Sorry to resurrect an old topic. But anyway...

This song absolutely kills me. My mum died very, very suddenly back in February, and the pain is still very much with me. This song is probably the best 'grief' song I've ever heard. I can't believe some people were slating the lyrics for this!! Ed has completely read my mind with this one said EVERYTHING that I'm feeling now. The middle part about dreaming that your loved one is still with you and then waking up and they're gone, but being glad that they were with you again even for just a dream, fucking slays me.

Yeah, the tune is fairly generic. It's almost got a 50's style about it, but I actually quite like that about it. Not every song need 426 different chord changes, it's the simplicity of it that emphasises the lyrics for me. Mike shines during the solo and carries the end to a different place. I've only got the one live version from the Cornice DVD and that's great. The image of the beautiful arena and that couple in the crowd dancing at the end is just great. Ed's pleading lyrics at the end to 'Come Back... I need you...' is what makes me well up though.

I'm not ashamed to say that this song has made me weep more than once. But I suppose that's all part of the grief process I suppose.

I'm sorry for your loss but I'm glad this song gives you some comfort

I'm quoting from another thread but I wanted to move this here.

I was thinking about this post the other day since Come Back came on in my car. I wonder if the drumming is intentionally a little stiff. Most of these kind of motown torch songs are in love with their sadness and really kinda celebrate/revel in it (which makes sense, given the traditions it is coming out of). Come Back isn't like that. It's going for a different emotion and the whole song sounds uncomfortable in its own skin, like this is new and awful, rather than a constant presence that the singer has learned to live with and even embrace as a way to make it less controlling.

If that's the case, it is very possible that the stiffness in the song is intentional. Matt is a very talented drummer. Pearl Jam has always been a very accomplished cover band and have never really had that much trouble adapting to different genres, and Eddie has long listed the jackson 5 as his first real vocal influence. I think if they wanted this song to sound like more traditional and conventional they would have.