A Guided Tour of Lightning Bolt: Infallible

[stip]

One of the reasons why I don't think MYM is an anti religion song in the way you're describing is precisely that Eddie has the subtly of a brick with that kind of stuff. And there's no shortage of broad targets for him to mine.

Although, running through recent albums in my mind, the last place he was really terrible about this (on a studio record) was riot act. Bushleaguer, the horrendous G-R-E-E-D beginning to Green Disease (ruining for me what would have otherwise been a pretty fun song), the corporations rule the day clunker from Undone (one of my all time favorites).

But corporations DO rule the day.

that's true. But there are more artful ways to phrase it

[epilogue]

Once again, you're wrong about Riot Act. And just for saying it again, I've decided never to do my write up on that album. You don't deserve it.

Also, though, why does everything he says have to be artful? I don't have a problem with him just stating something. It doesn't always have to be poetry all the time, yo.

[stip]

It doesn't, and I don't mean artful as poetic. Most of my favorite eddie lyrics are pretty simple declarative statements. But if it's a good lyric it'll still find a way to say it in a way that feels impactful, and obvious in the sense that it's exposing a truth you've always known but never realized--as opposed to something being obvious as in trite and commonplace.

One of my very favorite lyrics is the line from Force of Nature 'somewhere there's a siren singing a song only he hears'. It's not super poetic, but I do think it's quite artful.


Another of my very favorite lyrics is from the end of Breath "If I knew where it was I would take you there. There's much more than this." or the leash lyric 'I am lost, I am no guide, but I'm by your side. I am right by your side.' Pretty simple lyrics. There's not much in the way of imagery or metaphor or things like that. But it's obvious in all the best ways.


Corporations rule the day, on the other hand, just feels flat to me, especially since the pendulum lyric that follows is pretty nice.

[stip]

And I hate Bush as much as the next guy, and was super excited for Riot Act--especially since that came out during a period where Eddie was still probably my favorite lyricist. I was all ready for him to stick it to Bush. And I don't know what happened. There are some great lyrical moments on that record, but most of the explicitly political ones not so much.

[epilogue]

And I hate Bush as much as the next guy, and was super excited for Riot Act--especially since that came out during a period where Eddie was still probably my favorite lyricist. I was all ready for him to stick it to Bush. And I don't know what happened. There are some great lyrical moments on that record, but most of the explicitly political ones not so much.

I don't know, my friend. This feels a little more like your fault than Eddie's.

[epilogue]

It doesn't, and I don't mean artful as poetic. Most of my favorite eddie lyrics are pretty simple declarative statements. But if it's a good lyric it'll still find a way to say it in a way that feels impactful, and obvious in the sense that it's exposing a truth you've always known but never realized--as opposed to something being obvious as in trite and commonplace.

One of my very favorite lyrics is the line from Force of Nature 'somewhere there's a siren singing a song only he hears'. It's not super poetic, but I do think it's quite artful.


Another of my very favorite lyrics is from the end of Breath "If I knew where it was I would take you there. There's much more than this." or the leash lyric 'I am lost, I am no guide, but I'm by your side. I am right by your side.' Pretty simple lyrics. There's not much in the way of imagery or metaphor or things like that. But it's obvious in all the best ways.


Corporations rule the day, on the other hand, just feels flat to me, especially since the pendulum lyric that follows is pretty nice.

Sure. I getcha. I just don't agree. I think "somewhere there's a siren signing a song only he hears' and 'corporations rule the day' are on the exact same level. That line in Breath is the best example of what I think you're talking about that you posted.

I feel the same way about that line as I do the "and this nations' about to explode" from Rival. Just gives me chills every time. So much weight, so much portent, so much anguish and hurt in six tiny words.

[epilogue]

Also, great write-up on MYM. I think you and I mostly agree on this song. We both seem to really love it. Though, I'm not sure it's as deep as you've made it here. I love what you wrote. And I don't disagree per se. But I do think the song is about religion. There are other things targeted by implication, so it's not like I think you're really reaching or anything. But it seems pretty straight forward to me. Then again, so does that song he wrote about a surfboard.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[epilogue]

Guys, I think I'm developing a new crush.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[epilogue]

Also, Stip, could you address more the conversation that this is having with Getaway? And how that relates to this being a more cohesive album? Because I believe you said that was one of your goals with this Guided Tour and to me, even though, I agree with you largely about MYM, I don't see how this song talks with or plays off of Getaway in a dynamic or interesting way.

It's quite a 'second verse, same as the first' situation. But, to me, these songs butting up next to each other is a good example of why this feels thrown together; just a grouping of songs, as it were.

[stip]

It'll take a while to see how some of these arcs start to intersect each other. As far as getaway/MYM goes, you're not far off with the second verse/done better than the first comparison.

Both are about the need to engage a world that is slowly collapsing and getting frustrated with the people who either deny that there's a problem or refuse to do anything about it. MYM is a bit clearer about the why, I think. Both are songs about clearing aside the obstacles that get in the way, though MYM is a bit more aggressive and self-assured about it (perhaps a response to the gentler Getaway--MYM inhabits a space that getaway only hints about). MYM has a more communal orientation than Getaway does. The religious critique elements are more prominent and more explicit in getaway, which is distracting since the larger point in both songs (esp MYM) is in part a critique of any ideological stance (or lack thereof) that prevents people from taking responsibility for the world they live in now. Religion is useful as a symbol insofar as it can embody the idea of transcendence and an elsewhere oriented perspective that doesn't have to privelage here and now, and is an easy way to introduce the idea of learned helplessness. But it's also a distracting concept, and Getaway isn't particularly skilled in its use. I do think MYM and Infallible (as well as some other generally favorable language about faith that appears elsewhere) help illuminate how Getaway is at least in part using religion.

