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Come Back my friend

KleinKlein Posts: 32
edited November 2006 in Words and Music...Communication
I sincerely hope that Ed's friend comes home safely...
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Obsidian22Obsidian22 Posts: 298
    What are you referring to?
    Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's Soul remains Unawakened.
    Anatole France
  • KleinKlein Posts: 32
    Whoever he's singing about in the song... it's obviously about a friend who went away to war.
    He sounds really really sincere and I just hope the best for his friend.
  • DOSWDOSW Posts: 2,014
    Uh... well, that's one interpretation of it I guess.
    It's a town full of losers and I'm pulling out of here to win
  • Obsidian22Obsidian22 Posts: 298
    You have your interpretation of the song, but I personally don't think it's about war. Read the lyrics toLife Wasted as well. Ed's friend Joey/johnny ramone left this earth about a year or 2 ago. The words jumped right off the page for me after I lost my brother to suicide in july 2006. peace and love
    Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's Soul remains Unawakened.
    Anatole France
  • KleinKlein Posts: 32
    I'll look over them again...
    I really thought it was about a friend who went to war...
    You guys are probably right though.
  • KleinKlein Posts: 32
    Ok, so I just listened to the song again and I still get the impression it's about a friend who left for war, maybe even from the POV of a woman who's husband had to leave. She talks about remaining true, "please say that if you hadn't to go I wouldn't have lost you another way".... this leads me to believe that the man was sent off to war... ""so you had to go and I had to remain here"...
    She's just waiting and hoping the man comes home safely...

    "Ive been wishing out the day, Come back...
    I've been planning out all that I'd say to you, since you slipped away"...

    anyhow, that's the beauty of interpretation...

    Klein
  • Obsidian22Obsidian22 Posts: 298
    My take on Come Back is it's a song that Ed wrote while in the throws of wretched emotion, trying to make sense of death. A death of someone so close to him, that he couldn't prevent. I couldn't prevent my brother's suicide and no one else could as well. "Say that if you hadn't of gone now, I wouldn't have lost you another way". The dreamstate is always a place where a spirit can come to visit, if it's still hanging around. That's it for me for now. Not an easy topic to talk about. I am a woman, fyi. cheers from Canada
    Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's Soul remains Unawakened.
    Anatole France
  • KleinKlein Posts: 32
    I'll leave it that then...
    Sorry for your loss...


    Klein
  • edigerediger Posts: 308
    during an interview on a local radio station, I seem to remember Ed mentioning that Come Back is in fact written about someone who's gone to war, but I believe it is from the perspective of a wife thinking about her soldier husband. Not definite though
    Hello, I love you. Won't you tell me your name?
  • KleinKlein Posts: 32
    Thank you...
    finally someone who shares my opinion...
    anyone else?

    Klein
  • BadmindBadmind Posts: 267
    ediger wrote:
    during an interview on a local radio station, I seem to remember Ed mentioning that Come Back is in fact written about someone who's gone to war, but I believe it is from the perspective of a wife thinking about her soldier husband. Not definite though


    Aren´t you talking about army reserve instead of come back???
    "Vocês são do caralho" Eddie Vedder : Lisbon, 04/09/2006 - best day of my life
  • little_wishlittle_wish England, The North Posts: 532
    I personally think it was written about Johnny Ramone's death, it only makes sense to me that way.

    I can't see the version you speak of, but it's good that you see it another way, it gives the song more depth.
    20-04-2006 04-09-2006 05-09-2006 11-09-2006 16-09-2006 17-09-2006 18-06-2007 21-06-2007 26-06-2007 28-06-2007 17-08-2009 20-05-2010 21-05-2010

    "The live shows? Well, that's church on Sundays"
  • Obsidian22Obsidian22 Posts: 298
    Thank you Eddie and Pearl Jam for creating this beautiful ballad. Thank you Inside the Well for your two sense. Army reserve is definitely a song about war. I always thought it to be about a mother whose son is away at war. Another epic truth. Thank you Klein for your kind words as well. I wish I didn't have to put my two sense in there as well. But alas, what's been done is done. May Johnny Ramone and my brother rest in peace, "from wherever you are,... Come Back."
    Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's Soul remains Unawakened.
    Anatole France
  • edigerediger Posts: 308
    Badmind wrote:
    Aren´t you talking about army reserve instead of come back???

    I might be, I'd have to listen to the interview again. I know I have it somewhere. I think the two songs are pretty close to each other in terms of subject matter
    Hello, I love you. Won't you tell me your name?
  • KleinKlein Posts: 32
    Either way, the song brings something special to whoever listens to it, and that's all that really matters. Let's just keep enjoying this great song.

    Klein
  • LaneyLaney Posts: 5
    I was surprised to hear your interpretation. Since I first heard the song, I've always thought it's about Johnny. Ed said that they had a very close relationship, and that he connected with him on a very deep level. And now that he's gone, Ed is still wishing to speak with him.
    Well, I can sense a lot of Johnny's death's influences throughout the whole album ("breake the sky and tell me what it's for...")...

