thumbing my way....

locked

"I turned my back,
now there's no turning back"..

Classic Springsteen-style play on words...

Love this song live!

PJSEMPRE

dunkman wrote:

i'm absolutely positive this song was written about a gay hairdresser who died... is that right?

Yes, you are right.
I don't know the name of the Message Pit member who posted it (sorry), but I saved it on my computer because it's a touching story and a beautiful song.

I don't think Eddie Vedder has ever done an interview about his song Thumbing My Way, but me and my family have a very personal song and I have knowledge on how the first draft of it originated. My aunt through Marriage had a brother die of Aids in early 2002, and this brother happened to be Eddie Vedder's personal hairdresser and an aspiring musician in the Seattle Scene. His name was Troy Bethel and evidently got to be pretty good friends with Eddie Vedder. Eddie Vedder wrote the early version of this song to play at Troy's funeral service and I have a copy of the original lyrics to this song framed. The song deals a lot with Troy's background as a gay man shunned by parts of his family, and I think this background knowledge can really shed some light on this song. At the service my Aunt ended up sitting next to Eddie Vedder, and she says Eddie was about the nicest and most compassionate guy one could ever meet, and really helped her through the whole ordeal and talked to her for a while after the service. Here's a copy of the original lyrics I have on my framed copy, I thought this might interest the hardcore Pearl Jam fans out there like me:
There is not title, but in the top right hand corner it says For Troy.

I have not been home since you left days ago
Thumbing my way back to heaven
Counting steps walking backwards on the road
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 hand
There's no wrong or right, but I'm sure there's good and bad
The answers linger overhead

No matter how cold there's a springtime ahead
Thumbing my way back to heaven
I wish i could hold you, wish that I had
thinking about heaven

You hold on to a rope, but it never held you back
holding on for one more song with your arms around his neck

we cant see whats next from this lonely overpass
still used to sound of you walking up the steps
it's my turn to grasp all the memories of the past
know that I loved ya completely

All the rusted sign giving us hope throughout our lives
I never liked the shiny ones myself

No matter how cold the winter there's a springtime ahead
I smile but who am I kidding?
I'm just walking the miles, sometimes get a ride
thumbing my way back to heaven
february 2002
It's interesting to see how his thought process evolved from this original to version we hear on Riot Act. He clearly was forced to write this version rather quickly to get ready for the service, but his poetic skills are simply amazing. My personal (well in a way) knowledge of Eddie and this band just make it that much easier to be fan of this great man and this great band.
RIP Troy
Thank you Eddie

youngster

definately my favorite song off of Riot Act, if not the whole PJ catalog.

CitizenRick

PJSEMPRE wrote:

Yes, you are right.
I don't know the name of the Message Pit member who posted it (sorry), but I saved it on my computer because it's a touching story and a beautiful song.

I don't think Eddie Vedder has ever done an interview about his song Thumbing My Way, but me and my family have a very personal song and I have knowledge on how the first draft of it originated. My aunt through Marriage had a brother die of Aids in early 2002, and this brother happened to be Eddie Vedder's personal hairdresser and an aspiring musician in the Seattle Scene. His name was Troy Bethel and evidently got to be pretty good friends with Eddie Vedder. Eddie Vedder wrote the early version of this song to play at Troy's funeral service and I have a copy of the original lyrics to this song framed. The song deals a lot with Troy's background as a gay man shunned by parts of his family, and I think this background knowledge can really shed some light on this song. At the service my Aunt ended up sitting next to Eddie Vedder, and she says Eddie was about the nicest and most compassionate guy one could ever meet, and really helped her through the whole ordeal and talked to her for a while after the service. Here's a copy of the original lyrics I have on my framed copy, I thought this might interest the hardcore Pearl Jam fans out there like me:
There is not title, but in the top right hand corner it says For Troy.

I have not been home since you left days ago
Thumbing my way back to heaven
Counting steps walking backwards on the road
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 hand
There's no wrong or right, but I'm sure there's good and bad
The answers linger overhead

No matter how cold there's a springtime ahead
Thumbing my way back to heaven
I wish i could hold you, wish that I had
thinking about heaven

You hold on to a rope, but it never held you back
holding on for one more song with your arms around his neck

we cant see whats next from this lonely overpass
still used to sound of you walking up the steps
it's my turn to grasp all the memories of the past
know that I loved ya completely

All the rusted sign giving us hope throughout our lives
I never liked the shiny ones myself

No matter how cold the winter there's a springtime ahead
I smile but who am I kidding?
I'm just walking the miles, sometimes get a ride
thumbing my way back to heaven
february 2002
It's interesting to see how his thought process evolved from this original to version we hear on Riot Act. He clearly was forced to write this version rather quickly to get ready for the service, but his poetic skills are simply amazing. My personal (well in a way) knowledge of Eddie and this band just make it that much easier to be fan of this great man and this great band.
RIP Troy
Thank you Eddie

Wow! Thanks for sharing. A true poet indeed!

ledvedderman

Cleveland 2006 has the best version of this song I have ever heard.

angelm20

WOW! How cool is that story! Thank you so much for sharing that with with us.
Ed is mind blowing. He is a true artist. What he does with his lyrics and music is just magic. So deeeeep...so pure....so beautiful....
"It takes a Village" and Ed is the ace in the hole....

DangDang

More Misheard Lyrics--Thumbing my Way

---

This misheard lyric ain't funny. But there is a story.

