Dance of the Clairvoyants

evsgjamm · January 2020

Confusion is to commotion
What love is, to our devotion
Imperceptibly big, as big as the ocean?
And equally hard to control

So save your predictions
And burn your assumptions
Love is friction
Rightful comfort
Endless equations
And talkin persuasions
Doors open up
To interpretation

(Chorus)
Expecting perfection
leaves a lot to adore
and the past is the present and the future's no more
When every tomorrow is the same as before

(Jam)

The looser things get
The harder you become
The looser things get
The tighter

I’m not going in, to be greater than the sun
It's not a negative thought,

I’m positive, positive, positive
Fallin’ down
I'm face down (I’m faith’d out)
Coulda held me up
Gonna tear it down
And throw it in the river

Ohh, expecting perfection
leaves a lot to endure
when the past is the present and the future's no more
When every tomorrow is the same as before

The numbers keep fallin’ off the calendar's floor
We're stuck in our boxes window’s open no more
Collecting up the forget-me-nots

Not recalling what they’re for
I'm in love with clairvoyants cuz they're out of this world

(Jam)

I know the girls wanna dance
Throw away their circumstance
I know the boys wanna grow
Their dicks in pics inspire things

I know the girls wanna dance
Clairvoyants in a trance
I know the boys wanna grow
Their dicks in pics inspire things

Stand back when the spirit comes
Stand back when the spirit comes

Stand back when the spirit comes
Stand back
Stand back when the spirit comes
Stand back when the spirit comes
Stand back when the spirit r comes
Stand back

(way down at the river)

Stand back when the spirit comes
Stand back when the spirit comes
Stand back when the spirit r comes
Stand back

I know the girls wanna dance
Throw away their circumstance
I know the boys wanna grow
Their dicks in pics inspire things

(mixing the two verses)

(Down at the river)

Stand back when the spirit comes
Stand back when the spirit comes
Stand back when the spirit comes
Stand back

I know the girls wanna dance
Clairvoyants in the stance
I know the boys wanna grow
Their dicks in pics inspire things

Down in the river.

evsgjamm · January 2020

I just typed these out after listening to the song. Some hard parts to hear. Thoughts?
Amazing song. Heart is beating fast.

BF25394 · January 2020

Confusion is to commotion

What love is to our devotion

Imperceptibly big

Big as the ocean

And equally hard to control

So save your predictions

And burn your assumptions

Love is friction

Ripe for comfort

Endless equations

And tugging persuasions

Doors open up to interpretation

Expecting perfection

Leaves a lot to ignore

When the past is the present

And the future’s no more

When every tomorrow is the same as before

The looser things get, the tighter you become

The looser things get, the tighter…

Not one man could be greater than the sum

It’s not a negative thought

I’m positive

Positive, positive

Falling down, not staying down

Could’ve held me up, brother, tear me down

Drown in the river

Expecting perfection

Leaves a lot to ignore

When the past is the present

And the future’s no more

When every tomorrow is the same as before

Numbers keep falling off

The calendar’s floor

We’re stuck in our boxes

Window’s open no more

Collecting up the forget-me-nots

Not recalling what they’re for

I’m in love with clairvoyants

‘Cause they’re out of this world

I know the girls want to dance

Away their circumstance

I know the boys want to grow

Their dicks and fix and file things

I know the girls want to dance

Clairvoyants in a trance

I know the boys want to grow

Their dicks and fix and file things

Stand back when the spirit comes

Stand back

Stand back when the spirit comes

Stand back

Stand back when the spirit comes

Stand back

I know the girls want to dance

Away their circumstance

I know the boys want to grow

Their dicks and fix and file things

I know the girls want to dance

Clairvoyants in a trance

I know the boys want to grow

Their dicks and fix and file things

Stand back when the spirit comes

Stand back

Stand back when the spirit comes

evsgjamm · January 2020

Right on,
Thanks for your transcription. There are some really hard parts to understand lol... classic Eddie!

spaceman1374 · January 2020

I feel A lot of talking heads in this Song does anybody else here a little In the song. I think the lyrics are beautiful and I’m very curious about the rest of the album thanks Eddie for a great tune

shadowcast · January 2020

Love I mean love the music. Lyrics on the other hand I am having a tough time with.

otter · January 2020

Riddle me this...is Boom on synth?

rollings · January 2020

boys wanna grow their dicks & pics &
mighty finer things lyrics right thar

evsgjamm · January 2020

I don't know why, but I also have a tough time with understanding the lyrics haha.
Their dicks in pics inspire things??? Whaaaaat? Can't be.
Their dicks and fix and file things??? wellllll okayyyyyyy
Is boom on synth? I have no idea lol.

otter · January 2020

This song is cool as shit!
I fucking love that they are doing some different sounds. It kinda reminds me of New Order / NIN. Can’t deny me sounds a lot like NIN. I’m totally pumped for Gigaton! I bet it’s gonna be absolutely awesome with some hard rockers, some mid tempo/low tempo jams, and all with new cool interesting sounds! I can’t freakin wait!!!

