You're right it's more about a loss than an unrequitted relationship. Still I've caught a really profound interpretation for the latter, even if it's not true.
That doesn't change my situation being exactly like it though, honestly.
The match line could be a drug reference,.. A killing the lonliness sort of ordeal.
Or even more likely a metaphor to his lover. A match burns brilliantly for a few seconds and disappears. You strike a match it's there and gone the next instant like he knows his love will or has done.
your english is great btw.
it could be a drug reference!...he's gonna light the match and gonna get high...because she left...and that's the main reason for him to get high so in the song she must be a wraith...and when the impact of the drug fades then the faces hell...
it could be a drug reference!...he's gonna light the match and gonna get high...because she left...and that's the main reason for him to get high so in the song she must be a wraith...and when the impact of the drug fades then the faces hell...
it's a dumb theory...i know...
Not really. It's a pretty good theory I'd say. I don't think it's quite right though.. I'd go for the second one about the match instead.
Not really. It's a pretty good theory I'd say. I don't think it's quite right though.. I'd go for the second one about the match instead.
i got this idea...but i don't think that's it...but here it is:
"I will light the match this morning, so I won't be alone
Watch as she lies silent, for soon light will be gone"
-she's already dead...that's why he's alone and she's in the room and she lies silently
she was his light and he knows that with her his joy for life will fade...and lighting the match symbolises (the thing that you said) him watching it burning brilliantly for few seconds...that's how their relationship was...
It's the greatest PJ song for me. Maybe even the greatest song ever, it just has a lot of stuff attatched for me, but not in a negative way. I don't know how anyone coud hear this song live and not cry (that's what Dublin was for me.) It was just one of those experiences that stays with you...a lot of people I've told don;t get it, but it is. Only very few songs can do that to me, and this is definitely one of them. Especially "I will scream my lungs out...", that always gets me. I remember the security guard looking at me like I was insane...! And I'm in agreement with the Ben Harper ruining it thing - he's great, but singing this should be left to Eddie and only Eddie.
i got this idea...but i don't think that's it...but here it is:
"I will light the match this morning, so I won't be alone
Watch as she lies silent, for soon light will be gone"
-she's already dead...that's why he's alone and she's in the room and she lies silently
she was his light and he knows that with her his joy for life will fade...and lighting the match symbolises (the thing that you said) him watching it burning brilliantly for few seconds...that's how their relationship was...
In both cases, he'd feel pretty much deserted.
Emotionally dead, it would've been her fault... which might explain the fact that he thinks it doesn't make a difference what he does.
If she were physically dead, I presume the indifference would be towards his faith in life. This is imho a better explanation for the reason he would take punches untill their will grows tired...where "they" would then be "god, life, any beings hiher than us"
I agree with jamal...maybe both...first emotionally...then physically...but first when i've written that idea i thought physically!
"I'll keep takin' punches until their will grows tired"- are "they" the holy trinity?
probably not...maybe also as jamal said they are God and life
I agree that both are possible, but I think Ed's writing style highhhhhhhhhhhly rejects the physical death scenario.
"Their will" could very well be life in general though. It doesn't need to be anything at all actually... just a turn of phrase meaning that he'll keep taking the pain as long as it takes.
I agree that both are possible, but I think Ed's writing style highhhhhhhhhhhly rejects the physical death scenario.
"Their will" could very well be life in general though. It doesn't need to be anything at all actually... just a turn of phrase meaning that he'll keep taking the pain as long as it takes.
why? i don't agree!
he has written "light years", "man of the hour", "jeremy", "immortality"(some say that it's about cobain's death)....
"I will hold the candle, till it burns up my arm"- this line also confused me...but then i thought about it...and i think that he had enough of emotional pain...so he's hurting himself physically..but he'll keep on taking punches...
why? i don't agree!
he has written "light years", "man of the hour", "jeremy", "immortality"(some say that it's about cobain's death)....
"I will hold the candle, till it burns up my arm"- this line also confused me...but then i thought about it...and i think that he had enough of emotional pain...so he's hurting himself physically..but he'll keep on taking punches...
....it's unlikely...but...it's a thought :-)
I don't mean it's not Ed's style to write about death, but rather to write literally about a dead person in the context of the interpretation put forth. Also I don't really find it in his charecter to write about self-abuse.
If you've been through self abuse (the collective you, not you specifically) you can certainly take a great interpretation of the song though. It's all relative.
I don't mean it's not Ed's style to write about death, but rather to write literally about a dead person in the context of the interpretation put forth. Also I don't really find it in his charecter to write about self-abuse.
