Dark Matter (song)

[E.H. Ruddock]

It’s a good lyrics because it invites everyone to share in a feeling, without any prerequisites that you agree with the singer about the specifics of it.

I was thinking about this exact thing last night about the lyric. Something relatable to anyone no matter beliefs or ideologies. Now whether that promotes unity or further division is another discussion for another day.

But, Ed has always been good at writing a lyric that’s general enough that almost anyone can interpret their own way.

Did you know "born on third base, thought he had a triple" is about Rickey Henderson not knowing his own speed?

[E.H. Ruddock]

I agree that the production feels competitively smooshed and a bit claustrophobic, and while I think that works for this song…I imagine the overall record will suffer from it the way Earthling did.

I missed the 50 pages of discussion that I assume were about the production but...I dunno I feel like its the biggest thing holding me back here. Like...there's something in the production that just sounds "Old rock band but we can still rawk, right?" that's very cliche for aging rock bands? I dunno. There's something missing, something too produced maybe? Or forced...hollow energy maybe? That prevents it from capturing the energy of their older sound.

Still, after Backspacer and LB it really seemed the band was very washed up. Gigaton was great, and this is at least kinda promising? But I think it likely will not be one of my favorites on the album (I hope). DOTC was just more interesting and fresh and different. This.....taken out of the context of it being new PJ if some new fan came in now and heard their whole discography I don't see this song holding up as one of their best most memorable or most iconic songs or anything. I think people just like it cause it sounds kinda like the PJ they like. But that 'kinda' is the key word here for me.

But maybe it will grow on me.

Sorry, don't want to bottom page an MJD post!

[bodysnatcher]

It’s a good lyrics because it invites everyone to share in a feeling, without any prerequisites that you agree with the singer about the specifics of it.

I was thinking about this exact thing last night about the lyric. Something relatable to anyone no matter beliefs or ideologies. Now whether that promotes unity or further division is another discussion for another day.

But, Ed has always been good at writing a lyric that’s general enough that almost anyone can interpret their own way.

Did you know "born on third base, thought he had a triple" is about Rickey Henderson not knowing his own speed?

Ahhhhhhhhh-AHHHHHHHHHHHHuuuuu-ooooooolooUUUUUUUUUUUU


*singing Arc*

[Jaeti]

But I'm also not writing lyrics for a legendary Rock and Roll HOF rock band. It's lazy.

Yeah, being in the RNR HOF should definitely raise the lyric quality. Take for example this brilliance by one of my favourite legendary bands, the Stooges:

No fun my babe
No fun
No fun my babe
No fun
No fun to hang around
Feelin' that same old way
No fun to hang around
Freaked out for another day

Point taken, and it's valid, but Ed is a different kind of artist. You know what he's trying to say, and he could say it better.

When the "written and recorded in three weeks" info came out, I wondered how that might manifest in some lyrics that could've used a bit more time to refine. Not lodging a major complaint here, but it's something to consider for the album as a whole.

[tree_]

It speaks to a general feeling that the world is entering a moment of profound and permanent change, and that many of the negatives inherent to that change could have been mitigated if some one or people had been held accountable before we got here.

That’s definitely a feeling that’s elevated right now. among a broad swath of people and ideologies.

It’s a good lyrics because it invites everyone to share in a feeling, without any prerequisites that you agree with the singer about the specifics of it.

But isn't it NOT strange that these days the many have to pay for the mistakes of the few, and it's actually been quite a long, predictable ongoing phenomenon? It would be way more strange if suddenly we didn't have to pay for other peoples' mistakes, these days.

[guitar_davey]

It speaks to a general feeling that the world is entering a moment of profound and permanent change, and that many of the negatives inherent to that change could have been mitigated if some one or people had been held accountable before we got here.

That’s definitely a feeling that’s elevated right now. among a broad swath of people and ideologies.

It’s a good lyrics because it invites everyone to share in a feeling, without any prerequisites that you agree with the singer about the specifics of it.

Yes! So well said.

[McParadigm]

It speaks to a general feeling that the world is entering a moment of profound and permanent change, and that many of the negatives inherent to that change could have been mitigated if some one or people had been held accountable before we got here.

That’s definitely a feeling that’s elevated right now. among a broad swath of people and ideologies.

It’s a good lyrics because it invites everyone to share in a feeling, without any prerequisites that you agree with the singer about the specifics of it.

But isn't it NOT strange that these days the many have to pay for the mistakes of the few, and it's actually been quite a long, predictable ongoing phenomenon?

A. To say that it’s strange isn’t always to say that it’s new. It can mean that it’s extremized, or exacerbated, or that it’s something we should be outgrowing and are instead falling further into.

B. It’s about the feeling, not an analysis.

C. even flow. thoughts arrive like butterflies.

[tree_]

some butterflies are prettier and more succinct than others, these days

[scrub12]

Stone seems to confirm it’s a Matt song.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[mikejasond]

Let's be honest, except for the rare times eddie's lyrics are astoundingly horrible or astoundingly great, they are usually more about the feelings than the words. Yellow Ledbetter is one of their most popular songs and nobody even has any idea what the heck he's saying on it.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Kevin Davis]

some butterflies are prettier and more succinct than others, these days

Would you say that this particular butterfly was stripped of all its beauty once it could not fly high away?

