I hear what your saying saying. The song is an enigma. The first time I heard it I immediately thought of Bon Jovi and was not that impressed. My initial response was "cheese". Mind you I was a teenager in the 80's and saw Bon Jovi several times and they were the biggest band in the world during that time. But after listening to the lyrics, especially "It's a fragile thing, this life we lead. If I think to much I can get overwhelmed by the grace. By which we live our lives with death over our shoulders", I realized this song was far much deeper than a 1980 power ballad. Then I watched Steven Gleason's reaction to the song (he must be extremely impressed by the song as he chose it as the opener for the New Orleans show and correct me if I am wrong but it's been the only other non Pendulum opener except for Long Road) and I loved the song even more. I was at first perplexed on how a song with such powerful lyrics could have such a strange and "cheesy" arrangement then I realized Obrien's method to his madness. With this song they can hook two types of people. The massed who enjoy the song for the poppy ballad but also the people who get swept up in the powerful lyrics like me and Gleason. That being said, yeah I love the song.
Springfield 4/6/94, Boston 4/6/94, Hartford 10/2/96, New York 9/11/98, Hartford 9/13/98, Mansfield 8/30/00, Boston 9/28/04, Reading 10/1/04, Quebec City 9/20/05, Boston 5/24/06, Hartford 5/13/06, New York 6/25/08, Hartford 6/27/08 Philadelphia 10/31/09, Hartford 10/15/10, Boston 10/17/10, East Troy 9/3/11, East Troy 9/4/11, Missoula 9/30/12, Worcester 10/15/13, Hartford 10/25/13, Charlottesville 10/29/13, St. Paul 10/19/14, New York 9/26/15, Quebec City 5/5/16, Boston 8/5/16, Boston 9/2/18, Boston 9/4/18, Quebec City 9/1/22, Camden 9/14/22, Oklahoma City 9/20/22
..Eds lyrics in the verse are powerful/moving/meaningful
.....but those damn sirens......"hear the sirens"......ouch.
I think the opening lines introduce the theme of the song in a powerful way. "Hear the sirens, will they come for me next time?" When your in the middle of a busy city listening to all the ambulance sirens, knowing that a number of those are going to be going to scenes where people are dead or dying, it reminds you that death is common place and it eventually one of those ambulance sirens is coming for you.
The song to me is about the fear of death and being separated from the people you love. It's a huge fear of mine too and Eddie expressed it in a way that when I really focus on the song it can actually tear me up and make me sad, uncomfortable, but ultimately thankful for life...as temporary as this life may be.
While I have loved many many pearl jam songs in my time, sirens moved me in a way that is difficult to describe. Like while I love the build and the melody and the instruments, it's the feeling in myself that it conjures that i keep coming back to.
Anyways..that's my two cents for sirens and I'd choose it over black without even a second thought :P
I know the band is super proud of the song ,its powerful for sure....but the opening kills me.
I cant relate the sirens with the rest of the song.
Mike is killer on this song, esp the solo.....Eds lyrics in the verse are powerful/moving/meaningful
.....but those damn sirens......"hear the sirens"......ouch
Heard it live for the first time and was hoping it would convert me......BUZZ KILL
I know you'll all stone me for this.......but I'm having problems with it like no other Pearl Jam song.
Totally agree.
