Thumbing My Way

obiwon76

I have not been home since you left long ago
I'm thumbing my way back to heaven

Counting steps,.. walking backwards on the road
I'm counting my way back to heaven

I can't be free with what's locked inside of me...
If there was a key, you took it in your hands.
There's no wrong or right,... but I'm sure there's good and bad
The questions linger overhead

No matter how cold the winter, there's a springtime ahead
I'm thumbing my way back to heaven
I wish that I could hold you... wish that I had
Thinking 'bout heaven

I let go of a rope,... thinking that's what held me back
And in time I've realized,... it's now wrapped around my neck
I can't see what's next,... from this lonely overpass
Hang my head and count my steps, as another car goes past

All the rusted sign we ignore throughout our lives
Choosing the shiny ones instead
I turned my back,... now there's no turning back

No matter how cold the winter,.. there's a springtime ahead
I smile, but who am I kidding?
I'm just walking the miles,.. every once in a while I'll get a ride
I'm thumbing my way back to heaven

Thumbing my way back to heaven
I'm thumbing my way back to heaven...


Listen to the version from Paris 06, gave me chills. Such a beautiful song, I prefer it over Off He Goes. What does it mean? If you consider the fact that the song was written around 2000 or 2001 shortly after Ed's divorce, the lyrics shine some light to that subject.

I have not been home since you left long ago
I'm thumbing my way back to heaven

* One of my hardest relationship breakups occured when I was living with someone and the hardest thing was going home, going back to the place that I shared with that person during our time together. Many times, I just wanted to avoid it, move. I have not been home since you left.....

I can't be free with what's locked inside of me...
If there was a key, you took it in your hands.

* We shared so much together, you were my glue. Now that you are gone, I'm broken again. You were the key that held me together, and when you left, you took it with you.

All the rusted sign we ignore throughout our lives
Choosing the shiny ones instead

* Did I take you for granted during our time together? Before you left, there were signs that you were trying to give to me about your unhappiness, but I ignored them.

My 2 cents.

Ms. Haiku

My first impression for any songs off of Riot Act is that many are for the dead including Thumbing My Way. I think of my grandpa when I hear it, and he died before I was born. I mean look at the cover, if that doesn't scream Day of the Dead, I don't know what does. Actually, I thought the lyric had the word, "Dad" in it. Where did it go? I think in the lyrics with the CD the word "Dad" is included.

Now, there was a theory around somewhere that the song was a eulogy for a friend.

i am mine, you are

Hearing this song in Paris 06 was an amazing thing to do. I've never been so touched in my whole life. it was incredible!
This song has, since I first heard it, been one of the best songs I have ever, ever, ever heard! so beautiful!



I don't understands how it's possible to write such a beautiful song and perform it so well!
I'm speechless!

LauraPJ

One of my fav song... I LOVE IT! Paris '06 is great, the Benaroya one is beatiful as well, so smoothig. Much love for this awesome song

obiwon76

I heard the version from Paris, it has to be the best version I've ever heard. The true beauty of a great song is when you listen to it, and after it's over, you have no idea how long it was, you just get lost in the song itself, the lyrics. Is there a better line in songwriting history than:

"I can't be free from what's locked inside of me".....

Blue11

I love this song...makes me think of times in the past when peoplewho meant a lot tome left....makes me feel powerless, then and now, yet hopeful that there could be better times ahead,after the pain ceases....

I've heard it live a few times...awesome song

upina2001

Best version of THUMBING...anyone know???

Cleveland 06. No shit. (and no, I wasnt there)

HeWhoForgets78

upina2001 wrote:

Best version of THUMBING...anyone know???

Cleveland 06. No shit. (and no, I wasnt there)

Beautifull song, I really started to aprecieated when I heard the version from Benaroya, but both (Cleveland and Paris) are just great.

Too bad they don´t play it too often.

no matter how cold the winter, there is a springtime ahead.

Cheers

lucylespian

I love the line about rusted signs, being a bit of a rusted sign myself.
I was lucky enough to hear this in Brisbane in 2003, so it's on the bootleg of "my" concert, so I listen to it all the time.
Amazing song !!
To me, it is a song about a man who has lost a lot, lonely and bereft, heading back to memory of a better time in the past, maybe even heading to that place.
But it is so beautiful, it is enriching , even though it is quite a sad song.

obiwon76

I spent about 3 months last year trying to learn this song. Finally after getting the music down, I got the courage to try to sing the lyrics. It was one of the most emotional moments in my life, so just imagine how Ed must feel playing it in front of 20,000 people. I was in a quiet room with the lights turned off, but it was very powerful. The words, the music, combined. One of my fav PJ songs of all-time.

