Post subject: SOTM: The love he receives is the love that is saved...
Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 2:03 am
Global Moderator
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
Given To Fly
He could've tuned in, tuned in But he tuned out A bad time, nothing could save him Alone in a corridor, waiting, locked out He got up outta there, ran for hundreds of miles He made it to the ocean, had a smoke in a tree The wind rose up, set him down on his knee
A wave came crashing like a fist to the jaw Delivered him wings, 'Hey, look at me now' Arms wide open with the sea as his floor Oh, power, oh He's.. flying.....whole
He floated back down 'cause he wanted to share His key to the locks on the chains he saw everywhere But first he was stripped and then he was stabbed By faceless men, well, fuckers He still stands
And he still gives his love, he just gives it away The love he receives is the love that is saved And sometimes is seen a strange spot in the sky A human being that was given to fly
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
Given To Fly is THE definitive pearl jam song from the post Vitalogy years, as important a part of their catalogue as Alive, Even Flow, Corduroy, or Betterman. It’s also one of the best songs from that period, arguably the best. It’s certainly one of my all time favorites. I take Given to Fly to be one of Pearl Jam’s ‘mission statement’ songs. It is a declaration of musical principles. Given To Fly is about the power of music; it’s ability to help us escape, endure, transform, and transcend.
Given To Fly feels autobiographical to me, at least in part. Eddie certainly identifies with the subject of the song even if it is not actually him. He starts out lost and disaffected. There is something about the world that feels wrong, that denies him his place in it. He is alienated, and looking for something to belong to, to be a part of. But for now he is alone, written off as an outcast and outsider. I love the image of being trapped in a long empty hallway, all locked doors and isolation. So he leaves. There is no home for him here, and he has too much integrity to try and force it. He makes it to the ocean, a vast expanse of limitless possibilities. Looking out over the water he’s overcome.
It’s there he has something close to a religious experience, one I equate with the feeling that hearing the right song at the right time can provide. He’s lifted up, weightless. The burdens that come from not fitting in or from living in a world without justice, without hope, are temporarily lifted. He’s free. While he’s out over the water, while the music is playing, life either makes sense or ceases to matter. There is only love and a profound connection to the rest of the world.
There is an allegory of the cave moment here (from Plato’s Republic). In the allegory of the cave the philosopher, the person capable of understanding truth and achieving enlightenment, has to make the ultimate sacrifice. After freeing himself from the darkness and shadows of the cave, he has to go back down into it. He has an obligation to liberate others. The same thing is happening here. The subject is free, but freedom means little if it can’t be shared with others. Isolation has never been the answer in Pearl Jam’s music. So he has to go back to pass on what he’s learned. There are those that won’t want to hear the message, but the message isn’t for them. The reward isn’t found in money or prestige (the only motivation the faceless men understand), but in the shared experience of love and the hope and possibility that you can help others liberate themselves. It is obvious that the band is grateful they get the chance to give to others what was given to them—liberation through song.
This is why Pearl Jam continues to make music, and it is the basis of the underlying message of hope that runs through their catalogue. The music is a way for us to connect with others, to be a part of something larger than ourselves, a source of strength that is an open secret. It’s the feeling you have when you’re singing along with 15,000 other people at a show. It’s a private, intimate moment and a public celebration at the same time. I’m not a religious person, but the most powerful live moments are a near religious experience for me. It’s the closest I come to touching the divine.
That’s the band’s gift to us. The music is given for us to fly.
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 3:43 am Posts: 18418 Location: Anytown, USA Gender: Male
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!! FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
5 STARS.
_________________
stip wrote:
In five years, when you get laid and grow up, you should go back and read some of these posts and if you've turned into a decent person you'll realize how much of an asshole you sound like right now
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
5 stars obviously. It's hit or miss for me live. There are sometimes it just forces me to stop and say wow, but there are other times it just doesn't move me.
I think Matt Cameron does a much better job on drums than Jack Irons did.
_________________ "Better the occasional faults of a Government that lives in a spirit of charity than the consistent omissions of a Government frozen in the ice of its own indifference."--FDR
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 3:43 am Posts: 18418 Location: Anytown, USA Gender: Male
FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
_________________
stip wrote:
In five years, when you get laid and grow up, you should go back and read some of these posts and if you've turned into a decent person you'll realize how much of an asshole you sound like right now
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
Cal Varnsen wrote:
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!! FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
5 STARS.
_________________ No matter how dark the storm gets overhead They say someone's watching from the calm at the edge What about us when we're down here in it? We gotta watch our backs
Given To Fly is THE definitive pearl jam song from the post Vitalogy years, as important a part of their catalogue as Alive, Even Flow, Corduroy, or Betterman. It’s also one of the best songs from that period, arguably the best. It’s certainly one of my all time favorites. I take Given to Fly to be one of Pearl Jam’s ‘mission statement’ songs. It is a declaration of musical principles. Given To Fly is about the power of music; it’s ability to help us escape, endure, transform, and transcend.
