When will Ed learn his own lyrics?

13

Comments

  • CaterinaCK
    CaterinaCK Posts: 48
    "I wish I was the singer who remembered all the words"
  • Evergreen
    Evergreen Posts: 492
    slightofjeff wrote:
    doompony wrote:
    he's always done it with his own songs... he always has his lyric book if i'm not mistaken. i saw him botch i got shit once with the lyric book infront of him. it was awesome.

    That "lyric book" isn't filled with old lyrics. It's filled with new lyrics he's working on. Occassionally, back in the day, he might improvise some stuff out of there.

    I don't think he has a lyric book with "I Got Shit" in it. For one, it would be almost impossible to follow a lyric book and play guitar at the same time.

    As for the original poster, I wasn't at the show in question, so I don't know. But I've never known him to read off a lyric sheet for his own songs. I'd imagine, if that's what he was doing, it's gone by the time the post-Backspacer tour starts up.

    On a side note, I once saw REM. Michael Stipe used lyric sheets on every song. He had a little stand up there with him, like an orchestra member might use for sheet music. He looked like a conductor.



    It looks like Eddie almost always has sheets IN his notebook, which I am guessing are lyric sheets. From what I can tell, it is not uncommon at all.

    I also go to MANY Black Crowes show, and am usually front and center, and Chris always uses lyric sheets and fucks up lines all the time.

    Been a band for almost 20 years, have hundreds of songs, tour nonstop and rotate your back catalogue...come on, I can see how they would need a refresher.
  • dunkman
    dunkman Posts: 19,646
    slightofjeff wrote:
    On a side note, I once saw REM. Michael Stipe used lyric sheets on every song. He had a little stand up there with him, like an orchestra member might use for sheet music. He looked like a conductor.


    Stipe has said that although he does have those sheets there, he has never ever referred to them... its his comfort blanket... he says them just being there is all he needs.

    I'm pretty sure that was in the REM biography i read last year... would need to double check.
    oh scary... 40000 morbidly obese christians wearing fanny packs invading europe is probably the least scariest thing since I watched an edited version of The Care Bears movie in an extremely brightly lit cinema.
  • bicyclejoe
    bicyclejoe USA Posts: 1,203
    Actually, on-stage lyrics sheets ("cheat sheets") are very common with bands with extensive song catalogs. I took this photo of Bono's lyric man at U2's sold out show at Soldier Field in Chicago on Saturday night.
    Amazing show. Knowing that Bono needed lyrics on standby didn't ruin it one bit for me.

    3926312370_bb60793229.jpg
    My Pearl Jam Road: 10/22/90 Seattle | 12/22/90 Seattle, Moore Theater | 9/29/92 Seattle, Magnusson Park, Drop in the Park | 9/5/93 The Gorge, with Neil Young and Blind Melon | 7/20/06 Portland, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with Sleater-Kinney | 7/22/06 The Gorge, 10/21/06 Mountain View, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Bridge School Benefit | 9/21/09 Seattle | 9/22/09 Seattle | 9/26/09 Portland, OR | 7/14/2011 Eddie Vedder, Portland, OR | 11/29/13 Portland, OR
  • keeponrockin
    keeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    He could be Bono or Springsteen and use a teleprompter...
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • bicyclejoe
    bicyclejoe USA Posts: 1,203
    keeponrockin wrote:
    He could be Bono or Springsteen and use a teleprompter...

