Song of the Moment: Present Tense

General Pearl Jam discussion.
Post Reply

Rate Present Tense

5 stars
47
68%
4 stars
17
25%
3 stars
5
7%
2 stars
0
No votes
1 star
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 69

User avatar
Jorge
NYUCK NYUCK NYUCK
Posts: 36484
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Buenos Aires

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Jorge »

Strat wrote:the chorus lyrics are great though.
Yeah, I have no problem with those.
Anders wrote:I do not have a «neoliberal assessment of geopolitics», so please stop writing that I do.
User avatar
Jorge
NYUCK NYUCK NYUCK
Posts: 36484
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Buenos Aires

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Jorge »

all en
compassing trip
is the original
i can get over
whelmed
Anders wrote:I do not have a «neoliberal assessment of geopolitics», so please stop writing that I do.
User avatar
Birds in Hell
10Club Complaint Department
Posts: 16263
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 9:38 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Birds in Hell »

theplatypus wrote:It felt mean... you didn't have to say anything.
I'm sorry.

Let's not redigest past regrets.
User avatar
Alex
Misplaced My Sponge
Posts: 5740
Joined: Fri August 16, 2013 6:36 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Alex »

Birds in Hell wrote:
Alex wrote:yeah, there's no line in present tense like "that's the moss in the aforementioned verse" that makes me want to shoot my speakers with a flame-thrower
Exactly.

Or these regrettably firebrand couplets from the Riot Act era:

Can't wait for election day
Witness the occupation
Corporations rule the day


Can you feel this world with your heart and not your brain?

A think tank of aloof multiplication
A nicotine wish and a Columbus decanter
Retrenchment and hoggishness
The aristocrat choir sings
"What's the ruckus?"
The haves have not accrued
The immenseness of suffering
And the odd negotiation, a rarity
With onionskin plausibility of life,
And a keyboard reaffirmation


I'll take Present Tense any day.
i agree on all points.

i think the worst thing i can say about the lyrics of present tense is that eddie is relying on pretty plain language for the verses (thinking of the "you can spend your time alone..." section in particular). the sentiment of the song is prosaic and the theme might smack of buddhism for dummies, but i find eddie's straightforwardness in the song pretty refreshing... doubly so when you consider he's capable of such pretentious, bu$hleaguer-style heinousness.
Malloy wrote:making this place inhospitable to posting is really the only move left.
User avatar
Alex
Misplaced My Sponge
Posts: 5740
Joined: Fri August 16, 2013 6:36 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Alex »

Birds in Hell wrote:
Alex wrote:yeah, there's no line in present tense like "that's the moss in the aforementioned verse" that makes me want to shoot my speakers with a flame-thrower
Exactly.

Or these regrettably firebrand couplets from the Riot Act era:

Can't wait for election day
Witness the occupation
Corporations rule the day


Can you feel this world with your heart and not your brain?

A think tank of aloof multiplication
A nicotine wish and a Columbus decanter
Retrenchment and hoggishness
The aristocrat choir sings
"What's the ruckus?"
The haves have not accrued
The immenseness of suffering
And the odd negotiation, a rarity
With onionskin plausibility of life,
And a keyboard reaffirmation


I'll take Present Tense any day.
i agree on all points.

i think the worst thing i can say about the lyrics of present tense is that eddie is relying on pretty plain language for the verses (thinking of the "you can spend your time alone..." section in particular). the sentiment of the song is prosaic and the theme might smack of buddhism for dummies, but i find eddie's straightforwardness in the song pretty refreshing... doubly so when you consider he's capable of such pretentious, bu$hleaguer-style heinousness.
Malloy wrote:making this place inhospitable to posting is really the only move left.
User avatar
Alex
Misplaced My Sponge
Posts: 5740
Joined: Fri August 16, 2013 6:36 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Alex »

Birds in Hell wrote:
Alex wrote:yeah, there's no line in present tense like "that's the moss in the aforementioned verse" that makes me want to shoot my speakers with a flame-thrower
Exactly.

Or these regrettably firebrand couplets from the Riot Act era:

Can't wait for election day
Witness the occupation
Corporations rule the day


Can you feel this world with your heart and not your brain?

A think tank of aloof multiplication
A nicotine wish and a Columbus decanter
Retrenchment and hoggishness
The aristocrat choir sings
"What's the ruckus?"
The haves have not accrued
The immenseness of suffering
And the odd negotiation, a rarity
With onionskin plausibility of life,
And a keyboard reaffirmation


I'll take Present Tense any day.
i agree on all points.

i think the worst thing i can say about the lyrics of present tense is that eddie is relying on pretty plain language for the verses (thinking of the "you can spend your time alone..." section in particular). the sentiment of the song is prosaic and the theme might smack of buddhism for dummies, but i find eddie's straightforwardness in the song pretty refreshing... doubly so when you consider he's capable of such pretentious, bu$hleaguer-style heinousness.
Malloy wrote:making this place inhospitable to posting is really the only move left.
User avatar
Alex
Misplaced My Sponge
Posts: 5740
Joined: Fri August 16, 2013 6:36 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Alex »

Birds in Hell wrote:
Alex wrote:yeah, there's no line in present tense like "that's the moss in the aforementioned verse" that makes me want to shoot my speakers with a flame-thrower
Exactly.

