best interpretation of Off He Goes

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  • St. Nick
    St. Nick Posts: 72
    I've read many theories about this one and to me they could all be true. It's either about himself, a friend, Neil Young, Layne Staley or even something different. ;) Pick one you like :)

    I think it is about himself, but I like the Staley theory best.
  • Pearl Jam and toast
    Pearl Jam and toast Posts: 4,475
    St. Nick wrote:
    I've read many theories about this one and to me they could all be true. It's either about himself, a friend, Neil Young, Layne Staley or even something different. ;) Pick one you like :)

    I think it is about himself, but I like the Staley theory best.
    i actually wouldnt be surprised if ed thought about layne writing this..

    written in 95-96..
    Come on pilgrim you know he loves you..

    http://www.wishlistfoundation.org

    Oh my, they dropped the leash.



    Morgan Freeman/Clint Eastwood 08' for President!

    "Make our day"
  • VEDHEAD27
    VEDHEAD27 Posts: 3,091
    AWESOME and dead on for me as well. Although I never thought of the Beth comparison before...the Ed SHE knows and the Ed "up on the rack", Always saw it more as the Ed HE knows and those close to him...but the specific Beth thing definitely works.

    Gotta throw out right away that I LOVE this song with every inch of my being!!!! CANNOT praise it enough. It really gets me like no other and a huge part of that IS indeed because it's Ed completely pouring his soul out. The emotion here is just unmatched! I've definitely always felt it to be about loosing yourself and finding yourself all within the same long journey that is life. I think the main focus is Ed's journey but yeah...I wouldn't be surprised like Leti if others played a part as well.


    This part especially always made me feel that it was of course a song by Ed about Ed....

    "He's yet to come back but I see his picture.
    It doesn't look the same up on the rack"

    :o

    Totally gets me. As I explained in another post... I see him looking around and seeing his face everywhere, seeing this image, this creation that is just beyond him. At a glance, he knows that it's him, yet from a distance, from the outside looking in, the views others have of him..what they think him to be, it's totally someone else. It becomes confusing. Like you suddenly have mutiple personalities. There is the "real" you, and then this other person, ya know? It's very powerful and very moving. Ah the power and the mighty beauty that is OFF HE GOES.


    *bows down*


    Thanks for letting it all out and creating a masterpiece Ed. ;) Pure gold and again...the emotion here?!


    Also THANK YOU Pearl Jam and toast for sharing this awesome interpretation.
    ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤

    "Lo√e, you know the word
    ...YOU invented it!" ~ E√

    ¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤
    ...::STONE--YOU--OWN!::...
    ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
  • wolfamongwolves
    wolfamongwolves Posts: 2,414
    MrSmith wrote:
    i remember him saying it was about being friends with an asshole.

    He said this, and then pointed at himself.

    Since the first time I heard the song, it's always been ed playing up to the frequent references in the mythmaking press to his schizoid nature (manic/moody) - hence the references to the face up on the rack (magazine rack,torture rack... his public persona - what the press present him as). He once famously said that when he saw his face on magazines, he got to a point where he hated "that guy". I think OHG is a song of reconciliation with that guy - the Eddie the public sees, and the Eddie that he himself feels he is. Because of this I think it's the definitive song of No Code, the album that saw Pearl Jam become much more focused and comfortable with themselves after the turmoil of the previous few years - eddie's difficulties with celebrity, KC, and the ticketmaster fiasco.
    93: Slane
    96: Cork, Dublin
    00: Dublin
    06: London, Dublin
    07: London, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
    09: Manchester, London
    10: Dublin, Belfast, London & Berlin
    11: San José
    12: Isle of Wight, Copenhagen, Ed in Manchester & London x2
  • E.Bloom
    E.Bloom Posts: 188
    wolfamongwolves wrote:
    He said this, and then pointed at himself.

