is GTF about jesus christ?

pjfan31 · January 2008

Maybe muhammad and buddah too,? Hey wasnt that a line in a song?

boxwine_in_hell · January 2008

suns rival wrote:

But first he was stripped and then he was stabbed
By faceless men, well, fuckers
He still stands

And he still gives his love, he just gives it away
The love he receives is the love that is saved
And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky
A human being that was given to fly

High.. flying
Oh, oh
High.. flying
Oh, oh
He's flying
Oh, oh

A couple of problems with this interpretation. The Romans weren't "faceless" when they nailed JC up and he wasn't still standing....more like just hanging around......oh crap here come the thunderbolt.

willtupper · January 2008

Dear The Porch,

If any of you would like to make a million dollars, here is a free idea:

JESUS WAS A SURFER

You could put it on t-shirts, surfboards, coffee mugs, pretty much anything. Maybe with a nice drawing of his bearded funkiness riding some big waves or something (or if you want to be really gross, put a crucified Jesus on a surfboard... maybe not in agony, but just all blissed out and happy, riding the big waves).

JESUS WAS A SURFER

You're welcome.

Love,

The little voice in my head that makes me post stuff like this.

vedderfan10 · January 2008

NewJPage wrote:

yeah, i can see that...but there is something about breaking free in the song...maybe surfing as an engine for release, or whatnot...

It's an awesome feeling, that's for sure! The song totally captures the feeling of waiting for the right wave, the thrill of catching a wave, and the "afterglow" you feel after the thrill. Simply exhillarating! I think breaking free is correct because it's so liberating being in the ocean, and man, you just want to tell everyone about your experience and how much you love communing with nature in that dramatic, yet calming, way....That's the key that unlocks the chains we see everywhere...

boxwine_in_hell · January 2008

willtupper wrote:

Dear The Porch,

If any of you would like to make a million dollars, here is a free idea:

JESUS WAS A SURFER

You could put it on t-shirts, surfboards, coffee mugs, pretty much anything. Maybe with a nice drawing of his bearded funkiness riding some big waves or something (or if you want to be really gross, put a crucified Jesus on a surfboard... maybe not in agony, but just all blissed out and happy, riding the big waves).

JESUS WAS A SURFER

You're welcome.

Love,

The little voice in my head that makes me post stuff like this.

This cracked me up. One suggestion though. I think Jesus should be riding a cross instead of a surfboard.

Stone Irons · January 2008

This is what Ed said about Given to Fly:

"[I imagined the song as] a 20-page cardboard (children's) book with a line on each page and a picture to go with it. It's a fable, that's all. The music almost gives you this feeling of flight, and I really love singing the part at the end, which is all about rising above anybody's comments about what you do and still giving your love away. You know? Not becoming bitter and reclusive, not condemning the whole world because of the actions of a few."

Source: http://pearljamhistory.no.sapo.pt/PJArticles_Interviews_02-08-98_-_philadelphia_inquirer.htm

brainofPJ · January 2008

NewJPage wrote:

enlightenment, drug use, breaking free of the shackles of who knows what. etc. i don't know exactly what the song is about, but its not about Jesus. If you, or anyone, wants to see it that way and use it for inspiration or whatever, no big deal...that's what music is for, but I have seen Christians refer to a huge variety of songs being about Jesus, and I just don't see ed writing songs about something he doesn't believe in. spirituality, yes...Jesus, no.

i would never have come up this interpretation myself.

i found it interesting when i first read ones interpretation on theskyiscrape.

personally, each Pearl Jam song is about whatever i want it to be about

halszka123 · January 2008

suns rival wrote:

But first he was stripped and then he was stabbed
By faceless men, well, fuckers
He still stands

And he still gives his love, he just gives it away
The love he receives is the love that is saved
And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky
A human being that was given to fly

High.. flying
Oh, oh
High.. flying
Oh, oh
He's flying
Oh, oh

U know, a ew days ago i wanted to ask U about the same... I'm almost sure it's about Jesus. Anyway - i wish it was

halszka123 · January 2008

NewJPage wrote:

correct. not about Jesus. i would suggest reading some of his views on christianity, but i think your head would explode. i guess listening to marker in the sand would be easier...

