from Wikipedia (i didn't know that):

According to Eddie Vedder at a June 1, 2006 concert in East Rutherford, New Jersey, this song is part one of two, part two being "Come Back" off of their recent self-titled album. "Come Back" is set with the same young man from part one talking to the departed two months later.[

"Angel" (from the 1993 Christmas single) was supposed to appear on Disc 2,[2] but was deleted before release. There is still mention of it on the "lost dogs" flyers on the back cover. It is rumored to have been deleted to avoid giving former drummer Dave Abbruzzese royalties, as he wrote the music and played guitar on it. Besides "Angel", some notable omissions from the album include various songs only available on other Christmas singles by the band, "Long Road" and "I Got Id" from the Merkin Ball EP, and "Leatherman" from the "Given to Fly" single.

about SVT:

The film was shot in 16mm film over three days in November 1997. It features behind the scenes footage of the band's recording and rehearsal sessions in downtown Seattle and interviews with the band members. The term "single video theory" is a play on the "single bullet theory," involving the assassination of John F. Kennedy

*fixed
also he said nothing of it being part one of two just mentioned its about when you know someone is on their way out or has just gone and comeback is two months later...

I agree that Long Road definitely should have made Lost Dogs. Not so sure about Leatherman, even though I love the song (fuck off, Stip).

Man of the Hour = good song
Come Back = bad song

Does this wikipedia have the right interpretation for Angel? If so, Ed's changed it (his prerogative) because this makes no sense in the context of the original meaning for Angel. Angel is about two people expecting to be together in the afterlife, but find out it's not what they thought at all. They can't reach each other. It came from a book or poem he'd read (damn, I can't remember the title) and I believe there was a murder/suicide by a pair of lovers at some point before it was written - that last part might not be right... I'm hazy on it.

.

I believe that it is from "The Eloping Angels:A Caprice" by William Watson.

Two angels who had been lovers in their mortal lives are returned to earth by Mephistopheles:

She, on the earth, a village girl, and he
A prince had been. ' Twas pure romance of love,
Idyllic and ideal as could be,
All policy and prudence far above.
And when he fell in glorious battle, she
Could not survive him, poor, white, mateless dove !
And now on earth they stepped once more, and met
The ghosts of old dead kissed deathless yet.

There they remain immortal only to watch those that they care about grow old and die:

Loving their fellows, to lament them dead.
Age after age, they saw the opening tomb,
And saw it close upon a comrade's head.
Yet what the grave took from them, that the womb
Gave back ; ' for death is but a form, ' they said,
' Birth a convention : nought is less or more ;
And nature but reclaimeth to restore. '

A very pretty poem. Not related in any way to COME BACK. The Wikipedia article seems to have a rash of little errors.

Ya think?

Ed used the poem as a springboard.

If Ed's on "tape" saying it's related, then it is. However, the fact that it was once something else is important to note. The origination of the work is ... fundamental to its existence. The artist can do or say anything later and that's absolutely valid, but knowing where it came from, from the artist himself back when he wrote it is vital information.

So how messed up is Wiki? This is wikipedia, wikipedia, not the sky i scrape right?

read my double posts above and you will be enlightened
if you're too lazy...
he's referring to Man of the Hour not Angel...
nice poem...never read that before thanks!

are you calling me lazy boy?

::thwap::

i do the dishes (not) i clean my room (never) i do my laundry (buy new clothes) I read all the posts (just the first and last)

I SWEAR i'm not lazy.

i believe you...

better leatherman than hitchhiker

Better a Disc I that is three and a half minutes shorter than either

Hey, HITCHHIKER is one of my son's favorite songs. Along with BIG WAVE.

Haha, Stip got owned by a little boy.

I don't like either of those songs, but I'm glad they've been released.

Perhaps the main thing Lost Dogs taught m was that I had no need to mourn all the unreleased material. So many of their b-sides and outtakes are so good that I had always wondered how much other really great stuff was just sitting on the shelf somewhere. Lost Dogs confirmed for me ... not much.

How can you HATE Hitchhiker or Leatherman? They're just fun, poppy songs. There's no intention to be anything more than that, unlike a song like 'U' or something. These songs know they're no showcases of wit or genius and they're proud of it, so leave them be

U is the prototype of a PJ song that was written just for fun. I don't get your post. "I wrote this on a drive, had the drive been longer, the song maybe would have been more complex" or something like that.

I don't hate them, and I'm all for songs that only exist to be silly/fun. But I don't get a lot of fun out of either song, so ...