Tremor Christ

Winded is the sailor
Drifting by the storm
Wounded is the organ he left all
Bloodied on the shore
Gorgeous was his savior, sees her…
Drowning in his wake...
Daily taste the salt of her tears, but
A chance blamed fate...

Little secrets, tremors
Turned to quake...
The smallest oceans still get big, big waves

Ransom paid the devil
He whispers pleasing words...
Triumphant are the angels if they can
Get there first...

Little secrets, tremors
Turned to quake...
The smallest oceans still get big, big waves

I'll decide
Take the dive
Take my time
Not my life
Wait for signs
Believe in lies
To get by
It's divine…
Oh, you know what it's like...

Turns the bow back, tows and
Drops the line...
Puts his faith in love and
Tremor Christ...


Previous Songs of the Moment
In My Tree
Red Mosquito
Porch
I Got Id
Release
Do The Evolution
Breath
Corduroy
Elderly Woman...
Leash
Hail Hail
Grievance
Love Boat Captain
Even Flow
Black Red Yellow
In Hiding
Can't Keep
Indifference
Insignificance
Whipping
Black
Smile
Push Me Pull Me
Rats
God's Dice
All or None
Yellow Ledbetter
Last Exit
Who You Are
Rearview Mirror
Hold On
Present Tense
Light Years
Alive
Brain of J
Thumbing My Way
Hard to Imagine

Tremor Christ is a classic, an amazing song that often gets forgotten soley because it is surrounded by so many other greats. It’s also the song I feel like I have the least of a handle on of everything that is on Vitalogy, so I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of you come up with.

For me Vitalogy is an album about redemption and salvation in the face of corruption. I’m not going to say too much about it since I’ve talked about Vitalogy in the Last Exit and Corduroy threads, and I’ll probably say it all again when we eventually get to Immortality. The primary story arc of the record deals with finding that salvation through music and the ways in which an overly commodified, inauthentic, superficial industry threatens to undermine that redemption. But some of the other songs on the records address the same battle for salvation, but instead of art there is the corruption of love by the same forces. Betterman and Nothingman both fit into this category, but lyrically and in terms of its connection to the rest of the album, Tremor Christ is the more important song (even though I like the other two more). The same promise of the easy, cost free, instantly gratifying reward that destroys art also destroys love, and threatens to destroy love. The jagged music and weary, yet sharp, vocals do a great job evoking the stormy, shipwrecked feel of the song.

The two dominant images/metaphors in this song are the ocean, and the spiritual/supernatural. There are times Eddie overdoes the water imagery, but here it works perfectly. Water gives life and takes it away, it is fluid and ultimately beyond our control, but if we’re careful, and lucky, we can bend it to our will, at least temporarily. There is a blend of skill and chance that does a nice job coloring the rest of the song. The singer in Tremor Christ is lost at sea, at the mercy of the waves, of life, of temptation, and of loss.

The spiritual imagery also is nicely used here. We hope for angels but we know we have to expect the devil. We want to stay clean, but we know the world will try and make us dirty. We know we must prepare for sacrifice but are always willing to sell out for ease. We hope for the best but always have to prepare for the worst. In the end what we need to overcome the devil’s temptation is faith—in love, in ourselves, in each other, and in the belief that something pure can exist in this world. Tremor Christ is a tentative declaration of faith. Vitalogy is far too searching, honest, and dark album for Eddie to claim he’s found it, and there is the realization that he may be too far gone to receive it. Too many sacrifices were made, too many promises broken. Nevertheless, there is a grim determination at the end to accept responsibility for mistakes that have been made and to keep on looking for salvation.

I was torn between 4 and 5 stars but I went with 5 in the end. Great song.

Great imagery in this one. Especially last verse, where you can picture someone out there, alone, who is essentially letting higher or other powers take control. He's "putting his faith" in something that will hopefully carry him throughout the rest of life.

5 stars from me, as most everything on vitalogy

good post summing up vitalogy

I didn't give a damn about this song until I heard the choruses from it being played during the 11/95 shows. I was immediately sold after that.

-Sunny

I've always loved this one.

Not as much as Even Flow, though.

I've always loved the line: "triumphant are the angels if they can get there first"

That's always struck a chord with me. He wants to do the right thing, but knowing what to do and actually doing it are two different things.

Love this song, wish they played it more live.

the drumming on the studio version is amazing. i have yet to hear a live version that can match the drumming of the studio.

This is one of the songs which makes Vitalogy such a great album.

I really see this song being about relationships. To me it's about how a small problem in a relationship can turn into something huge. It's also about the struggle between doing what is right for the relationship and doing what you want to do individually. No matter how you look at it you're going to get hurt because you can't always please your partner *and* yourself.

My favorite lines are: "believe in lies/to get by/it's divine" which brings us to asking if the tempations we are faced with are god given.

I also feel that Ed used the word Christ here to reflect what others had written about him being the "Messiah" of the grunge generation. He wants to do what's right by all of us (fans & the world in general) but he knows there's no way to always do that.

A gorgeous song. I didn't really like the choppy guitars of the verses at first, but they grew on me over time (and seem particularly appropriate due to the maritime imagery.) The ending is sublime; particularly live, with Jeff's bass thundering along and Mike providing some sweet guitar.

5 stars.

whoever gave this two stars needs to get their ass in this thread and justify their opinion.

4 stars. this song is awesome, one of pj's most underrated (although not on this website it appears). ive only heard it live once, they should really play it more often.

This in my opinion is Ed's crowning achievement in terms of songwriting. I absolutly love this song, and the feel of the music/lyrics. When I think of Vitalogy (my fav album) this is the song that I think of.

In my top 5 PJ songs, set in stone

Great choice for SOTM. Five stars from me, I've always thought that Tremor Christ was underrated and overlooked. I personally think that the lyrics of this song are among some of Ed's best.

never really did it for me. i dont think it sucks, but i dont think its great.

3 stars.

I, actually, agree with Cal on this one. Not super, but not horrible. 3 stars. I like it, but it's not one of my favorites.

I think the title reflects that a belief in something ( be it God, Eddie, a girl/boyfriend or whatever) is always on shakey ground. Nothing is rock solid. No matter how much it appears to be.

most likely pearl jams finest song

A song that I feel is grossly overrated by users of this board. One of the worst tracks on Vitalogy.

Love it! Great song