Given To Fly
lephty
Posts: 770
i remember hearing this song as a single for Yield before the album was released and instantly falling in love with it. It sounds like such a spiritual song that just gives me shivers when Ed screams the "high flying" part.
Anyways, i never thought about the meaning of the song till i had some epiphany that i found funny because it seems so obvious. Its a surfing song!
He could've tuned in, tuned in
But he tuned out
A bad time, nothing could save him
Alone in a corridor, waiting, locked out
He got up outta there, ran for hundreds of miles
He made it to the ocean, had a smoke in a tree
The wind rose up, set him down on his knee
(someone escaping a situation and made it to an ocean)
A wave came crashing like a fist to the jaw
Delivered him wings, 'Hey, look at me now'
Arms wide open with the sea as his floor
Oh, power, oh
He's.. flying.....whole
(arms wide open with the sea as his floor.. this person is losing himself on a surfboard and not thinking about the life that they had, instead thinking of what they now have)
He floated back down 'cause he wanted to share
His key to the locks on the chains he saw everywhere
But first he was stripped and then he was stabbed
By faceless men, well, fuckers
He still stands
(wanted to share this inspiring experience with everyone but people mocked him but he still keeps on)
And he still gives his love, he just gives it away
The love he receives is the love that is saved
And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky
A human being that was given to fly
(this part i am not so sure about, i feel as if the person has passed and became a legend on how great of a surfer/person he became)
High.. flying
Oh, oh
High.. flying
Oh, oh
He's flying
Oh, oh
its definitely one of my favorite songs on Yield. whenever i hear this song, i think of the statue that is in the album art for this song and how Ed could have come up with the concept of the meaning. I mean it does not specifically have to be about surfing, to me its about escaping a situation and finding something that gives you a new hope. You know what, i just changed my mind on what i think this song is about now. Its not about surfing... it's about hope...
what are your thoughts?
Anyways, i never thought about the meaning of the song till i had some epiphany that i found funny because it seems so obvious. Its a surfing song!
He could've tuned in, tuned in
But he tuned out
A bad time, nothing could save him
Alone in a corridor, waiting, locked out
He got up outta there, ran for hundreds of miles
He made it to the ocean, had a smoke in a tree
The wind rose up, set him down on his knee
(someone escaping a situation and made it to an ocean)
A wave came crashing like a fist to the jaw
Delivered him wings, 'Hey, look at me now'
Arms wide open with the sea as his floor
Oh, power, oh
He's.. flying.....whole
(arms wide open with the sea as his floor.. this person is losing himself on a surfboard and not thinking about the life that they had, instead thinking of what they now have)
He floated back down 'cause he wanted to share
His key to the locks on the chains he saw everywhere
But first he was stripped and then he was stabbed
By faceless men, well, fuckers
He still stands
(wanted to share this inspiring experience with everyone but people mocked him but he still keeps on)
And he still gives his love, he just gives it away
The love he receives is the love that is saved
And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky
A human being that was given to fly
(this part i am not so sure about, i feel as if the person has passed and became a legend on how great of a surfer/person he became)
High.. flying
Oh, oh
High.. flying
Oh, oh
He's flying
Oh, oh
its definitely one of my favorite songs on Yield. whenever i hear this song, i think of the statue that is in the album art for this song and how Ed could have come up with the concept of the meaning. I mean it does not specifically have to be about surfing, to me its about escaping a situation and finding something that gives you a new hope. You know what, i just changed my mind on what i think this song is about now. Its not about surfing... it's about hope...
what are your thoughts?
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Apparently it reminds Mike of surfing too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlcB5vEoP_0
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.
www.bebo.com/pearljam06
Okay...
he made it to the ocean, that's right, but, as you can see, the ocean is mentioned in lots of Eddie's songs, it means a lot to him...
also surfing...
Maybe part of this song can be about surfing...but not the whole one...
I'm with you that this is one of the best songs on Yield...actually, one of the most optimistic PJ songs ever written...
I think the song is about a person, who was disappointed in his life...
practically on the edge..and this person didn't see his way out.
Anyway..despite of all....he managed to move on...something made him go on, he got up, got his wings (that's when he became an unusual person, who fights for all the things we need, but can't buy...(I sound like Corduroy here)),
found a motivation for life.
He's different now, like, I guess, every person who falls in life...
he respects love,
gives it unselfishly to other people but all the love he gets,
makes him a bigger and better person...
it is in his heart, and works like an fuel for his engine...(I'm sure you know the feeling, when you make someone you love really happy)
actually..I think words carry the message, that this person doesn't exist.
It's just an ideal of human being, someone, who we never be able to be like.
And we should be.
but okay.
that's just my opinion.
I think that's the art of Pearl Jam...
Every song can be explained in many different ways.
And yeah...this one... it might be really about surfing....;)
also... I agree with that. Live performance of Given to fly really made me fly...High.
...hello!!!
My god its been six years...
never dreamed...
...you'd return.
I think ymerej hit it right on with the life and love part - a person at a very low spot in life and who just keeps getting screwed but keeps giving love- stripped, stabbed by a faceless man (society) but he still stands and keeps giving love - a very unique person (a strange spot in the sky) maybe unattainable but definitely a person we should all strive to be as ymerej said.
But I am not sure that I think he changed; I see it more as a pattern: got locked out but moved on, found the keys and came back to share them but got shit on again. But kept sharing and giving.
Just my thoughts, and the surfing imagery is there too. I can't believe I realized that JUST yesterday after who knows how many 1000's of listens! I just shake my head wondering why the picture of someone in the ocean didn't clue me in.
And so it goes...