I think he is an amazing writer. What his words mean to us is ussually a personal interpretation which is the beauty behind art, music etc. However, I feel there are some often some genius of brevity that comes out of his pen, meanings that are universally understood, some more ambiguous..anyone have any favorites?
Feel free to share !
My personal favorites:
"Clouds roll by, reeling is what they say,
or is it just my way?" -Lowlight
I'll be the asshole who mentions those "Low Light" lyrics are by Jeff.
Also, it's not Ed's best line ever, but since I first heard it, I've been partial to the lyric "...Time to plant seeds of reconstruction..." from "Evacuation".
"Somewhere in between / There and here / I got lost / I got scared..."
hmmm....i can't think of a favourite just yet, but i will think hard about it and put it here as soon as i find it out I think that it could be a toss up between a line from I got Shit, or a line from Light Years, or maybe Sad? Hmm...i dunno yet...
btw, i don't think Eddie wrote the lyrics to Nothingman, im sure Jeff wrote all that, and at the time it was written, apparantly Eddie was shocked at how beautiful the lyrics were when Jeff first gave them too him.
Was always of the understanding that Ed wrote the lyrics to "Nothingman" (per the liner notes) while Jeff wrote the music.
"Somewhere in between / There and here / I got lost / I got scared..."
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain What does it mean when a war has taken over.. It's the same everyday in a hell manmade What can be saved, and who will be left to hold her?..
Athens 2006. Dusseldorf 2007. Berlin 2009. Venice 2010. Amsterdam 1 2012. Amsterdam 1+2 2014. Buenos Aires 2015. Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022 EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
one of the greatest love lost heartache lyrics anyone has ever written. amazingly brilliant.
"I know some day you'll have a beautiful life i know you'll be a star, in somebody else's sky but why why whyyyyyyyyyy can't it be, can't it be mineeeeee?"
" Like minded on the run in a race that can't be won."
That's just painful.
------------------------------------------------------------ Too many shows to even begin to remember. Long live The Pearl Jams! ------------------------------------------------------------ Some of my music... https://soundcloud.com/fingerchili ------------------------------------------------------------H
I did a what I had to do and if there was a reason... there wasn't no reason. no. And if there's something you'd like to do just let me continue to blame you.
I been down and I fell so hard and far from grace.. I been hurt and I still recall the flaws on her face.. I been off, but I'm on, up above my feet, my feet again..
Athens 2006. Dusseldorf 2007. Berlin 2009. Venice 2010. Amsterdam 1 2012. Amsterdam 1+2 2014. Buenos Aires 2015. Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022 EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
"I wish I was the souvenir you kept your house key on I wish I was the pedal brake that you depended on I wish I was the verb 'to trust' and never let you down I wish I was a radio song, the one that you turned up" -WISHLIST
"All the rusted sign we ignore throughout our lives Choosing the shiny ones instead" -THUMBING MY WAY
"Caught a bolt 'a lightnin'...cursed the day he let it go..." -NOTHINGMAN
"I study your face And the fear goes away" -SIRENS
"I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star In somebody else's sky, but why, why, why Can't it be, can't it be mine" -BLACK
YES!
Pittsburgh, PA 10/11/13 Detroit, MI 10/16/14 Tampa, FL 4/11/16 Jacksonville, FL 4/13/16 Toronto, ON 5/12/16 Chicago, IL 8/22/16 Chicago, IL 8/18/18 Chicago, IL 8/20/18 Boston, MA 9/4/18 Ottawa, ON 9/3/22 Hamilton, ON 9/6/22 Toronto, ON 9/8/22
I haven't read all of the responses but the ones I have are all great. One that may not have been mentioned is from Red Mosquito: "If I had known then what I know now" Another good one with a similar theme from I'm Open: "When he was six he believed that the moon overhead followed him. By nine he had deciphered the illusion, trading magic for fact. No trade backs. So this is what it's like to be an adult. If he only knew now what he knew then" From Hail Hail, I also really like: "Like egg rolling thick and heavy, all the past we carry" And one more from Sirens: "If I think too much I can get overwhelmed by the grace by which we live our lives with death over our shoulders"
Post edited by Driftin'Along on
"Not only do you have sunshine but you have better thunder...fuckers." -Ed, Phx 10/21/00
PJ * 10/21/00 - Phx * 6/7/03 - Phx * 6/29/06 - Milwaukee * 6/30/06 - Milwaukee * 11/19/13 - Phx *
EV * 11/4/12 - Phx, AZ *
''He scared himself, into a trance ducking down rivers, secretly He floated out, into the ocean of his worst dream, of his rough sea? of all the men he could trust he was not one of them, always hurting himself this scars and seams?, the wounds are tone whatever time had healed, it's still too cold A life washed away, like words in the sand and when the high tide came, so went his plan a troubled past, a troubled future a troubled way leaning on a bar stool when strobelight stop, he finally saw navigation towards a brand new course but to himself the memory clear cold confession only, that only he could hear
He let himself scream, he let himself cry let himself reach the other side there was on christ, there was no cross just forgiveness, allowed himself accepted the past, then set it free oh and it ran off like an animal with ease he holds the bruise?, he holds their star in his pure arms, in his clear heart He's safe now, he's back in her breast he saw his path, and changed it, chased it, at last''
Athens 2006. Dusseldorf 2007. Berlin 2009. Venice 2010. Amsterdam 1 2012. Amsterdam 1+2 2014. Buenos Aires 2015. Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022 EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
Comments
Puts his faith in love and Tremor Christ..."
