Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 8:33 am Posts: 35357 Location: Los Angeles, CA Gender: Male
Rearviewmirror
i took a drive today time to emancipate i guess it was the beatings made me wise but i'm not about to give thanks, or apologize i couldn't breathe, holdin' me down hand on my face, pushed to the ground enmity gauged, united by fear forced to endure what i could not forgive... i seem to look away wounds in the mirror waved it wasn't my surface most defiled head at your feet, fool to your crown fist on my plate, swallowed it down enmity gauged, united by fear tried to endure what i could not forgive saw things saw things saw things saw things clearer clearer once you, were in my... rearview mirror... i gather speed from you fucking with me once and for all i'm far away i hardly believe, finally the shades...are raised... saw things so much clearer once you, once you... rearviewmirror... saw things so much clearer once you, once you... rearviewmirror...
MFC
sliding out of reverse into drive this wheel will be turning right, then straight off in the sunset she'll ride she can remember a time denied, stood by the side of the road, spilled like wine, now she's out on her own and line high there's no leaving here ask, i'm an ear she's disappeared they said timing was everything made him want to be everywhere there's a lot to be said for nowhere there's no leaving here ask, i'm an ear he's disappeared there's no leaving here ask, i'm an ear fuck it, we'll disappear
Gone
No more upset mornings No more trying evenings This American Dream I am disbelieving. When the gas in my tank feels like money in the bank I’m gonna blow it all this time, take me one last ride. For the lights of this city They only look good when I’m speeding I wanna leave em all behind me cause this time I’m gone Long gone This time I'm letting go of it all So long Cause this time I'm gone In the far off distance As my taillights fade No one to witness but they will someday Feel like a question is forming And the answers far I will be what I could be Once I get out of this town. For the lights of this city They’ve lost all of their feeling Gonna leave em all behind me cause this time I’m gone Long gone This time I'm letting go of it all So long Long gone I'm letting go of it all yeh this time I'm gone If nothing is everything If nothing is everything I’ll have it all If nothing is everything then I will have it all. I am gone.
Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 8:33 am Posts: 35357 Location: Los Angeles, CA Gender: Male
There is perhaps no more reoccurring theme in Pearl Jam songs than the need to get away from it all. The need to leave it all behind . Regardless of their song writing era, each one explores this need in very different ways.
One of their earliest attempts at this theme is one of the defining songs of Pearl Jam, Rearviewmirror. The protagonist in this work could possibly be the one from Daughter(connected possibly through Why Go), in that s/he is trying to escape an abusive relationship of some sort. Although the lyrics are extremely well written, the strength of RVM lies in the riff, which adds a sense of urgency to the need to leave the abuse and the live jam sessions. The images of the beatings, the mention of the need to emancipate, and the constant mention of seeing things clearer once in my rearview mirror adds a sense of understanding the protagonist is only beginning to realize once s/he has made his/her escape.
Throughout Pearl Jam’s middle period, the band took a different direction, but even with a slightly different sound, they could never truly escape their own roots, and wrote the Yield song MFC. Like RVM, MFC does have another song, the Untitled live intro, which acts as an intro. While RVM seems more of an urgent, “let’s get the fuck out of here right now or else I’m going to lose my head†type of leaving, MFC seems more of a “let’s explore for the hell of it†type of a song. The lyrical imagery of riding off into the sunset reminds me of the ending to some of the old western movies where the hero is leaving, but you get the feeling they’ll be back when trouble finds the town again. As well, the mention of she being out on her own tells me this is probably more of a leaving home for college/the work force/vacation type of song, rather than the abusive parents like seen in RVM.
Perhaps one of the most personal songs from Pearl Jam to me is the new era’s take on getting away from it all, Gone. Unlike the personal abuse of RVM, and the exploration theme in MFC, Gone seems more of a societal injustice done to the main protagonist in this song. Much like RVM and MFC, Gone has a song which could possibly tie into it in Unemployable. In the song Unemployable, we see the main focus laid off from work, with bills to pay and a family to support. It isn’t until Gone where s/he finally realizes that he is not living up to his own potential, and needs a new setting, and a new start in order to achieve his/her own personal goals. Unlike RVM, whose strength was its live jam sessions and fast paced riff to add to the urgency, Gone relies heavily on a soaring chorus where the character realizes s/he needs to leave in order to live up to their own hopes and dreams. The main theme of Gone seems to be a disbelief in the “American Dreamâ€, as well as the line about a question forming, and the answer being far. The fact that it is out there gives the main character hope.
Each song is a fine piece of work. It’s difficult for me to pick which one is my own personal favorite. While MFC is a middle of the road Yield song , RVM and Gone are both top 10 songs for me. While RVM might be Pearl Jam’s best song, I have to give the slight personal edge to Gone for the fact it is one of the most easily relatable Pearl Jam songs to my own personal life.
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Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:50 am Posts: 1838 Location: Perth, Australia Gender: Male
MFC
sliding out of reverse into drive.....
_________________ a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively there's no such thing as death life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:50 am Posts: 1838 Location: Perth, Australia Gender: Male
no love for MFC?
_________________ a young man on acid realized that all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively there's no such thing as death life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
RVM so towers over these other two songs (both of which I like) that it isn't even fair to compare them
MFC may have the best moment in any of the songs though
they said that timing was everything
made him want to be everywhere
there's a lot to be said for nowhere
MFC suffers from the terrible chorus blues that infects much of Yield though, and while the lyrics to gone's chorus are not that spectacular it does have that great soaring quality to it that MFC lacks, although MFC does sound much more like you are gunning a car engine.
Between those two I'd give it to MFC.
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