    As I posted before the jump, Bono uses a "sheet man"

    From Chicago Saturday night:

    3926312370_bb60793229.jpg
    My Pearl Jam Road: 10/22/90 Seattle | 12/22/90 Seattle, Moore Theater | 9/29/92 Seattle, Magnusson Park, Drop in the Park | 9/5/93 The Gorge, with Neil Young and Blind Melon | 7/20/06 Portland, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with Sleater-Kinney | 7/22/06 The Gorge, 10/21/06 Mountain View, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Bridge School Benefit | 9/21/09 Seattle | 9/22/09 Seattle | 9/26/09 Portland, OR | 7/14/2011 Eddie Vedder, Portland, OR | 11/29/13 Portland, OR
  • Claireack
    Claireack Posts: 13,561
    Does it really matter? The performance is fantastic, if I had to get up on a stage in front of all those people I don't think I'd even remember my name.
    <a href="http://s952.photobucket.com/albums/ae8/catkinson_2009/?action=view&current=domo.jpg&quot; target="_blank"><img src="http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae8/catkinson_2009/domo.jpg&quot; border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
  • bicyclejoe
    bicyclejoe USA Posts: 1,203
    The U2 show was indeed amazing. Didn't bug me one bit.
    My Pearl Jam Road: 10/22/90 Seattle | 12/22/90 Seattle, Moore Theater | 9/29/92 Seattle, Magnusson Park, Drop in the Park | 9/5/93 The Gorge, with Neil Young and Blind Melon | 7/20/06 Portland, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with Sleater-Kinney | 7/22/06 The Gorge, 10/21/06 Mountain View, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Bridge School Benefit | 9/21/09 Seattle | 9/22/09 Seattle | 9/26/09 Portland, OR | 7/14/2011 Eddie Vedder, Portland, OR | 11/29/13 Portland, OR
  • Smellyman
    Smellyman Asia Posts: 4,528
    Things I forget:

    My Pin
    Where I put my glasses
    My PJ forum password
    My work password
    My age (more than I like to admit)
    Every family members birthday
    Bills

    I work in IT and I forget how to fix shit or where things are and that's my profession. Luckily I have resources to look things up. They are kinda like lyric sheets.

    Can't believe this is even a topic.

    I play guitar too. Often i go to play a song I've played a million times and just sit there going "How the fuck does it start"?
  • keeponrockin
    keeponrockin Posts: 7,446
    Smellyman wrote:
    Things I forget:

    My Pin
    Where I put my glasses
    My PJ forum password
    My work password
    My age (more than I like to admit)
    Every family members birthday
    Bills

    I work in IT and I forget how to fix shit or where things are and that's my profession. Luckily I have resources to look things up. They are kinda like lyric sheets.

    Can't believe this is even a topic.

    I play guitar too. Often i go to play a song I've played a million times and just sit there going "How the fuck does it start"?
    +1.. Or I'll be jamming an original with the band (and I don't have NEARLY as many songs as ed) and completly forget the first line of a verse or something.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • Thorns2010
    Thorns2010 Posts: 2,201
    Or how about when he does this??

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlKsUp2twGE

    That was my first show, way up in the nose bleeds, but I knew right away that he started the song wrong, but than he plays it off like he did it on purpose to fuck with us! :lol:
  • Crazy Marcus
    Crazy Marcus Posts: 1,823
    I just did a quick tally. Based on the list of songs on this website, Pearl Jam has 169 original Pearl Jam songs. This does not even take into account the almost same number of cover songs that they perform. When was the last time you remembered all the lyrics to every song you were singing? I don't care how good you are, there isn't a performer out there who has the lyrics to that many songs memorized. :roll:
  • CrazyChihuahua
    CrazyChihuahua Posts: 44
    Thorns2010 wrote:
    Or how about when he does this??

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlKsUp2twGE

    Heh, nice clip.

    Like others have said, he has so many songs to remember, and the setlist is constantly changing every show, so it's understandable to forget or flub some lyrics sometimes. When he does something like that though (in that clip), it's still enjoyable and actually pretty funny. Sure he's a professional musician who's job involves performing, but everyone makes mistakes. He just gets more flak I suppose because he's in the spotlight.

    Speaking of which, it makes me wish I had saved the link to the clip where he messes up the lyrics to Black, and improvises with something along the lines of "And all I taught her was, the wrong words".
  • OGT92
    OGT92 Posts: 1,588
    Jeanwah wrote:
    Isn't that what practice is for? To learn the songs??
    On the solo leg EV screwed up his own songs multiple times and these songs weren't new. Guaranteed was rather difficult for him to remember. In my husband's band, the singer occasionally rips out her lyric notebook, and I find it just so unprepared.

