no i have, trust me. i dont want to get into details on the pearl jam message board with a complete stranger but i've been to 2 funerals in the past 4 months and one of them was due to an overdose of one of my good friends. this is the best thing about pearl jam songs and the reason why vedder likes to keep shit open to intepretation. as long as it means something to you thats all that matters.
yeah, that sucks. not the stuff about lyrics being open to interpretation. the other stuff.
everybody wants the most they can possibly get
for the least they could possibly do
I definitely feel this is a song about losing a loved one. Once you have lost someone that is really close to you (as a parent, spouse, child), you go a little "crazy" believing that if you could just see them, talk to them, feel them everything would be okay. Most people dream of their dead loved ones. It seems to bring a comfort to you. People do strange things when they lose a loved one. I have seen people try to curl up in the casket! When you feel a loss like this, you can become so desperate and not want to let go. I see this song as raw and very emotional. Eddie did lose his best friend and someone he saw as his father figure. He is also still close to Johnny's widow. It could be seen as a love song from her to Johnny. Eddie has a way of capturing emotions that we never realized were there!
This might have been mentioned, but the explanation I heard is that its kind of the next part to Man of the Hour.
Man dies, boy misses man, boy writes a second song about man.
So it is about a dead person. But I also read where Ed says half of avocado is about Johnny Ramone.
although ed said avocado is about johnny, I still took it, and continue to interpret the album in the context of what was going on in 2006. This was the ultimate protest. An entire album of nothing but protest songs. Even Come Back a ballad almost is political.
I interpreted Come Back as a wife of a soldier telling her husband to come back. Whether he is already dead is a matter of opinion.
I believe the answer is whatever you choose to associate. To me, that has always been the beauty of so many of Ed's lyrics, they touch so many, in so many different ways. Only EV knows for sure.
This is an awesome thread. It goes way back to early 2006 and has re-emerged. It has generated a lot of thought from me.
It is a ripper of a song, I had the pleasure of watching it live in Melbourne on the 13th November 2006. Ed sings it with huge passion and meaning. It's been said before, it is open to your interpretation.
Soldiers, Death, relationship break up, it could be any of these or a parrot as mentioned.
Much of this thread was discussed in early 2006 after Avacado was released and its sad to see that all the soldiers, US, Aus, UK and many others are still fighting wars in fucked up countries. Lets bring them home. Our latest Prime minister mad many election promises that he has failed to keep but he did promise to start bringing soldiers home which is to happen at Christmas.
I have just downloaded the bootleg from the Tampa show (great show) and Ed talks a lot about politics and the election battle which is interesting. He obviously has put his weight behind Obama.
I personally think that Americans need a younger president, black, white, male or female.
John Mccain won't bring the soldiers home, he's too proud. (I know the war is not the only issue that this election will affect)
But anyway during wishlist at the Tampa show Ed sings about bringing them home and receives massive support from the crowd. When he talks about voting for Obama he gets a lot of boos. Obama will bring them home guys.
Going back to 'come back'
The following messages in the song say to me it's about a break up.
'Under this broken roof'. -(The family home is broken due to the split).
'Since you slipped away'. (This is when the person left without saying goodbye this signifies a big fight or similar)
'So you had to go,..... and I had to remain here'. (Again to do with a fight that caused the break up, they had to stay apart, restraining order perhaps)
'But the strangest thing to date, So far away, And yet you feel so close
And I'm not gonna question it any other way' (Generally couples who break up still harbour feelings for each other, and sometimes they think about being together again, but he is going to leave it alone, not question it).
'There must be an open door For you to Come back'. (There must be a way we can fix what's happened).
Perth 1998
Adelaide 2003
Melbourne 13 Nov 2006
Adelaide 21 Nov 2006
Adelaide 22 Nov 2006
Adelaide 2009
EV Adelaide 27 Mar 2011
EV Adelaide 28 Mar 2011
although ed said avocado is about johnny, I still took it, and continue to interpret the album in the context of what was going on in 2006. This was the ultimate protest. An entire album of nothing but protest songs. Even Come Back a ballad almost is political.
