Dream the dreams of other men

weenie · December 2009

shelley123 wrote:

Hey there! I’m only a brand newby to 10C but I’ve been keeping an ear and eye on PJ since the heady early days and I am not usually so swayed into the whole fan club thing. You are all quite a unique and wonderful bunch of people and though I just love to take a quiet seat at the back and listen I had to come down to the field this time!!! This song Unthought Known has dragged me in here not so kicking and screaming but with sheer exhilaration ‘cause I was at the Adelaide concert and this one rang out like a soul anthem that left me with tears of recognition and understanding I just had to come say something here. It struck me at first listen of Backspacer and I was so swept up hearing it live. If you’ll indulge me here’s what I think…

“All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible.”
TE Lawrence "Seven Pillars of Wisdom"

This of course is “Lawrence of Arabia”…men like this with nothing to gain for themselves personally but see their purpose in fighting for the rights of others who can only but dream. Yes it’s a much bigger and grander dream than most of us can imagine but we can all dream the dreams of other men…fight for the one’s who can’t fight for themselves. This is a song to encourage those that “can” do something “should” do something because out of this comes your own reckoning and sometimes just every now and then, legends are born. Of course most of us won’t become legend on this scale but we can become legend in our own lives. We spend so much time thinking and often wallowing in our own pity of what we don’t have, or what we could have been, or what we think we deserve. Now what about “All the thoughts…you never see”!!!! We are all burdened with the capacity for greatness but few of us ever realise our worth and pursue it. The point being…what are you thinking about and are you going to be stuck just thinking, are you going under with all this thinking? Maybe our escape is when thinking turns into action.

Dreams aren’t just for the mind to wander off in fantasy…they are for living with purpose so you don’t have to try and “white knuckle it” every day! Don’t just think…dream…and don’t just dream…dream the dreams of other men…don’t just dream the dreams of other men…dream the dreams of other men with your eyes wide open!! It’s the thoughts that trap us and hold us captive not the living. This is a call to arms folks…arm yourself with love and dreams…”you’ll be no one’s rival”…no one can hold you back or will want to hold you back, no matter how small or large the difference you make will be. It probably won’t be Lawrence of Arabia epic proportions but wherever you are and whatever you are doing, there is a purpose for you and if you can’t find it then open your eyes when you dream! You don’t know what you might start and it may just grow to proportions you could have never imagined…“a path cut by the moon for you to walk on” “feel the sky blanket you with gems and rhinestones” “the waves on distant shores awaiting your arrival”. All this has been done just for you if only you will see yourself, your beauty and your worth, and your purpose in it. You will get more from your life when you consider what the person beside you is going through. Your life will get even bigger and more terrifying but so thrilling and satisfying when you do something that doesn’t benefit you but the one who can ONLY dream. If you can make it a reality for them “what you giving?” becomes a reality for you and not just a lyric in a brilliant song!

Whew….that’s a ramble and a half!! Sorry.... ... Well that’s what I think this song is saying! How do I know this...I was set on my own path out of the "darkness" many years back and its taking time but I am getting there. It's not "Lawrence of Arabia" but its my little purpose in life and it might just might make a difference Here's my mantra...."don't wait for the light at the end of the tunnel...stride down there and light the bloody thing yourself".

Anyway that is what I hear in this song and I feel like I’ve been smacked in the choppers and screamed at "wake up and keep going"! :shock: Someone out there gets it!

What a thrill…hehe…I’ll go back to the seats now but I doubt I’ll ever sit down again. So nice to be here!
Cheers
Shelley

Welcome Shelley! Thanks for sharing with us. Don't be such a stranger....

Sleep.With.Innocence · December 2009

samjam wrote:

That lyric struck me immediately on first listen as well. I think I even repeated it aloud thinking about it! Another gem from Mr. Vedder! The man is a freaking genius.

+1

He's by far the best songwritter of our generation.

Neil Young is good, but you can't find the depth that you find in Eddie Vedder (songs like NAIS and Who You Are really stand out to me, it's amazing to think of the mans genius.)

shelley123 · December 2009

weenie wrote:

Welcome Shelley! Thanks for sharing with us. Don't be such a stranger....

Thanks weenie! And I'll try not to be! Nice to meet you...:thumbup:

theserialthrilla · December 2009

i would like to say to the comments above...this is what this site is about ..you guys/girls may say what you feel a song means to you..some people will dissagree other agree..but you feel for this song and it was put so nicely ..no I THINK ITS THE BEST no,, DO YOU FEEL THE MEANING..

nicely said ..

thanks and i agree

cookies · December 2009

I think this goes back to Gone. This American dream I am disbelieving... Dream the Dreams of other men you will be no one rival. Who ever posted make your own way I feel was right. That has been said since the original track of yellow ledbetter.