    There are so many songs you can practice or prep for a tour. They play way too many songs on a given tour to practice all of them. And I wouldn't want them to stick to just a handful night after night like some bands...most bands.
    "I read about the evils of drinking, so I gave up reading." - Henry Youngman
  • HIwide
    HIwide Posts: 46
    I don't seem to remember him messing up in any noticeable way when I saw Pearl Jam twice, but I've seen Ed solo four times since then and we're talking stopping the song and starting over kind of messing up. I don't think it's annoying at all -- it usually ends up being pretty funny and memorable, sort of a special thing for that particular audience to see since he usually makes a joke about it. (Also, when I saw him and Boom play the Kokua Festival with Jack Johnson, Jack screwed up the lyrics to I think it was Soon Forget, only to have Eddie screw up on something else and both blaming each other for drinking too much backstage.)
  • SPEEDY MCCREADY
    SPEEDY MCCREADY Posts: 27,074
    MrMerkinball wrote:
    I still truly amazes me that he has the ability to remember as much as he does. It is simply inconceivable that anyone can remember all those lyrics night after night...and then remember them again on the next tour.

    it is truly remarkable.
    Agreed....

    It is remarkable....

    Considering there hasnt been a day in the last 25 years, where I haven't said to myself.....

    "Where the fuck did I put my car keys"????


    For Ed to have ALL THOSE LYRICS stored inside his brain......And to remember 99% of those lyrics on any given night........

    Is fucking incredible......
    Take me piece by piece.....
    Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
  • Paul Andrews
    Paul Andrews Posts: 2,489
    I never forgot a lyric (I'd only ever have to rememebr a dozen per night at the most though), but I'd often hit a bum (or wrong) note on my bass which sounds even worse - so Eddie wins.
    http://longroad.com.au
  • pjamaholic
    pjamaholic Posts: 1,225
    Kinsey wrote:
    A teleprompter is only a matter of time.

    I find Ed flubbing the odd lyric rather endearing. I see teleprompters as kind of like "cheating", Elton John and other artists use these from time to time. At least we all know Ed has his lyric book with him at concerts. Oh the whole he does pretty well with remembering lyrics, it certainly doesn't spoil a show for me he if flubs a few. The guy has over a hundred songs to remember, he does a good job on the whole. I cant see him ever using a teleprompter, I dont think it's his style.
  • kazmo
    kazmo Posts: 99
    CrazyChihuahua wrote:
    Thorns2010 wrote:
    Or how about when he does this??

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlKsUp2twGE

    Heh, nice clip.

    Like others have said, he has so many songs to remember, and the setlist is constantly changing every show, so it's understandable to forget or flub some lyrics sometimes. When he does something like that though (in that clip), it's still enjoyable and actually pretty funny. Sure he's a professional musician who's job involves performing, but everyone makes mistakes. He just gets more flak I suppose because he's in the spotlight.

    Speaking of which, it makes me wish I had saved the link to the clip where he messes up the lyrics to Black, and improvises with something along the lines of "And all I taught her was, the wrong words".

    This one? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi2x28FE ... E5&index=9 :D
  • the wolf
    the wolf Posts: 7,027
    edited September 2009
    I can say I've always had an easy time remembering lyrics to songs my band covers, but our own ? HA !

    sometimes when i'm singing the lyrics that i have written,
    my minds starts racing over the actual event that lead to me writing the lyrics
    which in turn makes me flub a line here and there.

    either way, i think its just part of who Ed is, and i love the guy.

    so Ed, flub away. ;)
    Post edited by the wolf on
    Peace, Love.

    "To question your government is not unpatriotic --
    to not question your government is unpatriotic."
    -- Sen. Chuck Hagel

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