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Present Tense

SometimesSometimes Posts: 94
edited January 2004 in Words and Music...Communication
No one ever talks about this song. why not? the lyrics are fantastic. and the mood of the song is so deep and thoughtful.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • LontanLontan Posts: 52
    Present Tense is one of my absolute songs. The lyrics is amazing, there's a really good feeling to this song...though sad.
    I think some people might see it as too mellow. Don't know otherwise, it's an awesome peice of music.
  • DANIEL J OCEANDANIEL J OCEAN Posts: 5
    WOW,thats the first time i've seen aposting for present tense
    the first time i heard that song it was new years eve and i had just collapsed in a drunken stupor,and my mate had just bought no code and told me i NEEDED to hear this song.great lyrics,but the bass ishard listening when the room is spinning
    "why on earth are we here?,
    surely not to live in pain and fear"-John Lennon
  • Obi OnceObi Once Posts: 918
    I agree that the mood has a special touch to it.. as the song progresses its gets more intense i love the way it builds up!

    gotta posts the lyrics...

    do you see the way that tree bends?
    does it inspire?
    leaning out to catch the sun's rays
    a lesson to be applied
    are you getting something out of this all encompassing trip?
    you can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
    or you can come to terms and realize
    you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
    makes much more sense to live in the present tense
    .....
    have you ideas on how this life ends?
    checked your hands and studied the lines
    have you the belief that the road ahead ascends off into the light?
    seems that needlessly it's getting harder
    to find an approach and a way to live
    are we getting something out of this all-encompassing trip?
    you can spend your time alone redigesting past regrets, oh
    or you can come to terms and realize
    you're the only one who cannot forgive yourself, oh
    makes much more sense to live in the present tense
    your light's reflected now
  • {[No_Code}]{[No_Code}] Posts: 4,059
    i love that song...

    is on my top 3 songs
    So that is how I learned the lesson that everyone is alone. And your eyes must do some raining if you are ever going to grow. But when crying don't help and you can't compose yourself. It is best to compose a poem, an honest longing or simple song of hope.
    That is why I'm singing
  • SoundSound Posts: 579
    They weren't until they wrote that one
    It was a dream, not a nightmare. A beautiful dream I could never imagined in a thousand nods. I saw this girl next to me, she wasn't beautiful until she smiled. And I felt that smile come at me in heat waves following. Soaking through my body and out my finger tips in shafts of color. And I knew somewhere in the world, somewhere, that there was love for me.

    Jim Carrol
  • SometimesSometimes Posts: 94
    have you ideas on how this life ends?
    checked your hands and studied the lines
    have you the belief that the road ahead ascends off into the light?

    These lyrics are amazing. I think he's basically saying you can't tell what will happen in the future so don't worry about. Live for the moment, live in the present tense. This song means so much to me. And did you know that it was played on a football programme once, while they were talking about Ronaldo after the 98 world cup final. I was like 'wow they're playing Pearl Jam'. It must mean that someone in the sports team at the BBC is a PJ fan. Cool.
  • lastkisslastkiss Posts: 3
    this song is highly underrated in the PJ community, you're right it hardly get's half the credit it deserves, when i first heard this one, i was immediately transported to a different time, and space, ............sometimes i speak of nothing at all... sometimes i reach to myself ,, dear god.
  • Q-Tip18Q-Tip18 Posts: 21
    It's a total zen vibe. That we are in the middle of eternity. The only thing we control are our actions in the present moment.

    I love the line "are you getting something out of this?" It's got such a gentle connotation. Like to reassure you that you're still in control. Pearl Jam is always good for that, for empowering an individual. The tell you to trust yourself.

    Good tune.