If you've been through self abuse (the collective you, not you specifically) you can certainly take a great interpretation of the song though. It's all relative.
yeah i know it's relative...but i just want to discuss it...and i'm just curious in what way do other people interpret it.
...i think that she's dead...because one croatian writter,when he described his loved one, she was dead...and i think that he used the word "SILENTLY"...that's where i got the idea from
All those songs I mentioned...-those people really died...they dedicated the song "Light years" to Diane Muusa friend of the band who passed away at the age of 33 in 1997
"Man of the hour"-Since the death of Johnny Ramone, Eddie has often dedicated live performances of the song to him.
...i think that's his way of, i don't know, making them part of this world-by living in his songs or just simply giving them honour and appreciation
about the self abuse- i think you are capable to do anything if that helps you to forget about the emotional pain you carry with yourself everyday...even if it that means hurting yourself physically
I agree with what you said there but I think you're sort of missing my point about the whole death thing.
I don't think Ed's style dictates that he would literally include a dead body in the storyline, which as far as we know he's never done. Just seems odd. The interpretation works though.
I don't think Ed's style dictates that he would literally include a dead body in the storyline, which as far as we know he's never done. Just seems odd. The interpretation works though.
People change their styles all the time, and so does Eddie... (just go through all albums in a row, you'll hear a difference)
But in fact, I agree with the point that Eddie isn't very likely to be writing about an dead body "in se"...
It might as well be the essence of that body, which would also cause a certain sort of death, as mentioned above...
I agree with what you said there but I think you're sort of missing my point about the whole death thing.
I don't think Ed's style dictates that he would literally include a dead body in the storyline, which as far as we know he's never done. Just seems odd. The interpretation works though.
maybe it's a catch...to mislead us! lol! :-)...kidding around
i know it's odd...but to me this song is in other dimension and i want for it to be different than the rest of their songs...
i've given the song to my croatian teacher...and i told him that i want him to interpret it...so curious!
sorry that i didn't get what you tried to say...because i'm here always in the morning til 4A.M....so i don't function as i should...(the school started) :-)
for some reason just happened on this discussion while tryin to find info for the concert in Goffertpark and found it fascinating. for me, the song is about total mind-numbing depression altho i've never though about whats behind it - all the ideas makes sense to me, even the drugs idea which had never occured. hearing it in dublin was absolutely amazing, i've never liked the live versions that much when i've heard them on cd (i prefer the very very bare percussion on vs), but the atmosphere was stunning: the same for black and playing the two together was just perfection!!
for some reason just happened on this discussion while tryin to find info for the concert in Goffertpark and found it fascinating. for me, the song is about total mind-numbing depression altho i've never though about whats behind it - all the ideas makes sense to me, even the drugs idea which had never occured. hearing it in dublin was absolutely amazing, i've never liked the live versions that much when i've heard them on cd (i prefer the very very bare percussion on vs), but the atmosphere was stunning: the same for black and playing the two together was just perfection!!
I decided to revist the lyrics based on your interpretation, and I agree there is definitely an element of depression within them. However, the idea of screaming lungs out is almost like clawing your way out of a hole. I think the protagonist has found the resources within him/herself to find his/her way back towards non-depression although it may have taken a while to get to that point. This person hasn't given up, and is past trying to find what is worth living for, but rather is trying to find how to live again.
There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
I decided to revist the lyrics based on your interpretation, and I agree there is definitely an element of depression within them. However, the idea of screaming lungs out is almost like clawing your way out of a hole. I think the protagonist has found the resources within him/herself to find his/her way back towards non-depression although it may have taken a while to get to that point. This person hasn't given up, and is past trying to find what is worth living for, but rather is trying to find how to live again.
I gotta disagree with this.
I think 'screaming lungs out.." is a futile attempt to salvage a relationship with the one you love. I think the protagonist has tried so hard for so long that he's given up. I don't see any hope at all in it.
