thumbing my way....

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 ..