Better Days

I feel part of the universe open up to meet me
My emotion so submerged, broken down to kneel in
Once listening, the voices they came
Had to somehow greet myself, read myself
Heard vibrations within my cells, in my cells
Singing, "Ah-la-ah-ah, ah-la-ah-ah"

My love is safe for the universe
See me now, I'm bursting
On one planet, so many turns
Different worlds
Singing, "Ah-la-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah-ah, ah"

Fill my heart with discipline
Put there for the teaching
In my head see clouds of stairs
Help me as I'm reaching
The future's paved with better days

Not running from something
I'm running towards the day
Wide awake

A whisper once quiet
Now rising to a scream
Right in me

I'm falling, free falling
Words calling me
Up off my knees

I'm soaring and, darling,
You'll be the one that I can need
Still be free

Our future's paved with better days




Who You Are meets Into the Wild. This is the kind of song I would like Eddie to play with more, although ultimately this song could use some editing. it has a spontaneous feel that, while charming and innocent, also makes it feel somewhat underdeveloped (and I think Eddie is often better when he overthinks). It's sort of odd that I feel that way, since I think Eddie does a really nice job filling in the songs he does completely by himself, and this one is no exception There is a joyful lushness to the music that calls to mind a beachfront bonfire and the crashing waves that he clearly draws so much inspiration from. I think he sounds wonderful here. The wordless vocal fills in the backgrounds are probably the thing I miss the most about so many of his modern vocal choices, and some of those high notes that can come across too thin and scratchy he nails here.

It would have been interesting if the chorus of a song like Amongst the Waves took its cues from Better Days.

I think the thing that holds this song back for me are the touchy feel new age lyrics. I have no problem with the sense of awe and discovery and peace and spiritual, but not theological, salvation that is at the heart of the song. But to avoid these powerful sentiments becoming hallmark cliches they need (I think) particularly clever lyrics. it's not just enough to say it. you need to say it in a way that no one has ever said it before, and that just doesn't happen here. The song survives since Eddie can get away with cliches when he sings well, but it is not as good as it could be. The climax of the song is fine, but those first few verses are pretty weak, and since my ear is drawn to lyrics it cheapens the song

this is a 3 star song with a 4 star final two minutes.

Love it, but cant listen to it unless I'm on the same wavelength of the song. Unlike, say, Given to Fly, it has no pick-up point. It doesnt transcend dysfunction and sadness the way GtF does and bring you to an emotional peak, it's pretty much on one emotion and stays there, although it does this very well... the 2nd half of the song, especially the wistful "I'm falling part", are beautiful. But ultimately it doesnt provide the story arc that these kinds of songs need to feel complete. Maybe if it was on a full EV album, and it fit into the overall mood of the album, I'd feel differently.
But I love Eddie as a folk singer, and this song is very naturey and earthy. I used to like it a lot more, and I hardly EVER listen to it now. But I am currently, and I quite like it. The lyrics are beautiful and the vocals and instruments convey a great amount of emotion.
Probably a 3 star song for me, but since I used to love the shit out of it, I'll be generous and give it a 4.

Love it, fits Ed's current vocal style nicely. I do agree the "new age" thing is a little weak in parts, but it doesn't bother me. I enjoy the arrangement of the music. 4 stars.

This is one of Eddie's all-time worst lyrics, mostly because philosophy is his worst subject. I feel glad for him that in eight years he's gone from feeling as though he doesn't mean a thing to the universe to feeling like the universe is opening up to meet him, but mostly I'm just tired of hearing him sing about the universe.

How do you feel about Push Me, Pull Me?

Feel the sky blanket you, Kevin Davis.

I agree with Stip about the last two minutes of this song being the tits.

I want to like this song, but the lyrics and the vocal delivery of the first few verses kill it for me. 2 stars.

It's awesome. '98 Eddie can write about whatever he wants. (Thankfully he got "Leatherman" out while the getting was good.)

Not every instance of him addressing this stuff is bad, but he's really hit the Sylvia Browne mother lode these last number of years. Between this, "LBC," "Unthought Known," and some of the "Into the Wild" stuff, I could do without ever hearing another existential entry-level philosophy lyric from Eddie Vedder again.

For a supposed atheist, he really does bang on about new age stuff an awful lot.

i thought he put the atheist myth to rest recently?

I always got the impression that Eddie was more of a political athiest, snidely using God as a kind of whipping boy for his frustrations with the Christian right. He seems too caught up in his own agendas for me to think he'd see any kind of acknowledgment of a Christian God to be anything other than a total relinquishment of principle, but even barring any direct statements, he makes a lot of comments that reveal a suspicion that larger forces may be at work. Even within the span of "Faithfull," which I think is one of Pearl Jam's best songs, he doesn't seem entirely sure what he believes. On the one hand, he calls it an "M.Y.T.H.," but earlier he claims the "man upstairs is used to all of this noise"--how can the man upstairs be used to all of this noise, Eddie, if there is no man upstairs?

He tends to write pretty poorly when he addresses this stuff head on ("boxes of fear"--come on). When he expresses it through multi-dimensional images that could be interpreted a number of ways ("Tremor Christ," the first lines in "Faithfull"), he does much better work. I feel the same way about most of his political writing, too.

Kevin Davis gets it.

Faithfull is my favorite Pearl Jam song too.

Oh, and on the Seattle 98 remaster it's clear as day that Ed sing "furry thing".

The "boxes of fear" line is amazing.

Oddly enough, "Faithfull" on that Seattle remaster is what got me thinking about all that stuff. What a great show. What a great song.

I probably thought the same when I was a teenager too.

Great post KD, I agree with it all - and you said it more eloquence than I could possibly muster at 7:39am.

Does anyone else feel the production on this number is a little weird? It sounds kind of synthetic and artificial glimmery.

AND WHO WAS PHONE?

Yes. And the very end reminds me of the Lion King.