I decided to revist the lyrics based on your interpretation, and I agree there is definitely an element of depression within them. However, the idea of screaming lungs out is almost like clawing your way out of a hole. I think the protagonist has found the resources within him/herself to find his/her way back towards non-depression although it may have taken a while to get to that point. This person hasn't given up, and is past trying to find what is worth living for, but rather is trying to find how to live again.
i wouldn't say that. to me the idea of screaming lungs out
is like when you keep holding everything inside...and then you explode,you can't take it anymore and you would scream so loud that it would fill the room.and i don't think that he's found resources to find his way backtowards non-depression...no way...he's pissed off and he's gonna keep taking punches just to spite them
unfortunately I don't really have anything to add to this conversation.
but I just wanted to say how much I love this song!
during the concert in Dublin I was hoping so hard that they'd play Indifference (not that I didn't love all the other songs!) but as time went on I thought that maybe this wasn't the time I'd hear it live.. but then.. the first few notes got played out and I couldn't believe it! I was so happy. I cried throughout the whole song, I didn't see or hear anything else but the verses of the song I'd loved since the first time I heard it.
honestly, there aren't enough of words.. even reading this thread gives me the chills! (that also might be cause it's really cold where I am. )
btw. what I don't understand is how does Ben Harper "ruin" the song for some of you? the version might not be the best I've ever heard but it's still so good!
I love the whole thing.. Ed and Ben both have got great voices. the crowd. the emotion, the athmosphere. and I love the look on Ed's face when he looks at Ben when he's singing..
I haven't got enough words for this either. lol.
"Don't be faint-hearted, I have a solution! We shall go and commandeer some small craft, then drift at leisure until we happen upon another ideal place for our waterside supper with riparian entertainments."
btw. what I don't understand is how does Ben Harper "ruin" the song for some of you? the version might not be the best I've ever heard but it's still so good!
I love the whole thing.. Ed and Ben both have got great voices. the crowd. the emotion, the athmosphere. and I love the look on Ed's face when he looks at Ben when he's singing..
I haven't got enough words for this either. lol.
Good point.
Not my favorite version either, but it put a great spin on a classic song.
I like the versions with Ben Harper too, I don't understand what's so bad about them.
to me the version with ben isn't so powerful as it is when eddie performs it solo...
ben has kind of a mellow voice...dunno...
and the version that i've heard...it's kind of faster and catchy...and i like it when it's totally depressive....if i want something cathchy i'll listen to another PJ song...but don't change it cause it's fuckin' perfect the way it's originallly made!
i wouldn't say that. to me the idea of screaming lungs out
is like when you keep holding everything inside...and then you explode,you can't take it anymore and you would scream so loud that it would fill the room.and i don't think that he's found resources to find his way backtowards non-depression...no way...he's pissed off and he's gonna keep taking punches just to spite them
Quite close to what I was thinking...
not quite sure about the meaning of "to spite", but if it's to annoy them... maybe not
Maybe he's just in auto-pilot... do what's expected from you: live.
What's life worth living like this? Maybe life isn't worth shit... so why protect myself even longer... I might as well make the mental issues go away, drown them in my physical pain.
One day, things should take a turn for the better. Even if this means death... let's be serious, death sounds better than life when you're living it like this....
Imagine this debate going on inside the mind of 1 person, asking the questions as well as anwsering them and eventually doubting all he has said and done.
Maybe it's not certain what the outcome is, and so the meaning of the song isn't quite as clear as we are assuming it is? Maybe it is not about someone getting out of a depression, or not getting out... maybe it's about someone getting into one, maybe he's not trying to get out...
to me the version with ben isn't so powerful as it is when eddie performs it solo...
ben has kind of a mellow voice...dunno...
and the version that i've heard...it's kind of faster and catchy...and i like it when it's totally depressive....if i want something cathchy i'll listen to another PJ song...but don't change it cause it's fuckin' perfect the way it's originallly made!
and the song doesn't suit ben...
I agree with all that but I still like it when Ben does it... the version on L@TG is beautiful.. it's just a lovely site to see Ed and Ben together sharing wine.. makes the DVD even more special.
On one of the live recordings I remeber EV saying something like "This song(not Indifference) has a lot of meaning ... to me ... and maybe to you". I also remeber him saying on the VH-1 recording that "Alive" was written with one meaning, but it evolved into meaning something else. Anyway this is what this song means to me:
He is the victim of someone's/society's apathy.
He wakes each morning with a glimmer of hope only for reality to set in. He puts on a front and trudges his way through the crap of his life. And he wonders if it matters.
People can do what they want to him, but he will try to carry on.
Despite his self doubt he knows that he is right. In the end he will do whatever it takes until this person or society understands what he is saying. He will not tolerate their indifference.
With that being said this song has given me a new lease on life. Several months ago my 3 year old son was diagnosed with Autism. It has wrecked my life. My family, my friends, the medical community have given my wife and I little help or hope.
There are many times a day that I think that I can't keep fighting for him. But I will despite their indifference.
oh I love this song!!! The lyrics, the music and Eddie's voice they just fit perfectly in this song...
Every line is my favorite.