obiwon76

Everytime I listen to this song, I think of someone who I knew when I was younger and how our lives became distant after graduation. Those moments we tend to neglect, seeing someone everyday, sharing laughs and all of a sudden one day, you never see them again. "Thumbing My Way" back to those days I remember.

vesna

I heard it live in Zagreb, right after thin air. It got rather emotional for me in that moment the way I did not expect. It was coming back home, picking pieces of me lost along the road. Thinking of people that were not here anymore and accepting the fact that I miss them still.

sebaarg88

No matter how cold the winter, there's a springtime ahead


My fav line ever

obiwon76

This is the type of a song where I will purchase an entire show just for this song.

3inputchick

This is the only song that can bring me to tears every single time I hear it!

smarchee

Yeah, this is definitly one of my favourite Pearl Jam songs. Instantly, I recognized those 2 lyrics that I love in this song, those being

1) No matter how cold the winter, there's a springtime ahead

and

2) All the rusted sign we ignore throughout our lives, choosing the shiny ones instead

Just love those lines. Great song. Haven't seen it done live yet, maybe one day though

Horos

Awesome song great lyrics!!!

This is the type of song that anyone can relate to some life experience one way or another.

LOVE IT !!!!!!!!!

obiwon76

Imagine if they played this at Storytellers? I was watching the repeat this weekend and it has the same tone as "Gone", but I would of loved to hear what Ed's comments are about this. Is it about his own life, Beth? Would of been nice.

deadnote

i love this song , kind of wrote a piece on guitar that sounds similiar
i still haven't bought the album riot act but i have heard this great tune

Beatriz

This song it´s so beautiful... powerfull lyrics that almoust everyone can relate to.

No matter how cold the winter ther's a springtime ahead - i hope so.

obiwon76

deadnote wrote:

i love this song , kind of wrote a piece on guitar that sounds similiar
i still haven't bought the album riot act but i have heard this great tune

You don't own Riot Act????? This is most shocking thing I've heard. Please drop everything you are doing, and run out and get it.

Red Ledbetter

I hear this song every single day. It's so amazing. So well written, with so many amazing visions.

Absolutely of Pearl Jam's 5 best songs ever.

obiwon76

Not sure if this has ever been done before at a PJ show, but imagine if this happened during an encore:


Man Of The Hour, Thumbing My Way, Off He Goes, Gone....

There is some connection with these songs, can't put my finger on it...

ShE.dREAmS.in.CoLOr

obiwon76 wrote:

This is the type of a song where I will purchase an entire show just for this song.

yep! i feel the same way. i use to listen to this song a lot when a former boyfriend and i broke (how cliche of me, haha) and that line where he says:

"I can't be free with what's locked inside of me...
If there was a key, you took it in your hands."

fit exactly what i was feeling at the time. made me cry everytime i heard it. i was like "yeah that's exactly how I feel too!" like someone totally understood me. haha. ahhh i love this song!!

obiwon76

I think anyone who likes this song probably has gone through a break-up or have a loved one leave, or you left a loved one. It's the only way that I can relate to the lyrics, I put myself into the picture of the character that is being described in the song. It hits home.

comebackwoman

This song makes my heart ache a little. It's beautiful. My favorite lines:

"All the rusted sign we ignore throughout our lives
Choosing the shiny ones instead"

obiwon76

Ed played a solo version at the first Adelaide show, I didn't realize how beautiful it was solo until hearing that version.

bharQ

Calgary '05 best version

Androgynous Mind

It is amazing how many songs on this album have amazing lyrics.

It is one of the many. I like it alot.

Austicman

"there's no wrong or right.......But I'm sure there's good and bad"

It's a way to look at life and get some bearings on the world. It's so much easier to decide whether something's good or bad rather than right or wrong.

Love taking the rusty signs and gravel roads whenever I'm off camping, daytripping. It's the only way to go.

Ms. Haiku

This song belongs in the Porch forum. Such sad news from so many people recently. Of course in AET there's engagements, pregnancies, and weddings. Is that what Thumbing My Way is all about? After all this loss to appreciate the milestones of life however someone chooses his/her milestones? Somehow as I write it, though, the sentiment seems cliche. Eddie did a good job.

People so young are dying. Even though I don't want to die, and I'm sure they didn't either, it just doesn't seem fair that the young die before the old. I would like to ask my one living grandparent her thoughts on this, but I only talk to her every 5 years, and it's usually at her birthday party. Not a time to talk how the young die, eh?

Again, this song makes me think of my grandpa, too. Hey grandpa, what are you up to? You have a celestial cake you want to share with me?