1996: Randall's Island 2 1998: East Rutherford | MSG 1 & 2 2000: Cincinnati | Columbus | Jones Beach 1, 2, & 3 | Boston 1 | Camden 1 & 2 2003: Philadelphia | Uniondale | MSG 1 & 2 | Holmdel 2005: Atlantic City 1 2006: Camden 1 | East Rutherford 1 & 2 2008: Camden 1 & 2 | MSG 1 & 2 | Newark (EV) 2009: Philadelphia 1, 2 & 4 2010: Newark | MSG 1 & 2 2011: Toronto 1 2013: Wrigley Field | Brooklyn 2 | Philadelphia 1 & 2 | Baltimore 2015: Central Park 2016: Philadelphia 1 & 2 | MSG 1 & 2 | Fenway Park 2 | MSG (TOTD) 2017: Brooklyn (RnR HOF) 2020: MSG | Asbury Park2021: Asbury Park 2022: MSG | Camden | Nashville 2024: MSG 1 & 2 (#50) | Philadelphia 1 & 2 | Baltimore 2025: Raleigh
Don't think you said anything that deserving to be flamed over, but I love the song. I'm not a huge ballad guy, but I get excited every time Sirens starts. The opening lyrics are just setting the stage for his mind set when he was writing the song, in my opinion, of the perceived dangers that come with hearing sirens. They're like character development in a movie :ugeek:
..The song to me is about the fear of death and being separated from the people you love. It's a huge fear of mine too and Eddie expressed it in a way that when I really focus on the song it can actually tear me up and make me sad, uncomfortable, but ultimately thankful for life...as temporary as this life may be.
While I have loved many many pearl jam songs in my time, sirens moved me in a way that is difficult to describe. Like while I love the build and the melody and the instruments, it's the feeling in myself that it conjures that i keep coming back to.
This sums it up for me pretty well.
For some strange reason I associate Sirens with the series finale of Dexter. The song came out a few days before the finale. Didn't love it at first, but by the weekend I couldn't stop listening to it. Fast forward to Sunday night, and when Dexter was lowering Deb's body into the water, all I could think off was Sirens should be playing in the background. Even now, everytime I hear Sirens, at some point during the song, my mind flashes to that scene.
...and just for the record, I hated the Dexter finale. Like Sirens, very polarizing among the fan base.
Skip this song every time.
The lyrics:
"For every choice mistake I've made
it's not my plan
to send you in the arms of another man.
And if you choose to stay,
I'll wait,I'll understand."
If I am reading this correctly...he is going to wait
and understand if his woman leaves for another guy?
Kinda wimpy.
If she leaves for another man, whatever the reason.Time to move on.
Also,the solo with the reverb.Can't do it.
"They don't give a shit Keith Moon is dead,
is that exactly what I thought I read."
Skip this song every time.
The lyrics:
"For every choice mistake I've made
it's not my plan
to send you in the arms of another man.
And if you choose to stay,
I'll wait,I'll understand."
If I am reading this correctly...he is going to wait
and understand if his woman leaves for another guy?
Kinda wimpy.
If she leaves for another man, whatever the reason.Time to move on.
Also,the solo with the reverb.Can't do it.
I hear that as if he dies, she has a choice to either go to another man, or to "stay committed" to her now lost lover who is waiting for her on the other side.
10/31/93 Berkeley (Baba!) • 10/1/94 Bridge School • 9/16/96 Seattle (In My Tree!) • 10/19/96 & 10/20/96 B. School (Alt Corduroy & Alt Porch!) • 10/25/03 B. School • 6/1/03 Mtnview (Crazy Mary! You Are!) • 11/29/13 Portland (All Those Yesterdays! Even Flow!) • 10/25/14 Bridge School (Rain! Fuckin Up! TOTD!) • 5/13/22 Oakland (had to leave early, but W.M.A.! Immortality!) • 5/13/24 Sacramento (Light Years! Picture in a Frame!) • 5/25/24 Bottle Rock (Last Kiss! Maybe It’s Time w/Bradley Cooper!)
I hear what your saying saying. The song is an enigma. The first time I heard it I immediately thought of Bon Jovi and was not that impressed. My initial response was "cheese". Mind you I was a teenager in the 80's and saw Bon Jovi several times and they were the biggest band in the world during that time. But after listening to the lyrics, especially "It's a fragile thing, this life we lead. If I think to much I can get overwhelmed by the grace. By which we live our lives with death over our shoulders", I realized this song was far much deeper than a 1980 power ballad. Then I watched Steven Gleason's reaction to the song (he must be extremely impressed by the song as he chose it as the opener for the New Orleans show and correct me if I am wrong but it's been the only other non Pendulum opener except for Long Road) and I loved the song even more. I was at first perplexed on how a song with such powerful lyrics could have such a strange and "cheesy" arrangement then I realized Obrien's method to his madness. With this song they can hook two types of people. The massed who enjoy the song for the poppy ballad but also the people who get swept up in the powerful lyrics like me and Gleason. That being said, yeah I love the song.
