There seems to be unprecedated amout of religous imagery and language on this album and was wondering what everyone makes of it. If anything, I think that can help explain what connects the songs together and justifies the "concept album" phrase that's being thrown around.

WWS:
"It's the same everyday in a Hell man-made"
"Tell you to pray while the Devil's on their shoulder"

Comatose:
"Leave the hatred on the cross"

Marker in the Sand:
"what original Truth was"

Parachutes:
"Heaven knows if there's a ceiling, come so low from the kneeling."

Unemployable:
"I've seen the light"

Army Reserve:
"Darling you'll save me, if you save yourself"

Inside Job:
"I will not lose my faith"

These are just some of the obvious ones that pop up thorugh out the album. The language is very powerful. Even in the songs that don't contain obvious phrases there is the ever present idea that Love, with a captial "L" is what has to unites us for this to work. It's not just boy loves girl. It's more about community. Life Wated feels like an intevention or something where whole band attacks you off guard with their instruments. But an intervention for the world, or America specifically.

"Pearl Jam" is by far the most moving and affective politcal statement or album that I have heard in a long time. Yes, PJ have returned to form in many ways. These songs rock harder and better than they have in years. But they have matured wonderfully. They have something to say. There are very few artists who do and who I think get it, especially in pop culture. I respect Bono but I don't really think creativly, he's done that much great work lately. And I don't know, Springsteen is probably the only other artist I think speaks for what America is and what it can be with his art. I think this album cements Pearl Jam in that category more than ever before. The band has always been known for thier "causes" but I think this is their first record that clearly articulates what Ed specifically has been ranting about.

They have always had some religious imagery in their music. References to Satan (Satan's bed), Red Mosquito (--oooh, temptation!), faithfull stuff--loads and loads, really. Dead Man Walking has the cross image in it. (the hammer that i once brung down now hovers over me; casts a shadow
a cross onto me). Religious imagery is useful in hooking the religious, the non-religious, and the not-traditionally religious. It's something everyone can relate to. And it makes for some great visuals to hang other words from.

There is more religious imagery on this album than the usual PJ album. But, religious imagery is no stranger to Pearl Jam land.

Nice post. I was thinking about this the other day. I wonder how many pearl jam fans go to church or pray regularly. And has their music alienated religious/god worshiping people over the years... songs like Do the Evolution, Faithfull, Push Me Pull Me, Gods' Dice, Sad, and the holy grail of PJ religious songs Marker in the Sand. Devil referrences have come up a lot, because we all know you have to sell your soul to the devil to become a rock star.

I wasn't suggesting they are new, but that they seem to appear more often and consitantly on this one more than any other. I don't think Ed has undegone some conversion or anything, it's just better writing. On a side note, I almost think Chris Cornell has, Audioslave seems to have many Christian metaphors that were not as common in his earlier work. I don't know.

I don't want to get too personal or anything but I don't think of myself as being relgious at all and rationally I think that I would have to conclude God does not exist. But I find myself, creatively artistically drawn to God. I bring this up because, like many of you, I grew up on PJ, I grew up with Eddie. He's a kind of hero to me and I've always identified with him and what he was saying. And I feel like we're on the same page here too. I would never try and convert anyone or anything, I dont' know about God but I do know about Love and personal wholeness, which I think sometimes can be, and is often interchanged with "God."

this is a post i thought of making a while back, so good on you.

i think the lyrics on the album are at their most contradictory. he continues the evolution idea (i used to be crustaceon), but he also shows signs of faith (must be an open door for you to come back). eddie is a well-read man, and i think he takes it all in and like a rational human being, has questions. i doubt very much he believes in Christianity, as almost all of his references to it are negative. shit, even the guy who gets fired in unemployable has on a ring which says Jesus saves. apparently, He couldn't save his job. leave your hatred on the cross is a bothersome lyric for me as a believer. i hope he is talking about sin and human fault, not Jesus. whether you believe in Him or not, it's retarded to say he represents hatred.

one further note. eddie talked about how he had forgotten it was part of his privelege to be able to take a different perspective in his song writing. we can assume he has remembered. anyway, interesting post. beats the hell out of all of the album retracking we've been doing.

i dont think its contradictory to talk about faith and evolution.

on a similar note, sometimes i think mike mccready is actually God.

ive tried to believe in god because thats what is hammered down your fucking throat while growing up is religion religion religion... but i never bought it and always questioned the existance of god but was too scared to say it because you are scorned if you say you dont believe, now i am older and open about my opinion that there is no god and my family doesnt exactly like it, i have noticed a lot of these references, there is also a quote from eddie i saw in some article where he comes right out and says he doesnt believe in god, and i completely agree with him... my dad has always told me to prey when im depressed and i dont see the point, it doesnt work... i believe that people made up religions and gods a long time ago to either explain phenomenons in nature and miracles and stuff like that, or because they were afraid of death and didnt want to believe that when they die, its over and your life doesnt extend after that, so they made up the "eternal life" in heaven... not saying anyone is wrong for believing, i just dont buy it

If Eddie did convert to something, its nothing shameful. Right wingers give christianity a bad name. I'm christian but I feel I'm like Bono, who says he is the worst example of a christian but follows the Bible. Same with me.

