against you) really, this isnt the inkblot test where I see what I want to see.....there are some serious drug references here.

And I dont think they are "glorifying" drugs....I mean, the guy killed his wife?

Deep, thats about drugs, and rape. Same for a lot of their songs. I dont think all of their songs are about "Inner spirituality", I think some of their songs like this one, are more obvious.

And Glorified G is about use of guns, not about "how life is like a gun".

messmergrad00

"Tried to walk found a severed hand, recognized it by the wedding band."

Wedding band, I took as a symbol of obligation...

as if Eddie is trying to say that a hand was severed (a person hurt) because they tryed to fulfill an obligation...

slightofjeff

Vedd Hedd wrote:

Thats an interesting take on it. I can kinda see that.

However, (and this isnt against you) really, this isnt the inkblot test where I see what I want to see.....there are some serious drug references here.

And I dont think they are "glorifying" drugs....I mean, the guy killed his wife?

Deep, thats about drugs, and rape. Same for a lot of their songs. I dont think all of their songs are about "Inner spirituality", I think some of their songs like this one, are more obvious.

And Glorified G is about use of guns, not about "how life is like a gun".

The song is definitely about drugs, losing your mind, escaping reality by going on a hellacious bender. Stone and Ed have both acknowledged that.

I don't think it's about spouse murder, although I could see how some lines could mean that. It's about using drugs as an escape to AVOID doing something like that (explore and not explode).

btw, I think the severed hand ed (or the narrator) sees is his own.

Released Me

does anyone think that the "big man" is boom? Just a thought i had the other day.

slightofjeff

Released Me wrote:

does anyone think that the "big man" is boom? Just a thought i had the other day.

oh good lord ....

Vedd Hedd

slightofjeff wrote:

The song is definitely about drugs, losing your mind, escaping reality by going on a hellacious bender. Stone and Ed have both acknowledged that.

I don't think it's about spouse murder, although I could see how some lines could mean that. It's about using drugs as an escape to AVOID doing something like that (explore and not explode).

btw, I think the severed hand ed (or the narrator) sees is his own.

That was my other thought, that it was his own hand and that the insanity had taken him to a place where he lopped it off....but the "lady on the cement floor" thing always made me think it was something he did while under the influence....

I just saw the article about stones comments.....wish I had a link, tho.....

I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts about how using drugs as an escape to avoid something like that....."if I dont lose control...explore and not explode"....just like the thought that many people probably have that would be like..." If I could just control this drug, or control the hallucinations I caould learn so much."

Unfortunately more often than not they lose their heads.....er hands

Veddie_Edder

I do believe Ed preludes this song in the Letterman preset show ...........
" this song's about psycotropics" EDITTED

keyser

Veddie_Edder wrote:

I do believe Ed preludes this song in the Letterman preset show ...........
" this song's about psycotropic drugs".

i think it was: "this song's about psycotropics"...whatever, it's the same...this song is about drugs!

einatshaul

It's about participating in taking "Ayahuasca"

"From the Amazonian rain forst comes one of the most potent catalysts for expanded awareness yet discovered by human beings."

Besides seeing and experiencing fantastic overwhelming stuff, you go through some incredible scary stuff – like your own death, hence the dragons and the severed hand.

This is an experience Ed has'nt gone through yet, since he wants to "clean up" his system before so. It's writen after the stories of friends who had done it.

Lanfear

"Big man stands behind an open door,"

I thought that was in reference to a bouncer who stands at the door of a club/pub (any public place where you can get shit-faced)

Vedd Hedd

einatshaul wrote:

It's about participating in taking "Ayahuasca"

"From the Amazonian rain forst comes one of the most potent catalysts for expanded awareness yet discovered by human beings."

Besides seeing and experiencing fantastic overwhelming stuff, you go through some incredible scary stuff – like your own death, hence the dragons and the severed hand.

This is an experience Ed has'nt gone through yet, since he wants to "clean up" his system before so. It's writen after the stories of friends who had done it.

Thank you.....that was the info I was trying to remember....

justwanna

Always figured the 'lady' was armyspeak for gun (watch Full Metal Jacket), and that the song is about a soldier turning to drugs in Iraq. Why else all the references to getting home?

darthvedder88

justwanna wrote:

Always figured the 'lady' was armyspeak for gun (watch Full Metal Jacket), and that the song is about a soldier turning to drugs in Iraq. Why else all the references to getting home?

Seeing how the album has some very political references, I think your interpretation is very keen my friend!!!

pickupyourwill

Dissentist wrote:

Spirituality is what most of Pearl Jams songs are about. Or the search for it. It's all over the lyrics. Noticed how Ed is a totally differant person these days? He's found it. Listen people, listen.

~~I agree~~

ShedMySkin

einatshaul wrote:

It's about participating in taking "Ayahuasca"

"From the Amazonian rain forst comes one of the most potent catalysts for expanded awareness yet discovered by human beings."

Besides seeing and experiencing fantastic overwhelming stuff, you go through some incredible scary stuff – like your own death, hence the dragons and the severed hand.

This is an experience Ed has'nt gone through yet, since he wants to "clean up" his system before so. It's writen after the stories of friends who had done it.

Ed talks about this topic in the radio interview he did either the day of or the day before SNL. I'm sure most of you listened to it. What's the Seattle station called again?