Post subject: SOTM #89: How I choose to feel is how I am...
Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 6:03 pm
Stone's Bitch
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:06 am Posts: 3146 Location: Orange County, California
Inside Job
Underneath this smile lies everything All my hope and anger, pride and shame I make myself a pact, not to shut doors on the past just for today, I am free
I will not lose my faith It's an inside job today I know this one thing well...
I used to try and kill love, it was the highest sin Breathing insecurity out and in Searching hope, I'm shown the way to run straight Pursuing the greater way for all human light.
How I choose to feel... Is how I am. How I choose to feel... Is how I am.
I will not lose my faith It's an inside job today
Holding on, the light of night On my knees to rise and fix my broken soul, again
Let me run into the rain To be a human light again Let me run into the rain To shine a human light today
Life comes from within your heart and desire Life comes from within my heart and desire Life comes from within your heart and desire
_________________ I waited all day
you waited all day
but you left before sunset
and I just wanted to tell you
that the moment was beautiful
just wanted to dance to bad music
drive bad cars
watch bad tv
should have stayed for the sunset
if not for me
Last edited by BadRadio16 on Thu May 03, 2007 6:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Joined: Sat Mar 11, 2006 5:06 am Posts: 3146 Location: Orange County, California
This decade has been a difficult period for Pearl Jam, and our world in general. Following tragedies such as 9/11, the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the genocide in Darfur, the war in Iraq, and their personal tragedy in Roskilde, the band has had plenty to write about, but very little to be hopeful for. The albums that have been released during this period of time (Riot Act and Pearl Jam) both capture Pearl Jam's frustration with the current political climate, and the devastation of our broken world. For me, Inside Job is the light at the end of the very dark lyrical tunnel that began with Riot Act and continued through most of Pearl Jam. It's message of hope and redemption is empowering to the listener, and although Mike's lyrics may be a bit trite, they are written with an optimism that makes them feel fresh.
The music itself is a departure from anything the band has done before. The long, brooding intro (complete with electric and acoustic guitar, piano, and a great bassline) gives Inside Job an epic feel, and the song is truly a journey from start to finish. It begins with an intimate portrait of person that is struggling to find purpose and overcome his/her own personal demons. Ed's vocals begin in almost a whisper which is very effective because the first half of the song is meant to be a message to oneself rather than a proclamation. The chorus (I will not lose faith, it's an inside job today) states the need for one to fix what is broken internally, before taking on the greater task of making a difference in the world. This all comes from a very genuine place, as it has been made known that Mike has struggled through addiction problems in the past. His lyrics here show him taking responsibility and striving for something better for himself.
The turning point in the song comes with the line "How I choose to feel is how I am." This is my favorite line in the song because its message is so empowering. The narrator is no longer a victim as he takes accountability for his own life. We may not be able to control the world around us, but we have complete control over ourselves and our actions. Inside Job begins to take flight as Ed sings, "Holding on, the light of night...On my knees to rise and fix my broken soul, again". The music beautifully captures this lyric as it builds from a place of weakness to a place of self-awareness, strength, and confidence. The rest of the song continues on this path, with the narrator using his new found enlightenment to make a difference in the world.
As Inside Job ends, and I am left with the shimmering sounds that close out the album, I can't help but feel a glimmer of hope amidst all the chaos that plagues our world today. A song that can evoke that kind of feeling gets 5 stars from me. I think Mike hit one out of the park with this one.
_________________ I waited all day
you waited all day
but you left before sunset
and I just wanted to tell you
that the moment was beautiful
just wanted to dance to bad music
drive bad cars
watch bad tv
should have stayed for the sunset
if not for me
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 5:47 am Posts: 27904 Location: Philadelphia Gender: Male
Excellent write-up, Ryan! You pretty much hit the nail on the head.
4 stars from me. I really like the song, but can't listen to it all the time; it's definitely a mood song. I don't think the lyrics (as written by Mike) are nearly as bad as some here do, but the "Let me run into the rain to shine human light again" line is horrible. But that's a small critique.
And Boom is used fucking perfectly in this song.
