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How do you rate Down?
5 stars: This will never bring me down 37%  37%  [ 43 ]
4 stars: Down is the new up 41%  41%  [ 47 ]
3 stars: This is neither thumbs up or down 15%  15%  [ 18 ]
2 stars: It brings me down 2%  2%  [ 3 ]
1 star: The title describes the positioning of my thumbs when rating this song 2%  2%  [ 3 ]
0 stars: This would be even bad for an U2-song. Zinn should have written the entire lyrics 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
Total votes : 114
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 Post subject: SOTM #86: You can't be neutral on a moving train
PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:23 pm 
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Down

Down. Fall by the wayside... no getting out...
Down. Cry me a river... dried up and dammed.
The names can be changed... but the place is still the same.
I am loaded. Told that all's for naught. Holds me down.

Rise. Life is in motion. I'm stuck in line.
Oh rise. You can't be neutral on a moving train.
One day... the symptoms fade. Think I'll throw these pills away.
And if hope could grow from dirt like me. It can be done.

Won't let the light escape from me.
Won't let the darkness swallow me.

(So long)

Previous Songs of the Moment
1. In My Tree
2. Red Mosquito
3. Porch
4. I Got Id
5. Release
6. Do The Evolution
7. Breath
8. Corduroy
9. Elderly Woman...
10. Leash
11. Hail Hail
12. Grievance
13. Love Boat Captain
14. Even Flow
15. Black Red Yellow
16. In Hiding
17. Can't Keep
18. Indifference
19. Insignificance
20. Whipping
21. Black
22. Smile
23. Push Me Pull Me
24. Rats
25. God's Dice
26. All or None
27. Yellow Ledbetter
28. Last Exit
29. Who You Are
30. Rearview Mirror
31. Hold On
32. Present Tense
33. Light Years
34. Alive
35. Brain of J
36. Thumbing My Way
37. Hard to Imagine
38. Tremor Christ
39. Rival
40. Animal
41. Lukin
42. You Are
43. betterman
44. Given to Fly
45. Once
46. Low Light
47. Parting Ways
48. Off He Goes
49. Go
50. get right
51. World Wide Suicide
52. Angel
53. MFC
54. Long Road
55. Why Go
56. Nothingman
57. Save You
58. Of A Girl
59. Habit
60. Satan’s Bed
61. Faithful
62. Oceans
63. Gone
64. WMA
65. State of Love and Trust
66. Spin The Black Circle
67. Life Wasted
68. Arc
69. Garden
70. All Those Yesterdays
71.Sleight of Hand
72. Other Side
73. Let Me Sleep
74. I’m Open
75. Blood
76.Nothing As It Seems
77. All Night
78. Jeremy
79. No Way
80. Around The Bend
81. Immortality
82. Comatose
83. Daughter
84. Alone
85. I am Mine

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:25 pm 
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The first time I heard Riot Act in full, I was a bit disappointed. Not because I disliked the album, because I still find it to be a good yet flawed piece of music. My disappointment stemmed from the high hopes promised by the I Am Mine single—the title track and a b-side no one had heard of before called Down. I remember thinking, “If the new record is so good that this gem is relegated to b-side status, I am in for a major fucking experience with this new album.” Sadly, this was not the case.
Down (much like the other two Riot Act b-sides) had every right to make the cut. Such is the frustration at times of being a Pearl Jam fan.

As stated in the Lost Dogs liner notes, Down was inspired by the writings of political activist Howard Zinn. The line “You can’t be neutral on a moving train” is actually “borrowed” from the title of one of his books (which I highly recommend reading, by the way). Down is about a call to action, much like the book that inspired the aforementioned line, but on a more personal level as opposed to a socio-political one.

The song basically contains three parts: the feeling of negativity, the prosperity of hope, and finally the narrator’s declaration of hope. As the song begins, the narrator feels trapped (“No getting out”) and hopeless (“I am loaded, told that all’s for naught/Holds me down”). Why does he feel this way? Well, pick your poison and welcome to the human condition. Feeling like shit is as inevitable an emotion as they come. Our narrator is beaten, but not quite beat.

