yellow ledbetter

PiCTuReKePT

a few days ago we were talking about pj songs with some friends and as a chance all we coudn't find out a theme from the yellow ledbetter (as english is not our native language..)can sb help me solve the meaning???the words are really confusing....

Jamal

There aren't really any words to it, as Ed changes the lyrics everytime he sings it.
The sound still stays the same, tho

I do think it's about the despair of a person who wants to leave his troubles behind, but he can't... seeing as to how he says "don't know wether I'm the boxer or the bag" and "I wanna leave it all behind" ...

Anyone else have a go at it ?

MichaelMcKevin

The reason there are no official lyrics to Yellow Ledbetter is because in the studio one day, Mike was playing the guitar part (his tribute to Hendrix's "Little Wing") and Eddie just started mumbling words into the mic. I guess it was recording and that's how the song came about. Also, i guess it is possible that the lyrics do have some meaning because although pretty random, they are related to each other and could have come from something Eddie had written, but didn't remember completely by heart at the time the song was being recorded.

PiCTuReKePT

i thought the both ideas would be possible before...a song occured by improvisation..it may have clues about ed's subconcious:D

i am a poon

GivenToCarve wrote:

The reason there are no official lyrics to Yellow Ledbetter is because in the studio one day, Mike was playing the guitar part (his tribute to Hendrix's "Little Wing") and Eddie just started mumbling words into the mic. I guess it was recording and that's how the song came about. Also, i guess it is possible that the lyrics do have some meaning because although pretty random, they are related to each other and could have come from something Eddie had written, but didn't remember completely by heart at the time the song was being recorded.

right on... i dont think this song means anything, first of all bcuz you have no idea what the fuck hes saying without reading the lyrics, and the fact that he changes them every concert... if they meant anything then i dont think he would change them so liberally... eddies voice is more like an instrument in this song, he just sings in a way that goes along with the guitar, and the end product is an amazing, meaningless song

Jamal

i am a poon wrote:

right on... i dont think this song means anything, first of all bcuz you have no idea what the fuck hes saying without reading the lyrics, and the fact that he changes them every concert... if they meant anything then i dont think he would change them so liberally... eddies voice is more like an instrument in this song, he just sings in a way that goes along with the guitar, and the end product is an amazing, meaningless song

I guess you're right, but somehow, the vibe of the whole song remains the same.
You don't need words to make a point

hey, come to think of it, that's one of the deepest things I've said on the board so far
just blew it by saying it, haven't I

DE Jammer

I've always taken it as someone who wants to get that pit out of their stomach and run away from their problems. Whether it's your brother dying, your bastard father who never calls, the pure disregard of your feelings by other people, etc, etc. Yellow ledbetter I thought would be a pencil that he writes his feelings down with. Maybe I was just wishing that the song would mean something, since it changes all the time. I believe that the guitar solo is and always will be the best- he just makes it sing!

jacquirenee

Jamal wrote:

I guess you're right, but somehow, the vibe of the whole song remains the same.
You don't need words to make a point

hey, come to think of it, that's one of the deepest things I've said on the board so far
just blew it by saying it, haven't I

and therein lies the essence of modernism, my friend. oooh... yellow ledbetter as the postmodern answer to t.s. eliot. i have to think on this.

Lucky One

I'm pretty sure he's hinted that is has something to do with someone dying in the first Gulf War, and that was part of the reason there were never 'published' lyrics, that it was too personal. I think he said something about that live once, but not sure where I read that.

That said, I thought it was just as powerful before I knew that; I find that I totally misinterpret half their songs as things that are relevant to me, so I'm actually grateful they don't put that stuff out there and leave it to our interpretation.

Of course, I might just be crazy, in which case, it's about me...

DarkStar

well...much to the chagrin of some of the pj world, yellow ledbetter does have a particular meaning...eddie has talked a bit about it...the song was indeed written at the time of the first gulf war...and was originally titled Yellow Letter. this was later changed to Yellow Ledbetter in deference to a friend of ed's named tim ledbetter. in the early days of the 10c there was a contest for fans to write in regarding what the meaning of the song was...a lad over at RM won this contest (the prize was a mask of eddie's that he wore on the cover of rolling stone)...this fellow has confirmed that the interpretation he submitted for the song was that it was about losing a loved one to war. on the most simplistic level it's clearly about this. but it is true that there can be other meanings to the song...that being said, my interpretation of the song is that it IS about losing a loved one to war...

i made a video for 10c contest #23...it's my interpretation of YL...you can watch the video here: http://www.archive.org/details/DarkStarFromBataantoBaghdad

here's a thread i started a while back on the video i made:
http://www.theskyiscrape.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17922&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=bataan

ds

erussell

I seem to remember the song was written for Stevie Ray Vaughan (after he died), but don't rember where I read it or heard it

I keep listening to "Marker in the Sand" and can't stop!

Lucky One

Nice video DarkStar. I had the dubious honor of supervising the 'Dignified Transfer' of about 100 of our fallen Soldiers/Sailors/Airmen/Marines at Dover. Nothing like carrying a box with someone's former son/daughter/wife/husband/mother/father in it to give you a quick reality check.

After 13 years of service I am about to hang up the uniform for the last time. I am prohibited by law from saying what I really think of the president, but my current favorite war quote is from "5 People You Meet in Heaven"; 'Young men go to war. Sometimes because they have to, sometimes because they want to. Always, they feel they are supposed to. This comes from the sad, layered stories of life, which over the centuries have seen courage confused with picking up arms, and cowardice confused with laying them down.'

I suppose you can draw your own conclusions...