_________________ "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: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
No list of the elite songs that define pearl jam could be complete without rearview mirror. This is arguably the crown jewel of Vs. and one of the most important works in their early catalogue.
Thematically this is the song that really picks up where Ten left off. The dominant theme of Pearl Jam’s early work is learning to survive and endure when your love, trust, and innocence is shattered through some form of betrayal—and the two dominant forms of betrayal Eddie deals with are that of family and lovers—the two groups of people we should most be able to depend on.
For my first 8 years or so with the song I always took RVM to be a song about child abuse (putting it with Alive, Jeremy, Release, Why Go and Daughter) but it could just as likely be a song about love (and the obvious connection here is Black but porch fits too). It’s a testament to the writing that either one makes complete sense
There is obviously abuse here, both mental and physical. Almost every line in the first half deals with some form of it
The beatings made me wise…
I couldn't breathe, holdin' me down…
Hand on my face, pushed to the ground…
It wasn't my surface most defiled…
Head at your feet, fool to your crown…
Fist on my plate, swallowed it down…
And the scars are there. The toughest lines in the song are when he sings about being united by fear (echoes of betterman) and being forced to endure what cannot be forgiven.
But what really defines Pearl Jam’s best work is the sense of defiance—present in the music, the lyrics, and especially Eddie’s delivery. The big break happens during the bridge. The music creates a feeling of movement (there is the ethereal whispering urging the subject to look away) building into the break with the past that starts at ‘Saw Things…' Rearview mirror is a cry to resist---to give yourself the space needed to create the physical and psychic distance necessary to be able to really look at your life and figure out what you need to do to survive. If you have the courage to try and escape from whatever it is that drags you down you can discover that freedom is possible
And that music can help you achieve it.
_________________ "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
The first Pearl Jam song that made me see them as something more than just another band. Between this song, Elderly Woman, and Indifference, Vs made Pearl Jam the most exciting band going at that time IMHO.
A very short time later, Vitalogy made them one of the most exciting ever.
Joined: Wed Mar 02, 2005 3:43 am Posts: 18418 Location: Anytown, USA Gender: Male
i'm on the fence with this one. i hate the studio version, but i dont mind it live, especially when they jam for like 10 minutes. i'd love to see a 20 minute version of this someday.
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stip wrote:
In five years, when you get laid and grow up, you should go back and read some of these posts and if you've turned into a decent person you'll realize how much of an asshole you sound like right now
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:29 pm Posts: 6984 Location: if anyone wants me, i'll be in my room Gender: Male
this was my first favorite pearl jam song. the music, the lyrics, the level of enery at the end of the song... especially live. and the breakdown in the middle is one of the coolest parts of any song, ever. and when it kicks back into the lyrics... holy shit, it pumps me up so much. i think i could beat up the incredible hulk if someone had the end of rearviewmirror turned way up.
Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2004 5:47 am Posts: 27904 Location: Philadelphia Gender: Male
I love the emotion in the song, but there's just something about it that bugs me. Maybe it's the theme of escaping via a car (Springsteen wrote tons of better songs with that theme), or how blatant the song is about being a victim. There have been times when I really got into it, but I never fully connected with it.
And Ed's lyrics are hit-or-miss as well. "It wasn't my surface most defiled" is one of my all-time favorite lines of his. It's suggestive and gets its point across without being pretentious. But "I guess it was the beatings, made me wise"? Ugh. How much more obvious could he be?
Love it live, but the studio version just doesn't do too much for me. When I"m listening to Vs. I get excited when I hear it; not because of the song itself, but because of the four that will follow it.
_________________ 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
McParadigm wrote:
The first Pearl Jam song that made me see them as something more than just another band. Between this song, Elderly Woman, and Indifference, Vs made Pearl Jam the most exciting band going at that time IMHO.