    And, Obsidian, I am so sorry...
  • KleinKlein Posts: 32
    "surprised" is an interesting choice of words... please explain

    Klein
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    Klein wrote:
    Ok, so I just listened to the song again and I still get the impression it's about a friend who left for war, maybe even from the POV of a woman who's husband had to leave. She talks about remaining true, "please say that if you hadn't to go I wouldn't have lost you another way".... this leads me to believe that the man was sent off to war... ""so you had to go and I had to remain here"...
    She's just waiting and hoping the man comes home safely...

    "Ive been wishing out the day, Come back...
    I've been planning out all that I'd say to you, since you slipped away"...

    anyhow, that's the beauty of interpretation...

    Klein

    The song was written for Johnny Ramone. He said so a few times on the European tour. Listen to the version of Come Back from Pistoia, for example, where he says "This is for Johnny" at the start of the song.
  • KleinKlein Posts: 32
    yeah, that'll probably do it :)

    Klein
  • LaneyLaney Posts: 5
    Well, "surprised" simply because before I read your post, I didn't imagine that anyone could see it any other way. But it did sorf of make sense later on.
    Or perhaps it was just a bad choise of words :)
  • Obsidian22Obsidian22 Posts: 298
    Hey Byrnzie thanks for the sited tour reference of Come Back.
    I have noticed that they don't play this song all that much. It is lovely live.I heard it May 9, 2006 at the Toronto show.
    "There must be an open door
    For you to
    Come Back
    And the days, they linger on
    And Every Night, What I'm waiting for
    Is the Real Possibility I may meet you in my Dream
    And Sometimes You're There
    And You're Talking Back to Me
    Come The Morning I could Swear You're Next To Me

    And It's Okay."
    Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's Soul remains Unawakened.
    Anatole France
  • citizen_db_bickcitizen_db_bick Posts: 6
    Obsidian22 wrote:
    Hey Byrnzie thanks for the sited tour reference of Come Back.
    I have noticed that they don't play this song all that much. It is lovely live.I heard it May 9, 2006 at the Toronto show.
    They have at Lisbon , but I didn´t have the ticket ( I´m not economically viable) so I stayed outside Pavilhão Atlântico. I tried to sneak in, when they were playing "come back", suddenly I felt it was possible to get inside and clime into stage to sing " Inside Job" like if they were calling me to do it ,I know it sounds insane, but if the bouncers weren´t there, I swear to you I would have walked right trought the crowd and asked to sing the song, like a sick man in need for healing, but I know my karma is to keep blowing chances away till the day I die, so nothing happened like since the day I´ve been born . I guess some persons got to keep living the shity life so people like you can have the " days of my live ", if eveybody was has happy all the the time how would they know that happiness exists, so be happy and eat well like my momma keeps telling her cat, and let the god of synchronism sort who´s gotta live and those who gotta remember others they are alive.
    Or Maybe I should apologize the world for being a shit for brains and keep writing diearria like a comatose kind of worm so that´s all.
    Keep living in your world don´t mind if I can´t reach it.
  • KleinKlein Posts: 32
    Hey buddy, keep your chin up man.

    Klein
  • Obsidian22Obsidian22 Posts: 298
    Citizen db bick, I have enjoyed Pearl Jam's albums since Ten. My first show was last September 2005, then the second time around on May 9 ,2006.Cheer up. Fuck Karma! You can do anything you set out to do.Use that conviction and make a diffrence for yourself. Be kind to yourself and others, everyone you meet is fighting some type of battle. Love and peace
    "It's an Inside Job today.."
    Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's Soul remains Unawakened.
    Anatole France
  • KleinKlein Posts: 32
    Citizen...
    Print what you just wrote and go see your doctor.
    If you alwals feel like this, there is a way out.
    Trust me, my doctor did wonders for me when I thought I was alone.

    Unless of course you're just in a bad mood today, then forget what I just wrote. If not, please take it seriously.

    Klein
  • mumimumi Posts: 662
    Klein wrote:
    I sincerely hope that Ed's friend comes home safely...
    I`ve lost both my parents, and many other people I've loved (and still do). The lyrics reflects exactly how I felt, at first all the time -every fu**ing minute-, and how I now feel when I think about this stuff. When I read the few parts from the lyrics you've posted here...Waw..I just can't explain how much they mean to me...To dream about my mom, there are nights that I go to bed wishing I could see her in my dreams... And I remember, when my father had just passed, thinking that he was going to walk through the door every time I heard the elevator door...Or waking up in the morning to get that overwhelming feeling of distress that hits you when you remember what happened.
    Well, anyway...I think this particular line "please say that if you hadn't to go I wouldn't have lost you another way" means that in some way he still needs a reaffirmation of their friendship...It's like if somehow he feels small next to him, and it might be because he's talking about someone who he loves but also he admires... And there's also something else...I'll need to explain something first...when you loose someone (at least, in my case) you get angry at them, and you get angry at life, and you feel (in a very selfish way) like they didn't care as much for you as to stay near, with you, keeping you company ant taking care of you...Well, it's too personal, I know...but that's what I love about this band..It gets too personal all the time! So I interpret there's something about that feeling in this line...
    You can see that Ed really loved this man, that in some point Johnny must had given him the support he needed, or something similar.
    Ok, I dont' really know Ed, so i guess I shouldn't be writing about this things without real cause knowledge, it's just my humble opinion!
    Sorry for my english!!
    Uno es dueño de lo que calla
    y esclavo de lo que habla.
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