I got id

mrwalkerb · June 2005

12345against1 wrote:

I think this song is all about a guy that wants a girl but never asks her out. He just dreams of her. He tells himself he has memories but in all reality he knows he does not. He feels ugly and lacking in confidence. He never took the chance.

this is close to what I was thinking, it's about someone being infactuated with a girl/guy whatever, but never acting on it. I think when he says "oh i walked the line when you held me in that night
i walked the line when you held my hand that night " he is talking about a dream or at least a daydream about being with this person (who hasn't been there?) and that kind of ties into the line about waiting for teh dream "where I'm not ugly and you're looking at me...
and I stare you back
oh blue eyes, I've seen it
if just once, I could feel love
stare back at me..."
it's about having that daydream(or real dream) come true where he has the girl/guy/whatever. Although I think 12345against1 is wrong (in my take at least everyone is obvisouly entitled to thier own) about the guy being ugly I think that's just his own lacking self confidence more then anything (again something I'm famaliar with). Please if you have thoughts share them here or PM me I want to know how close I am.

by the way it's off the Merkin Ball E.P. or many live discs and I think Rearviewmirror.

cropdustress · June 2005

Rock_Princess_18 wrote:

i feel really dumb asking this but.. wut cd can u find I Got ID on?

It's on the Greatest Hits-Rearviewmirror. It has never been on an album, it's a track from the Merkinball single the band recorded in 95 when they were touring with Neil Young. The single had two songs: I got ID and Long Road. Both amazing tracks imho

Rock_Princess_18 · June 2005

thanks... ive been meaning to buy RVM but havent gotten around to it... now ill definitly have to go get it soon

kikigirl · June 2005

I really need to know the answer to this question, it's driving me crazy!!!
In concert in some of the 2000-shows-Ed changes the line before-"I paid the price, never held you in real life" I can't make out what he is saying-I think it sounds like something to do with "a voew"
Does anyone know what I mean?

Flannel Shirt · June 2005

schnitz wrote:

What does everyone think this is about? I think this is about a man who never got the love of his life.

I lean towards this interp.

just got chills reading the lyrics....

I thought the lyrics said, "picture empty cup in the middle of the sea"....theskyiscrape has it as..."picture a cup in the middle of the sea"...
anyone know which it actually is...I feel the meaning is drastically changed depending on what he actually says...

Bu$hleague · June 2005

Flannel Shirt wrote:

I lean towards this interp.

just got chills reading the lyrics....

I thought the lyrics said, "picture empty cup in the middle of the sea"....theskyiscrape has it as..."picture a cup in the middle of the sea"...
anyone know which it actually is...I feel the meaning is drastically changed depending on what he actually says...

It's "picture a cup in the middle of the sea"; but on a few bootlegs Ed sings "an empty cup in the middle of the sea". I don't think it really changes the meaning that much.

'All these advantages this life's got on me... '

Beautiful.

Flannel Shirt · June 2005

Bu$hleague wrote:

It's "picture a cup in the middle of the sea"; but on a few bootlegs Ed sings "an empty cup in the middle of the sea". I don't think it really changes the meaning that much.

'All these advantages this life's got on me... '

Beautiful.

Maybe...

an empty cup in the middle of the sea, to me, would suggest you have TONS OF WATER ALL AROUND YOU and you cannot get any...however, by not getting any, you stay afloat, if you had your cup filled, you sink...

now that I think about it, maybe its about a person who enjoys hating being lonely?

sorry, off on a tangent...

decides2dream · June 2005

mandalina wrote:

so I'll just lie alone and wait for the dream
where I'm not ugly and you're looking at me...
and I stare you back
oh blue eyes, I've seen it
if just once, I could feel love
stare back at me...

Oh my, those lines just slay me every time...they seriously give me chills. One of my favourite Pearl Jam songs of all time.

I agree with all of you guys on the interpretation of the song....love, regret....lord, I could go on forever about the genius of this song.

yes and yes.
i could listen to this song endlessly.
i think it truly highlights the brilliance of ed's lyrical abilities....his way with words, turning of phrases, imagery conjured..........amazing, amazing stuff.

love, regret....what ifs....choices.........doesn't get much better, or worse - depending on your perspective.......than that. LIFE.

Kovo · June 2005

I just heard this song last week for the first time, and I've been listening to it ever since. It's an amazing song.

xboss14x · June 2005

when i was in like 7th grade i thought it was "and i fall back in my mind endlessly" in stead of what it is. I still sing it on accident sometimes.

Whizbang · June 2005

MeddleDeal wrote:

I like it how everyone comes up w/their own interpretations...it does give an insight on how, we, the fans, think.

