Song of the Moment: Lightning Bolt

[stip]

this song is why I love pearl jam.

I fucking love this song too.

you were a prophet

[PHATJ]

this song is why I love pearl jam.

I fucking love this song too.

you were a prophet

In what way?

[PHATJ]

BTW, where are the working lyrics for this song?

[harmless]

and normally the sound would change on the beat?

Normally the "B" of "Baaaoooolt" would fall right on beat 1 of the chorus. It does the first time, but not the other three (or however many it is); it lags behind the beat, so the song sounds less predictable and more funky than it would have.

[digster]

remember the 'will the studio make a song a little better or do you basically know what you're getting conversation that we spent the first 35 pages of this thread talking about?

Yep.

And I've felt pretty smug since we found out I was right... I just haven't wanted to rub it in.

I thought the whole point was that a studio version can't turn a bad song into a good one.

edit: but god knows we don't have to go down this road again.

[stip]

this song is why I love pearl jam.

I fucking love this song too.

you were a prophet

In what way?

you saw just how good it was going to be. I think I probably love this song as much as you do now, but I definitely didn't then

[stip]

BTW, where are the working lyrics for this song?

a few pages back

[harmless]

remember the 'will the studio make a song a little better or do you basically know what you're getting conversation that we spent the first 35 pages of this thread talking about?

Yep.

And I've felt pretty smug since we found out I was right... I just haven't wanted to rub it in.

I thought the whole point was that a studio version can't turn a bad song into a good one.

edit: but god knows we don't have to go down this road again.

I thought Lightning Bolt was horrendous at Wrigley. That's because the band fucked up pretty much everything I like about it, which I predicted. So yes, it made it a far better song for me (and others, by the sounds of it.) I was hearing a different song. A fucked version of this one.

[stip]

remember the 'will the studio make a song a little better or do you basically know what you're getting conversation that we spent the first 35 pages of this thread talking about?

Yep.

And I've felt pretty smug since we found out I was right... I just haven't wanted to rub it in.

I thought the whole point was that a studio version can't turn a bad song into a good one.

edit: but god knows we don't have to go down this road again.

well basically. That the studio won't do more than tweak basic perceptions of the song--push it a half star or so in either direction. For me, at least, this was a HUGE jump up from my initial reactions to the live version--which was fairly positive, but hardly the revelation this song is for me

[stip]

remember the 'will the studio make a song a little better or do you basically know what you're getting conversation that we spent the first 35 pages of this thread talking about?

Yep.

And I've felt pretty smug since we found out I was right... I just haven't wanted to rub it in.

I thought the whole point was that a studio version can't turn a bad song into a good one.

edit: but god knows we don't have to go down this road again.

I thought Lightning Bolt was horrendous at Wrigley. That's because the band fucked up pretty much everything I like about it, which I predicted. So yes, it made it a far better song for me (and others, by the sounds of it.) I was hearing a different song. A fucked version of this one.

and yeah, there was also the simultaneous debate about whether or not we could trust a song with only one live performance under its belt to be accuratley represented

[PHATJ]

this song is why I love pearl jam.

I fucking love this song too.

you were a prophet

In what way?

you saw just how good it was going to be. I think I probably love this song as much as you do now, but I definitely didn't then

Haha, I just looked back at the first page of this thread and a saw the boner fest I was posting then! It's still that good. Actually better now with the clearer lyrics and less fuck ups, but I have loved this one from first listen.

[harmless]

remember the 'will the studio make a song a little better or do you basically know what you're getting conversation that we spent the first 35 pages of this thread talking about?

Yep.

And I've felt pretty smug since we found out I was right... I just haven't wanted to rub it in.

I thought the whole point was that a studio version can't turn a bad song into a good one.

edit: but god knows we don't have to go down this road again.

I thought Lightning Bolt was horrendous at Wrigley. That's because the band fucked up pretty much everything I like about it, which I predicted. So yes, it made it a far better song for me (and others, by the sounds of it.) I was hearing a different song. A fucked version of this one.

and yeah, there was also the simultaneous debate about whether or not we could trust a song with only one live performance under its belt to be accuratley represented

And I said no. And... no

[digster]

remember the 'will the studio make a song a little better or do you basically know what you're getting conversation that we spent the first 35 pages of this thread talking about?

Yep.

And I've felt pretty smug since we found out I was right... I just haven't wanted to rub it in.

I thought the whole point was that a studio version can't turn a bad song into a good one.

edit: but god knows we don't have to go down this road again.

well basically. That the studio won't do more than tweak basic perceptions of the song--push it a half star or so in either direction. For me, at least, this was a HUGE jump up from my initial reactions to the live version--which was fairly positive, but hardly the revelation this song is for me

Fair enough. I recall you and harmless both liking the song and just thinking it was performed poorly. But I definitely would not argue with the idea that a studio version can make a good song performed badly live sound as good as it can be.