_________________ It's always the fallen ones who think they're always gonna save me.
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
I agree with almost everything BadRadio said--about what the song is trying to do, about how the lyrics are trite, but how the song gives it an urgency that makes it easy to overlook
But in the end it just ends up being average. The lryics aren't quite good enough for me to knock it into the upper echelons of the catalogue--the intro is suitably epic and the song moves nicely for a song of its length but there isn't that moment that I always really wait for like the other great songs have, and Eddie's vocals are good, but it's actually one of the weaker songs on S/T as far as that goes
It's really a 3.5 star song for me, but probably closer to 3 than 4. I never skip inside job when it comes on, but I never seek it out either
_________________ "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 01, 2006 8:33 am Posts: 35357 Location: Los Angeles, CA Gender: Male
Good write up Ryan.
This has always been toward the top of the s/t list for me. Such a powerful and uplifting song. A lot of urgency. This song is amazing to listen to when I'm having a shitty day. 4.5 stars, probably closer to a 4 than a 5.
_________________ Winner, RM all-time NBA tourney.
I've gotta put in my 2cents for Inside Job.
I love Avocado. Almost everything about it.
Except this song.
Musically it's quite good, and ranks up there with some of the other classic closers. I say this because the last song on the record is always a special one (p.s. I consider Immortality a last song for Vitalogy, not StupidMop). When I heard Inside job the first time I had great hope as the song was building up, and then the lyrics just shat all over my CD player.
>>How I choose to feel... Is how I am.
Ugh.
>>I will not lose my faith. It's an inside job today
Oh god, I'm going to be sick...
>>Life comes from within your heart and desire
Oh... there it is. Blaaaaaah.
Bottom line. Don't let Mike write lyrics. And if he does... Edit them. A lot.
Unfortunately for me S/T now ends at Comeback and I'm very happy about that. It's no Stupid Mop, but it might as well be because I never listen to it.
_________________ Toronto '96/Montreal '98/Barrie '98/Jones Beach I & II/Montreal '00/Toronto '00/Albany '03/Montreal '03/Montreal '05/MSG I '08/Toronto '09/MSG II '10/Montreal '11 Vinyl Thread
Worst song on s/t. It has a lot of potential musically. The fade in strumming and bass are cool. Once the piano kicks in, its meh. I don't like the lyrics at all. Trite is a good word, not very imaginative and at times cliche. The outro jam is cool and save it from being a rare 1 star from me.
Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:26 pm Posts: 434 Location: Where the sun always shines.. (and it does makes me smile!) Gender: Female
When I listen to this song -and songs near to it from the pj catalogue-
and my mood is really fuckin' up,.. sometimes I feel like I'm not alone
in this world..
Like I'm not the only one who has some strange fucking feelings for any reasons..
Does an inside job to me.
I love that song.
I just wanna say.. ''thanx guys, for writting songs like that''!
5 stars.
(That was Gremmie...out of control!)
_________________ **CAUSE LOVE IS ALL GOOD PEOPLE NEED,..
AND MUSIC SET THE SICK ONES FREE,..
WITHOUT LOVE NO ONE EVER GROWS,..
NOTHING EVER SINGS...**
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:14 am Posts: 37778 Location: OmaGOD!!! Gender: Male
southp wrote:
When I heard Inside job the first time I had great hope as the song was building up, and then the lyrics just shat all over my CD player.
>>How I choose to feel... Is how I am.
Ugh.
>>I will not lose my faith. It's an inside job today
Oh god, I'm going to be sick...
>>Life comes from within your heart and desire
Oh... there it is. Blaaaaaah.
Bottom line. Don't let Mike write lyrics. And if he does... Edit them. A lot. Unfortunately for me S/T now ends at Comeback and I'm very happy about that. It's no Stupid Mop, but it might as well be because I never listen to it.
Have you ever read any of my posts regarding Nothingman?
_________________ Unfortunately, at the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius, the Flower Children jerked off and went back to sleep.
This has always been toward the top of the s/t list for me. Such a powerful and uplifting song. A lot of urgency. This song is amazing to listen to when I'm having a shitty day. 4.5 stars, probably closer to a 4 than a 5.
i agree 100% with you on this
i love inside job. the music, the structure, and the melodies more than make up for any weakness in the lyrics, which aren't that bad imo. it's in my top 15 all time pj songs, easily. ed's delivery is awesome too.
i still can't believe i couldn't make it to vegas last year
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