Off he goes (meaning?)

Evil Chris

I think it's a beautiful song. I have always thought that, but I never wondered the meaning until now. It makes me think of my 2 1/2 old son for some reason.

I'd like to know the meaning and background please.
Thank you.

Captain Hi-top

From songmeanings.net:

I've read an article in Rolling Stone where Eddie said "Off He Goes" is about a friend of his leaving town, and they grew apart. His friend came back, and because of their "growing apart," they just couldn't converse like old times. They just couldn't hit it off like best friends can. Anyway, he leaves town again, possibly redoing the process.

well.....when i saw pj in concert in Columbus (which, by the way was awesome) Eddy said this song is about his friend...his really good friend that was always there but then he just fell in with a different crowd and they kinda parted ways in high school, but they still talked every once i a while until his friend messed up w/ some drug dealer and was killed...wheather or not that is a true story...i don't know. But that's what eddy said at our concert.

http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=41531

acoustic guy

Oh man...what a great song. I love to play it on my guitar.
It really is a meaningful song. What its about I am not sure but i have my own thoughts on that one. All of us can relate to PJ songs one way or another. Thats what makes them one of the best bands ever.
They have a song for every human emotion.
The lyrics just rock.

mikeismyhero

i'm pretty sure that the song is about Ed himself. and the difficulty he has in maintaining his various friendships given the nature of his profession.

Ms. Haiku

I thought it was about him or Jack Irons.

Evil Chris

any possibility at all of someone in the band explaining it?

Abuskedti

mikeismyhero wrote:

i'm pretty sure that the song is about Ed himself. and the difficulty he has in maintaining his various friendships given the nature of his profession.

this seems good about eddie from the point of view of his friends..

Eddie does have perfectly unkept clothes

VEDHEAD27

Ok really, I must just start off by saying that I am completely head over heels in LOVE with this song!!! It owns a huge part of me. Anytime I see it's title I'm just instantly drawn in, auto-pilot. I know for a fact that there aren't enough words to express what this one means to me. Ed completely pouring his soul out. I really think this is one of THE most emotional if not THE most emotion song by the man. It hits me like no other song, stirs up/captures something this is just unmatched.

Alright, had to get that out. Now onto the interpretation....

I've heard many mix things, it being about Beth and the way she (and all those close to him) sees him and the way the outside world does....it being about his "roomate" even though apparently at the time he was living alone---which matches up with my take it on it, I think it is about Ed. A self evaluation you could say. Looking/question himself as a result of fame.

I'll post what I posted in another thread about it....


I've 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"


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?!

RVM86

mikeismyhero wrote:

i'm pretty sure that the song is about Ed himself. and the difficulty he has in maintaining his various friendships given the nature of his profession.

I completely agree. This came up about six months ago. I think Ed is looking at himself from the outside in. Always makes me emotional....I don't know why......My favorite off of No Code. One of my fav PJ songs.

pearlmutt

i don't know what it means, but it sure does bring back some memories.

i think it's interesting what all the songs remind people of.

for me it was when my husband would come home from deployments and then hop on his motorcycle.

i can hardly listen to it because it makes me think of all the times he had to leave, but

i like it that it makes you think of your son, that's neat.

Born2Jam

Evil Chris wrote:

any possibility at all of someone in the band explaining it?

Hahahahahaha

That's funny.

Born2Jam

RVM86 wrote:

I think Ed is looking at himself from the outside in. Always makes me emotional....I don't know why......My favorite off of No Code. One of my fav PJ songs.

I agree, and me, too.

Ms. Haiku

Ok, so here are the lyrics -let's at them!

One two, one two

Know a man...his face seems pulled and tense...
Like he's ridin' on a motorbike...in the strongest winds...
So i approach with tact ...suggest that he should relax...
But he's always moving much too fast...

Said he'll see me on the flip side...of this trip he's taken for a ride.
He's been takin'...too much on...off he goes
With his perfectly..unkept clothes...there he goes...

He's yet to come back...but i've seen his picture
It doesn't look the same up on the rack...we go way back...

I wonder 'bout his insides...it's like his thoughts are too big for his size
He's been taken...where? i don't know...off he goes
With his perfectly...unkept hope...there he goes...

And now i rub my eyes...for he has returned
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned...
For he still smiles...and he's still strong
Nothing's changed but the surrounding bullshit...that has grown...

And now he's home...and we're laughing...
Like we always did...my same old...same old friend...

Until a quarter to ten...i saw the strain creep in
He seems distracted and i know just what is gonna happen next...

Before his first step...he's off again...

acoustic guy

Hey Evil Chris,
The response for this thread was great.
Pick another song will ya?
Give it some thought first.

Ms. Haiku

(I looked at the words to this song without listening to it at the same time. Here are a few of my thoughts at the time)

Know a man his face seems pulled and tense
Like he's ridin' on a motorbike in the strongest winds
So i approach with tact suggest that he should relax
But he's always moving much too fast

Said he'll see me on the flip side of this trip he's taken for a ride.
(This is the most intense line to me.)

He's been takin' too much on off he goes
With his perfectly unkept clothes there he goes

He's yet to come back but i've seen his picture
It doesn't look the same up on the rack we go way back
(This reminds me of the time when Eddie Vedder was on the TIME Magazine cover. So, the song is about him OR maybe the main character is someone looking at Eddie Vedder.)

I wonder 'bout his insides it's like his thoughts are too big for his size
He's been taken where? i don't know off he goes
With his perfectly unkept hope there he goes

And now i rub my eyes for he has returned
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned
For he still smiles and he's still strong
Nothing's changed but the surrounding bullshit that has grown

And now he's home and we're laughing
Like we always did my same old same old friend
(There’s almost joy heard in the song which contributes to the previous and eventual sadness.)