Thanks so much for this post reading other peoples view help go down a better path.

anus ankle soup · December 2009

Hey, long time fan, just joined 10 Club! I could read these community posts all night. I have to agree with Big Drop" but not as strongly. To me this song is about the struggles of going it alone sometimes, "breating hard...this is living" and the challenges of being your own person. I think it's saying when you feel like others are against you(sad and sickening) but you press on for something you believe in, and follow your own dreams you will find your rewards (gems and rinestones). In the end, if you go with the massess, and dream the dreams of others, you will have no rivals, but will also miss out on the rewards. There is a cool video someone made on youtube, its under "Pearl Jam unthought known iet evolve" that actually brought a tear to my eye.

dcfaithful · December 2009

DangDang wrote:

Dream the dreams of other men, to me, is like the same as "walk a mile in my shoes"

As in, "Walk in my shoes, dream my dreams, and THEN you will understand me and we will then not be rivals."

That really helped me put that lyric into perspective.

JDB · December 2009

The whole song is about achieving what you want out of life. Nobody can get the things they want without the help of others. Life's not a competition. Everything you want, you can have. If you can see other peoples visions then you can help them achieve their goals. The more people you help, the more people will help you achieve your goals. It's based on the old adage of you will reap what you sew. Hence the question "so what you giving?" at the end of the song. The more you give/help, the more love, happiness, success you will recieve.

redeye · December 2009

nice analogy

emmadog · December 2009

I feel that if you dream someone else's dream you are truly at peace with not only yourself, but now in a higher place to add an energy that will push love forward. When at the point or place in your life and heart that you can put other people first because you are at peace ...this is the most human you can be. Not forgetting your own dream... instead making others dreams your own simply because you feel it is right.

I really like to re-remember who I am and can do this through this forum!~ Thank you!

Frank Castle · October 2010

Always felt that if you steer your dreams too close to someone else than you will never elevate yourself to someone that others would see as a rival. You would simply become a follower not a leader.
The second part, Dream the Dream that others have, you'll be no ones rival further hammers down the fact that you should live to no one else's ideals but your own.

myra · October 2010

DangDang wrote:

Dream the dreams of other men, to me, is like the same as "walk a mile in my shoes"

As in, "Walk in my shoes, dream my dreams, and THEN you will understand me and we will then not be rivals."

You don't have to give up your own dreams, you can dream the dreams of other men also. Just like after you walk that mile, and give back the moccasins, or bowling shoes--whatever, you put your own two shoes back on.

Agreed.
If you can understand what another dreams of and even dream that dream for a while, then you can understand them for real. Then you can't be their rival, because you realize that down the line, we're all the same, and we share the same hopes, aspirations and feelings.

eknuckles · December 2010

I can't quite separate the line from the whole song, so bear with me as I regurgitate what I took from the song...

I get this feeling at the beginning of observing yourself and noticing that you're aware of the negative things you think to yourself. I don't know if that made sense :?... Anyhow he goes on and talks about all these good things, like finding evidence that your worth keeping, but then he mentions being swallowed whole in negatives. I kinda relate this to how sometimes we have this positive attitude and somehow all these negative thoughts just barge and kill this good spirit we got. and throughout the song I just keep getting that feeling like he's referring to that. Our not being confident in ourselves, our doubts and things that keep us from seeing the beauty of the world and all the things to do and all that's out there waiting for us...

And then when I get to that dreams line, I picture a huge race, with everyone dreaming of being first place. And the first time he says you'll be no one's rival, I think about how I'd look at all the racers and think, "I can't even come close to compete with these people..." But then, the second time, It's like, "I can do this, I can be great and no one will be my rival". As in, I'll be able to get that first place.

Overall I just get that motivation vibe. Like, yeah the world is beautiful and there's so much to live and all, and yeah you have those negative thoughts that can blind you and hold you back, but you gotta give it a try and work past them to reach that fulfillment in life.

Well yeah, just my thoughts on the song anyway. It rocks!!!

myra · December 2010

Great first post !

PilateOfTheStorm · December 2010

eknuckles wrote:

I can't quite separate the line from the whole song, so bear with me as I regurgitate what I took from the song...