Raleigh, NC., 4/20/16, Columbia, SC., 4/21/16, Boston, MA., 8/5/16, Boston 9/2/18 & 9/4/18., Nashville, TN., 4/2/20., Nashville, TN., 9/16/22.EV Solo - Washington, D.C., 8/17/08, Atlanta, GA., 6/24/09, Orlando, FL., 11/27/12.
I know that one was a collab between Stone and Ed, but it's one of the cleverest lines to me.
www.headstonesband.com
Also, it's not Ed's best line ever, but since I first heard it, I've been partial to the lyric "...Time to plant seeds of reconstruction..." from "Evacuation".
Its like his thoughts are too big for his size..
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
What does it mean when a war has taken over..
It's the same everyday in a hell manmade
What can be saved, and who will be left to hold her?..
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
2000: Saratoga
2003: Bristow, Camden, NYC 1, NYC 2
2004: Boston 1, Boston 2
2006: Hartford, Boston 1, Boston 2
2008: Hartford, Mansfield 1, Mansfield 2
2009: Phil Spectrum 4
2010: Bristow, Hartford, Boston
2011: Alpine Valley 1, Alpine Valley 2
2012: Atlanta
2013: Chicago Wrigley, Philadelphia, Baltimore
2014: Tulsa, Lincoln, Memphis
2016: Fenway 1, Fenway 2, Wrigley 1, Wrigley 2
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Philly 1, Philly 2, MSG 1, MSG 2, Fenway 2
2018: Fenway 1, Fenway 2
2024: MSG 2, Philly 1, Philly 2, Fenway 1, Fenway 2
Can you see me now
I am myself
Like you somehow
I'll wait up in the dark
For you to speak to me
Bb
"I know some day you'll have a beautiful life i know you'll be a star, in somebody else's sky but why why whyyyyyyyyyy can't it be, can't it be mineeeeee?"
The one I'm listening to right now: "I know I was born and I know I'll die, the inbetween is mine..."
" Like minded on the run in a race that can't be won."
That's just painful.
Too many shows to even begin to remember.
Long live The Pearl Jams!
------------------------------------------------------------
Some of my music...
https://soundcloud.com/fingerchili
------------------------------------------------------------H
I love Drifting. It is my go-to song for escaping.
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
and if there was a reason...
there wasn't no reason. no.
And if there's something you'd like to do
just let me continue to blame you.
2018: Padova, Italy 06-24
2022: Imola, Italy 06-25
I been hurt and I still recall the flaws on her face..
I been off, but I'm on, up above my feet, my feet again..
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
I wanna race..with the sundown..I want a last breath..I don't let out...
Detroit, MI 10/16/14
Tampa, FL 4/11/16
Jacksonville, FL 4/13/16
Toronto, ON 5/12/16
Chicago, IL 8/22/16
Chicago, IL 8/18/18
Chicago, IL 8/20/18
Boston, MA 9/4/18
Ottawa, ON 9/3/22
Hamilton, ON 9/6/22
Toronto, ON 9/8/22
"If I had known then what I know now"
Another good one with a similar theme from I'm Open:
"When he was six he believed that the moon overhead followed him. By nine he had deciphered the illusion, trading magic for fact. No trade backs. So this is what it's like to be an adult. If he only knew now what he knew then"
From Hail Hail, I also really like:
"Like egg rolling thick and heavy, all the past we carry"
And one more from Sirens:
"If I think too much I can get overwhelmed by the grace by which we live our lives with death over our shoulders"
PJ * 10/21/00 - Phx * 6/7/03 - Phx * 6/29/06 - Milwaukee * 6/30/06 - Milwaukee * 11/19/13 - Phx *
EV * 11/4/12 - Phx, AZ *
ducking down rivers, secretly
He floated out, into the ocean
of his worst dream, of his rough sea?
of all the men he could trust
he was not one of them, always hurting himself
this scars and seams?, the wounds are tone
whatever time had healed, it's still too cold
A life washed away, like words in the sand
and when the high tide came, so went his plan
a troubled past, a troubled future
a troubled way leaning on a bar stool
when strobelight stop, he finally saw
navigation towards a brand new course
but to himself the memory clear
cold confession only, that only he could hear
He let himself scream, he let himself cry
let himself reach the other side
there was on christ, there was no cross
just forgiveness, allowed himself
accepted the past, then set it free
oh and it ran off like an animal with ease
he holds the bruise?, he holds their star
in his pure arms, in his clear heart
He's safe now, he's back in her breast
he saw his path, and changed it, chased it, at last''
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..