I interpreted Come Back as a wife of a soldier telling her husband to come back. Whether he is already dead is a matter of opinion.
I definitely agree with this. Particularly, when it is placed directly after Army Reserve on the album. It seems these two songs are about the same family, just from two different perspectives. Army Reserve is like someone from the outside (say another family member or family friend) looking in on the family that has their husband/father off at war. And then this is followed by Come Back, which is from the wife's perspective. That is my interpretation, anyway.
But no matter what the interpretation it is still a great song. Probably my favourite from Avocado.
_______________________
Sydney - 11.03.1998
Melbourne - 18.02.2003
Sydney - 07.11.2006
Nijmegen - 28.06.2007
New York - 24.06.2008
London - 18.08.2009
London - 25.06.2010
It's about a dead person. At one of the Meadowlands shows in 2006 they played "Man of the Hour and then played "Come Back." Between songs, Ed said something like, "That last song was about when you know you're losing someone. This next song is about what happens after that." It's not the exact quote, but it's close.
...There was guy who sang to his true love although he had not met her yet. He dreamed of her since he was just a boy. He waited many years until she would finally be brought into his world. Like a magnet, they were connected. When she finally did wake up and see him; she fell in love with him and reached out to him but could not touch him. ALthough he knew that he felt her now in his heart, he too did not know who or where she was. He kept going on with his life like it was instead of being alone. She could see that and finally let go and pushed him back out of her heart so that she could move on with her own life and be happy. SHe tried to move on and even told herself that maybe she could love someone else. He could feel she was gone. Soon she realized that it was not fair for her to play with any other heart because she could not give another what she already had felt for someone else. SHe could not give all of herself to another when half of her was already with someone else. When she looked back; she heard his plea to "Come Back". It was not easy to let him back in her heart; she was scared. But finally he broke through the stitches once more and they were back where they had started but yet this time; with so many issues resolved-they were in love. They both pray at night to dream of each others face...until the day was perfect; the moon aligned to their dreams and the Universe ready to give their hand in help...for their first embrace.
...There was guy who sang to his true love although he had not met her yet. He dreamed of her since he was just a boy. He waited many years until she would finally be brought into his world. Like a magnet, they were connected. When she finally did wake up and see him; she fell in love with him and reached out to him but could not touch him. ALthough he knew that he felt her now in his heart, he too did not know who or where she was. He kept going on with his life like it was instead of being alone. She could see that and finally let go and pushed him back out of her heart so that she could move on with her own life and be happy. SHe tried to move on and even told herself that maybe she could love someone else. He could feel she was gone. Soon she realized that it was not fair for her to play with any other heart because she could not give another what she already had felt for someone else. SHe could not give all of herself to another when half of her was already with someone else. When she looked back; she heard his plea to "Come Back". It was not easy to let him back in her heart; she was scared. But finally he broke through the stitches once more and they were back where they had started but yet this time; with so many issues resolved-they were in love. They both pray at night to dream of each others face...until the day was perfect; the moon aligned to their dreams and the Universe ready to give their hand in help...for their first embrace.
I definitely agree with this. Particularly, when it is placed directly after Army Reserve on the album. It seems these two songs are about the same family, just from two different perspectives. Army Reserve is like someone from the outside (say another family member or family friend) looking in on the family that has their husband/father off at war. And then this is followed by Come Back, which is from the wife's perspective. That is my interpretation, anyway.
But no matter what the interpretation it is still a great song. Probably my favourite from Avocado.
Ed said in an interview the whole album is a narrative, so all of the songs link together pretty much and are about the same person. Someone else posted a thread on here ages ago about it, but basically went something like this:
Life Wasted - dude quits army and is happpy.
WWS - his friend is killed in action, leaving a wife and children.
comatose - he turns to drugs.
