A Guided Tour of Lightning Bolt: Infallible

[96583UP]

[stip]

For being two of the worst, most "I feel embarrassed for you right now" moments in the Pearl Jam catalog, I do like how they paired My Father's Son and Sirens on the record. The one-two punch of a bitter song aimed towards an absent father and a fearful, tender song where a father laments the constant uncertainty that is his ability to 'be there,' and to protect, is a smart combination.

It is, and one I only picked up on fairly recently.

[Kevin Davis]

Especially when you consider that -- sonically -- there are arguably no two songs back to back on a Pearl Jam album that feel less like they go together.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Tj]

My Fathers Son fills the space between Alive and Once. Sirens fills the space between Once and Footsteps. Imagine Sirens as being written by a killer that knows he will be caught and be put to death. Then of course comes Footsteps and finally a song about yes you guessed it old sparky Lightning Bolt.

[Birds in Hell]

After a recent listen I'm currently of the opinion that My Father's Son is my favourite post-2000 Pearl Jam song.

[Leatherhead]

After a recent listen I'm currently of the opinion that My Father's Son is my favourite post-2000 Pearl Jam song.

Wow, that's a pretty hefty opinion.

[MoreSense]

My Fathers Son fills the space between Alive and Once. Sirens fills the space between Once and Footsteps. Imagine Sirens as being written by a killer that knows he will be caught and be put to death. Then of course comes Footsteps and finally a song about yes you guessed it old sparky Lightning Bolt.

I don't think MFS fills a space between Alive, Once, and Footsteps, but I'm glad someone else sees a connection between MFS and the Momma-Son trilogy. Maybe MFS is an evolution? My first interpretation of MFS was that the character in Momma-Son had returned or possibly that the character in MFS is related to the character in Momma-Son. Sort of goes along with the OP statement about the album being about legacy and a relationship with past, present, and future, I think.

[Kevin Davis]

My Fathers Son fills the space between Alive and Once. Sirens fills the space between Once and Footsteps. Imagine Sirens as being written by a killer that knows he will be caught and be put to death. Then of course comes Footsteps and finally a song about yes you guessed it old sparky Lightning Bolt.

I don't think MFS fills a space between Alive, Once, and Footsteps, but I'm glad someone else sees a connection between MFS and the Momma-Son trilogy. Maybe MFS is an evolution? My first interpretation of MFS was that the character in Momma-Son had returned or possibly that the character in MFS is related to the character in Momma-Son. Sort of goes along with the OP statement about the album being about legacy and a relationship with past, present, and future, I think.

This makes the song sound like a bad horror movie sequel: "You thought that electric chair killed me, but now I'm back!" I doubt anything that cinematically deliberate is happening here. This is just a recurring theme for Eddie, a specter which assumes new forms and creates new obstacles as his life circumstances evolve. Did anyone ever think to put those "Momma Son" songs together before Eddie explained it?

[McParadigm]

My Fathers Son fills the space between Alive and Once. Sirens fills the space between Once and Footsteps. Imagine Sirens as being written by a killer that knows he will be caught and be put to death. Then of course comes Footsteps and finally a song about yes you guessed it old sparky Lightning Bolt.

I don't think MFS fills a space between Alive, Once, and Footsteps, but I'm glad someone else sees a connection between MFS and the Momma-Son trilogy. Maybe MFS is an evolution? My first interpretation of MFS was that the character in Momma-Son had returned or possibly that the character in MFS is related to the character in Momma-Son. Sort of goes along with the OP statement about the album being about legacy and a relationship with past, present, and future, I think.

This makes the song sound like a bad horror movie sequel: "You thought that electric chair killed me, but now I'm back!" I doubt anything that cinematically deliberate is happening here.

It does sound significantly less stupid than the actual lyrics to the song, though.

[Tj]

Lightning Bolt = The Phantom Menace

[stip]

I'm with Kevin Davis on this. The songs are linked insofar as this is a recurring theme, but I doubt (and would be very disappointed) if there was any intentional effort to connect these songs through the same character in an extended narrative.

[epilogue]

I'm with Kevin Davis on this. The songs are linked insofar as this is a recurring theme, but I doubt (and would be very disappointed) if there was any intentional effort to connect these songs through the same character in an extended narrative.

Agreed.

But I do think it would be fun for Ed to revisit the narrative in some capacity at some point. I'd love to hear a new song that's meant to slide between that original narrative. But this isn't it.

It's amazing how bad this song is lyrically when historically Ed's been so good at these kinds of character-stories.

[stip]

I do think some of it is intentionally over the top, but some of it is just inexcusable.

[epilogue]

Maybe some of it is. I don't know. The majority of the stuff KD mentioned (I disagree with the use of psychopath and the insemination bit doesn't bother me in the slightest) is totally on point. It's the 'aforementioned' blunder cubed. The syntax just doesn't quit make sense in a lot of the lines, even though, as KD said, what he's getting at is clear. It's fucking weird.

I can't think of any other example of character driven narrative (from Mr. Vedder) that's quite this sloppy.

[stip]

Me neither.

In a perfect world Sirens will be up tomorrow morning

[epilogue]

But, more than the actual lyrical content, I tend to respond to/be moved by the way the vocal enhances/uses/rides/manipulates the melody. And on that score, MFS is outstanding. I really like this song a lot and I rarely give a shit about what the lyrics are saying. I just like the way they're sung.

[epilogue]

Me neither.

In a perfect world Sirens will be up tomorrow morning

[stip]

they look like they're having fun, but I don't know if it's real fun or not

[E.H. Ruddock]

they look like they're having fun, but I don't know if it's real fun or not

if it is Anna Kendrick you can bet it is real fun.