Tremor Christ

pjrvm

I see many posts about how great this song is, and how excited everyone is when they play it live... I don't get it. I think this is one of the weaker songs in the collection and certainly my least favorite song on Vitalogy (excluding the 4 "fillers")
Just thought I'd put it out there and let all you Tremor Christ lovers yell at me.

Sprunkn7

OK, so I was "happy" to hear Leash live, but I gotta say, I don't think it's that great of a song!! Tremor Christ I like much better.

Julien

pjrvm wrote:

I see many posts about how great this song is, and how excited everyone is when they play it live... I don't get it. I think this is one of the weaker songs in the collection and certainly my least favorite song on Vitalogy (excluding the 4 "fillers")
Just thought I'd put it out there and let all you Tremor Christ lovers yell at me.

First: you don't like Tremor christ
Second: you think there are "fillers" on vitalogy...
Are you a PJ fan ?

DOSW

Tremor Christ is amazing... definitely a very intruiging song. The lyrics have always baffled me, though, but I think I have a general idea of what it's about.

SOLAT41

you probably just need to spend a little time on the song. I remember when i first heard it I thought it was ok but now i think it's one of the best songs on Vitalogy.

DriftingByTheStorm

i agree.
that song is a bloody waste.

Ms. Haiku

Winded is the sailor...drifting by the storm...
Wounded is the organ, he left all...bloodied on the shore...
Gorgeous was his savior, sees her...drowning in his wake...
Daily taste the salt of her tears, but...a chance blamed fate...
Little secrets, tremors...turned to quake...
The smallest oceans still get...big, big waves...

Ransom paid the devil...he whispers pleasing words...
Triumphant are the angels if they can... get there first...
Little secrets, tremors...turned to quake...
The smallest oceans still get...big, big waves...

I'll decide...take the dive...
Take my time...not my life...
Wait for signs...believe in lies...
To get by...it's divine...whoa...
Oh, you know what it's like...

Turns the bow back, tows and...drops the line...
Puts his faith in love and tremor christ...



I have no clue what this song is about. Ideas?

bernt berger

tremor Christ i think is the best song on great cd. The only song thats better is bugs:) i wish they open with bugs next time i see them live.

but on the other side, tomorrow i like satan's bed and on sunday i like some other song so you all see my problem

viva la tremor christ!!!!!

have a nice weekend all

casper leblanc

Winded is the sailor...drifting by the storm...
Wounded is the organ, he left all...bloodied on the shore...
Gorgeous was his savior, sees her...drowning in his wake...
Daily taste the salt of her tears, but...a chance blamed fate...
Little secrets, tremors...turned to quake...
The smallest oceans still get...big, big waves...

My interpretation is about a man who hurt (emotionally, but maybe even murdered, who knows) someone really bad and is now very much confused in his mind about his own actions, a small act with great consequences, as if he is on a stormy ocean getting tossed around.

He hopes the person he as done this too will forgive him, cause in his mind he is constantly reminded of her (let's just make it a her, shall we?).

Ransom paid the devil...he whispers pleasing words...
Triumphant are the angels if they can... get there first...
Little secrets, tremors...turned to quake...
The smallest oceans still get...big, big waves...

Thinks he's paid off the devil with what he has done and hopes the angels will come to his rescue. If they get there in time. Hopes he can settle down those who want revenge and hopes forgiveness will come first.

I'll decide...take the dive...
Take my time...not my life...
Wait for signs...believe in lies...
To get by...it's divine...whoa...
Oh, you know what it's like...

His troubled mind is coming close to explosion, twisting and twirling inside. He wants to take responsability, take action, accept punishment, do it quickly and get it over with. Maybe suicide is a solution, but doesn't have the guts to do that. He's scared and is hoping for some signs. Guilt, doubt. Getting tossed between good and evil.

Turns the bow back, tows and...drops the line...
Puts his faith in love and tremor christ...

He settles down. He resigns himself to his fate, hoping for the good.



I could be completely wrong here though, but that's what I make of it.

Ms. Haiku

Wow, that's really thorough. I never thought of it that way, but I can see it in there. Especially, the part of the protagonist paying the devil so the angels save the person hurt. Aren't there metaphors were people sell their souls to the devil so that others could live without pain? Of course if this protagonist killed someone then the metaphor of paying the devil would be to get what he wants. Now, I'm getting cross-eyed.

casper leblanc

Ms. Haiku wrote:

Wow, that's really thorough. I never thought of it that way, but I can see it in there. Especially, the part of the protagonist paying the devil so the angels save the person hurt. Aren't there metaphors were people sell their souls to the devil so that others could live without pain? Of course if this protagonist killed someone then the metaphor of paying the devil would be to get what he wants. Now, I'm getting cross-eyed.

I meant he was trying to get salvation for himself.