Severed Hand - he turns to more drugs, sees imagaes of his dead friend(the severed hand with the wedding band).
Marker in the sand - he tries to understand the war.
Parachutes - he falls in love.
Unemployable - his bad experiences in the army make it hard for him to hold down a job.
Big Wave - he likes to surf!?
Gone - he likes to drive!?
Wasted Reprise - he tries to remember how he felt when he quit the army and how he said he'd never go back again.
Army reserve - he's forced to rejoin the army as a reserve because he can't hold down a regular job.
Come Back - He's killed in action, form his wife's perspective.
Inside Job - again from his wife's perspective, how she struggles to cope.(I know Mike wrote it about his problems but it still fits in with the narrrative).
All of the songs can stand on their own and mean something different. I'm guessing Ed wanted to make the whole album about the war but in a clever way without mentioning it in every song.
cant do it baby
"Please say that if you hadn't have gone now
I wouldn't have lost you another way"
and all the "if i keep holdin out" and " days lingering on" is too much hoping and uncertainty for just a flat out death as far as i can see.
Since the first time I heard/felt this song...I knew what he was feeling/saying...
they are on the other side..dead as you say
.the real possibility of meeting you in my dreams...is the only way possible...the only hope..the pain...the loss...its hard to imagine..hard to accept...and if you believe in an after life...or other demensions ..then that plea is all you can beg for...
Its so right on the money... that I often wondered who it was that he loved so dearly and lost...its sad..
the lyrics to me tell a story of a spiritual encounter or at least a relationship conceived spirtually. no face to face.
whether you agree with this philosophy or not, you would have to agree that every line in this song describes this type of relationship beautifully.
Ohhh I like that definition! And the above ones ~ your right.. and thats the beauty of it...Im just thinking of me i guess and how it felt...but your all your right...thanks
Comments
yeah, that sucks. not the stuff about lyrics being open to interpretation. the other stuff.
for the least they could possibly do
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the man who wrote the song said it is about when you break up, the feeling you get 2 months later....
it is totally a breakup song....
Unless you're a sucker for punishment!
is how I've been seeing it lately.
Take my hand, my child of love
Come step inside my tears
Swim the magic ocean,
I've been crying all these years
Man dies, boy misses man, boy writes a second song about man.
So it is about a dead person. But I also read where Ed says half of avocado is about Johnny Ramone.
"Its a secret to everybody."
I interpreted Come Back as a wife of a soldier telling her husband to come back. Whether he is already dead is a matter of opinion.
I guess we'll never know.
Amazing song though
The first on the Avocado album that I played multiple times in a row.
Especially for the line the op posted...tell me I wouldn't have lost you another way...meaning they would have never chosen to leave.
It is a ripper of a song, I had the pleasure of watching it live in Melbourne on the 13th November 2006. Ed sings it with huge passion and meaning. It's been said before, it is open to your interpretation.
Soldiers, Death, relationship break up, it could be any of these or a parrot as mentioned.
Much of this thread was discussed in early 2006 after Avacado was released and its sad to see that all the soldiers, US, Aus, UK and many others are still fighting wars in fucked up countries. Lets bring them home. Our latest Prime minister mad many election promises that he has failed to keep but he did promise to start bringing soldiers home which is to happen at Christmas.
I have just downloaded the bootleg from the Tampa show (great show) and Ed talks a lot about politics and the election battle which is interesting. He obviously has put his weight behind Obama.
I personally think that Americans need a younger president, black, white, male or female.
John Mccain won't bring the soldiers home, he's too proud. (I know the war is not the only issue that this election will affect)
But anyway during wishlist at the Tampa show Ed sings about bringing them home and receives massive support from the crowd. When he talks about voting for Obama he gets a lot of boos. Obama will bring them home guys.
Going back to 'come back'
The following messages in the song say to me it's about a break up.