This song has helped me through my break-ups. When Eddie sings, 'never held you in real life' it just feels like your whole world is crashing around you. Having something that you once had, and you can't have no more. That is the sad reality of this song. Even though it sounds harsh, it is so true.

To me this song has a lot of significance, you can look at the memories you share w/this person, but then you realize you don't have that person in your life anymore and you can't part w/that. Your memories is what is making you feel worse. That is how I translate it.

Let us reflect on the lyrics to this song...and props for schnitz for starting this GREAT discussion:)

my lips are shakin' my nails are bit off
been a month since i've heard myself talk
all the advantage this life's got on me
picture a cup in the middle of the sea
and i fight back in my mind
never lets me be right
i got memories i got shit
so much it don't show
oh i walked the line when you held me in that night
i walked the line when you held my hand that night
an empty shells seem so easy to crack
got all these questions don't know who i could even ask
so i'll just lie alone and wait for the dream
where i'm not ugly and your lookin' at me
and i stare you back
oh blue eyes, i've seen it
if just once i could feel love
oh stare back at me, yeah..
but i walked the line when you held me in that night
oh i walked the line when you held my hand that night
oh i walked the line when you held me close that night
i paid the price never held you in real life
my lips are shakin'

this song hits me hard...always has.....

"never held you in real life"...for me? I never had him for real....he was always one step away and to look back on it? It crushed me to realize it...yes, my world came crashing down on me.

"i walked the line when you held me close that night"....one night, though every minute with him was a gift, rings in my mind on this line. It was a moment of clarity, truth, love and pain. I knew I was in love with him, knew he loved me...it was so right yet it just couldn't be....held me close, didn't think we could be any closer yet we both knew it was over.

the most excrutiating thing that has ever happened in my life. yet, what I wouldn't give to have that love stare back at me again.

yup...an all time favorite song of mine....makes me smile, makes me cry.

davo499 · June 2005

never really cared for the song
but this thread has given it a completely new meaning for me
now i think i love it

VivaPalestina · July 2005

This also one of my favorite PJ songs and I am so grateful I got to see it live. I love the different interpretations listed here, but I think this song is related to the film "Dead Man Walking." I believe Bruce and Pearl Jam were the only artists on the soundtrack, and id tells the story of Sean Penn's character and the relationship between his character and Susan Sarandon's character.

Mr Pyjama · July 2005

Bu$hleague wrote:

It's "picture a cup in the middle of the sea"; but on a few bootlegs Ed sings "an empty cup in the middle of the sea". I don't think it really changes the meaning that much.

'All these advantages this life's got on me... '

Beautiful.

I know the lyrics are always listed as 'All these advantages...' but i always hear it as 'The only advance..' I'm not sure it works as well lyrically as the 'advantages..' line, but i'm fairly positive Ed sings 'The only advance this life's got on me..' on the recorded version..there's a chance he sings 'advantages' live, but i'm pretty sure he doesn't on the CD version.

Hmmm...pretty irrelevent really, but just wandering if anyone else thinks the lyric is commonly misprinted/misheard?

brain of c · July 2005

i think it's about puppies.

velvet I site · July 2005

i think most of the time the lyrics go

"and i fight back in my mind.. never lets me be right out"

perhaps i am mistaken, but it always seemed like the subject is in a psychological struggle to overcome emotions of lost love through haunting memories of missed chances..

it is interesting how the song's two titles can then be cast into opposing interpretations.. 'I Got ID' as though self-awareness is a valuable substance of being alive.. vs... 'I Got Shit' as having nothing... ID=Shit, to play the part of the mathematician for Once.

i liked the comment at the beginning of the thread about the lyrics being cyclical, seems to be an important part of the song..

...in-tangent with Long Road merkinball probably has to be considered the best 2-track musical release ever...??

..and clearly it's all about puppies!

darthvedder88 · July 2005

Well, I heard "Id" is either a greek or latin word meaning "youth" or something like that. I can't remember the exact meaning, however, I always thought the song was about being young when you're hormones kick in and falling head over heels for some girl that you think is perfect. And the guy gets so far with her (ex. he gets her number, he talks to her, he hangs out with her) but he never gets to date her, so he then falls into depression. Hence he "never held her in real life," he was never with her.

RockinInCanada · July 2005

This does not make much sense...but this is the only song I can be happy and sad at the sametime...dunno why...its covers the entire emotional range for me. Its stunning...I really hope to get to hear it on the upcoming tour.

jeff's_the_man · July 2005

ever since i heard it the line,

"picture a cup in the middle of the sea"

just hit me so deep, it is such great imagery, i ,mean can u imagine anything more alone and isolated??

i think that is what the whole song is based around. it touches on all the aspects of being alone and deals alot with the depression that the character is suffering.

I got id

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