Given To Fly feels autobiographical to me, at least in part. Eddie certainly identifies with the subject of the song even if it is not actually him. He starts out lost and disaffected. There is something about the world that feels wrong, that denies him his place in it. He is alienated, and looking for something to belong to, to be a part of. But for now he is alone, written off as an outcast and outsider. I love the image of being trapped in a long empty hallway, all locked doors and isolation. So he leaves. There is no home for him here, and he has too much integrity to try and force it. He makes it to the ocean, a vast expanse of limitless possibilities. Looking out over the water he’s overcome.
It’s there he has something close to a religious experience, one I equate with the feeling that hearing the right song at the right time can provide. He’s lifted up, weightless. The burdens that come from not fitting in or from living in a world without justice, without hope, are temporarily lifted. He’s free. While he’s out over the water, while the music is playing, life either makes sense or ceases to matter. There is only love and a profound connection to the rest of the world.
There is an allegory of the cave moment here (from Plato’s Republic). In the allegory of the cave the philosopher, the person capable of understanding truth and achieving enlightenment, has to make the ultimate sacrifice. After freeing himself from the darkness and shadows of the cave, he has to go back down into it. He has an obligation to liberate others. The same thing is happening here. The subject is free, but freedom means little if it can’t be shared with others. Isolation has never been the answer in Pearl Jam’s music. So he has to go back to pass on what he’s learned. There are those that won’t want to hear the message, but the message isn’t for them. The reward isn’t found in money or prestige (the only motivation the faceless men understand), but in the shared experience of love and the hope and possibility that you can help others liberate themselves. It is obvious that the band is grateful they get the chance to give to others what was given to them—liberation through song.
This is why Pearl Jam continues to make music, and it is the basis of the underlying message of hope that runs through their catalogue. The music is a way for us to connect with others, to be a part of something larger than ourselves, a source of strength that is an open secret. It’s the feeling you have when you’re singing along with 15,000 other people at a show. It’s a private, intimate moment and a public celebration at the same time. I’m not a religious person, but the most powerful live moments are a near religious experience for me. It’s the closest I come to touching the divine.
That’s the band’s gift to us. The music is given for us to fly.
Wow. Nice job. I agree, absolutely.
If there is one song that describes Pearl Jam in a nutshell, it's this one. It describes Joeseph Campbells' monomyth very well. I've often read interpreations that see it as being about Christ, and that works but it works in an even bigger sense becuase all cultures tell stories that are similar to the one and what the character in GTF goes through. Mainly the element of him having discovered Truth with a capital "T" and then having ot come back to where he's from to deliver it.
And I agree very much with your assement that PJ's music is not about isloation but about coming closer together. The band now not being afraid of promoting thier music and being more out there is more of a testement to this than them shutting themselves (and their music) away. Which my main cricticisim of "indie" culture in general. It aids in isolation, which was never what this band was about.
Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:36 pm Posts: 197 Location: New Zealand
its a rip-off.
5 stars nonetheless.
I agree with Stip, its certainly a mainstay in the canon of pj songs, and on a good day it borders on sublime; on a bad day it makes me impatient and i end up skipping it!
great song great great song. really took off for me when i saw it live at the gorge last summer. Great lyrics, great message it brings. Loved what you wrote stip, i couldn't imagine any better way to put it. Great song.
5 stars obviously. It's hit or miss for me live. There are sometimes it just forces me to stop and say wow, but there are other times it just doesn't move me.
I think Matt Cameron does a much better job on drums than Jack Irons did.
I agree with you almost totally. I love Matt as a drummer.........but personally, I think what Jack did on SVT ( which is the only time I heard and seen him do it cause the concert supporting the album I seen had Matt playing ), was better. This of course, is just my opinion. Either way, yes, 5 stars.
_________________ It's not the same without you here
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
ALBANY 2003.
GO LISTEN NOW.
_________________ No matter how dark the storm gets overhead They say someone's watching from the calm at the edge What about us when we're down here in it? We gotta watch our backs
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:49 am Posts: 7777 Location: In your pants
This gets 5 in the studio, no questions at all. Just a beautiful,floating song. This song is the probably the highlight of the greatest album of all time. You come down the great 3 song slope to start off and run into Given To Fly. Wow. (too bad Wishlist comes next)
I have a lil set of songs (not all Pearl Jam) that I listen to before sports games im playing in, and this one is usually the one I listen to just before im ready to go out. So it holds a special place for me and im sure a lot of other people. Hell , even the artwork on the single is beautiful.
I just cant get into it live though. I feel its like Black in where sometimes it hits its peak, but then again sometimes it doesnt do the song justice.
_________________ Baby there's something about the hula.....
this is one of pj's best songs. (and my favorite album is no code, not yield).
anyway, i love this song. this is one they could play at every show and i would not mind at all. when they play it and everyone raises there arms for "arms wide open with the sea as his floor" well folks, that one of the best moments in live music ever imo.
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2006 10:53 pm Posts: 21098 Location: where do you think?
stip wrote:
Given To Fly is THE definitive pearl jam song from the post Vitalogy years, as important a part of their catalogue as Alive, Even Flow, Corduroy, or Betterman
amen! probably mikey's greatest contribution to the catalogue (outside of the solos). easily 5 stars.
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