"other side", Jeffs song, a good example. Eddies comment about OS, "If life is a cruise ship and death is to disembark to another shore, then this song is what its like to be on land while your partner remains out at sea."

Also, I don't know eddie, jeff or any of the guys, but i truely believe once you have children and a partner you love, you start growing a little faith. Now i havent personally had a kid before, but I've seen people i know have different feelings because of it. But who knows

JG: Can I ask what your feelings are about God?

EV: Sure. I think it's like a movie that was way too popular. It's a story that's been told too many times and just doesn't mean anything. Man lived on the planet -- [placing his fingers an inch apart], this is 5000 years of semi-recorded history. And God and the Bible, that came in somewhere around the middle, maybe 2000. This is the last 2000, this is what we're about to celebrate [indicating about an 1/8th of an inch with his fingers]. Now, humans, in some shape or form, have been on the earth for three million years [pointing across the room to indicate the distance]. So, all this time, from there [gesturing toward the other side of the room], to here [indicating the 1/8th of an inch], there was no God, there was no story, there was no myth and people lived on this planet and they wandered and they gathered and they did all these things. The planet was never threatened. How did they survive for all this time without this belief in God? I'd like to ask this to someone who knows about Christianity and maybe you do. That just seems funny to me. "

-eddie vedder

"We're faithful.... we all believe, we all believe."

Most humans, whether they believe in christianity or other religions, tend to believe that something spiritual is going on around them. That there is more to life then just what we see with our own two eyes.

I use to be the most skeptical son of a bitch imaginable about most things like ghosts, supernatural stuff--- but as you go on in life, things happen that are unexplainable to you or not in any book they taught.

Ever had the hair on the back of your neck stand up? Ever feel like someone is communicating with you from the beyond with images or sounds?

It's all really weird, and something most humans experience at one point or another... even if it is all just imagination and bullshit, it's something to behold, life.

Be careful with that. I know exactly what you're saying, but some people will shoot ya down when it comes to ghosts. But right on. I think mainstream science should steer towards the supernatural phenomenon. WAtch GHOST HUNTERS, that show will knock you on your ass.

I don't want to wander off topic, but I just want to say, why have this battle over Evolution and Creationism? Study the supernaturl phenomenon and a lot of answers will be given. IMO

jesus, Bigfoot , Nessy and the tooth fairy....
People believe in some outlandish shit.

you mean the tooth fairy isnt real

I remember a film at the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame that told me somthing like, "the best music either embraces god or attacks god, but it never ignores god."

I think there is plenty of religious imagery, and it's there for a reason. Summed up in the line from MITS: "You've got both sides, claiming killing in God's name, but God is nowhere to be found conveniently."

Great line. It's among the most universally shared imagery a singer can draw on--they're ideas everyone can recognize and understand, even if they don't agree with it. I'm an athiest jew but when a lyric mentions a cross it immediately calls to mind, martyrdom, sacrifice, suffering, or self-rigtheous excess, etc depending on how the line is being used in the song.

On a record that emphasizes love and community as much as this one does it's not suprising that religious language pops up as often as it does, but it's nice to see Eddie using it in a fairly sophisticated way. The problem with the accessibiltiy of religious imagery is that it's way too easy to use it as a stand in for better writing. See the south park/simpson observation (both made it and I don't remember who made it first) that all you have to do is change the word god to baby (or vice versa) to switch between regular rock and christian rock.




Great thread/post Van

No doubt there is a lot of religious imagery on this album, and certainly PJ are no strangers to such lyrical plays.

I think that much of it on this album is there to bring attention to the fact that it's our own actions that define us, not our stated beliefs or reasons. The line in WWS about "telling us to pray whilst the devil's on their shoulder" is a good example. Just because you shout out to the rooftops that you love Jesus doesn't mean shit if you don't act with compassion and understanding for others.

I think one of the things that's trying to be said here is that whatever faith you proclaim to have, whatever God you follow, the only way that faith's/God's "light can shine through" (ugh - sorry about that phrase) is through you and your own choices. If you trust in God, don't send your children to be killed for money.

God, if you believe in him, is in you - your actions justify your God. Your God shouldn't be used to justify your actions.

I think that this is what Ed is saying in MitS at the end when he sings 'I'm calling out...I'm calling out...I'm calling you out...God". Earlier in the song he is conveniently nowhere to be found, now he's saying 'OK fuckers, you all say your God is the man - now's the time to start acting like he would really want you to" - show me your God through your behaviour, it's time to stop the madness.

Just my two cents worth. For what it's worth I'm not religious at all. I believe in me - I know I'm a pretty nice fella!

Great thread Van. Great quote from B, also. Peace.

To me the line about he's got a ring that says Jesus saves isn't saying God has betrayed him and now he has lost his job. To me it says this economy and situation we are living in is effecting everyone including the religious right. I think it was to poke at the right to say you voted for these people they are the ones who are screwing everything up for you.

Just my $.02

Nice thread.