    Since the first time I heard the song, it's always been ed playing up to the frequent references in the mythmaking press to his schizoid nature (manic/moody) - hence the references to the face up on the rack (magazine rack,torture rack... his public persona - what the press present him as). He once famously said that when he saw his face on magazines, he got to a point where he hated "that guy". I think OHG is a song of reconciliation with that guy - the Eddie the public sees, and the Eddie that he himself feels he is. Because of this I think it's the definitive song of No Code, the album that saw Pearl Jam become much more focused and comfortable with themselves after the turmoil of the previous few years - eddie's difficulties with celebrity, KC, and the ticketmaster fiasco.

    I couldn`t agree more.. :)
    we were but stones,your light made us stars

    Dublin 06
    London 07
  • Boomer
    Boomer Posts: 50
    its about Eds Cat......
    Canada, says Ament, holds a special place in the band's heart because of its international policies and its decision to stay out of the war in Iraq.

    25 May 2005
    The Canadian Press
  • wolfamongwolves
    wolfamongwolves Posts: 2,414
    Boomer wrote:
    its about Eds Cat......

    Actually, I've changed my mind! This sounds far more plausible
    93: Slane
    96: Cork, Dublin
    00: Dublin
    06: London, Dublin
    07: London, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
    09: Manchester, London
    10: Dublin, Belfast, London & Berlin
    11: San José
    12: Isle of Wight, Copenhagen, Ed in Manchester & London x2
  • RVM86
    RVM86 Posts: 76
    This thread came up about two months ago and we all agreed that it was more than likely about Ed looking at himself from the outside in or in third person.
    War In Iraq? Do It In My Name.
  • darthvedder88
    darthvedder88 Posts: 1,023
    I think we all pretty much agree it's Eddie writing about himself in the 3rd person. But I can pretty much see the other interpretations as well.
    "Darth Vader would say 'Impressive'."

    -Eddie Vedder

    6/24/06 Cincinatti, Ohio
    6/14/08 Manchester, Tennessee
  • murphyJammer
    murphyJammer Posts: 120
    Always loved this one...was at the 8/3/00 VA beach show, first one after Poland and they played this and dedicated it to one of the people who was killed (I believe his name was Anthony) Ed befriended his sister and it was his favorite so they played it for him...I don't think there was a dry eye in the house after that
    "Bombs dropping down. Please forgive our hometown"
  • jdavis
    jdavis Posts: 4
    murphyJammer wrote:
    Always loved this one...was at the 8/3/00 VA beach show, first one after Poland and they played this and dedicated it to one of the people who was killed (I believe his name was Anthony) Ed befriended his sister and it was his favorite so they played it for him...I don't think there was a dry eye in the house after that


    I think Benaroya is my favorite! This is hands down one of my favorite songs, and I loved reading everyones interpretation of what it means. There are some great points in this thread and everyone has really spent a long time thinking this stuff out. That is the sign of a great song, not whether you like it or hate it, but if it makes you think or react in any way it has served a purpose. One of the posts earlier said "thanks for pouring your heart out Ed, solid gold again," that was well said.
    PROUD EVENFLOW PSYCHO MEMBER #0040

    15 Total

    2005: Missoula, MT 8.29.05 (Met Eddie, Mike, Jeff & Stone!), The Gorge 9.1.05, London 9.12.05, Hamilton 9.13.05, PNC Park Pittsburgh - Stones/PJ 9.28.05, Atlantic City, NJ 9.30.05

    "To myself I... surrender, to the one I’ll never please"
  • gopakrz
    gopakrz Posts: 2
    I can't find any confirmation of this concert. Can anyone help me?

    BTW... I believe the truth to be that "Off He Goes" is about Neil Young. I've researched this a while back and found some resources. It makes perfect sense as the song describes Neil to a tee. Read "Shakey", an unauthorized Biography of Neil Young if you don't believe me. And go down near the bottom of this page... http://www.thrasherswheat.org/jammin/pj.htm

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