Opera Singer Tries To Analyze This... and FAILS! Pearl Jam's "Yellow Ledbetter" stumps Elizabeth

[@Pinche_Adrian]

When Eddie Vedder said "On a weelan Ona wissitonawayeaa Ani cownanasaya Nannawowasay ani gollah agaiii"... I felt that shit...

[@rotten87]

I don't know how someone can make this any more cleareeree-eer.

[@lowden87]

Its true when u think about it tho, vedder does have a point

[@kandrabee]

I'm dying laughing over here.

[@TroyHawkins1]

😭😭😭 yeah dawg

[@dribblywildman7744]

This comment deserves way more respect

[@justintime343]

I've loved this song for 30 years and have never known a single word of it.

[@justins3810]

Same here! This is the first time I looked up the lyrics to this song.

[@MeNtaL_kAse428]

Did this karaoke last nite b/c of the post.... Georgous song

[@bunhelsingslegacy3549]

Same, I just looked up the lyrics now and they really don't make any more sense!

[@alanela6761]

Ty, Justin. Now i don't have to comment. You said what i was going to say. And i will never, ever look up these lyrics. I don't even want to know

[@justins3810]

@@alanela6761 You should definitely read the lyrics and the meaning of the song. Its pretty deep. Its a very emotional song

[@mlyness100]

“The most beautiful song you can’t understand”

[@williamkramer9731]

Best that way….. once you actually see the lyrics and get the meaning it’s gut wrenching and a hard listen

[@AshleyStern-wq5dl]

It gets you in the feels

[@jasonlaviolette2964]

Absolutely! "make me cry..." and into one of Mike McCready's best guitar solos. Listening to that always brings a tear to my eye.

[@laurabarr2464]

You want to hear BEAUTIFUL music you can't understand listen to Cocteau Twins........ ❤❤❤❤

[@kleeklee4572]

@@williamkramer9731it’s about war from the perspective of military families.

[@rdspam]

I once saw an audience member ask Eddie about the lyrics. His response- “wait, there’s lyrics?”.

[@FeelItRising]

yet people still try to pretend there are. so dumb

[@pcproffy]

When asked why this song wasn't on TEN, he said it was because he never finished the lyrics.

[@padensmith4354]

He said in concert that the song was about a guy who’s brother died in the gulf war and he goes on a walk after getting the letter and can’t handle the news and on the walk he sees a couple on their front porch with an American flag and he waves but bc he looks like a 90s grunge guy they judge and don’t wave back not knowing he just lost his brother for the country. From Eddie’s mouth on stage.

[@Qpoueoor]

Marbles. Hey.. I love it but…. Marbles.

[@49erfevah]

There's lyrics. He just hadn't finished when they recorded. It's about a neighborhood kid who lost his life in the first gulf war. More specifically him seeing the parents being visited by military officials with "the letter".

[@noGodsNeeded]

It's hard to understand the words to "Smells like Teen Spirit" Eddie: "Hold my beer."

[@johntruxal432]

🤣🍻

[@danholmesfilm]

More like: “Ooolllmaahhbeeeaaah”

[@thaddeusbohn9516]

Kurt: "hold my beer. Here's a song called 'tourettes.'"

[@shannalewis8875]

😂

[@chrisdankel4508]

😂

[@neur0nix]

That intro is such a great tribute to Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing. Both of them being from Seattle.

[@OblivionAviator]

"Eddie Vedder sounds like he’s singing in reverse." - David Spade, Weekend Update, 1990s. Best description I've heard, so far.

[@skarlottt]

Lol I remember that!

[@neil2444]

Lyrics don't have to be sensible or make sense. I realized this after hearing and enjoying many songs from R.E.M. Apparently the lyrics were made to fit the music rather than the other way around.

[@rickc661]

@@neil2444 being a geezer - Beatles tunes, especially Lennons were oft like this

[@ericapelt4591]

If you play pearl jam backwards it says "this sucks".

[@memyselfundeye]

@@ericapelt4591hardly.

[@blaineferguson7699]

Pearl Jam's "Elderly woman behind the counter in a small town" is a fantastic song!

[@madsquishy3410]

Yes!! My favorite song by them!!!!

[@johnc7512]

Agree

[@belebih]

I agree. It's a song that has taken on different meanings at different points in my life, most recently with the passing of both my mom and grandma. It really is a beautiful song.

[@920WASHBURN]

"My god it's been so long, never dreamed you'd return". Hurts

[@Tristana.Keauna]

yes!!!

[@MichaelMullane]

"I don't know whether I'm the boxer or the bag" is my favorite lyric from this song. (sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail)

[@mikehanken2485]

I think he was referring to the way soldiers came home from Vietnam whether it was in a bag or a box

[@jasonallen7993]

Sometimes you are the bug and sometimes you are the windshield

[@maxflier]

It’s box or a bag. Howard Stern thought it was boxer or the bag too and Eddie corrected him.

[@pwnzer33]

its definitely boxer or the bag as in a punching bag.

[@Cwin-ny6bp]

I’m still not sure if any of the lyrics for this song are official, and he apparently randomly changes them and made them up on the spot like “Smells Like Teen Spirit” except a even harder to understand lol. That particular line apparently came from his friend saying he didn’t know if his brother would come back from the Gulf War in a box or a bag, although it seems like he modified the quote for the song.