Having said that, Getaway in particular is a vehicle for Eddie to conflate religion with conservative religious fundamentalism. I just don't think that's the primary story. If it was it would have continued to reappear in a prominent way when the opportunity presents itself.

Any particular thing there you want me to expand on

[Kevin Davis]

I get that "three chords and the truth" vibe from the 2003 tour but not so much from the songs on "Riot Act." Despite being very clearly spurred on by world events, I think "Riot Act" is an almost uncharacteristically inward-looking album for PJ, and nothing about Eddie's vocals on the album suggest that he cares whether you pay any attention to the words. I think the lyrical down spots on that album are just instances of clunky writing, not conscious attempts at un-sugarcoating the words to deliver a message ("Bushleaguer" has more of a message than anything and it's about the floweriest thing Eddie has written). It doesn't always have to be poetry, destined to be read off the page as one would a Tennyson poem, but one would nonetheless hope them to be artful, as they are art -- a means to express "the truth" beyond simply a rote recitation of true statements, an endeavor which does not require art.

[Norah]

I get that "three chords and the truth" vibe from the 2003 tour but not so much from the songs on "Riot Act." Despite being very clearly spurred on by world events, I think "Riot Act" is an almost uncharacteristically inward-looking album for PJ, and nothing about Eddie's vocals on the album suggest that he cares whether you pay any attention to the words. I think the lyrical down spots on that album are just instances of clunky writing, not conscious attempts at un-sugarcoating the words to deliver a message ("Bushleaguer" has more of a message than anything and it's about the floweriest thing Eddie has written). It doesn't always have to be poetry, destined to be read off the page as one would a Tennyson poem, but one would nonetheless hope them to be artful, as they are art -- a means to express "the truth" beyond simply a rote recitation of true statements, an endeavor which does not require art.

All of this.

[Strat]

Also, great write-up on MYM. I think you and I mostly agree on this song. We both seem to really love it. Though, I'm not sure it's as deep as you've made it here. I love what you wrote. And I don't disagree per se. But I do think the song is about religion. There are other things targeted by implication, so it's not like I think you're really reaching or anything. But it seems pretty straight forward to me. Then again, so does that song he wrote about a surfboard.

"Mind your manners" to me means "Do as i say not as i do" for the religious hypocrisy often seen these days.

[stip]

It certainly can as a stand alone phrase (and I'm sure Eddie would be happy with that connection) but hypocrisy is hardly limited to religious figures, and there isn't much that's actually bad being said about religion. Faithful is probably the harsher critique. All he bemoans about religion is that God hasn't come to save us yet

[WtOB?]

One of the reasons why I don't think MYM is an anti religion song in the way you're describing is precisely that Eddie has the subtly of a brick with that kind of stuff. And there's no shortage of broad targets for him to mine.

Although, running through recent albums in my mind, the last place he was really terrible about this (on a studio record) was riot act. Bushleaguer, the horrendous G-R-E-E-D beginning to Green Disease (ruining for me what would have otherwise been a pretty fun song), the corporations rule the day clunker from Undone (one of my all time favorites).

But corporations DO rule the day.

that's true. But there are more artful ways to phrase it

it's "corporations rue the day", you fools.

[bada]

[epilogue]

It'll take a while to see how some of these arcs start to intersect each other. As far as getaway/MYM goes, you're not far off with the second verse/done better than the first comparison.

Both are about the need to engage a world that is slowly collapsing and getting frustrated with the people who either deny that there's a problem or refuse to do anything about it. MYM is a bit clearer about the why, I think. Both are songs about clearing aside the obstacles that get in the way, though MYM is a bit more aggressive and self-assured about it (perhaps a response to the gentler Getaway--MYM inhabits a space that getaway only hints about). MYM has a more communal orientation than Getaway does. The religious critique elements are more prominent and more explicit in getaway, which is distracting since the larger point in both songs (esp MYM) is in part a critique of any ideological stance (or lack thereof) that prevents people from taking responsibility for the world they live in now. Religion is useful as a symbol insofar as it can embody the idea of transcendence and an elsewhere oriented perspective that doesn't have to privelage here and now, and is an easy way to introduce the idea of learned helplessness. But it's also a distracting concept, and Getaway isn't particularly skilled in its use. I do think MYM and Infallible (as well as some other generally favorable language about faith that appears elsewhere) help illuminate how Getaway is at least in part using religion.

Having said that, Getaway in particular is a vehicle for Eddie to conflate religion with conservative religious fundamentalism. I just don't think that's the primary story. If it was it would have continued to reappear in a prominent way when the opportunity presents itself.

Any particular thing there you want me to expand on

No, this was good. Thank you. I think it's interesting that you think the religious critique elements are more prominent in Getaway. To me they are much clearer and prominent in MYM.

But I do like what you were saying about MYM being more aggressive where Getaway only hints. It reminds me of the morning commute here. Where on Monday I'm willing to forgive a lot of rudeness and shoving. But by Friday I'll fucking push and yell and confront motherfuckers who won't get out of the way or play their music without headphones or do their pole dances. It's like that. Getaway is Monday or Tuesday and MYM is Friday rush hour on the goddamn MTA.

[epilogue]

One of the reasons why I don't think MYM is an anti religion song in the way you're describing is precisely that Eddie has the subtly of a brick with that kind of stuff. And there's no shortage of broad targets for him to mine.

Although, running through recent albums in my mind, the last place he was really terrible about this (on a studio record) was riot act. Bushleaguer, the horrendous G-R-E-E-D beginning to Green Disease (ruining for me what would have otherwise been a pretty fun song), the corporations rule the day clunker from Undone (one of my all time favorites).

But corporations DO rule the day.

that's true. But there are more artful ways to phrase it

it's "corporations rue the day", you fools.

Oh, honey.