Retrograde

[guitar_davey]

fuck Trump, I'm OK that he complicates potentially "commercial" songs with some backbone

[digster]

Trump is barely a part of Quick Escape; he's mentioned almost as an aside.

I'm not as big a fan of the 7:00 line, but that's more because I think the line is kind of silly, rather than the fact that political content is included. Politics is certainly fair game for song content, in the same way love, religion, death, sex, or anything else is.

[epilogue]

Trump is barely a part of Quick Escape; he's mentioned almost as an aside.

I'm not as big a fan of the 7:00 line, but that's more because I think the line is kind of silly, rather than the fact that political content is included. Politics is certainly fair game for song content, in the same way love, religion, death, sex, or anything else is.

The sitting bullshit line, I can sort of agree with. But, to me, the rest of the verse and the next is also about Trump. And that stuff is fantastic.

"His best days behind him, hard to admit / Throwing angry punches with nothing to hit"

There's even some dark empathy in there from a certain point of view that I think is exactly the kind of thing Ed excels at when at his best.

[Ms Harmless]

I wonder if the people who think PJ makes "cheap shots" (when their shots are rather expensive) are the same kind of people who think we shouldn't punch Nazis

[EJ]

Those Trump references don't bother me at all.

The one line that does take me out of a song on this album is in River Cross:

"While the government thrives on discontent"

Really wish Ed found something else to use in place of that one.

[Monkey_Driven]

Those Trump references don't bother me at all.

The one line that does take me out of a song on this album is in River Cross:

"While the government thrives on discontent"

Really wish Ed found something else to use in place of that one.

Yeah, it's a little too on the nose. The rest is fine though.

[Ms Harmless]

I don't mind the direct government reference but I think there could be a less weak sauce word than "discontent", from a guy who's Thing is doublespeak and propaganda; something like "disinformation" is too long but that's the kind of meaning I want there; it just feels like at the moment the line says "as the government thrives on making people sad", which is true, but not very specific and I think specificity is one thing that makes poetry poetry

[epilogue]

I don't mind the direct government reference but I think there could be a less weak sauce word than "discontent", from a guy who's Thing is doublespeak and propaganda; something like "disinformation" is too long but that's the kind of meaning I want there; it just feels like at the moment the line says "as the government thrives on making people sad", which is true, but not very specific and I think specificity is one thing that makes poetry poetry

I mean "discontent" is more accurate than "making people sad" though. Disinformation, while I take your point, also isn't what this administration is after either. Disinformation is a means to an end: discontent.

Division is maybe the most accurate word but it also doesn't quite ring in the line. Still, I hear you and I agree.

[EJ]

I don't mind the direct government reference but I think there could be a less weak sauce word than "discontent", from a guy who's Thing is doublespeak and propaganda; something like "disinformation" is too long but that's the kind of meaning I want there; it just feels like at the moment the line says "as the government thrives on making people sad", which is true, but not very specific and I think specificity is one thing that makes poetry poetry

Scrap the whole line. It's awful. Put a "hee-heeeeeee" in instead.

[epilogue]

I don't mind the direct government reference but I think there could be a less weak sauce word than "discontent", from a guy who's Thing is doublespeak and propaganda; something like "disinformation" is too long but that's the kind of meaning I want there; it just feels like at the moment the line says "as the government thrives on making people sad", which is true, but not very specific and I think specificity is one thing that makes poetry poetry

Scrap the whole line. It's awful. Put a "hee-heeeeeee" in instead.

[Kevin Davis]

Weirdly, despite thinking the lyrics in "Seven O'Clock" are generally a little clumsy and hamfisted, I really like the Sitting Bullshit line -- it displays a cleverness rarely present in Pearl Jam lyrics, and the repeated use of word "sitting" has an emphatic effect. The line in "Quick Escape" doesn't stand out to me -- like McP says, it kind of flies by in a song where the lyrics aren't really front and center. There are other lyrics on the album that bug me a lot more than these two.