I had the exact same experience with this song, including the same lyric that nailed it for me. It's a wonderful enigma of a song, because it is both "too accessible" and "too inaccessible" at the same time, at least superficially. I liken it to LBC and Inside Job in terms of arrangement experimentation. I also love the Pink Floyd influence. Gonna have to give November Rain a listen, I guess. ...EDIT I don't understand the November Rain solo comparison at all. The only possible similarity I hear is that both are heavily David Gilmour influenced.
10/31/93 Berkeley (Baba!) • 10/1/94 Bridge School • 9/16/96 Seattle (In My Tree!) • 10/19/96 & 10/20/96 B. School (Alt Corduroy & Alt Porch!) • 10/25/03 B. School • 6/1/03 Mtnview (Crazy Mary! You Are!) • 11/29/13 Portland (All Those Yesterdays! Even Flow!) • 10/25/14 Bridge School (Rain! Fuckin Up! TOTD!) • 5/13/22 Oakland (had to leave early, but W.M.A.! Immortality!) • 5/13/24 Sacramento (Light Years! Picture in a Frame!) • 5/25/24 Bottle Rock (Last Kiss! Maybe It’s Time w/Bradley Cooper!)
Yeah, I have struggled with the song... I have grown to appreciate it a fair bit, but it wasn't a smooth route to liking it, which isn't really as it should be, so that says something about the song I think.... I feel that the song is rather confused, as though it isn't quite sure what it's supposed to be. I'm not sure if that is because it's such a departure from the norm for PJ, or such a departure from the norm for me and the kind of music i listen to, but either way, no matter how much I come to appreciate it, I will always find it a bit unsettling as well (I have no issues with the lyrics though, as they are beautiful, and also think Eddie's voice is phenomenal in it).
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
While we're on the subject, can someone please explain the Pink Floyd resemblance?
I sure hell can't hear it...
I've been confused on this one too. Is there a G-C-D in there? Maybe because they've been covering "Mother?" I guess Mike was inspired after seeing a PF concert too... Inspiration doesnt always translate into copycat sound though I guess.
I know the band is super proud of the song ,its powerful for sure....but the opening kills me.
I cant relate the sirens with the rest of the song.
Mike is killer on this song, esp the solo.....Eds lyrics in the verse are powerful/moving/meaningful
.....but those damn sirens......"hear the sirens"......ouch
Heard it live for the first time and was hoping it would convert me......BUZZ KILL
I know you'll all stone me for this.......but I'm having problems with it like no other Pearl Jam song.
My thoughts exactly...and I love the rest of Lightning Bolt....well most of it....
I didn't get it at first. I thought it was corny. Now it is one of my favorites on the album. It makes my ride home from work so much easier. Thank you PJ!
While we're on the subject, can someone please explain the Pink Floyd resemblance?
I sure hell can't hear it...
I've been confused on this one too. Is there a G-C-D in there? Maybe because they've been covering "Mother?" I guess Mike was inspired after seeing a PF concert too... Inspiration doesnt always translate into copycat sound though I guess.
The only way I can hear any resemblance is if I pretend Division Bell is the only Pink Floyd album in existence. And even then, only maybe.... or not.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Comments
I skip it every time on LB....it ruins the flow of those first 3 tracks.
I've never disliked a PJ tune....
"Leave it to me as I find a way to be.
Consider me a satellite forever orbiting.
I knew all the rules but the rules did not know me.
Guaranteed."