I kinda "rediscovered" this song a while ago, walking alone with my Ipod, really early in the morning... I knew the lyrics, but I've never thought of them until that day, and it was so weird! I had to stop and listen to it again, and really started thinking about it, and I just loved it...
I think I agree with Joalgo. I feel that's about someone that's been hurted, he's a victim of society... I think the "hell" he refers to, is this world, this society, everybody and their indifference... and he will do all this things: like keep taking punches (wich I believe is not literal, I think it talks about life hitting him), and swallow poison (also think is not literal, think it means that he will deal with all the crap he is exposed to until it doesn't affect him anymore), and scream his lungs out till somebody listens to him... and even though sometimes he feels that all he do will make no difference, he won't give up.
I will not fourth that... why does he ruin it for you? Granted Ed has a much more fitting voice for the song, but I mean, a good song is a good song. And Ben Harper doesn't have a BAD voice, so I guess I just don't get how he would ruin it... Care to explain?
i think Ben Harper is obviously a good musician, otherwise he wouldnt be so well known BUT.....for me, he just pisses me off. For some unknown reason, i just dont like him.
"....and was very surprised to see that he didnt actually have a recipe for anus-ankle soup." - Big Ed
Comments
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
it could be a drug reference!...he's gonna light the match and gonna get high...because she left...and that's the main reason for him to get high so in the song she must be a wraith...and when the impact of the drug fades then the faces hell...
it's a dumb theory...i know...
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
i got this idea...but i don't think that's it...but here it is:
"I will light the match this morning, so I won't be alone
Watch as she lies silent, for soon light will be gone"
-she's already dead...that's why he's alone and she's in the room and she lies silently
she was his light and he knows that with her his joy for life will fade...and lighting the match symbolises (the thing that you said) him watching it burning brilliantly for few seconds...that's how their relationship was...
what do you say?
Reading 27-08-06
London 18-06-07
Dusseldorf 21-06-07
Copenhagen 26-06-07
:-)
Probably a stupid question but just to be sure..
Emotionally speaking I agree 100%.
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
In both cases, he'd feel pretty much deserted.
Emotionally dead, it would've been her fault... which might explain the fact that he thinks it doesn't make a difference what he does.
If she were physically dead, I presume the indifference would be towards his faith in life. This is imho a better explanation for the reason he would take punches untill their will grows tired...where "they" would then be "god, life, any beings hiher than us"
- Antwerp '06, Nijmegen '07, Werchter '07
I agree with jamal...maybe both...first emotionally...then physically...but first when i've written that idea i thought physically!
"I'll keep takin' punches until their will grows tired"- are "they" the holy trinity?
probably not...maybe also as jamal said they are God and life
"Their will" could very well be life in general though. It doesn't need to be anything at all actually... just a turn of phrase meaning that he'll keep taking the pain as long as it takes.
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
why? i don't agree!
he has written "light years", "man of the hour", "jeremy", "immortality"(some say that it's about cobain's death)....
"I will hold the candle, till it burns up my arm"- this line also confused me...but then i thought about it...and i think that he had enough of emotional pain...so he's hurting himself physically..but he'll keep on taking punches...
....it's unlikely...but...it's a thought :-)
If you've been through self abuse (the collective you, not you specifically) you can certainly take a great interpretation of the song though. It's all relative.
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
yeah i know it's relative...but i just want to discuss it...and i'm just curious in what way do other people interpret it.
...i think that she's dead...because one croatian writter,when he described his loved one, she was dead...and i think that he used the word "SILENTLY"...that's where i got the idea from
All those songs I mentioned...-those people really died...they dedicated the song "Light years" to Diane Muusa friend of the band who passed away at the age of 33 in 1997
"Man of the hour"-Since the death of Johnny Ramone, Eddie has often dedicated live performances of the song to him.
...i think that's his way of, i don't know, making them part of this world-by living in his songs or just simply giving them honour and appreciation
about the self abuse- i think you are capable to do anything if that helps you to forget about the emotional pain you carry with yourself everyday...even if it that means hurting yourself physically
I don't think Ed's style dictates that he would literally include a dead body in the storyline, which as far as we know he's never done. Just seems odd. The interpretation works though.
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
But in fact, I agree with the point that Eddie isn't very likely to be writing about an dead body "in se"...
It might as well be the essence of that body, which would also cause a certain sort of death, as mentioned above...