[epilogue]

Weirdly, despite thinking the lyrics in "Seven O'Clock" are generally a little clumsy and hamfisted, I really like the Sitting Bullshit line -- it displays a cleverness rarely present in Pearl Jam lyrics, and the repeated use of word "sitting" has an emphatic effect. The line in "Quick Escape" doesn't stand out to me -- like McP says, it kind of flies by in a song where the lyrics aren't really front and center. There are other lyrics on the album that bug me a lot more than these two.

I didn't even notice the reference/line in Quick Escape until someone here mentioned it.

Honestly, other than "Superblood Wolfmoon took her away too soon," I can't think of any on this album that stick out like a sore thumb to me. Nothing bugs me, really. Certainly no deal breakers.

[Kevin Davis]

No song here is made or broken by its lyrics, I don't think. Most Pearl Jam songs aren't. But there are definitely some lyrics on Gigaton I find myself having to look past, as well as some I really like.

[Ms Harmless]

I don't mind the direct government reference but I think there could be a less weak sauce word than "discontent", from a guy who's Thing is doublespeak and propaganda; something like "disinformation" is too long but that's the kind of meaning I want there; it just feels like at the moment the line says "as the government thrives on making people sad", which is true, but not very specific and I think specificity is one thing that makes poetry poetry

I mean "discontent" is more accurate than "making people sad" though. Disinformation, while I take your point, also isn't what this administration is after either. Disinformation is a means to an end: discontent.

Division is maybe the most accurate word but it also doesn't quite ring in the line. Still, I hear you and I agree.

they want to push capitalist and fascist policy, making some people discontent and others extremely happy, and Ed is usually better at saying that

what if he just went "mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-hee-hee! and there's no such thing as clear" (actually it's that second line that made me think "disinformation / doublespeak / deliberate obfuscation" was what he was getting at)

e.g. Boris' latest statement about Covid precautions was deliberately vague and nonsensical so that when people interpret them however they want and loads of people die, the government can blame us instead of their leadership

[epilogue]

I don't mind the direct government reference but I think there could be a less weak sauce word than "discontent", from a guy who's Thing is doublespeak and propaganda; something like "disinformation" is too long but that's the kind of meaning I want there; it just feels like at the moment the line says "as the government thrives on making people sad", which is true, but not very specific and I think specificity is one thing that makes poetry poetry

I mean "discontent" is more accurate than "making people sad" though. Disinformation, while I take your point, also isn't what this administration is after either. Disinformation is a means to an end: discontent.

Division is maybe the most accurate word but it also doesn't quite ring in the line. Still, I hear you and I agree.

they want to push capitalist and fascist policy, making some people discontent and others extremely happy, and Ed is usually better at saying that

what if he just went "mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-hee-hee! and there's no such thing as clear" (actually it's that second line that made me think "disinformation / doublespeak / deliberate obfuscation" was what he was getting at)

e.g. Boris' latest statement about Covid precautions was deliberately vague and nonsensical so that when people interpret them however they want and loads of people die, the government can blame us instead of their leadership

Double-speak is good. And carries a nice history/reference with it. I like that.

[Ms Harmless]

I don't mind the direct government reference but I think there could be a less weak sauce word than "discontent", from a guy who's Thing is doublespeak and propaganda; something like "disinformation" is too long but that's the kind of meaning I want there; it just feels like at the moment the line says "as the government thrives on making people sad", which is true, but not very specific and I think specificity is one thing that makes poetry poetry

I mean "discontent" is more accurate than "making people sad" though. Disinformation, while I take your point, also isn't what this administration is after either. Disinformation is a means to an end: discontent.