    Does anyone know the Talking Heads song, Heaven? It's a cool take on eternity.
  • Cropduster84Cropduster84 Posts: 1,283
    Amazing live too.
    No Code rules.
    'The more I studied religions the more I am convinced that man never worshipped anything but himself.' - Sir Richard Francis Burton
  • lilfishlilfish Posts: 2
    It's the best song to listen to when your on a long run. Just you, the music, and the present tense says it all
    I seem to recognize your face, haunting familier yet can't seem to place it
  • Obi OnceObi Once Posts: 918
    this song is really beautifull!! i've been listening to it life for days now.. Praha, Czech Republic 2000 quite an intense Eddie!
    your light's reflected now
  • ellamylesellamyles Posts: 15
    I love it for Jeff's bass solo...once again, Jeff rips on this tune.
  • sometimes I cringesometimes I cringe Posts: 72
    really fun to play guitar to as well...one of my favs too
    03: Toronto
    04: Toledo
    05: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Toronto, Quebec City, St. John's 1 & 2
    06: Toronto 1 & 2, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati
    07: London, Dusseldorf
    08: Tampa
  • Coming back to lifeComing back to life Posts: 401
    I never knew it was played after the wc final? I'd love to dedicate satans bed to manure and hunsea!
    A restaurant with a smoking section is like a swimming pool with a pissing section
  • ReleaseMeReleaseMe Posts: 745
    I fuckin' love Present Tense! Amazing lyrics....I think we all relate to this song.
    2000 - Toronto
    2003 - Toronto
    2005 - Toronto
    2006 - Toronto I, Toronto II
    2009 - Toronto
    2011 - Hamilton
    2013 - Pittsburgh, Buffalo
    2014 - Detroit
    2016 - Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Ottawa, Toronto I, Toronto II, Wrigley I, Wrigley II
    2018 - Seattle I, Seattle II, Fenway I, Fenway II
    2020 - Toronto, Hamilton
    2022 - Las Vegas, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto
    2023 - St. Paul I, St. Paul II
  • MeddleDealMeddleDeal Posts: 2,547
    I thought there was already a thread for this, but I guess not. that is totally cool that you are giving love to this great song. Present Tense really does makes you think a lot about your life and where you actually stand in it ya know.

    The beginning part always gets to me, where it is just Eddie and Mike playing. Talk about how intense THAT is. WOW!!
    ø~ø~ø~ø~ø~ø~ø~ø~ø~ø~ø~ø~ø~
    ~*STONEY PONY all the WAY!*~
    ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~
    "For the world, not for the war"-Neil Finn
  • christmas cleanchristmas clean Posts: 60
    I am going to listen to this with much renewed interest today.

    You know thats what I love about this pit, Constantly being reminded of great songs to put on repeat for the whole day.
    And we're all allowed to dream of the next time we touch.
  • shawnsmileshawnsmile Posts: 7
    Originally posted by Sometimes
    have you ideas on how this life ends?
    checked your hands and studied the lines
    have you the belief that the road ahead ascends off into the light?

    These lyrics are amazing. I think he's basically saying you can't tell what will happen in the future so don't worry about. Live for the moment, live in the present tense. This song means so much to me. And did you know that it was played on a football programme once, while they were talking about Ronaldo after the 98 world cup final. I was like 'wow they're playing Pearl Jam'. It must mean that someone in the sports team at the BBC is a PJ fan. Cool.
    I can't believe the bbc used a pj song, that's unheard of! pj never get recognision from uk media....they might as well not exist to most people in the uk
    www.secondsmile.com
  • LanfearLanfear Posts: 33
    Present Tense is my favourite on No Code, I just adore it. I love the build up, the lyrics, just everything about it.
    Dear God, save me from your followers

    Avocados have a big Stone
  • warehousewarehouse Posts: 124
    amazing live, the eerie green lights shining on mike and ed...blew me away that i got to see them play this song
    Lying sideways atop crumpled sheets and no covers he decides to dream. Dream up a new self. For himself.

    Montreal 2000
    Toronto 2003
    Montreal 2003
    Halifax 2005
    Hartford 2006
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