E.K · January 2020

evsgjamm said:

I don't know why, but I also have a tough time with understanding the lyrics haha.
Their dicks in pics inspire things??? Whaaaaat? Can't be.
Their dicks and fix and file things??? wellllll okayyyyyyy
Is boom on synth? I have no idea lol.

It sounds like "boys wanna grow their dicks and fix and fire things" to me.

Spunkie · January 2020

Ya that's how I hear it usually, too. Maybe Dolby or whatever sound will help haha.

rollings · January 2020

That's Trump. He just wants to fire things

EnjoyBeing · January 2020

I think I hear “or” not “I’m”. Not saying I’m right.

“Not one man could be greater than the sum

It’s not a negative thought

I’m / Or positive

Positive, positive”

In other words, saying not one man is greater than the sum is neither a negative or positive thought. It’s just a descriptive statement

Glorified KC · January 2020

This line is constantly playing through my head.

Stand back when the spirit comes

When I first heard some others mentioning the Talking Heads, I didn't quite understand what they were referencing. Now that I've grasped that, I keep thinking of David Byrne singing this lyric.

slightofjeff · January 2020

I'm still working it out, but I think it's about a generation of people who can see the future coming but instead of taking steps to do something about it, choose to find ways to distract themselves from impending doom -- either by dancing or growing their dicks

It doesn't have to specifically be an environmentalist song per se, but you can think of the climate change issue as one example of this phenomenon.

Also, I hear "leaves a lot to ignore" in the first chorus. I think (??) Ed switches to "leaves a lot to endure" in the second chorus. Those little subtle shifts in language are cool to me. Ed does that kind of thing all the time, lyrically. Both make sense in the context of the song as I've described it.

And I could be totally off base! But that's what I'm getting from the lyrics at this point.

evsgjamm · February 2020

@cdthomas1981 Same here. I find myself repeating it so many times.
@slightofjeff that's a great breakdown, to which I agree. I also agree with your "subtle shifts in language" comment. I hear the same one you mentioned plus others. Fun times being a wordsmith lol

Can't wait to a) see the official liner notes and b) hear Ed sing it live as I think he'll continue adding subtle shifts in language.

"I'd rather be in .... PORTUGAL"
"What you thought was your father"
"Had a joint in a tree"
and there's one other opening line where he has been known to switch the last word in the first line of lyrics... my memory bank is empty.. can't find it.... my neurons are sending signals like "black..." or "rock..." or ... "party..."... fuck, it might not even be Pearl Jam lol. I'll come back and update this when i have my AH HAH moment.

Just be careful of those cover songs lol lol https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eddie-vedder-sued-over-hard-sun-lyric-changes-254706/

Kat · February 2020

I always loved figuring out the lyrics.

One of my favorite things.
Did you see that the lyrics are now in the Show More section on the YouTube pages for the Mach videos? It's ok to bring them here.

Spunkie · February 2020

Thanks again, will do.

rgambs · February 2020

slightofjeff said:

I'm still working it out, but I think it's about a generation of people who can see the future coming but instead of taking steps to do something about it, choose to find ways to distract themselves from impending doom -- either by dancing or growing their dicks
It doesn't have to specifically be an environmentalist song per se, but you can think of the climate change issue as one example of this phenomenon.

Also, I hear "leaves a lot to ignore" in the first chorus. I think (??) Ed switches to "leaves a lot to endure" in the second chorus. Those little subtle shifts in language are cool to me. Ed does that kind of thing all the time, lyrically. Both make sense in the context of the song as I've described it.

And I could be totally off base! But that's what I'm getting from the lyrics at this point.

It sounds like file things to me the first time, and fire things the second time.
Both make sense. Both make sense in 2 contexts.
Whether the theme is climate change, some sort of relationship, or both, that chorus can make sense either as a cause or a reaction.

The girls wanting to dance can be the cause of trouble in their wantonness, their disregard, or it can be their wanton disregard for finding a solution to the problem at hand.

The boys wanting to grow their dicks and fix and file/fire things can either be the cause of trouble, or the ill-conceived reaction to it.
Either way, it speaks to me of male mankind's desire to dominate both the natural world and the various interpersonal connections that people form.
That desire to reproduce/populate and create order by fixing and filing things really reminds me directly of the entire theme of DTE. Fire things fits in with that just as well and having both makes it a miniature mirror image of Do the Evolution.
Ed is certainly well-versed in carrying themes and motifs throughout his career, I love that about his lyrics. Symbols like lightning bolts, the moon, cars, etc. really call back to other songs and link it all up in a very nice way.

evsgjamm · February 2020

Agree big time. Isn't "window sills" mentioned in at least two songs? I also hear repetitive themes and motifs over the years... he refers back to some of the same words from other songs and I totally get it as a bit of a wannabe lyricist myself.

Also, thanks for mentioning that, Kat.

Dance of the Clairvoyants

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