Possible Origin of Nothingman
dlbaxter
Posts: 2
This may be a stretch, but at least it's an interesting theory and one that will broaden all of our literary horizons.
I was reading Gabriel Garcia-Marquez's short story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings." It's an interesting story that draws on questions of religion and cruelty.
Here's a link for it (you may have to try it a few times):
http://www.barksdale.latech.edu/Engl%20308/VERY%20OLD%20MAN%20ENORMOUS%20WINGS.rtf
Anyway, a few parts in Nothingman just stuck out after I read the story. Perhaps Eddie found inspiration here? If you read the story, specifically the change in attitude of the woman to the Nothingman (or angel), how the angel flies away in the end, and the reference to the prison -- or birdcoop in the story.
If you guys see anything else, bring it up by all means! Or if you have reasons why I'm totally wrong (besides it's a stretch because pointing out the lyrics that don't directly address the story is kinda obvious), do that as well! In any case, let this story open up different interpretations of the song and vice versa. It did so for me!
Peace!
Dan
I was reading Gabriel Garcia-Marquez's short story "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings." It's an interesting story that draws on questions of religion and cruelty.
Here's a link for it (you may have to try it a few times):
http://www.barksdale.latech.edu/Engl%20308/VERY%20OLD%20MAN%20ENORMOUS%20WINGS.rtf
Anyway, a few parts in Nothingman just stuck out after I read the story. Perhaps Eddie found inspiration here? If you read the story, specifically the change in attitude of the woman to the Nothingman (or angel), how the angel flies away in the end, and the reference to the prison -- or birdcoop in the story.
If you guys see anything else, bring it up by all means! Or if you have reasons why I'm totally wrong (besides it's a stretch because pointing out the lyrics that don't directly address the story is kinda obvious), do that as well! In any case, let this story open up different interpretations of the song and vice versa. It did so for me!
Peace!
Dan
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
The song is really toching but when you think about some of his inspirations for his songs, they're everyday things that most people think or feel.
Thanks for the info!
"The live shows? Well, that's church on Sundays"
"Love is a tower of strength to me"
"I wait up in the dark, for you to speak to me"
"I'll ride the wave where it takes me"
"I did what I had to do, if there was a reason, it was you"
"I hold the hand that holds me down... I will RISE ABOVE!"
"Shit, solo or something"~ Eddie Vedder
"The best way to change something that's around you, something you don't like, is to change yourself. And I don't think you want other people changing you, I think the only person that can change you is yourself. So if you ain't happy, if you're reading magazines about generation x-ers and thinking 'yeah, I'm one of them', well fuck that. Don't let anyone tell you who you are. No, no. No one can tell me who I am."~ Eddie Vedder (9/26/96)