From "Thumbing my Way", I first heard, "all the rusted sides, hanging throughout our lives....choosing the shiny ones insteaaaad".

(I thought sides as in side roads.)

Then 4 days later I thought, "Why the ___ would a "side" be hanging? OH! It must be rusted signs, yeah that makes more sense!"

When I read the lyrics (11 days after that) it's "all the rusted signs WE IGNORE throughout our lives....". (Note that nothing is hanging at all)

I think it's IRONic (does iron rust?) that a MISHEARD lyric fixed a different misheard lyric.

When I listen to the song now on a live version, I can still hear "hanging".

GASP--Isn't one of the lines about a rope around his neck? (by the way, there is no GASP emoticon)

Doo do do do Doo do do do (Twilight Zone music).

(P.S. I was also thinking (back at the 11 day mark) "Why the ____would a ROAD be around his neck anyway?")

ONE MORE GASP--Wouldn't a hanging be a real quick way to "hitchhike back to heaven????"

More Doo do do do

I just got this from Google for "hitch definition":

weaver's hitch - a hitch used for temporarily tying a rope to the middle of another rope (or to an eye)
becket bend, sheet bend, weaver's knot
hitch - a knot that can be undone by pulling against the strain that holds it; a temporary knot

OK,.....I am OUT OF HERE!

Maybe this should one should be posted in the "IS EDDIE GOD?" strand.

DangDang

Many a song has given me the chills. But when I first heard this line I flat out SOL. (sobbed out loud). Now THAT was a first (for a song to have that power). The line didn't even have any specific implication in my life. Although perhaps it really has an implication in everyone's life. I even misheard the lyrics and it still affected me that much, HA!:

"All The Rusted Signs, we ignore throughout our lives. Choosing the shiny ones insteaaad"

gozzo5058

this is one of my favorite PJ tunes...

PJSerf

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

This lyric provides so much hope...

Definitely a great song, and in my top #5 at the moment.

Thoughts_Arrive

One of my favourite tracks on Riot Act.
PJ always deliver a class acoustic song!

elderman

Riot Act has two of the very very best and most underrated PJ songs..TMY and All or None.

rustinpeace21

ledvedderman wrote:

Cleveland 2006 has the best version of this song I have ever heard.

omg your not lieing! does anyone have an mp3 of this?

LiteTheMatch

http://www.pearljambootlegs.org/modules/jinzora2/index.php?jz_path=2006%2F2006-05-20+Quicken+Loans+Arena%2C+Cleveland%2C+OH%2C+USA&ext.html

Thoughts_Arrive

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


My favourite lyric in this song.

lukinvedder

PJSEMPRE wrote:

Yes, you are right.
I don't know the name of the Message Pit member who posted it (sorry), but I saved it on my computer because it's a touching story and a beautiful song.

I don't think Eddie Vedder has ever done an interview about his song Thumbing My Way, but me and my family have a very personal song and I have knowledge on how the first draft of it originated. My aunt through Marriage had a brother die of Aids in early 2002, and this brother happened to be Eddie Vedder's personal hairdresser and an aspiring musician in the Seattle Scene. His name was Troy Bethel and evidently got to be pretty good friends with Eddie Vedder. Eddie Vedder wrote the early version of this song to play at Troy's funeral service and I have a copy of the original lyrics to this song framed. The song deals a lot with Troy's background as a gay man shunned by parts of his family, and I think this background knowledge can really shed some light on this song. At the service my Aunt ended up sitting next to Eddie Vedder, and she says Eddie was about the nicest and most compassionate guy one could ever meet, and really helped her through the whole ordeal and talked to her for a while after the service. Here's a copy of the original lyrics I have on my framed copy, I thought this might interest the hardcore Pearl Jam fans out there like me:
There is not title, but in the top right hand corner it says For Troy.

I have not been home since you left days ago
Thumbing my way back to heaven
Counting steps walking backwards on the road
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 hand
There's no wrong or right, but I'm sure there's good and bad
The answers linger overhead

No matter how cold there's a springtime ahead
Thumbing my way back to heaven
I wish i could hold you, wish that I had
thinking about heaven

You hold on to a rope, but it never held you back
holding on for one more song with your arms around his neck

we cant see whats next from this lonely overpass
still used to sound of you walking up the steps
it's my turn to grasp all the memories of the past
know that I loved ya completely

All the rusted sign giving us hope throughout our lives
I never liked the shiny ones myself

No matter how cold the winter there's a springtime ahead
I smile but who am I kidding?
I'm just walking the miles, sometimes get a ride
thumbing my way back to heaven
february 2002
It's interesting to see how his thought process evolved from this original to version we hear on Riot Act. He clearly was forced to write this version rather quickly to get ready for the service, but his poetic skills are simply amazing. My personal (well in a way) knowledge of Eddie and this band just make it that much easier to be fan of this great man and this great band.
RIP Troy
Thank you Eddie

THAT IS SUCH A COOL STORY that has made my day. eddie is the man

pearljamgirl07

Not my fav but I like it a lot.....:)

Brisk.

what themes and messages do people get from this one?

alphawolf

i really like this song. it has a very deep emotional meaning for me. i do ALOT of cross country travel, alone, and this song embodies the loneliness of traveling on the road with only my thoughts and memories...wether traveling east or west, north or south, spring or fall...this song has, and will always hold a special place in my life...

josevolution

i would also listen to the NEWCASTLE 06 version that might be the best ever ..