Satan's Bed

It's not all been said, been said and done
I've never slept in satan's bed
Although I must admit...still visits my place
Uninvited, as you know he don't wait
Funny how he always seems to fit in
Funny how I always want to give in
Sundays, Fridays, Tuesdays, Thursday, the same
Sometimes the special guest, he don't like to leave

Already....in love....

Who made, who made up, made up the myth
That we were born to be covered in bliss?
Who set the standard, born to be rich?
Such fine examples, skinny little bitch
Model, role model, roll some models in blood
Get some flesh to stick, so they look like us
I shit and I stink, I'm real, join the club
I'd stop and talk, but i'm already in love

Already...in love...

Torture follows reward follows torture follows reward...

Never shook satan's hand, look see for yourself
You'd know it if I had, that shit don't come off
I'll rise and fall, let me take credit for both
Jump off a cliff, don't need your help so back off
I'll never suck satan's dick...
Again, you'd see it, you know, right round the lips
I'll wait for an angel, but I won't hold my breath
Imagine they're busy, think i'm doing okay

Already...in love...

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
Rival
Animal
Lukin
You Are
betterman
Given to Fly
Once
Low Light
Parting Ways
Off He Goes
Go
get right
World Wide Suicide
Angel
MFC
Long Road
Why Go
Nothingman
Save You
Of A Girl
Habit

For a few years Satan’s Bed was my favorite Pearl Jam song, so this one will always have a special place in my heart (it beat out even flow, and was later supplanted by Corduroy, which held the spot until the Alive remix on RVM). The definitive version of this song is from the Atlanta 94 show. They’ve never matched it. I am not a big fan of the overly busy and distorted take that appears on the record. It loses the smoothness of the live version, and mike is doing a lot of great stuff that just gets swallowed in the mix.

Lyrically it picks up on the theme of authenticity that is running through most of Vitalogy. It is a song about making choices, and the value that those choices have because they are ours. What matters is not whether we adhere to the standards that society and the media have set for us, but that follow the ones we’ve made for ourselves—that we live the life we have for reasons that make sense to us. For Eddie this meant rejecting the image of the rock star/celebrity personality and trying to recapture some sense of who he was underneath the invention of the ‘eddie vedder’ persona (other songs on Vitalogy deal with the same basic idea, but in regards to the music). It is both incredibly personal (last exit, corduroy, Satan’s bed, and immortality are all, in their own ways, very intimate songs) but open enough that the song also works as a general rallying cry to be an independent, free thinking human being.

The song starts off with the constant temptation that someone in Eddie’s position must find himself in. The devil (who we should each define for ourselves, but in this case it is likely the record industry/media/fame) is constantly offering him the privilege and rewards that come with fame—the money, status, influence, and celebrity—and in a moment of honesty, he admits that while he has resisted thus far, it is tempting. It’s a more compelling song for the admission. But he’s resisted, because he sees how ephemeral and artificial the gifts the Devil offers really are. They aren’t what he really wants, nor does he need them. He has love, and everything else is superfluous and vaguely hollow next to it. It’s the mantra he keeps coming back to in order to steady his resolve.

He’s caught some shit on the board for the next verse because of the model line, but it is worth noting that what he is attacking is the stereotype of the model—beautiful but ultimately devoid of any kind of substance—an artificial creation without any kind of humanity underneath it. He’s using model as a stand in here for a certain type of person (and someone can be a model and not be that stereotype). The same critique can be leveled against actors, athletes, musicians, or any larger than live person who owes their status to smoke, mirrors, and hype that is completely unwarranted and unearned. The imperfect reality, shitting and stinking, is preferable to the illusion. Again, what really matters is that we decide for ourselves what in life has meaning and is worth pursuing, and we mustn’t let others make that decision for us.

The final verse reaffirms all this. He’s been tempted, but he’s resisted. He’s held on to who he is, for better or worse. It isn’t easy—resisting convention never is—but it is worth it in the end. A choice we make for ourselves, even if it doesn’t work out as well as we had hoped, has value because it is ours.

It matters, because our ability to decide who we are for ourselves is the only real freedom that can never be taken away. It is the source of our humanity.




4 stars, although the Atlanta version gets 5

this is our 60th song of the moment. Doesn't seem like that many.

a really good song (4 stars) with such a simple yet amazing riff. This is also one of those songs where Ed sings completely different than on any other songs. He's hard to explain but it almost sounds like he is pulling the riff with him, or the riff is pulling him. they're kind of chasing each other , especially in the live versions. Very witty lyrics which due too Eddie's current private life situation. will forever haunt him . Very glad they brought this song back into the (US only?) setlists.

Probably one of the weaker songs on Vitalogy, which still earns it 4 stars from me, none of the real songs on Vitalogy rank any lower.

This is a great song, and probably the only one on Vitalogy which I see as inspirational. The narrator refutes his personal devils, and fiercely. The last verse couplet always gets to me:

"I'll wait for an angel, but I won't hold my breath
Imagine they're busy...think I'm doing okay"

4 stars.

me too. (also 4 stars)

I love the sense of realism. Life may not be perfect, and I may not get everything I ever want, but I'll still be okay.

i love AT

5 stars

And I want to hear it live, Gods damn it! 2 more chances...

I've never heard it live either

I haven't heard the live versions from this tour - what are they like? Do they start with the chorus chords first as in the (memorably fucked up) State College attempt? That sounded pretty cool.

3 stars for me. a bit rhymey for me, but not a bad song. I have trouble in my head distinguishing between satans bed and whipping. Definetely the two weekest real songs on Vitalogy IMO

5 stars... loved it the moment I first heard it. Definitely in my top 5 of Vitalogy, with the first 4 songs.

I love this song. It's frantic and weird and unlike anything they've done before or since. I love it live and I'm SO GLAD they've started playing it again.

"i shit and i stink, i'm real join the club"

Who made, who made up, made up the myth
That we were born to be covered in bliss?
Who set the standard, born to be rich?

one of the few songs that i thought i would never hear live. so glad i was able to be apart of it.


the song comes off as childish the way he sings it and the way the music is played, but it has so much more of a meaning. i love it,

Satan's Bed is severly underrated. 4 Stars because it's not my favorite on Vitalogy but is still awesome

nope, they play it straight.

i nearly lost my mind when i heard this in albany.