Well... it's strange for me, how U interpret "Marker in the sand" - there's nothing wrong about christianity, only about people who cover their greed by religion.

Anyway, as i wrote before, it could be (GTF) really good song about Jesus. Who knows... maybe He was a surfer - when He walked on the water, but people in that time didn't know how to call it?

Drowned Out · January 2008

I've always thought it referenced a lot of the life of Timothy Leary. I wish I could find the breakdown I did a couple years back when this came up....

..."coulda tuned in, tuned in, but he tuned out" is pretty much a direct reference....

Also Leary had some of his remains (head? can't remember) jettisoned into space after his death, so that could reference the strange spot in the sky....and we all know Timothy Leary loved to "fly"....there's more, but I don't have time to get type it all out right now.

Kilgore_Trout · January 2008

"they keep telling me that jesus walked on water... well he shouldve surfed"
-ben harper

ive considered it may be about jesus before eventho i, like ed, am not a real religious person... anyone who has taken a HS english class knows many great storytellers like to work the christ-like figure in there... the bibles a powerful story... and eds a powerful story teller... i wouldnt completely negate the theory

Carlos D · January 2008

I don't care what Ed wrote it about,to me it's about Jesus and that's why it'll always be so powerful. Pearl Jam's best songs are the vague ones. I find it funny how easily offended some people are at the thought of Ed writing a song about Jesus.

Strangest Tribe · January 2008

back in the day everyone smoked. Jesus was a smoker. He was with a Pilot so he could be seen flying a whole bunch.

SBC03 · January 2008

Eddie Better wrote:

given to fly is about a super surfer! "arms wide open, with the sea as his floor"....

he did walk on water and on some crucifix his arms are wide open

"Jesus flew? He's a strange spot in the sky?"

When he died and ascended into heaven.

NewJPage · January 2008

walkthamile wrote:

Only Eddie Vedder knows what this song is about, and only Eddie Vedder can tell us what Eddie Vedder believes in an does not believe in.

i know, and he has said it many times, and that's why i don't think the song is about Jesus.

walkthamile · January 2008

NewJPage wrote:

i know, and he has said it many times, and that's why i don't think the song is about Jesus.

Well if he has, I can't say that I have heard it.

satansbedbugs · January 2008

brainofPJ wrote:

what's it about?

In the 2000 san francisco boot, ed says something about a man on a beach who smoked something about " yay " long and fell asleep on the beach and woke up with wings, its called GTF

Alessiana · January 2008

I do not think Given To Fly is about a surfer. I believe Ed uses surfing images as metaphors to evoke concepts related to those images/messages. It's easy to say a song is simple and linear but I don't see this song that way.

Given To Fly is about finding your place. It is about perseverance, about your spirit soaring and you, a human being, using that energy to benefit others, no matter how much you get shit on or slapped up.

Jesus may be in here, but as a metaphor. This is what people are picking up on. Much like people pick up on the surfer, one can pick up on the self sacrifice of the protagonist as being much like Jesus.

One question it could raise is: What would Jesus do after taking a toke, surfing and facing challenges in this age? What should Eddie do? What should YOU do?

This is one of my favorite songs in their catalog. The message is powerful and matches the music. I love this song.

.

GotMyLeash · January 2008

Hope not.

boxwine_in_hell · January 2008

Carlos D wrote:

I don't care what Ed wrote it about,to me it's about Jesus and that's why it'll always be so powerful. Pearl Jam's best songs are the vague ones. I find it funny how easily offended some people are at the thought of Ed writing a song about Jesus.

Dude, you can think the song is about Jesus all you want, but it's not.

is GTF about jesus christ?

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