49. Push Me/Pull Me vs. Thin Air vs. Not For You

[Bammer]

I wanted to vote for Thin Air so bad!

But I didn’t.

[Kevin Davis]

I love the structure of "Thin Air" -- alternates principally between two simple chords that don't naturally fit together, changes keys three times (main section, bridge, final verse/chorus -- E, D, and B respectively, I think!), with slightly offbeat changes in each section, and even with all that moving around, never moves to a minor chord (again, I don't think). It's nothing especially
complex or jarring; it's just common elements put together in a quirky and thought-provoking way, if you enjoy that sort of thing, and if you don't care you just get to enjoy the attractive, sweet Stone composition that results from it. "Thin Air" definitely gets my vote, with apologies to two worthy competitors.

[digster]

Yes, 100% - that transition from the bridge, into the modulated last verse (stripped down to drums, bass and vocals, another inspired choice) into that last chorus that gets a bit more lift from the shift; it's the kind of songwriting that elevates the whole thing without drawing attention to itself. Those kinds of choices are what can make songs so rewarding on their 100th or 200th listen, and I think stuff like that is embedded all throughout the Binaural songs.

[Strat]

Not to mention that weird ass guitar breakdown after the first chorus. WHAT EVEN IS THAT!

[Farmer John]

Not to mention that weird ass guitar breakdown after the first chorus. WHAT EVEN IS THAT!

It seems like Stone and Mike often wonder the same thing when they try to play it live.

[Norah]

As a PMPM voter I'm willing to jump ship to Thin Air to help keep Not For You from advancing.

[Strat]

As a PMPM voter I'm willing to jump ship to Thin Air to help keep Not For You from advancing.

Sames

[epilogue]

As a PMPM voter I'm willing to jump ship to Thin Air to help keep Not For You from advancing.

You're a good man.

But also, what if I told you we played Thin Air at my wedding, immediately after the ceremony, as the song we walked back down the aisle to as husband and wife? That move any needles for you? Heh? HEH?

[tragabigzanda]

Not to mention that weird ass guitar breakdown after the first chorus. WHAT EVEN IS THAT!

In jazz it would be called a turnaround, so that's what I always think of it as

[Norah]

As a PMPM voter I'm willing to jump ship to Thin Air to help keep Not For You from advancing.

You're a good man.

But also, what if I told you we played Thin Air at my wedding, immediately after the ceremony, as the song we walked back down the aisle to as husband and wife? That move any needles for you? Heh? HEH?

it moved something that's for sure

[epilogue]

As a PMPM voter I'm willing to jump ship to Thin Air to help keep Not For You from advancing.

You're a good man.

But also, what if I told you we played Thin Air at my wedding, immediately after the ceremony, as the song we walked back down the aisle to as husband and wife? That move any needles for you? Heh? HEH?

it moved something that's for sure

[Brett]

Now this is a match. Three wonderful songs, and it's a shame that we'll be losing two of them. It's been a while since "Not For You" was my favorite Pearl Jam song, but it still goes hard. It's intense and has this cool dissonant feeling to it. "Push Me, Pull Me" is the best of Pearl Jam's spoken-word songs. The music is delightfully off-kilter and the lyrics don't seem too self-serious despite their pseudo-profundity. "Thin Air" is just as Kevin Davis described. It seems light-hearted and lovey-dovey on the surface, but there's an underlying complexity to the structure that has turned it into the biggest grower from Binaural for me. Because of that, I'm giving it the nod on this match.