I get this feeling at the beginning of observing yourself and noticing that you're aware of the negative things you think to yourself. I don't know if that made sense :?... Anyhow he goes on and talks about all these good things, like finding evidence that your worth keeping, but then he mentions being swallowed whole in negatives. I kinda relate this to how sometimes we have this positive attitude and somehow all these negative thoughts just barge and kill this good spirit we got. and throughout the song I just keep getting that feeling like he's referring to that. Our not being confident in ourselves, our doubts and things that keep us from seeing the beauty of the world and all the things to do and all that's out there waiting for us...

And then when I get to that dreams line, I picture a huge race, with everyone dreaming of being first place. And the first time he says you'll be no one's rival, I think about how I'd look at all the racers and think, "I can't even come close to compete with these people..." But then, the second time, It's like, "I can do this, I can be great and no one will be my rival". As in, I'll be able to get that first place.

Overall I just get that motivation vibe. Like, yeah the world is beautiful and there's so much to live and all, and yeah you have those negative thoughts that can blind you and hold you back, but you gotta give it a try and work past them to reach that fulfillment in life.

Well yeah, just my thoughts on the song anyway. It rocks!!!

:wave: welcome !
cool first post, love your interpretation of the song, especially the part about negativeness and how it swallows us up sometimes even if we try and keep a positive attitude

love the song

BhagavadGita · January 2012

It feels like it is saying to put yourself in another's shoes, simply being compassionate maybe.

theoceansmademe · January 2012

Big Drop wrote:

troubled_soul wrote:

Dream the dreams of other men, you'll be no one's RIVAL!

STAND AGAINST THE MASSES! DO NOT BE A LEMMING! DO NOT BE A MINDLESS SHEEP FOLLOWING HIS SHEPARD TO THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE! DREAM YOUR OWN DREAMS! PLAY THE VILLAIN IN THE MINDS OF THE IGNORANT! THIS IS YOUR LIFE.

The thoughts of geniuses have always been criticized by those with minds too narrow to comprehend. Would you dream the dreams of Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, etc., just to fit in?

I know those are extreme examples but understand that this song is not about complacency, it's about standing up and calling bullshit when you see it. The weak are always intimidated by the strong. Don't buy into the weak masses! Be the strong individual!

Dream your dreams! Live your life! Fuck every son of a bitch who says "you can't." Prove them wrong. Be the rival.

Totally agree with you here.

This lyric reminds me of The Giver by Louis Lowry. A novel for upper elementary and middle school students.

Johan the main character is able to dream in color and soon see in color. For everything in this society is set. Your role is selected early in life. Things loose color, feelings, and emotion.

It is a eutopia which he wants no part of. An incredible book and song.

I have stated before but here again, I believe this song was influenced by the children's book Where The Wild Things Are.

BhagavadGita · January 2012

troubled_soul wrote:

Dream the dreams of other men, you'll be no one's RIVAL!

This lyrics has intrigued me more than anything else on the album. I can't stop thinking about it.

On first thought, its goes against the common belief in society about the importance of indivdual dreams and the pursuit of your dreams. So why would you dream the dream of other men? I think he might be saying that if we are able to put ourselves in someone's or a group of people's mindset by dreaming their dreams instead of our own, maybe we can get along. How can you be someone's rival or enemy if you share or at least understand their dreams.

What do you think about this lyric? Am I close?

Absolutely. No doubt in my mind that is we had a machine where we could put a hat on and feel another person's perspective especially "an enemy" there would be so much empathy and regret for how you judged them. If you want for others what they dream of themselves..without knowing it you are spreading selflessness and the idea that to be a full human is to understand each other and to know we all have pain, And knowing that someone believes in you makes the other healed of pain.

I wake up with that lyric in my head sometimes.

big mick · January 2012

Frank Castle wrote:

Always felt that if you steer your dreams too close to someone else than you will never elevate yourself to someone that others would see as a rival. You would simply become a follower not a leader.
The second part, Dream the Dream that others have, you'll be no ones rival further hammers down the fact that you should live to no one else's ideals but your own.

I hear the sound of a nail being banged firmly on the head! Love this!

Jeanwah · January 2012

DangDang wrote:

Dream the dreams of other men, to me, is like the same as "walk a mile in my shoes"

As in, "Walk in my shoes, dream my dreams, and THEN you will understand me and we will then not be rivals."

This is what I think it means: an understanding among one another. I agree that's about love like Weenie mentioned, but more than anything, an understanding between others and ourselves. There are no enemies (or rivals) where there is understanding.

Dream the dreams of other men

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