Footsteps

Don't even think about reaching me. I won't be home.
Don't even think about stopping by. Don't think of me at all.

I did what I had to do. If there was a reason, it was you.

Aaah, don't even think about getting inside. Voices in my head. Ooh, voices.
I got scratches all over my arms. One for each day since I fell apart.
Ooh, I did, oh, what I had to do. If there was a reason it was you.

Footsteps in the hall... It was you, you.
Ooh, pictures on my chest... It was you. It was you...
Ooh, I did a what I had to do. Oh, and if there was a reason...
Oh, there wasn't no reason. no.
And if there's something you'd like to do. Oh, just let me continue to blame you.

Footsteps in the hall... It was you, you.
Ooh, pictures on my chest... It was you, you....



Footsteps is easily one of the most intense songs they ever wrote. This isn't necessarily a good thing. I'm split on it personally. Eddie's vocals are among the most naked and vulnerable they've ever been, but it borders at times at the level of overwrought. it reminds me of a soundgarden song in that regard (and not just cuz of time of troubles). Especially towards the end of the song Eddie almost gets histironic in the way that Chris Cornell tends to do on so many soundgarden songs (and often to poor effect I thing). If you've really been sucked into the story than this is great. And once upon a time I adored this song. But as I've gotten older I find myself less and less moved by it.

The lyrics are part of the problem. The song is a little too vague, the story a little thin. The "I did what I have to do/if there was a reason it was you" lyric is compelling but there isn't enough substance surrounding it. I suppose you could argue that it gets its depth from Alive and Once, but neither one of these are lyrical high water marks in the catalgoue either, and I've never fully bought the 'trilogy' story (and if it is the case its a pretty weak story).

So you're left with a very naked moment of desolation, but without the context to pull the listener in.

Musically I've always been attatched to this riff. It's very stark and lonely and fits the song well. But I'd like to see more ornementation to it. If eddie's lyrics were telling more of a story this could work, but it's too empty as is. The harmonic on LD was a nice touch (in the begining at least--I'm less of a fan of it going into the third verse), but the lushness of times of trouble shows how much more this song could have been (or was, I suppose. I guess they couldn't remake it).

I usually prefer pearl jam studio to boots, but footsteps is one song I think is greatly improved live (with the piano, harmonia, and the electric guitar). The song is richer, Eddie's vocals more measured, and I think the song works better as a reflection than as a moment of collapse, personally.

3 songs for the 'studio' version, 4 songs live.

it's kind of interesting to me that this song hasn't aged that well for me while so many of the other songs on Ten are as fresh (or evenmoreso) as they were when I first heard them

This SOTM is gonna be up for two+ weeks until I get back. If someone wants to write up a new one in about a week please do. Just pm a mod for a sticky.

5 stars. great song

3 stars from me.

This song seemed really powerful to me when I was a teenager. I'm less enamored of it now. For example, I like the imagery of 'scratches all over my arms,' but the follow-up line is too heavy handed. You really don't have to explain imagery like that, and when you try you take away some of its power. I really like the 'just let me continue to blame you' bit, too.

Mostly I'm annoyed to have never been given the chance to hear a full studio recording. For some reason I have it in my head that they did in fact record it while working on Ten, with piano and all, and I'm annoyed not to be able to hear it.

Probably saving it for the remastered deluxe edition of Ten.

3 stars.

I quite liked it a few years ago but less so now. The lyrics, in particular, are very overwrought and they, coupled with Ed's howling sends this song hurtling towards Emoville. 2.5 stars on record, 3.5 stars live, so we'll go for 3 as an average.

Some of Ed's most raw vocals. I really dug it back in the day, but now it's ok. Not my fave, but not my least fave. You pretty much nailed it, Stip.

Not to echo others else but I don't like this as much as I used to.
Jeremy was the song that hooked me into this band. Ledbetter was starting to get a little radio play time as Pearl Jam was hitting their commerical peak so I picked up the single. Footsteps was the song between these two and for a minute I liked it best. A simple, reflective guitar tune with Ed's vocals. This would become a very successful formula for most of my slower paced favorites. By Pearl Jam standards it's an old song and you can see how they've matured, specifically Ed's lyric skills. And that's just it, there are other songs similar to this (Nothingman, Parting Ways, Man of the Hour) that have been written since that I prefer.
***

Footsteps is on Ten?

That's interesting, i've always thought that the follow up line saves it. The 'scratches all over my arms' sounds too harsh, too blunt - it gives no room for interpretation...until, that is, we get the follow up line: 'one for each day that i've fell apart'. I think that line takes it away from the self-harm theme slightly, and allows the line to just as easily lend itself to a prisoner in a cell counting the days he/she's been inside for, or something similar to that effect.

I also much prefer this song live, Eddie sings it beautifully, and the piano/harmonica/drums/mike's guitar really thicken it out well - the version on the Live at the Gorge CD is beautiful.

3 stars studio, 4.5 stars live.

I'll never forget Hartford 96, when i was 16, there was a guy setting next to me who was maybe in his 30's, totally broke down crying through the whole song. As much as I loved music then, At 16, it was still a shock to see someone be moved like that. I hope that guy got over over whatever it was that brought footsteps out for him.

I love this song. I think I first heard it on teh first bootleg I ever got, and then tracked down the 5 Musketeers boot to get the "studio" version.

It's never lost its immediacy for me, and it was teh rawness of Ed's signing on this that really tore me up. Still a five star song for me, 15 years later.

Thematically, this is kind of a blatant Nebraska ripoff.

As a younger man I loved both tunes, but as I get older I'm a bit contemptous of sympathetic portrayals of (extremely) violent characters.

5 Stars...

This song is still as powerful and moving today as it was 15 years ago. Absolutely love it, 5 stars.

i actually listened to this one today after not listening to it for a really long time
it seemed powerful again
and it is haunting
5 stars today
normally 3.5 or 4

Lyrics are way too emo.

This is a superb song, but with one of the worst lines in PJ history with the aforementioned "scratches" part. "Have" fits just as well as "got," by the way.

Times of Trouble is a far more moving interpretation of this song.

I don't agree with this. I think the striped down arrangement and the far better melody, one of the best of theirs from the time, and the changes in dynamics in the singing really add to the original demo and underlines the basic riff better.

5 Stars: Haunting