Corduroy?

Derrick

ledbetteroregon wrote:

I will take it to my death bed that its "Changed" and not "chains". it just makes more sense with the whole flow of the song.

it's "chains"..."changed."

Spencer

Derrick wrote:

it's "chains"..."changed."

Yep, most definitely.

marker_in_the_sand

Derrick wrote:

it's "chains"..."changed."

"Everything has chains, absolutely nothing's changed"

that was it, wasn't it?

Spencer

marker_in_the_sand wrote:

"Everything has chains, absolutely nothing's changed"

that was it, wasn't it?

Yes.

Bushleaguer28

marker_in_the_sand wrote:

"Everything has chains, absolutely nothing's changed"

that was it, wasn't it?

I think honestly it can be either - its very difficult to tell on the album versions but there are live versions where he definately says changed and others where he says chains. I personally think the album says "changed" in both. i think the line "everything has changed, absolutely nothings changed has an ironic tone to it and the other way just doesnt really have the same effect in the context of the song IMO. Someone else interpreted it to mean he is the same person, but everything around him has become compltely different and in the context of the song that makes perfect sense.

mak.

Q: Is "Corduroy" also about a relationship?

Ed: It is about a relationship but not between two people. It's more one person's relationship with a million people. In fact, that song's almost a little too obvious for me. That's why instead of a lyric sheet we put in an X-ray of my teeth from last January and they are all in very bad shape, which was analogous to my head at the time.

For the whole interview: http://www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/la112094.shtml

csav

I believe the doctor's name on the x-ray is Dr. Corduroy.

My favorite part of the song is where he mumbles at the very end........

" its your move now....thought you were a friend.....but I guess..I guess I hate you"

The Severed Hand

HELLYEAH!!! Do we love the song as an aggressive opener or a more subdued almost acoustic song?

Rats of Multa

smile05 wrote:

always presumed "take my hand not my picture" was about Beth staying with Eddie

hmmm,.. doubt he'll admit to that, but perhaps,.....

in my view: striving, failure, overcoming, more failure, more striving, more failure, more overcoming, more striving, more failure, more striving, more overcoming,... etc, etc,..... [plus a whole lot of love].

edwf2000

The song is definately about the battle with fame and I will spare the lyrical analysis that we all know points in that direction, because a case can be made either way pretty strongly by looking at the lyrics, in my opinion that is the value of art.

But I think if you look contextually, Vitalogy as an album marks a major directional shift in Pearl Jam via both their music and outlook. The music became less mainstream and their media outlook nosedived, by that I mean they granted far less press access between 95 and 2006 than they did in the early years. I think that is enough evidence outside the clear lyrical interpretations to show that this song is about struggling with fame.

Ok, I lied about the lyric part, the line about taking the varmint's path and then later when he says i dont want to be held in your debt, I'll pay it off in blood, let I be wed. Is clearly about refusing to sell out for the sake of making money or being famous, he would rather play his music in a shithole than comprise his artistic values and I think that shines through real clear in these lines. That is all.