Boston 10/17/10, East Troy 9/3/11, East Troy 9/4/11, Missoula 9/30/12, Worcester 10/15/13, Hartford 10/25/13, Charlottesville 10/29/13,
St. Paul 10/19/14, New York 9/26/15, Quebec City 5/5/16, Boston 8/5/16, Boston 9/2/18, Boston 9/4/18, Quebec City 9/1/22, Camden 9/14/22, Oklahoma City 9/20/22
I think the opening lines introduce the theme of the song in a powerful way. "Hear the sirens, will they come for me next time?" When your in the middle of a busy city listening to all the ambulance sirens, knowing that a number of those are going to be going to scenes where people are dead or dying, it reminds you that death is common place and it eventually one of those ambulance sirens is coming for you.
The song to me is about the fear of death and being separated from the people you love. It's a huge fear of mine too and Eddie expressed it in a way that when I really focus on the song it can actually tear me up and make me sad, uncomfortable, but ultimately thankful for life...as temporary as this life may be.
While I have loved many many pearl jam songs in my time, sirens moved me in a way that is difficult to describe. Like while I love the build and the melody and the instruments, it's the feeling in myself that it conjures that i keep coming back to.
Anyways..that's my two cents for sirens and I'd choose it over black without even a second thought :P
Totally agree.
"The live shows? Well, that's church on Sundays"
After 10 listen: so-so, not too bad...
After 50 listen: boring...
Eddie Vedder- 7/16/11
Brad- 4/21/12 (RSD Performance), 4/27/12, 8/10/12
Flight To Mars- 5/23/12
RNDM- 11/27/12
PEARL JAM- 12/6/13 I have finally seen Pearl Jam live!
go to get beer at shows when they play it.
This sums it up for me pretty well.
For some strange reason I associate Sirens with the series finale of Dexter. The song came out a few days before the finale. Didn't love it at first, but by the weekend I couldn't stop listening to it. Fast forward to Sunday night, and when Dexter was lowering Deb's body into the water, all I could think off was Sirens should be playing in the background. Even now, everytime I hear Sirens, at some point during the song, my mind flashes to that scene.
...and just for the record, I hated the Dexter finale. Like Sirens, very polarizing among the fan base.
this.
feels very out of place and the song doesn't need it.
It's grown on me and now I love it and can't wait to here it live.
Latest story - Declan at Slipknot is up on the website now at www.giventolive.com along with Kayleigh at Foo Fighters, Tony at Stereophonics and more.
Inspired by Pearl Jam, making live music dreams come true.
I think its a bit too long, wordy, and repetitive though.
You thought it was meh/so-so and still gave it 50 listens?
The lyrics:
"For every choice mistake I've made
it's not my plan
to send you in the arms of another man.
And if you choose to stay,
I'll wait,I'll understand."
If I am reading this correctly...he is going to wait
and understand if his woman leaves for another guy?
Kinda wimpy.
If she leaves for another man, whatever the reason.Time to move on.
Also,the solo with the reverb.Can't do it.
is that exactly what I thought I read."
I hear that as if he dies, she has a choice to either go to another man, or to "stay committed" to her now lost lover who is waiting for her on the other side.
I had the exact same experience with this song, including the same lyric that nailed it for me. It's a wonderful enigma of a song, because it is both "too accessible" and "too inaccessible" at the same time, at least superficially. I liken it to LBC and Inside Job in terms of arrangement experimentation. I also love the Pink Floyd influence. Gonna have to give November Rain a listen, I guess. ...EDIT I don't understand the November Rain solo comparison at all. The only possible similarity I hear is that both are heavily David Gilmour influenced.
Approx yes... Haven't skipped it yet, but as I said, it's not growing on me. It's boring...
I sure hell can't hear it...
I've been confused on this one too. Is there a G-C-D in there? Maybe because they've been covering "Mother?" I guess Mike was inspired after seeing a PF concert too... Inspiration doesnt always translate into copycat sound though I guess.
Okay Eddie "ah ah ah ah ah ahhhhhhh"
- Mitch Hedberg