Ms. Haiku

pearlwax wrote:

I meant he was trying to get salvation for himself.

Is there a way to go about this differently? I think Dirty Frank was about a bad person, but when I first read the lyrics I didn't get the vibe it was about a bad person.

Well, maybe it's the chance turned fate that turns him into the bad person. Actually, I think your analysis makes sense.

The waves, the quakes, the tremors are underneath, so christ only shows as a tremor but possible earthquake? Looking at it from your perspective again, this is one evil guy. Holy Cow! I never thought this song was about this. The music kindof fools me. HMMMMMMMMMMMM It's all because a chance turned fate, though, eh?

It reminds me a little of Life of Pi where shipwrecked stragglers turned to cannibals on each other.

casper leblanc

I never thought of Dirty Frank in that way. That to me is a tongue-in-cheeck song. Funny even.

As for Tremor Christ: I ouldn't even say he is an evil guy. Just someone who made a small mistake, or did one small bad deed with great consequences. And now he's going manic over and because of it.

But don't take this to heart, it's just one view of one person.

DOSW

Pearlwax, I like your interpretation. Mine is very similar, but I don't get the vibe that the protagonist killed someone... it seems more to me like a loved one was taken from him (murder). Interesting viewpoint.

luxpjamer

I once read that tremor christ (a great song!!!!!!!) is ed's point of view for religion. I think that it is about the dependance of a thought, of the believe. And if you believe you have to live by the way they decide, you're not free. And that's the prize of the illusion.
But as the most pj songs everybody can find is own personal interpretation

loveboatcaptain_blak

first of all...tremor christ got me into pj and is still my favorite song(and ringtone). second of all its about hearing stupid rumors that your girl is cheating(little secrets tremor) then finding out its true(turn to quakes). then wanting to kill yourself over it(rasom paid the devil...he wispers pleasing words....triumphant are the angels if they can...get there first) then ( take my time not my life wait for signs)...obviously he decides not to kill himself. theres more to it but i don't feel like explaining it when im drunk and its pretty easy to figure out if you listen to the lyrics.

basically what im trying to say is BEST SONG EVER!

Ando

its amazing how some peoples least favorite song are others favorite. im stoned but its still crazy.

kenny olav

I don't get it 100% either but that's partly why I love the song.

casper leblanc

luxpjamer wrote:

I once read that tremor christ (a great song!!!!!!!) is ed's point of view for religion. I think that it is about the dependance of a thought, of the believe. And if you believe you have to live by the way they decide, you're not free. And that's the prize of the illusion.
But as the most pj songs everybody can find is own personal interpretation

That would make that song even cooler. Makes sense anyway.

Ms. Haiku

I don't get the religion or the gf cheating thing. I think my intepretations are closer to Pearlwax/DOSW's interpretations especially since they made me think of them .

I think Eddie would have given up on his writing skills if he wrote songs that speak as any one person believing all rules about a religion. Where's the free will in that? I hope he hasn't written songs like that. I would think himself more complicated, and I would hope he would give others the respect, and think of them as complex, also. That we all at some time question any authority, we just may not show it at all times - it's like the feeling in Betterman but applied in different ways.

Of course, I generalize sometimes, also, so who am I to talk, eh?

Arainea

loveboatcaptain_blak wrote:

its about hearing stupid rumors that your girl is cheating(little secrets tremor) then finding out its true(turn to quakes). then wanting to kill yourself over it(rasom paid the devil...he wispers pleasing words....triumphant are the angels if they can...get there first) then ( take my time not my life wait for signs)...obviously he decides not to kill himself. theres more to it but i don't feel like explaining it when im drunk and its pretty easy to figure out if you listen to the lyrics.

quote]

You seem very certain about this interpretation. Did you hear an interview with Ed where he said this? Just curious. I never thought of the song this way at all. I always thought of the middle part as being about temptation.

gvn2fly12

Love it wish i couod hear it again live, seen it once in NZ and it rocked!!!

Androgynous Mind

pjrvm wrote:

I see many posts about how great this song is, and how excited everyone is when they play it live... I don't get it. I think this is one of the weaker songs in the collection and certainly my least favorite song on Vitalogy (excluding the 4 "fillers")
Just thought I'd put it out there and let all you Tremor Christ lovers yell at me.

I am not a real fan of Tremor Christ either. But I dont see the four fillers...Stupid Mop maybe, where are the rest?

threecrookedhearts6

i love the ferocity in ed's voice during the bridge of this song...gives me chills!
with all the different interpretations i dont know what this song is really about but ...im drunk what do i know?

~~~i love this song~~

ezekiels_oblivion

I like pearlwax's interpretation...it really makes sense. I adore Tremor Christ, it's my favourite song (next to Immortality, of course) on Vitalogy.