Hitchhiker


You fool, dude what do what you think you're doing?
So you're lost, my problem, that's not
Conductor says, 'off of my train'
Be understood, guest/host relationships ain't my thing
Even if I could, you ain't the kind of person I would help anyway
I'm about to explode
Cuz I can't carry your load
Hitchhiker... go, hitchhiker

You're cool, and cold in your calculations
We're friends, only because of my situation
I'm about to unload
Cuz I can't carry your load
Hitchhiker... go, hitchhiker

Hitchhiker...
So be gone, too soon is too late
I don't want no delay
So be gone, get your food off someone else's plate
Go tell all your friends
I'm an idiot and you're great
Hitchhiker... hitchhiker...
Now go, hitchhiker... go, hitchhiker




I think there are only 3 Pearl Jam songs I’d give one star, but this is one of them (U and Leatherman are the other two). Part of the problem for me is that I don’t think Pearl Jam does ‘fun’ very well at all (Black Red Yellow and All Night are two exceptions), but for some reason these three songs have always irritated the hell out of me. Hitchhiker seems like it is one of the only songs left they’ve never played, so I really hope they foist this off on Europe somewhere to get it out of their system.

I don’t have much to say about this song lyrically. It’s about parasitical relationships but it doesn’t particularly say anything clever or meaningful. This song makes Big Wave look pretty deep.

The main riff is okay. Kinda bland. It lacks the character of a song like Black Red Yellow or All Night. But it’s okay, and if the rest of the song was doing things I enjoyed it’d be fine. It’s weird how pearl jam’s ostensibly most experimental musical sessions (which produced some really interesting songs like Sleight of Hand, Rival, Insignificance, and NAIS) could also produce some of the dullest moments in the catalogue like this, God’s Dice, and Thin Air. The bride is different, I suppose, but it reminds me of the sonic youthish noodling that they do in the middle of RVM live, and I never really cared for that.

I can’t stand how Eddie sounds on this record. There was something about his vocals that is slightly off putting for me on the No Code through Binaural run (actually, there are trace elements of it on Vitalogy as well) . On the good songs it’s fine, but it means that average songs don’t’ quite rise above and bad songs don’t become average. There’s a slightly higher pitch to it, a nasely sort of lilt, and Hithchiker encompases the worst aspects of it.

I have nothing positive to say about this song.

im not voting, but i have a feeling stip is a little personally offended by the lyrics

i think pearl jam does "fun" fine. plus, i respect anyone that can work the word "dude" into a song.

heh i think PJ does fun better with this, U and Leatherman than they did with backspacer.

2 stars!

Yeah, this song kind of sucks. 2 stars simply for the riff.

I think "experimental" means exactly that-- trying out new things. Some will work, some won't. "Thin Air" is a countrypolitan ballad at heart, one thing they had never done before. I think it works. It's a wonderful song.

"Hitchhiker" is more of a failed experiment. Yeah, it's a pop song, but unlike The Fixer, it doesn't have any ponderous pretensions. It's kitsch, not cheesy. There's a self-conscious silliness to it. And in that sense, I think it's a much better song. But yes, it kind of sucks.

2 stars

I always thought this sounded like the theme song of a 60s/70s TV show.

Gave it 3 stars.

This music is really fun, and to me anyway, it's really catchy. And the lyrics are kind of stupid, but we've all known people like this (I'm sure not to the degree Pearl Jam has, but still) so it's kind of like a fun "hell yeah" song.

And of the other 4 songs mentioned in stip's review, I think the only one that's about as good as this one is BRY. I think Hitchhiker is a little better though. There's no stupid answering machine message playing through the jam, and EV is doing something different (to me, interesting) with the vocals.

Absolutely. It's very retro.

I never thought of it that way, but I completely agree.

I'm glad I'm not alone on this. Every time I hear it I think of The Munsters.

As far as Pearl Jam not doing fun well, what about Dirty Frank?

I give it one star, and I really could take or leave this song. I don't hate it, but it's not one of my favorites. I think that the guitar noodling in the middle of the song is about the only thing that makes it interesting to me. "You fool!" is a fun way to start a song though, at least the first couple of listens.

Your ratings for this one cracked me up, Stip.

I kinda like it. 3 stars.

i bet those 2 people who gave it 5 stars did so just to spite me.

It wasn't me stip. I only spite people with credibility and you defend The Fixer way too much for that.

I thought about it but I didn't

I gave it four, but not out of spite. I just like it.

actually, seeing the lyrics written out, those are some pretty awesome lyrics! i likes em. i identify with telling certain people to fuck off!

3 stars!

ed's got a little yoda in him here