PJ Political Hits and Misses...

[Iholdthepain]

Hit: Insignificance
Stated numerous times here that it's their best song... Odds on favorite to win the Madness... Definitive snapshot of the time in which it was written... Plot endears Seattle and its youth... Live 1-2 punch with RVM in 2000 was great way to end a set!

Miss: Bu$hleaguer
PJ spoken word = fail... Corny thesaurus-in-hand rhyming schemes and bad metaphors throughout... Pathetic how Ed stroked his own ego with the live bit... I hated Bush, too, but the bit got old quick. The tension and the controversy are really the only things I ever liked about it, for a little while...

Anyway... Your turn... Could be an original song, a cover, a live performance (or tour), anything that directly and politically ties to the band in any way... and why?

[Washed Away]

Good topic, and good examples. Bu$hleaguer has to be the best example of a Pearl Jam political song gone wrong. I do enjoy Insignificance as well.

My favorite political hit probably barely qualifies as one in most people's minds but here we go
Hit: Daughter.
I just love how pleasant sounding and relaxed this song is. I wonder how many people just listen to songs like these and never really think what they are about. Happy American family raising kids in the suburbs. The rise of learning disabilities and other psychological issues in our kids is just as important as what douchebag our president is this term or even more serious issues like the wars we wage.

Miss: World Wide Suicide
Just no. Not as bad as Bu$hleaguer in being able to tell from the title just exactly what it's going to be about, but if you know Eddie and the band you should have figured it out. Like you too, Iholdthepain, couldn't stand Bush hated the war, but did we really need this song?

[Lament]

Does "No More" count as Pearl Jam? Or is it technically Ed solo?

If it counts, that's the worst one. By far.

[BurtReynolds]

Does "No More" count as Pearl Jam? Or is it technically Ed solo?

If it counts, that's the worst one. By far.

Yes and yes.

[BurtReynolds]

Does education count? I like that one.

[Iholdthepain]

Does "No More" count as Pearl Jam? Or is it technically Ed solo?

If it counts, that's the worst one. By far.

He's the singer of PJ... it counts...

I'm surprised you call this the worst, though. I put it up there with 'Patriot' as my favorite political hits. They both have an organic, grassroots quality to them, like straight out of the 60's... they have strong emotional messages and... after watching this video again, I fucking love the effort... Ed, and everyone else who contributed to VFC and Body Of War, gave these soldiers and their families a voice, a support group, and raised awareness... and dissent, which is always a good thing when you know you're being lied to, by your elected officials, as a pretext to war!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqPzS8Y27Ks&feature=kp

[BurtReynolds]

Effort and intention aside, that song is just terrible. When they played it live, it was just crowd death. I've seen people try to kill themselves rather than hear it. It wasn't pretty.

[Iholdthepain]

Does education count? I like that one.

Groovy tune... introspective lyrical content... very good vocals and music...

Political? Well, I guess it could be... or is it a retrospect on public education, in more general terms? Yeah, there's revisionist history and certain religious slants in schools. There is the Pledge of Allegiance, social skills development, and core virtues... but reading, writing, and 'rithmetic are all pretty straightforward to me.

[Jorge]

Fucking "No More" is so bad, God, I'd forgotten all about that song

[Iholdthepain]

Effort and intention aside, that song is just terrible. When they played it live, it was just crowd death. I've seen people try to kill themselves rather than hear it. It wasn't pretty.

Maybe live... the album cut sounds like a Dylan protest song to me... and that's a good thing.

[Washed Away]

Fucking "No More" is so bad, God, I'd forgotten all about that song

You think that's bad? I didn't even know it existed until a few moments ago.

[BurtReynolds]

Does education count? I like that one.

Groovy tune... introspective lyrical content... very good vocals and music...

Political? Well, I guess it could be... or is it a retrospect on public education, in more general terms? Yeah, there's revisionist history and certain religious slants in schools. There is the Pledge of Allegiance, social skills development, and core virtues... but reading, writing, and 'rithmetic are all pretty straightforward to me.

Sounds like it's about general brainwashing to me. Flag waving and such.

[Jorge]

Not sure why but this comment made me laugh real hard

[stip]

No more is horrendous. Platy is right. Unspeakably bad

[stip]

Insignificance and grievance are the gold standards for political songs, though I think WWS and comatose are also very good (and prefer them as songs). Oh, and dte


Interpreting this broadly to include social commentary


Hits
Even flow
Jeremy
Let me sleep
WMA
Whipping
Do the evolution
Mind your manners
Infallible
Education
1/2 full
Cropduster
Army reserve

Misses
Help help
Green disease
Unemployable
Bushleaguer
Gone
Getaway (though I like the song)



Songs that are good despite themselves
Rats
Glorified g
Ghost
Down
Undone

[stip]

That's a better track record than I would have thought going in.

[Lament]

Bushleaguer

It's Bu$hleaguer man. C'mon now.

[warehouse]

hits: 'the times they are a-changin'" at the nader rally
misses: supporting democrats

[Thejambi]

hits: 'the times they are a-changin'" at the nader rally
misses: supporting democrats

Heh.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Ralph Nader
Barack Around the Clock

/thread