[harmless]

Of course, it does entirely depend on how carefully you listen to these subtleties of performance and production, and whether you really care about them. To me they can make or break a song.

[harmless]

remember the 'will the studio make a song a little better or do you basically know what you're getting conversation that we spent the first 35 pages of this thread talking about?

Yep.

And I've felt pretty smug since we found out I was right... I just haven't wanted to rub it in.

I thought the whole point was that a studio version can't turn a bad song into a good one.

edit: but god knows we don't have to go down this road again.

well basically. That the studio won't do more than tweak basic perceptions of the song--push it a half star or so in either direction. For me, at least, this was a HUGE jump up from my initial reactions to the live version--which was fairly positive, but hardly the revelation this song is for me

Fair enough. I recall you and harmless both liking the song and just thinking it was performed poorly. But I definitely would not argue with the idea that a studio version can make a good song performed badly live sound as good as it can be.

The song took a long time to grow on me as a live version because I saw so many flaws in it. In the end, I started to see potential but I was still counting on the studio version. But yeah, it did start to grow.

[PHATJ]

BTW, where are the working lyrics for this song?

a few pages back

You should stick those on the first page for easy reference like you have with all the other song threads.

[stip]

yeah, to be fair I had started listening to the live version fairly regularly a week or so before the leak so the song was already rising in my estimation.

[stip]

BTW, where are the working lyrics for this song?

a few pages back

You should stick those on the first page for easy reference like you have with all the other song threads.

if you quote them Ill take care of it tomorrow

[PHATJ]

BTW, where are the working lyrics for this song?

a few pages back

You should stick those on the first page for easy reference like you have with all the other song threads.

if you quote them Ill take care of it tomorrow

Here they are. I have made a few "corrections". I think this is accurate. Let me know if anything looks off.

"LIGHTNING BOLT"

she come on like a stone
but you don't know where from she was thrown
like a burning meteor
from miles high

looking for a place to land
She said have you got yourself some sand
And whatever you replied she took as yes

Now she comes after me
With her newly planted seeds
And soon you're thrown down on your knees
And then you dig
And then before you know
the weeds are obesely overgrown
With the all the wild seeds she sows
in your sleep

you gotta know you'll never let her go
she's a lightning bolt
lightning bolt
lightning bolt

Always something and never nothing
isn't that the way we're taught to be, to be
flipping through the worn out pages
and stages when you knew not who to be
until the lightning strike sets you free

you gotta know you'll never let her go
She's a lightning bolt
lightning bolt
lightning bolt

crashing stormy waves
erode her shoreline every day
until the castle of her ways turns to sand

she holds her love in breast
as her birds fall from the nest
flying towards the great northwest (yeah, yeah, yeah)

And with no repair in sight there is
No God with such might
As you open her world wide with subterfuge
And your death will soon arrive
As she finally decides
That all her problems, they won’t die with you

never let her go
Shes your lightning bolt
never let her go
She's true

she's your rock and roll
she's a lightning bolt
uncontrollable
like you

[guitar_davey]

BTW, where are the working lyrics for this song?

a few pages back

You should stick those on the first page for easy reference like you have with all the other song threads.

if you quote them Ill take care of it tomorrow

Here they are. I have made a few "corrections". I think this is accurate. Let me know if anything looks off.

"LIGHTNING BOLT"

she come on like a stone
but you don't know where from she was thrown
like a burning meteor
from miles high

looking for a place to land
She said have you got yourself some sand
And whatever you replied she took as yes

Now she comes after me
With her newly planted seeds
And soon you're thrown down on your knees
And then you dig
And then before you know
the weeds are obesely overgrown
With the all the wild seeds she sows
in your sleep

you gotta know you'll never let her go
she's a lightning bolt
lightning bolt
lightning bolt

Always something and never nothing
isn't that the way we're taught to be, to be
flipping through the worn out pages
and stages when you knew not who to be
until the lightning strike sets you free

you gotta know you'll never let her go
She's a lightning bolt
lightning bolt
lightning bolt

crashing stormy waves
erode her shoreline every day
until the castle of her ways turns to sand

she holds her love in breast
as her birds fall from the nest
flying towards the great northwest (yeah, yeah, yeah)

And with no repair in sight there is
No God with such might
As you open her world wide with subterfuge
And your death will soon arrive
As she finally decides
That all her problems, they won’t die with you

never let her go
Shes your lightning bolt
never let her go
She's true

she's your rock and roll
she's a lightning bolt
uncontrollable
like you

I think you're spot on with these. I don't care what anybody here says, that is a beautiful set of lyrics. Call them cheesy or whatever, but I've always believed Eddie has written what he truly feels, and that song is just full of incredible sentiment.