Division is maybe the most accurate word but it also doesn't quite ring in the line. Still, I hear you and I agree.

they want to push capitalist and fascist policy, making some people discontent and others extremely happy, and Ed is usually better at saying that

what if he just went "mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-hee-hee! and there's no such thing as clear" (actually it's that second line that made me think "disinformation / doublespeak / deliberate obfuscation" was what he was getting at)

e.g. Boris' latest statement about Covid precautions was deliberately vague and nonsensical so that when people interpret them however they want and loads of people die, the government can blame us instead of their leadership

Double-speak is good. And carries a nice history/reference with it. I like that.

ooooh yes it's the right number of syllables too

[epilogue]

I don't mind the direct government reference but I think there could be a less weak sauce word than "discontent", from a guy who's Thing is doublespeak and propaganda; something like "disinformation" is too long but that's the kind of meaning I want there; it just feels like at the moment the line says "as the government thrives on making people sad", which is true, but not very specific and I think specificity is one thing that makes poetry poetry

I mean "discontent" is more accurate than "making people sad" though. Disinformation, while I take your point, also isn't what this administration is after either. Disinformation is a means to an end: discontent.

Division is maybe the most accurate word but it also doesn't quite ring in the line. Still, I hear you and I agree.

they want to push capitalist and fascist policy, making some people discontent and others extremely happy, and Ed is usually better at saying that

what if he just went "mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-hee-hee! and there's no such thing as clear" (actually it's that second line that made me think "disinformation / doublespeak / deliberate obfuscation" was what he was getting at)

e.g. Boris' latest statement about Covid precautions was deliberately vague and nonsensical so that when people interpret them however they want and loads of people die, the government can blame us instead of their leadership

Double-speak is good. And carries a nice history/reference with it. I like that.

ooooh yes it's the right number of syllables too

We fixed it!

Well... you fixed it.

[Ms Harmless]

I don't mind the direct government reference but I think there could be a less weak sauce word than "discontent", from a guy who's Thing is doublespeak and propaganda; something like "disinformation" is too long but that's the kind of meaning I want there; it just feels like at the moment the line says "as the government thrives on making people sad", which is true, but not very specific and I think specificity is one thing that makes poetry poetry

I mean "discontent" is more accurate than "making people sad" though. Disinformation, while I take your point, also isn't what this administration is after either. Disinformation is a means to an end: discontent.

Division is maybe the most accurate word but it also doesn't quite ring in the line. Still, I hear you and I agree.

they want to push capitalist and fascist policy, making some people discontent and others extremely happy, and Ed is usually better at saying that

what if he just went "mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-hee-hee! and there's no such thing as clear" (actually it's that second line that made me think "disinformation / doublespeak / deliberate obfuscation" was what he was getting at)

e.g. Boris' latest statement about Covid precautions was deliberately vague and nonsensical so that when people interpret them however they want and loads of people die, the government can blame us instead of their leadership

Double-speak is good. And carries a nice history/reference with it. I like that.

ooooh yes it's the right number of syllables too

We fixed it!

Well... you fixed it.

you had to be my Yes Man

[VinylGuy]

Im loving this one more. The outro is cool

[epilogue]

I don't mind the direct government reference but I think there could be a less weak sauce word than "discontent", from a guy who's Thing is doublespeak and propaganda; something like "disinformation" is too long but that's the kind of meaning I want there; it just feels like at the moment the line says "as the government thrives on making people sad", which is true, but not very specific and I think specificity is one thing that makes poetry poetry

I mean "discontent" is more accurate than "making people sad" though. Disinformation, while I take your point, also isn't what this administration is after either. Disinformation is a means to an end: discontent.

Division is maybe the most accurate word but it also doesn't quite ring in the line. Still, I hear you and I agree.

they want to push capitalist and fascist policy, making some people discontent and others extremely happy, and Ed is usually better at saying that

what if he just went "mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-mmmm-hee-hee! and there's no such thing as clear" (actually it's that second line that made me think "disinformation / doublespeak / deliberate obfuscation" was what he was getting at)

e.g. Boris' latest statement about Covid precautions was deliberately vague and nonsensical so that when people interpret them however they want and loads of people die, the government can blame us instead of their leadership

Double-speak is good. And carries a nice history/reference with it. I like that.

ooooh yes it's the right number of syllables too

We fixed it!

Well... you fixed it.

you had to be my Yes Man

And happy to do it