[tree_]

i believe he's come to confuse all those bugs he got in his room for the butterflies worth jottin' down

[stip]

Eddie is one of my favorite lyricists, in every era of his writing. A few global comments:

1. Eddie is a lyricist, not a poet. He writes for his voice and delivery, not the page. Lyrics that are constructed to be sung. So even though I've spent hundreds of thousands of words dissecting his lyrics over the years, they've never been independent of their delivery

2. Eddie's two primary strengths as a lyricist are a humanistic empathy that enables him to enfold broad swaths of people and experiences into his writing, and his ability to come up with aphoristic/punctuation statements that really effectively capture truths about human experience. Not necessarily in overly ornate language - often the phrasing is fairly straightforward, but in ways that emotionally resonate in hugely impactful ways.

3. Eddie's writing has always had some imperfect phrasings that could be tighter on the page but still work incredibly well because they are lyrics and he knows how to deliver them (or they happen quick enough you just move past them).

Two great examples (for me)

I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love
I wish I was the verb to trust and never let you down

These are both really powerful moments (one as a capstone, and one as a transition sentiment) that work because of the magic Eddie knows how to bring to the delivery of the writing. less effective as words on a page, but that's fine because they aren't written to be read.

[guitar_davey]

Eddie is one of my favorite lyricists, in every era of his writing. A few global comments:

1. Eddie is a lyricist, not a poet. He writes for his voice and delivery, not the page. Lyrics that are constructed to be sung. So even though I've spent hundreds of thousands of words dissecting his lyrics over the years, they've never been independent of their delivery

2. Eddie's two primary strengths as a lyricist are a humanistic empathy that enables him to enfold broad swaths of people and experiences into his writing, and his ability to come up with aphoristic/punctuation statements that really effectively capture truths about human experience. Not necessarily in overly ornate language - often the phrasing is fairly straightforward, but in ways that emotionally resonate in hugely impactful ways.

3. Eddie's writing has always had some imperfect phrasings that could be tighter on the page but still work incredibly well because they are lyrics and he knows how to deliver them (or they happen quick enough you just move past them).

Two great examples (for me)

I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love
I wish I was the verb to trust and never let you down

These are both really powerful moments (one as a capstone, and one as a transition sentiment) that work because of the magic Eddie knows how to bring to the delivery of the writing. less effective as words on a page, but that's fine because they aren't written to be read.

This is the content that truly keeps me coming back to RM.

[tree_]

I think those two examples are great lyrics by themselves

[spike]

Eddie is one of my favorite lyricists, in every era of his writing. A few global comments:

1. Eddie is a lyricist, not a poet. He writes for his voice and delivery, not the page. Lyrics that are constructed to be sung. So even though I've spent hundreds of thousands of words dissecting his lyrics over the years, they've never been independent of their delivery

2. Eddie's two primary strengths as a lyricist are a humanistic empathy that enables him to enfold broad swaths of people and experiences into his writing, and his ability to come up with aphoristic/punctuation statements that really effectively capture truths about human experience. Not necessarily in overly ornate language - often the phrasing is fairly straightforward, but in ways that emotionally resonate in hugely impactful ways.

3. Eddie's writing has always had some imperfect phrasings that could be tighter on the page but still work incredibly well because they are lyrics and he knows how to deliver them (or they happen quick enough you just move past them).

Two great examples (for me)

I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love
I wish I was the verb to trust and never let you down

These are both really powerful moments (one as a capstone, and one as a transition sentiment) that work because of the magic Eddie knows how to bring to the delivery of the writing. less effective as words on a page, but that's fine because they aren't written to be read.

What about I’m Open

[oneway23]

Eddie is one of my favorite lyricists, in every era of his writing. A few global comments:

1. Eddie is a lyricist, not a poet. He writes for his voice and delivery, not the page. Lyrics that are constructed to be sung. So even though I've spent hundreds of thousands of words dissecting his lyrics over the years, they've never been independent of their delivery

2. Eddie's two primary strengths as a lyricist are a humanistic empathy that enables him to enfold broad swaths of people and experiences into his writing, and his ability to come up with aphoristic/punctuation statements that really effectively capture truths about human experience. Not necessarily in overly ornate language - often the phrasing is fairly straightforward, but in ways that emotionally resonate in hugely impactful ways.

3. Eddie's writing has always had some imperfect phrasings that could be tighter on the page but still work incredibly well because they are lyrics and he knows how to deliver them (or they happen quick enough you just move past them).

Two great examples (for me)

I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love
I wish I was the verb to trust and never let you down

These are both really powerful moments (one as a capstone, and one as a transition sentiment) that work because of the magic Eddie knows how to bring to the delivery of the writing. less effective as words on a page, but that's fine because they aren't written to be read.

Rad

[mikejasond]

Eddie is one of my favorite lyricists, in every era of his writing. A few global comments:

1. Eddie is a lyricist, not a poet. He writes for his voice and delivery, not the page. Lyrics that are constructed to be sung. So even though I've spent hundreds of thousands of words dissecting his lyrics over the years, they've never been independent of their delivery

2. Eddie's two primary strengths as a lyricist are a humanistic empathy that enables him to enfold broad swaths of people and experiences into his writing, and his ability to come up with aphoristic/punctuation statements that really effectively capture truths about human experience. Not necessarily in overly ornate language - often the phrasing is fairly straightforward, but in ways that emotionally resonate in hugely impactful ways.

3. Eddie's writing has always had some imperfect phrasings that could be tighter on the page but still work incredibly well because they are lyrics and he knows how to deliver them (or they happen quick enough you just move past them).

Two great examples (for me)

I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love
I wish I was the verb to trust and never let you down

These are both really powerful moments (one as a capstone, and one as a transition sentiment) that work because of the magic Eddie knows how to bring to the delivery of the writing. less effective as words on a page, but that's fine because they aren't written to be read.

This is the content that truly keeps me coming back to RM.

Stip is indeed great