Until a quarter to ten i saw the strain creep in
He seems distracted and i know just what is gonna happen next
(Sometimes we are very focused on how distracted others are.)

Before his first step he's off again

(I took out the . . . just to be silly, and what was happening was that the song became sadder. When there isn’t a space to catch breath the emotion of the words are more intense.)

Merkyjamm

I'd got fed up with Off He Goes, but as I read this I stuck it on and rememebered why I loved it in the first place...

The friend/drugs thing was the first idea that I had about the song, as in when you see someone you care about utterly destroyed by their addiction (I know, firsthand, that it is fucked up shit), but now, the Ed lookin' inward thing, it makes sense, when you consider everything they had to put with, as a band and as people. I mean they want their privacy, and I think, nowadasy, they get it, more or less, but back in the day, Jesus, it must've been tough...

(Hope that this post/thread don't go over the T&Cs for the Pit but... meh)

Evil Chris

pearlmutt wrote:

i like it that it makes you think of your son, that's neat.

I'm actually away from my wife and son for a week right now and I miss them terribly. Off He Goes reminds me of my little guy, and I don't know why. Maybe because he is so darn independant for his age.

This song gets me quite emotional too, like the rest of you. It's powerful.
Thanks for all the great replies.

VEDHEAD27

That's beautiful Evil Chris. And thank you for creating this thread. I love talking about this song and reading what others have to say as well. It truely is one emotional masterpiece.


Awww Merkyjamm, that is just great!!! Are you and Off He Goes back together now?? Honestly, you had me a little worried there. j/k(kind of :eek: ) haha. No really, I think it's GREAT that reading this could help you with that. One of the many reasons I think this Words&Music forum ROCKS!

NothinGBetteRPJMaN

Im not very sure i always thought it was abot Eddie himself, but somewhere I read and I think it was from a very reliable source that it was written about Niel Young. When I read the lyrics I just dont see it. just thought Id share something I heard and see what comes of it.

BUENA

Evil Chris wrote:

I think it's a beautiful song. I have always thought that, but I never wondered the meaning until now. It makes me think of my 2 1/2 old son for some reason.

I'd like to know the meaning and background please.
Thank you.

It's whatever you want it to be...

Anduril

NothinGBetteRPJMaN wrote:

Im not very sure i always thought it was abot Eddie himself, but somewhere I read and I think it was from a very reliable source that it was written about Niel Young. When I read the lyrics I just dont see it. just thought Id share something I heard and see what comes of it.

i read that too about neil young. it was on a site about neil young discussing pearl jam and talking about his relationship with the band and Eddie and i think neil made a comment about this song, something about the lyrics about unkept clothes and the tense looks. i can't remember what the site was though.

Bradass

All I know is that the Live On 2 Legs version is the best.
It needs the nice hard drumming.

sampreety

To me, this song just brings back sad memories of a friend that I had, who was battling with drug addiction.

Evil Chris

this song still moves me...

and so I thought I would say so once again.

GRIMMY

I have allways thought it about a guy taking a bad trip (acid) that he just cant handle being around any love ones...


"I wondered about his insides its like his thoughts are to big for his size"

Pearl Jam and toast

It's not about drugs.

Not directly..

I've disected this one a lot (used to be a really good thread about this in here but I think it's long gone)..

It's about Ed. Written in third person.

A post-fame song.

Ed runs off... gets big... comes back into town. His best friend knows it's temporary.. can still see that restlessness in his eyes.. etc.

The song itself is really refelctive of the situation it describes...

Very very depressing and almost tragic feeling.. but with undertones of this nice, mellow, happy emotion. Then it ends on a happy note, just like the situation probably did in real life.

"Well.. he's gone again.. but it's for the best, i'm happy for him.. there he goes!"

Flannel Shirt

mikeismyhero wrote:

i'm pretty sure that the song is about Ed himself. and the difficulty he has in maintaining his various friendships given the nature of his profession.

agreed! always felt that he wrote this about himself.

"He's yet to come back...but I've seen his picture
Doesn't look the same up on the rack...we go way back..."

"With his perfectly... unkept clothes... there he goes..."

sidenote...always felt countryish to me...this song would be a hit on the CMT or nashville network.

norm

First I have to say that the song means whatever you want it to mean. However, Ed spoke about the meaning at LA2. I didn't want to transcribe so here it is (just the intro, not full song)
http://download.yousendit.com/D865871B4F139631

Sprunkn7

mikeismyhero wrote:

i'm pretty sure that the song is about Ed himself. and the difficulty he has in maintaining his various friendships given the nature of his profession.

I heard this also. I also heard him say it's about him being a "bad" friend. He feels he's not there for his friends enough. From what kind of person I heard Ed is, that seems hard to believe. Maybe it's about one incident where he feels he fucked up in a certain situation and hadn't forgiven himself yet.

Pearl Jam and toast

Sprunkn7 wrote:

I heard this also. I also heard him say it's about him being a "bad" friend. He feels he's not there for his friends enough. From what kind of person I heard Ed is, that seems hard to believe. Maybe it's about one incident where he feels he fucked up in a certain situation and hadn't forgiven himself yet.

"This is about being friends with an asshole" - e. V. ~

I've heard a very interesting interpretation that it's about Neil Young, but I think the song is way to personal not to be Ed writing about himself.

WickedJeremy

Evil Chris wrote:

I think it's a beautiful song. I have always thought that, but I never wondered the meaning until now. It makes me think of my 2 1/2 old son for some reason.

I'd like to know the meaning and background please.
Thank you.

For me it has come to mean distance. A friend who is having trouble getting it together. You keep getting glimpses of him being happy but it never lasts. For me, it is very similar in content to Blind Melon's "Drive".