- Antwerp '06, Nijmegen '07, Werchter '07
maybe it's a catch...to mislead us! lol! :-)...kidding around
i know it's odd...but to me this song is in other dimension and i want for it to be different than the rest of their songs...
i've given the song to my croatian teacher...and i told him that i want him to interpret it...so curious!
sorry that i didn't get what you tried to say...because i'm here always in the morning til 4A.M....so i don't function as i should...(the school started) :-)
The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
I think 'screaming lungs out.." is a futile attempt to salvage a relationship with the one you love. I think the protagonist has tried so hard for so long that he's given up. I don't see any hope at all in it.
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
i wouldn't say that. to me the idea of screaming lungs out
is like when you keep holding everything inside...and then you explode,you can't take it anymore and you would scream so loud that it would fill the room.and i don't think that he's found resources to find his way backtowards non-depression...no way...he's pissed off and he's gonna keep taking punches just to spite them
but I just wanted to say how much I love this song!
during the concert in Dublin I was hoping so hard that they'd play Indifference (not that I didn't love all the other songs!) but as time went on I thought that maybe this wasn't the time I'd hear it live.. but then.. the first few notes got played out and I couldn't believe it! I was so happy. I cried throughout the whole song, I didn't see or hear anything else but the verses of the song I'd loved since the first time I heard it.
honestly, there aren't enough of words.. even reading this thread gives me the chills! (that also might be cause it's really cold where I am.
btw. what I don't understand is how does Ben Harper "ruin" the song for some of you?
I love the whole thing.. Ed and Ben both have got great voices. the crowd. the emotion, the athmosphere. and I love the look on Ed's face when he looks at Ben when he's singing..
I haven't got enough words for this either. lol.
Good point.
Not my favorite version either, but it put a great spin on a classic song.
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
to me the version with ben isn't so powerful as it is when eddie performs it solo...
ben has kind of a mellow voice...dunno...
and the version that i've heard...it's kind of faster and catchy...and i like it when it's totally depressive....if i want something cathchy i'll listen to another PJ song...but don't change it cause it's fuckin' perfect the way it's originallly made!
and the song doesn't suit ben...
not quite sure about the meaning of "to spite", but if it's to annoy them... maybe not
Maybe he's just in auto-pilot... do what's expected from you: live.
What's life worth living like this? Maybe life isn't worth shit... so why protect myself even longer... I might as well make the mental issues go away, drown them in my physical pain.
One day, things should take a turn for the better. Even if this means death... let's be serious, death sounds better than life when you're living it like this....
Imagine this debate going on inside the mind of 1 person, asking the questions as well as anwsering them and eventually doubting all he has said and done.
Maybe it's not certain what the outcome is, and so the meaning of the song isn't quite as clear as we are assuming it is? Maybe it is not about someone getting out of a depression, or not getting out... maybe it's about someone getting into one, maybe he's not trying to get out...
- Antwerp '06, Nijmegen '07, Werchter '07
http://www.wishlistfoundation.org
Oh my, they dropped the leash.
Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!
"Make our day"
On one of the live recordings I remeber EV saying something like "This song(not Indifference) has a lot of meaning ... to me ... and maybe to you". I also remeber him saying on the VH-1 recording that "Alive" was written with one meaning, but it evolved into meaning something else. Anyway this is what this song means to me:
He is the victim of someone's/society's apathy.
He wakes each morning with a glimmer of hope only for reality to set in. He puts on a front and trudges his way through the crap of his life. And he wonders if it matters.
People can do what they want to him, but he will try to carry on.
Despite his self doubt he knows that he is right. In the end he will do whatever it takes until this person or society understands what he is saying. He will not tolerate their indifference.
With that being said this song has given me a new lease on life. Several months ago my 3 year old son was diagnosed with Autism. It has wrecked my life. My family, my friends, the medical community have given my wife and I little help or hope.
There are many times a day that I think that I can't keep fighting for him. But I will despite their indifference.
Every line is my favorite.
I kinda "rediscovered" this song a while ago, walking alone with my Ipod, really early in the morning... I knew the lyrics, but I've never thought of them until that day, and it was so weird! I had to stop and listen to it again, and really started thinking about it, and I just loved it...
I think I agree with Joalgo. I feel that's about someone that's been hurted, he's a victim of society... I think the "hell" he refers to, is this world, this society, everybody and their indifference... and he will do all this things: like keep taking punches (wich I believe is not literal, I think it talks about life hitting him), and swallow poison (also think is not literal, think it means that he will deal with all the crap he is exposed to until it doesn't affect him anymore), and scream his lungs out till somebody listens to him... and even though sometimes he feels that all he do will make no difference, he won't give up.
BTW Joalgo: you should never stop fighting...