Then comes the awakening in part two. “One day the symptoms fade.” This is a peculiar line in as to where the narrator never reveals a catalyst for why the symptoms begin to disappear. Perhaps because there is no explanation. Perhaps life is a question of balance, and “if hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done.” Out of something negative (dirt) stems the positive (hope). Yin and yang, yes? Maybe we can find that balance, but it has to come from within (“Think I’ll throw these pills away”).

In the final part, the narrator chooses hope: “Won’t let the light escape from me/Won’t let the darkness swallow me!” He breaks the argument down to a simple choice, which is life or death (not necessarily literal). There will be no stymieing of a primal, instilled emotion because one of man’s most remarkable abilities and powers is to transcend. But we still have to choose to do so, or it really is all for naught.

The music matches the lyrical content perfectly with its upbeat, driving melody. Though its moderately heavy subject matter, the music is still fun and extremely catchy. It’s a perfect little pop song that I could easily see getting heavy rotation on FM radio. There’s nothing epic about Down, but I find it to be irresistible. Bonus points to the band for translating a rocker extremely well to an acoustic setting (the Benaroya Hall version is great).

5 stars.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:31 pm 
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Incredible piece of music. This line hits me every time (in a good way):

Quote:
One day, the symptoms fade.
Think I'll throw these (fuckin') pills away.



EDIT. You should proabably add a poll there, frank. Either way, mark me down for 5 stars. :thumbsup:


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:35 pm 
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5 stars indeed


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:57 pm 
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conoalias wrote:
5 stars indeed

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 10:59 pm 
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****
Nice little upbeat song with a catchy pop melody. Political in nature but not heavy handed at all. I can't give it a true 5 but a strong 4 for sure. :D

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 12:43 am 
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whenever I'm feeling a little depressed and I want a great little song to bring me out of it and give me a sense of hope, I throw this song on.

one of the first PJ songs I ever heard, and it's still one of my favorites

Five stars.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:25 am 
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I'v been far by the wayside for a bit far too long. love this song!
one day, the symptoms fade away... :D

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:08 am 
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4 stars, no doubt about it.

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:11 am 
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One of the few upbeat and uplifting songs from PJ. Tremendously done. 5 stars. Probably in my top 10 fav PJ tunes to listen to.


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:24 am 
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why is a new Radiohead song one of the choices?

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:34 am 
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5 stars.

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:06 am 
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LostDog1079 wrote:
4 stars, no doubt about it.

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:12 am 
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I Got Memories wrote:
LostDog1079 wrote:
4 stars, no doubt about it.

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Juvenal wrote:
I Got Memories wrote:
LostDog1079 wrote:
4 stars, no doubt about it.

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Why not me?


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 5:24 pm 
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I really like the social distortion influence on this song, I think this song actually got me into social distrtion.

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2007 12:37 am 
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I am what most would consider a new Pearl Jam fan... probably 2-3 years. And the best part about being a new fan is I am always discovering new songs. The two ways I tend to discover songs is that I either give a song another chance... a song I didn't like to begin with, but fall in love with it after a few listens(i.e. immortality, gasp!!). But the 2nd way is hearing it for the first time and instantly recognizing it's brilliance. And that is what happened the first time I heard down. I got the Benaroya hall cd for christmas a few years back, and that show being more of a rare song show, I didn't really appreciate most of the songs I didn't really know, off he goes, immortality, all or none etc. But, the first time I heard down, I loved it. What an incredible easy to listen to song. I am baffled on why that song was left off the album. And I do think riot act is a good album, and I do like all the songs, but the only songs I think that are better than down are LBC, I am Mine and All or none. But, that is besides the point, great song and I was ecstatic to hear it live in Chicago this year. Great write up!


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:13 am 
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inmytree wrote:
5 stars.

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i'm the flick of the shank that opened your veins
i'm the dusk, i'm the frightening calm
i'm a hole in the pipeline, i'm a road side bomb..."

:peace: Frank


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:18 am 
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Solid 4 star song. Really uplifting. Fun song live too.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 2:08 am 
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we should really stick to just generic poll options.

Quote:
Down is the new up

Quote:
The title describes the positioning of my thumbs when rating this song
:|


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