Yield: Official Album Thread

[Blenheim Augustine]

The "2010 watch it go to fire" line pretty much cements there being no optimism that things are going to get better in any way, and in fact that it will only get worse.

Unless you know what Juvenalian satire is.

[stip]

your emotional response isn't really right or wrong. you own your experience of the art. And I agree that the lyrics have to be understood part and parcel with the music, the delivery, and all the rest (in fact, I say as much a few places in my longer post above). But the lyrics are still part of the overall package and, if the artist takes the lyrics seriously, are also (despite the ambiguities that can and do still exist in them) often the easiest way to get a read on what a song is about since words have more precise meaning and less interpretive nuance than music. this isn't always the case, but it often is, especially with pearl jam, and songs where this isn't the case (think Got Some, for instance) the lack of importance given to the lyrics is itself significant--a signal about how the song should be understood.

The above is why I hear the songs the way I do. KD asked why I interpret a record the way I do. This is why. It is in response to the way he understands the album.

I'm referring more to your thematic analysis rather than the idea that lyrics aren't important, I don't think I said that. And if we are to discuss themes, I'm not convinced that Pearl Jam exhibit a "broader sense of engagement" in their key songs to that point - I don't know how stuff like Go, Animal, Black, Jeremy, Daughter, RVM, Last Exit, Not for You, Corduroy, Betterman, Off He Goes and In My Tree are about engagement - for the most part they are all about escape or being alone.

that's a massive conversation that would be fun to have, but I can't respond to it right now. I do think that the individual songs take on that edge in the context of their albums.

[stip]

The "2010 watch it go to fire" line pretty much cements there being no optimism that things are going to get better in any way, and in fact that it will only get worse.

Unless you know what Juvenalian satire is.

You are right, there is probably still some part of the song that is holding out the possibility of things getting better, but it's a sliver. I don't think he'd take that bet.

Again, my interpretation of that song is heavily indebted to Ishmael and Story of B. There is a Cassandra like quality to this, that tries to cover up its own desperation in satire. It prophecies exactly how it is all gonna end knowing that the odds of anyone listening are slim, but cares enough to keep preaching anyway.

[bodysnatcher]

The "2010 watch it go to fire" line pretty much cements there being no optimism that things are going to get better in any way, and in fact that it will only get worse.

Unless you know what Juvenalian satire is.

You are right, there is probably still some part of the song that is holding out the possibility of things getting better, but it's a sliver. I don't think he'd take that bet.

Again, my interpretation of that song is heavily indebted to Ishmael and Story of B. There is a Cassandra like quality to this, that tries to cover up its own desperation in satire. It prophecies exactly how it is all gonna end knowing that the odds of anyone listening are slim, but cares enough to keep preaching anyway.

so, pretty much what's going on in present day

[digster]

I just think you can't really divorce the lyrics from how the song sounds. It's an absolutely ridiculous song. I don't know if they're really banging you over the head with "get it, SARCASM. It's really not evolution;" it's not that overt, but the fact that they were willing to turn subject matter that could conceivably be so dire into a joke says more about where they were at while making that album than anything else.

[dimejinky99]

Ed did say at the time that he loves DTE cos it sounds almost like someone else is singing it. Whether that's to infer a satire or sarcasm that was never present up to that point and suggest they were doing something new or whether he just meant vocally, I'm not sure.

It's a great song either way.

[VinylGuy]

sometimes i find myself listening to it, and the feeling is " damn this one is amazing".

[stip]

I just think you can't really divorce the lyrics from how the song sounds. It's an absolutely ridiculous song. I don't know if they're really banging you over the head with "get it, SARCASM. It's really not evolution;" it's not that overt, but the fact that they were willing to turn subject matter that could conceivably be so dire into a joke says more about where they were at while making that album than anything else.

gallows humor?

[nightmareblack0206]

Ed did say at the time that he loves DTE cos it sounds almost like someone else is singing it. Whether that's to infer a satire or sarcasm that was never present up to that point and suggest they were doing something new or whether he just meant vocally, I'm not sure.

It's a great song either way.

THIS WAY HE SOUNDS

[WtOB?]

This way he sounds, indeed.

[Jorge]

I'm actually convinced that nightmareblack is my dad, just posting here to mess with me. They have the same online communication style: seemingly random bursts of caps lock, fragmented thoughts, use of the word "chillax".

[nightmareblack0206]

Lol

[Jorge]

I love you, dad.

[Birds in Hell]

[nightmareblack0206]

33yo and I'm your dad?

[WtOB?]

I'm loving this, guys.

[Blenheim Augustine]

Ed did say at the time that he loves DTE cos it sounds almost like someone else is singing it. Whether that's to infer a satire or sarcasm that was never present up to that point and suggest they were doing something new or whether he just meant vocally, I'm not sure.

It's a great song either way.

I always think of Mike's comment that Ed has a distortion pedal on his voice when I listen to this song.

[Blenheim Augustine]

Again, my interpretation of that song is heavily indebted to Ishmael and Story of B. There is a Cassandra like quality to this, that tries to cover up its own desperation in satire. It prophecies exactly how it is all gonna end knowing that the odds of anyone listening are slim, but cares enough to keep preaching anyway.

I agree with the Quinn stuff - it is an obvious nod and Ed did use that "the world's ending and we have the best seat in the house" in the Avocado EPK so I'm probably off base. I just think that you can write songs like that to send up or bring attention to a certain type of person / mentality without believing that the pessimistic outcome is a forgone conclusion.

[stip]

Again, my interpretation of that song is heavily indebted to Ishmael and Story of B. There is a Cassandra like quality to this, that tries to cover up its own desperation in satire. It prophecies exactly how it is all gonna end knowing that the odds of anyone listening are slim, but cares enough to keep preaching anyway.

I agree with the Quinn stuff - it is an obvious nod and Ed did use that "the world's ending and we have the best seat in the house" in the Avocado EPK so I'm probably off base. I just think that you can write songs like that to send up or bring attention to a certain type of person / mentality without believing that the pessimistic outcome is a forgone conclusion.

oh absolutely. I did not mean to imply otherwise if I did. I just don't think that's going on here, but that's because of the Quinn interpretation. Not knowing those books I'd probably agree with you

[EJ]

Ishmael was a furry thing.