A very short time later, Vitalogy made them one of the most exciting ever.
agreed
I'm actually not a huge fan of this one live. The jams meander on a bit too long for me. But the breakdown at the end is great, especially with the lights
_________________ "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: Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:10 am Posts: 459 Location: milwaukee
I especially have grown to love the live version of this song and I think (without going too much off topic) that the 2003 Mansfield 2 version of this song may be the best ever. The lighting for this song are among the best work the lighting guys do. I think that the studio version's sound is lacking a bit and doesn't have the raw feel that the live version does.
I also note, if I'm not mistaken, that this is one of the first songs in the Pearl Jam catalogue that Ed plays guitar on.
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
light_years62103 wrote:
I especially have grown to love the live version of this song and I think (without going too much off topic) that the 2003 Mansfield 2 version of this song may be the best ever. The lighting for this song are among the best work the lighting guys do. I think that the studio version's sound is lacking a bit and doesn't have the raw feel that the live version does.
I also note, if I'm not mistaken, that this is one of the first songs in the Pearl Jam catalogue that Ed plays guitar on.
welcome to the board I believe you are correct on that
The Dude abides
_________________ "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: Sat Sep 03, 2005 4:35 pm Posts: 1545 Location: Boston
I love this song because it's one of Ed's "take from it what you will" songs, where it can be interpreted many ways and many people can connect to it for different reasons. As one person already stated it could be looked at as a song about child abuse or love or even the most recent interpretation I've heard, suicide. I thought the suicide interpretation was the most interesting because, to me at least, it does fit with the song and it was an idea I had never thought of or heard before.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
dirtyfrank0705 wrote:
I love the emotion in the song, but there's just something about it that bugs me. Maybe it's the theme of escaping via a car (Springsteen wrote tons of better songs with that theme), or how blatant the song is about being a victim. There have been times when I really got into it, but I never fully connected with it.
And Ed's lyrics are hit-or-miss as well. "It wasn't my surface most defiled" is one of my all-time favorite lines of his. It's suggestive and gets its point across without being pretentious. But "I guess it was the beatings, made me wise"? Ugh. How much more obvious could he be?
Love it live, but the studio version just doesn't do too much for me. When I"m listening to Vs. I get excited when I hear it; not because of the song itself, but because of the four that will follow it.
good post.
i think i grew tired of it in the 2003 tour. i like the jams, but it sounded much different than in 2000. i don't seem to dig it as much.
i love the end breakdown...but i'd rather hear something else.
_________________ No matter how dark the storm gets overhead They say someone's watching from the calm at the edge What about us when we're down here in it? We gotta watch our backs
i always loved this song...the music is so good and the lyrics are one of ed's bests works to date.
i love the studio version and i adore the live versions.
the best version of all time was played in argentina, the 25 of november.
check that out.
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2004 4:02 am Posts: 44183 Location: New York Gender: Male
ms11781 wrote:
I love this song because it's one of Ed's "take from it what you will" songs, where it can be interpreted many ways and many people can connect to it for different reasons. As one person already stated it could be looked at as a song about child abuse or love or even the most recent interpretation I've heard, suicide. I thought the suicide interpretation was the most interesting because, to me at least, it does fit with the song and it was an idea I had never thought of or heard before.
I can see where certain lyrics lead to suicide, but the idea of the person actually killing themself really goes against the general message of their music. it's music to prevent suicide.
_________________ "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: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:47 am Posts: 46000 Location: Reasonville
cincinnati dude wrote:
One of my all time favorites. I'm not a big fan of the long, drawn out live version.
So is that really Dave A. throwing his sticks at the wall at the end of the studio version. I think I read that in 5 Against 1.
from what i've read all over, it is.
_________________ No matter how dark the storm gets overhead They say someone's watching from the calm at the edge What about us when we're down here in it? We gotta watch our backs
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 9:50 am Posts: 1838 Location: Perth, Australia Gender: Male
i like the live jams. but it's a song i got sick of a while ago. still, it's a good song.
_________________ 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
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frank
I believe you are correct on that