Or these regrettably firebrand couplets from the Riot Act era:

Can't wait for election day
Witness the occupation
Corporations rule the day


Can you feel this world with your heart and not your brain?

A think tank of aloof multiplication
A nicotine wish and a Columbus decanter
Retrenchment and hoggishness
The aristocrat choir sings
"What's the ruckus?"
The haves have not accrued
The immenseness of suffering
And the odd negotiation, a rarity
With onionskin plausibility of life,
And a keyboard reaffirmation


I'll take Present Tense any day.
i agree on all points.

i think the worst thing i can say about the lyrics of present tense is that eddie is relying on pretty plain language for the verses (thinking of the "you can spend your time alone..." section in particular). the sentiment of the song is prosaic and the theme might smack of buddhism for dummies, but i find eddie's straightforwardness in the song pretty refreshing... doubly so when you consider he's capable of such pretentious, bu$hleaguer-style heinousness.
Malloy wrote:making this place inhospitable to posting is really the only move left.
User avatar
Alex
Misplaced My Sponge
Posts: 5740
Joined: Fri August 16, 2013 6:36 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Alex »

what the fuck
Malloy wrote:making this place inhospitable to posting is really the only move left.
User avatar
Jorge
NYUCK NYUCK NYUCK
Posts: 36484
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Buenos Aires

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Jorge »

Good posting
Anders wrote:I do not have a «neoliberal assessment of geopolitics», so please stop writing that I do.
User avatar
Alex
Misplaced My Sponge
Posts: 5740
Joined: Fri August 16, 2013 6:36 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Alex »

well, i feel strongly about this
Malloy wrote:making this place inhospitable to posting is really the only move left.
User avatar
Birds in Hell
10Club Complaint Department
Posts: 16263
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 9:38 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Birds in Hell »

I can much more easily stomach Ed's surfer dude cod-profundity than I can his boneheaded political commentary or clumsy attempts to sound really smart (combined to horrifying effect in Bushleaguer).
User avatar
Alex
Misplaced My Sponge
Posts: 5740
Joined: Fri August 16, 2013 6:36 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Alex »

Birds in Hell wrote:I can much more easily stomach Ed's surfer dude cod-profundity than I can his boneheaded political commentary or clumsy attempts to sound really smart (combined to horrifying effect in Bushleaguer).
will you be my friend?
Malloy wrote:making this place inhospitable to posting is really the only move left.
User avatar
Birds in Hell
10Club Complaint Department
Posts: 16263
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 9:38 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Birds in Hell »

Alex wrote:
Birds in Hell wrote:I can much more easily stomach Ed's surfer dude cod-profundity than I can his boneheaded political commentary or clumsy attempts to sound really smart (combined to horrifying effect in Bushleaguer).
will you be my friend?
Sure, I'm a friendly guy.
Washed Away
Banned from the Pit
Posts: 40
Joined: Mon March 17, 2014 6:01 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Washed Away »

LetMeSleep wrote:
dimejinky99 wrote:I think its one of Pj's all time greats..i just hate the way ed insists on cursing in it these days...ruins the whole song
I agree mate. It's so detrimental to the vibe of the song.
It's definitely a bit silly.
User avatar
daft twat
Rank This Poster
Posts: 5355
Joined: Wed January 02, 2013 2:23 am
Location: The In Between

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by daft twat »

The maracas are to this song what hand claps are to Get Right. :thumbsup:
User avatar
Thejambi
Rank This Poster
Posts: 4301
Joined: Fri April 12, 2013 8:12 pm
Location: Potato

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Thejambi »

I don't find the lyrics to be terrible. Hokey perhaps. I always took them to be an existential conversation with himself during a low point. His tone, melody and performance all fits the music in such an appropriate way that i never felt they took away from the song.

It's five stars as it is but i always found this song to be a missed opportunity for an epic rock song ala Stairway to Heaven.
There's the dog. You can't fake that stuff. Confess with your mouth.
User avatar
stip
The worst
Posts: 42946
Joined: Thu December 13, 2012 6:31 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by stip »

he can get away with hokey lyrics because they do always feel insincere, but Eddie is at his best as a writer when he's grappling with uncertainty. Once he thinks he knows something the strength of his conviction tends to absolve him of the responsibility of conveying it an interesting way.
User avatar
darth_vedder
Misplaced My Sponge
Posts: 6467
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 9:52 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by darth_vedder »

4 stars for me. I like the song about the moss better.
User avatar
EJ
Fake NYC Setlist Relayer
Posts: 7053
Joined: Wed January 02, 2013 3:15 pm

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by EJ »

darth_vedder wrote:4 stars for me. I like the song about the moss better.
agreed on both
User avatar
Norah
Poster of the Year
Posts: 37327
Joined: Tue January 01, 2013 2:04 pm
Location: September 2020 Poster of the Month

Re: Song of the Moment: Present Tense

Post by Norah »

EJ wrote:
darth_vedder wrote:4 stars for me. I like the song about the moss better.
agreed on both
Yup
Post Reply