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Length: 5:41
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His face seems pulled and tense
Like he's riding on a motorbike
In the strongest winds
So I approach with tact
Suggest that he should relax
But he's always moving
Much too fast
Said he'll see me on the flip side
On this trip he's taking for a ride
He's been taking too much on
There he goes with his perfectly unkempt clothes
There he goes...
He's yet to come back
But I've seen his picture
It doesn't look the same
Up on the rack
We go way back
I wonder about his insides
It's like his thoughts are too big for his size
He's been taken
Where I don't know
Off he goes with his perfectly unkempt clothes
There he goes
And now I rub my eyes
For he has returned
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned
For he still smiles
And he's still strong
Nothing's changed but the surrounding bullshit
That has grown
And now he's home
And we're laughing like we always did
My same old
Same old friend
Until a quarter-to-ten
I saw the strain creep in
He seems distracted
And I know just what is going to happen then
Before his first step
He is off again
I don't know... his face "pulled and tense, like he's riding on a motorbike in the strongest winds" and his "perfectly unkempt clothes" sure sounds like Neil Young to me, though you could still be right.
It's about someone who isn't stupid but can't get anything done.
Pearl Jam is a rather amazing group. Love them or hate them (I've done both), but either way, they're pretty tough to ignore. And I really, really love this song.
This regarding Pearl Jam - plus I just love coming across Cynaera posts I haven't spotted before - always here !
Pearl Jam is a rather amazing group. Love them or hate them (I've done both), but either way, they're pretty tough to ignore. And I really, really love this song.
Interesting! Thank You for sharing your story with us.
This album came out when I was probably at the peak of my Pearl Jam fandom. I had joined the PJ fan club around this time. They would give fan club members first crack at concert tickets and when I got the email (maybe it was an actual letter in the mail, this was mid-90s, after all) I filled out my form for 2 tickets to their show at the Great Western Forum in L.A. and mailed it back with my check the same day. Man, was I surprised when I got the tickets in the mail showing 2 tickets front row center! The tickets were $25 each.
Good times.
You lucky duck! I wish I was sitting next to you!
Is that your nic-name? eh? GREAT TUNE!! I gave it a TEN!!
Our oldest son of two just graduated college. This past year, every holiday break meant so much to have him and his brother who never stops harassing him to sit with the four of us altogether, TV muted, talking, laughing until our guts hurt and tears rolled down our faces. This is what this song means to me. All of the love and thankfulness we tried to instill and it stuck. They are beautiful, loving, strong, and courteous men.
Somebody just HAD to downvote this comment?
Good times.
Pearl Jam is a rather amazing group. Love them or hate them (I've done both), but either way, they're pretty tough to ignore. And I really, really love this song.
I get it. Kind of felt the same way, not into Grunge so much, more of a prog rock guy. But I like to listen with open ears and mind. This one is powerful...
"Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned"
I don't know... his face "pulled and tense, like he's riding on a motorbike in the strongest winds" and his "perfectly unkempt clothes" sure sounds like Neil Young to me, though you could still be right.
Pearl Jam is a rather amazing group. Love them or hate them (I've done both), but either way, they're pretty tough to ignore. And I really, really love this song.Bunch of good lads from start to whenever...
rate 7
good to hear now and again though
Thanks for your comment. I've heard this on RP for years, but never stopped to listen or read the lyrics. Agree with the tears...
good to hear now and again though
ice-9 wrote:
I've always assumed it's a song about Neil Young. It describes him pretty well, and the line "... but I've seen his picture. It doesn't look the same upon the rack" sounds like a reference to the record store rack.
Then again, I guess that would make it a song about friendship.
this song has that feeling to it imo
Open it and rip it. But it's kind of like opening a vintage wine isn't it? You wouldn't serve that to just anyone...
Here I sit still wondering to open it up. Maybe for New Years.
I've always assumed it's a song about Neil Young. It describes him pretty well, and the line "... but I've seen his picture. It doesn't look the same upon the rack" sounds like a reference to the record store rack.
Then again, I guess that would make it a song about friendship.
Thank you for that post. I've carped/joked about Eddie's voice many times before but you're right: he's got an honest, unpretentious voice and approach. What you hear is what you get. I really liked Eddie's two songs on the soundtrack for "Dead Man Walking" for the same reason.
I've posted this on RP before but...I remember hearing a Fresh Air interview with Al Kooper, who actually was the lead singer for Blood, Sweat and Tears before David Clayton Thomas (older RPers might say "Well, duh" but this blew my mind). Kooper quite freely admitted that Thomas was a better singer but said "I never believed a word of what he sang." Boom!
What planet do you reside passion ?
What planet do you reside passion ?
I dunno, but lots of folks enjoy listening to him sing. Did you take singing lessons, and if so, how's your singing career coming along as compared to Eddie's?
This song doesn't do much for me, not because of his voice though. How many relevant rock singers have ever had singing lessons?
ððð
Love this song.
iTuner wrote:
This sounds like a wholesale ripoff of Unknown Legend...
iTuner wrote:
I've never been much of a PJ/Vedder fan but I definitely prefer their/his ballads to the rockers, as Eddie's "quiet" voice is much more palatable, IMO. Plus, any band that takes on those Ticketmaster motherf•ckers is OK by me!
Present Tense is one of my all time favorites with a great great message.
This is true, but not always because of PJ's greatness. There are better bands of the era that would have had a career as long and successful if not more so, had all the members managed to stay alive.
Yes - It's tragic that Kurt and Layne died, and that Dave and Jerry had to move on without them, and that clearly changed their trajectory in terms of both the quality and range of output and their sucess.
PJ was lucky in the that sense. But don't forget that they had their genesis in a tragic death as well. If Andy Wood had lived, we might all be talkin about how Mother Love Bone was still going strong 25 years later.
This is true, but not always because of PJ's greatness. There are better bands of the era that would have had a career as long and successful if not more so, had all the members managed to stay alive.
This is true, but not always because of PJ's greatness. There are better bands of the era that would have had a career as long and successful if not more so, had all the members managed to stay alive.
Thank you Eddie.
How other artists could learn about truth and soul from you.
woowooooahhhh, the 'B' word!! Couldn't have put it better meself.. after a week of mucking out pigs a bit of Pearl Jam just puts you back in the groove.
Pearl Jam is a rather amazing group. Love them or hate them (I've done both), but either way, they're pretty tough to ignore. And I really, really love this song.
No
I'm also getting a little tired of Pearl Jam, but I've noticed Vedder's voice doesn't quite sound like he's in pain, when singing something slow... I like this.
not so bad go to sleep with this!!
Vedder's voice works so well with these folk-type tunes.
yeah somehow he becomes more noticeable.you could say he shinesmore
"Nothing's changed but the surrounding bullshit that has grown."
Vedder's voice works so well with these folk-type tunes.
I really 'mankind' on this album as well.
As physicsgenius once said, "this sentence no verb".
OIC what you did there.
Anyways, love this song. This album is my favourite Pearl Jam album as well.
LOOOOOOOL
I was going to go with *yawn*
This and "Who You Are" are the outstanding tracks on this CD.
I really 'mankind' on this album as well.
This and "Who You Are" are the outstanding tracks on this CD.
lmic wrote:
Eddie Vedder is one of the few big rock "stars" who had remained genuine and genuinely decent and true to himself. I have a lot of respect for him.
I was never a Vedder or Pearl Jam fan until the "Into the Wild" soundtrack and ensuing comments here.
Pretty cool how RP can foster appreciation for artists that I never paid much attention to.
I love Pearl Jam.