'Under this broken roof'. -(The family home is broken due to the split).
'Since you slipped away'. (This is when the person left without saying goodbye this signifies a big fight or similar)
'So you had to go,..... and I had to remain here'. (Again to do with a fight that caused the break up, they had to stay apart, restraining order perhaps)
'But the strangest thing to date, So far away, And yet you feel so close
And I'm not gonna question it any other way' (Generally couples who break up still harbour feelings for each other, and sometimes they think about being together again, but he is going to leave it alone, not question it).
'There must be an open door For you to Come back'. (There must be a way we can fix what's happened).
Adelaide 2003
Melbourne 13 Nov 2006
Adelaide 21 Nov 2006
Adelaide 22 Nov 2006
Adelaide 2009
EV Adelaide 27 Mar 2011
EV Adelaide 28 Mar 2011
'Always amongst the waves'
I definitely agree with this. Particularly, when it is placed directly after Army Reserve on the album. It seems these two songs are about the same family, just from two different perspectives. Army Reserve is like someone from the outside (say another family member or family friend) looking in on the family that has their husband/father off at war. And then this is followed by Come Back, which is from the wife's perspective. That is my interpretation, anyway.
But no matter what the interpretation it is still a great song. Probably my favourite from Avocado.
Sydney - 11.03.1998
Melbourne - 18.02.2003
Sydney - 07.11.2006
Nijmegen - 28.06.2007
New York - 24.06.2008
London - 18.08.2009
London - 25.06.2010
In some concert he said, this song is for you Johnny,
sooo
yes, I think so.
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That is beautiful!!!!!
Thank you.
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kristal_007@msn.com
Ed said in an interview the whole album is a narrative, so all of the songs link together pretty much and are about the same person. Someone else posted a thread on here ages ago about it, but basically went something like this:
Life Wasted - dude quits army and is happpy.
WWS - his friend is killed in action, leaving a wife and children.
comatose - he turns to drugs.
Severed Hand - he turns to more drugs, sees imagaes of his dead friend(the severed hand with the wedding band).
Marker in the sand - he tries to understand the war.
Parachutes - he falls in love.
Unemployable - his bad experiences in the army make it hard for him to hold down a job.
Big Wave - he likes to surf!?
Gone - he likes to drive!?
Wasted Reprise - he tries to remember how he felt when he quit the army and how he said he'd never go back again.
Army reserve - he's forced to rejoin the army as a reserve because he can't hold down a regular job.
Come Back - He's killed in action, form his wife's perspective.
Inside Job - again from his wife's perspective, how she struggles to cope.(I know Mike wrote it about his problems but it still fits in with the narrrative).
All of the songs can stand on their own and mean something different. I'm guessing Ed wanted to make the whole album about the war but in a clever way without mentioning it in every song.
I grew up there...it was Lighthouse Point...its so small.. I am amazed almost you know about tihs place! Have a great time!
Since the first time I heard/felt this song...I knew what he was feeling/saying...
they are on the other side..dead as you say
.the real possibility of meeting you in my dreams...is the only way possible...the only hope..the pain...the loss...its hard to imagine..hard to accept...and if you believe in an after life...or other demensions ..then that plea is all you can beg for...
Its so right on the money... that I often wondered who it was that he loved so dearly and lost...its sad..
the lyrics to me tell a story of a spiritual encounter or at least a relationship conceived spirtually. no face to face.
whether you agree with this philosophy or not, you would have to agree that every line in this song describes this type of relationship beautifully.
Ohhh I like that definition! And the above ones ~ your right.. and thats the beauty of it...Im just thinking of me i guess and how it felt...but your all your right...thanks
Good point. I think this could be true...although it sounds like a love song to me. But this is prob correct.
I dedicated it to a girl I was in love with who was away when the CD came out and I wanted her to COMEBACK.
that's what I always thought, that it was about Johnny Ramone. I definately see how it could be about either love or death, though
for the least they could possibly do