I Got Shit question

DarkStar · August 2006

i've always thought the chorus to this song says

oh i walked the line when you held me in that night
i walked the line when you held my hand that night

these lyrics match my interpretation of the song...but i was wondering if anyone else thought he might be saying

oh i walked in light when you held me in that night
i walked in light when you held my hand that night

thoughts?

ds

decides2dream · August 2006

always thought line, sounds like it to me...and i believe? on the official lyrics on the pearljam.com site*, that's exactly what it says as well. ed can be quite indecipherable at times, but that is one of those rare few rather clear lines imo.

and......i ADORE this tune!

*correction: nope. it's only on tsis, so not offical. mea culpa.

JohnBriggs · August 2006

There are no lyrics on the official site for this song and google offers up various versions.

decides2dream · August 2006

PJAmerica wrote:

There are no lyrics on the official site for this song and google offers up various versions.

you're right! my apologies. i always looked to theskyiscrape for lyrics, then when pearljam.com posted lyrics too, started there now first. for whatever reason, i thought they were there...but you're right, i am thinking of tsis...b/c i just looked again, so yea...nothing 'official'....however, i still stand by my opinion that it always sounded like "line" to me.

JohnBriggs · August 2006

Apparently Tim can't decide what lyrics are official either..............lol. That might explain why it's not on the official site with all the various versions out there.

share · August 2006

one of my favourite songs

and I'm pretty sure it's line

I heard that it had some sort of reference to Johnny Cash's meaning in I walk the line, being infidelity - which makes sense in terms of the song

Ms. Haiku · August 2006

I Got Shit is I Got Id, yes? Could someone post the entire lyrics whichever ones they prefer? I think the word is line, also. What album is it off of? Merkinball?

hsewif · August 2006

I actually think it's light.

It's obvious in the Soldier Field version, especially midsong. He sings the word exactly like he sings the word night. If you sing along in your head and insert the word line instead, it sounds totally different than what he's singing.

Yep, I say light.

decides2dream · August 2006

Ms. Haiku wrote:

I Got Shit is I Got Id, yes? Could someone post the entire lyrics whichever ones they prefer? I think the word is line, also. What album is it off of? Merkinball?

yes, i got id...and yes, off of merkinball. i won't say these are the lyrics i 'prefer'....more like the lyrics from theskyiscrape.com, the only place i ever looked for lyrics until pearljam.com started hosting them.

my lips are shakin' my nails are bit off
been a month since i've heard myself talk
all the advantage this life's got on me
picture a cup in the middle of the sea
and i fight back in my mind
never lets me be right
i got memories i got shit
so much it don't show
oh i walked the line when you held me in that night
i walked the line when you held my hand that night
an empty shells seem so easy to crack
got all these questions don't know who i could even ask
so i'll just lie alone and wait for the dream
where i'm not ugly and your lookin' at me
and i stare you back
oh blue eyes, i've seen it
if just once i could feel love
oh stare back at me, yeah..
but i walked the line when you held me in that night
oh i walked the line when you held my hand that night
oh i walked the line when you held me close that night
i paid the price never held you in real life
my lips are shakin'

Ms. Haiku · August 2006

So, is this basically Satan's Bed in a different form, if walking the line is about infidelity.

i paid the price never held you in real life
my lips are shakin'

So, what is this about?

DarkStar · August 2006

okay...some nice feedback.

I've always been impartial to "the line" because it feel it fits my interpretation of the song pretty good...which i posted about here: http://forums.pearljam.com/showpost.php?p=1893979&postcount=2

to me I Got Id is an introspective song about a person who is struggling to remain psychologically stable...what's amazing and powerful about the song is that it captures the tragedy of a person who knows he is struggling, but cannot do anything about it. this song is so deep it's not even funny. i love how it begins and ends with the same line...which imparts a sense of hopelessness and accurately portrays the cyclical nature of his condition...he can describe his psychopathologies, but he is unable to affect a change in himself to overcome his struggle and strengthen his fragile psyche.

and here: http://forums.pearljam.com/showpost.php?p=2129269&postcount=2

The lyric, "I walked the line...," is a reference to the protagonist walking the thin line between emotional stability and emotional instability. I wrote my thoughts on the song in another thread...I'll post it here too: to me I Got Id is an introspective song about a person who is struggling to remain psychologically stable...what's amazing and powerful about the song is that it captures the tragedy of a person who knows he is struggling, but cannot do anything about it. this song is so deep it's not even funny. i love how it begins and ends with the same line...which imparts a sense of hopelessness and accurately portrays the cyclical nature of his condition...he can describe his psychopathologies, but he is unable to affect a change in himself to overcome his struggle and strengthen his fragile psyche.

however, it sounds to me like the first line of the chorus he says "light" ... then "line" during the second line in the chours. thoughts?

ds

Ms. Haiku · August 2006

Does the psychological instability revolve around one issue or is it just moment by moment of every day?

You know, after reading your interpretation DS, I reread the lyrics, and I don't think it's about infidelity. Instead of another version of "Satan's Bed" I feel this is another version of "Release." It's definitely a sad song, that's for sure. Who'd knew?

It sounds like there should be a comforting hand and yet a hand that was never held. What do you think? Are the comforting hands of staff in a hospital, which would mean that they were never really permanent as in

i paid the price never held you in real life

The hands were helpful at one point, but only to get the protagonist to a certain space, and then they dropped off. No emotional involvement, never really held in real life.

obiwon76 · August 2006

This song along with "Long Road" took an interesting twist for me after hearing the San Diego show and Ed describing the mood and moment they first played "Long Road". It was after hearing his teacher died, Clayton. Since "I Got ID" was written around the same time, or shortly after "LR", I can't help but think Ed was probably in the similar mindset when he wrote the lyrics. He must of been unstable, grieving, and in pain due to losing a close friend.

"I walk the line when you held my hand at night"

He said during the SD show that Clayton was someone who touched him, and this line from my interpretation is similar to a teacher talking the hand or guiding the student to a greater path, setting them straight.

share · August 2006

Ms. Haiku wrote:

So, is this basically Satan's Bed in a different form, if walking the line is about infidelity.

i paid the price never held you in real life
my lips are shakin'

So, what is this about?

temptation - not submission

guilt is there all the same

just something I read somewhere

DarkStar · August 2006

Ms. Haiku wrote:

Does the psychological instability revolve around one issue or is it just moment by moment of every day?

You know, after reading your interpretation DS, I reread the lyrics, and I don't think it's about infidelity. Instead of another version of "Satan's Bed" I feel this is another version of "Release." It's definitely a sad song, that's for sure. Who'd knew?

It sounds like there should be a comforting hand and yet a hand that was never held. What do you think? Are the comforting hands of staff in a hospital, which would mean that they were never really permanent as in

i paid the price never held you in real life

The hands were helpful at one point, but only to get the protagonist to a certain space, and then they dropped off. No emotional involvement, never really held in real life.

well in my own head i see as a general non-specific psychopathology for the protagonist (because the song just doesn't have the lyrics to state what would be causing this)...but to me the song is clearly about the protagonist struggling with this and finding a moment of clarity when someone (albeit in his mind) cared for him...he longs to be loved, but can't be loved because he's not psychologically stable...he knows this, but cannot do anything about it for himself...it's really important that the song opens and closes with the same line...because it imparts hopelessness that the protagonist is experiencing.

I struggle to define the completeness of this song because it's so freakin deep I can't put words (yet anyway) to match the level of deepness the song has. I hope what I have said makes some sense.

ds

hsewif · August 2006

DarkStar wrote:

to me I Got Id is an introspective song about a person who is struggling to remain psychologically stable...what's amazing and powerful about the song is that it captures the tragedy of a person who knows he is struggling, but cannot do anything about it. this song is so deep it's not even funny.

This pretty much sums up my thoughts. The song is a combo of frustration and confusion. Maybe a little of wanting and NEEDING someone to relate to...and maybe having a person like that but it didn't/couldn't happen???

Truly one of the deeper songs in the catalog.

I dug up this story, it's a very long but interesting read. It makes me wonder if I Got ID is one of those songs that Ed worked on for years. I remembered reading somewhere about Ed being frustrated and he took off for a while during the recording of an album...didn't talk with anyone, etc. (month and a day?) I'm not sure if the 2 are related...I might have my articles mixed up, this isn't the one I read years ago but it mentions the atmosphere at the time.

http://www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/rs102893.shtml

decides2dream · August 2006

DarkStar wrote:

well in my own head i see as a general non-specific psychopathology for the protagonist (because the song just doesn't have the lyrics to state what would be causing this)...but to me the song is clearly about the protagonist struggling with this and finding a moment of clarity when someone (albeit in his mind) cared for him...he longs to be loved, but can't be loved because he's not psychologically stable...he knows this, but cannot do anything about it for himself...it's really important that the song opens and closes with the same line...because it imparts hopelessness that the protagonist is experiencing.

I struggle to define the completeness of this song because it's so freakin deep I can't put words (yet anyway) to match the level of deepness the song has. I hope what I have said makes some sense.

ds

to me, i always thought of this song being a very 'inner journey'....alone. i always thought of 'the line'...as being the line we all try to balance on, that point of sane/insane....giving/receiving......inward/outward....etc. ALL of the things in the world, where we balance.....where we try to hold on to ourselves, etc. that whole idea/imagery of a 'line' is used in sooo many instances...fidelity....sanity....addiction.....personal boundaries....etc. the REST of the lyrics imo are what hint towards self-reflection and introspection in my mind. looking for self-love and understanding....and even those 'blue eyes'....being himself, in the mirror....wishing just once he could look at himself and feel love for himself. deep down, he knows what he needs....what we all need, balance. i didn't always think this way about this song, but over time...it sorta unfolded for me in this way.

Ms. Haiku · August 2006

Yes, it's very deep. Very sad. Sometimes if I take a longer look at the PJ lyrics I'm amazed at what I have missed. I know some records better than others, and I definitely do not know Merkinball that well. HMMMMMMM food for thought HMMMMMMMMMM

wendy1976 · September 2006

I tought it was about someone that helped him not crossing the line in a tough/emotional period.He walked the line but someone held him in.(so he did not go at drugs or alchol or something or mabey some held him in so he did't loose controle over himself)
An empty shell is easy to crack....i'm thinking he's feeling empty because of loosing someone(or whatever made him feel empty then).

I_Got_Shit · September 2006

Anyone know the story behind why they called the song "I Got Id" in the first place? Obviously I Got Shit is a far superior title, and it's in the lyrics. Is it because the record company wouldn't allow them to release a song with a swear in the title?

And yes, I realize that with this username, I should probably know already.

vedderlover · September 2006

id is the stage of development when a child is first born, and it is this stage when they form their attachments to their parents/caregivers, etc. if a child doesn't form healthy attachments there are serious problems that can arise later in life. "if just once, i could see love, oh stare back at me..." the person in this song, to me, is having attachment issues. never formed them, therefore never felt or saw what real love is or looks like.

I Got Shit question

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