[@LithiumProductions]

*_ACTUAL LYRICS!:_* Unsealed On a porch a letter sat Then you said I want to leave it again Once I saw him On a beach of weathered sand And on the sand I want to leave it again On a weekend want to wish it all away And they called and I said that I want what I said And then I call out again And the reason oughta leave her calm, I know I said, I don't know whether I'm the boxer or the bag Oh yeah, can you see them? Out on the porch Ah, but they don't wave I see them 'Round the front way, yeah And I know and I know I don't want to stay Make me cry I see Oh, I don't know, there's something else I want to drum it all away And I said "I don't, I don't know whether I was the boxer or the bag" Oh yeah, can you see them? Out on the porch Yeah, but they don't wave I see them 'Round the front way, yeah And I know and I know I don't want to stay at all I don't want to stay I don't want to stay I don't want to stay I don't, oh-ooh, yeah Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh-oh oh oh

[@kwharrison6668]

These aren’t the actual lyrics, they someone’s interpretation of the lyrics. The “Box or the bag” reference is almost certainly talking about whether “he’s coming home in a box or a bag”…

[@gerardmichael8523]

​@@kwharrison6668it's boxer or bag as it are you throwing the punches or the one getting hit

[@bohacekml]

@@kwharrison6668 It makes sense if you think about being a soldier. Are you the one still standing, fighting, or the one who unfortunately dies and comes home in a "bag" (even though it's actually a flag-draped casket)?

[@Oleoay]

@@bohacekmlbox or bag is the soldier coming home dead either way but has to do with the condition of the body

[@Durandal1707]

@@kwharrison6668 I remember hearing that this was based on Eddie's conversation with a friend who lost his brother in the first Gulf War. Wiki seems to endorse this interpretation - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Ledbetter

[@AngieCurl]

This is the exact reason why we got card inserts with lyrics, in our CDs in the 90s 😂😂😂

[@chads9431]

Not for this song though. The lyrics are constantly changing so even if you have the original lyrics the song isn’t the same now. 😂

[@armageddonworm]

LOL Like how they started adding super hard levels to the 3rd hour of a game so that you'd get addicted to it, but couldn't finish it in one night if you were renting it from blockbuster (back when that was a thing) You needed to buy it to finish it. "You like this song? You need to buy my whole CD with inserts. "

[@howardzuefle2142]

Yes, but even some of those were incomplete for Pearl Jam! Or you couldn't read them. Didn't have the internet back then. We spent a very long time over several nights trying to figure out the lyrics to Even Flow....We got most of it.

[@bellowl]

CDs lol. I guess it shows my age that we had the inserts from cassette tapes. "Lies" by G'n'R had a picture of a nude woman (?) in the insert. That was a big thing when I was about 10 years old and you needed someone older to buy the cassettes for you 🤣Around that time my dad took me to the record store to buy "Pretty Hate Machine" by Nine Inch Nails for my brother's 15th or 16th birthday. My parents were pretty conservative so my dad didn't like it much when I told him the name of the album but I remember the guy at the store wasn't going to sell it to a 10yo until I assured him it was for my older brother. Poison's "Open up and say... Ahh" had "collectable" cards with pics of the band members and details about them on the reverse side. Pearl Jam's "Ten" had the lyrics on the insert but in Eddie's handwriting so you had to try to work out the lyrics between listening and reading - many of them I still don't know...

[@allensummerour3967]

Not for this one. Originally only released as a B side to the single Jeremy. Anyone else remember cassette singles?

[@joshb23]

One of the best Hendrix tributes in that opening, just perfectly beautiful.

[@lloyd0006]

Exactly! Very Little Wing

[@MichelGitchBrisson]

Ya was thinking so Hendrix, just wonderful!

[@spud69g]

"There must be a Wizard in here" needs to be a T-shirt.

[@skarlottt]

Agreed

[@elizaconroy2737]

😂😂😂

[@riverkirsch8508]

Eddie is the wizard

[@Antti79]

I'll take a size L in black, please.

[@eloerch7]

Hahaha, there must be a Wizard. I love it.

[@kurtwashere]

I've been singing along to this for almost 30 years now, and I've never looked up the lyrics. No idea what I even say when I do it...stuff just comes out and it feels right. Strange how that works.

[@tom8357qld]

Perfect lyrics every time I bet..

[@alutious]

Maybe that was his design. Write your own words, here are the sounds. Brilliant.

[@ricky6foot]

Same! 30 years of whatever needed to be expressed. This is a go to when I need to figure stuff out, have a cry, whatever. The lyrics flow and then... something is ok again.

[@dmitryowens]

I never knew the lyrics either, but I just looked them up - I had a few correct 😎

[@ltomolo]

This very much made my day lol thanks for sharing my own shared experience with this song!

[@ezy.doesit]

this reaction honestly made me tear! watching you listen for the first time is awesome!

[@rom65536]

10 years ago, I was working as an aerospace engineer, and one part of my job was to entertain three Japanese engineers who were working with us. So - I took them out for drinks and karaoke. The Karaoke bar I took them to had "theme nights" and the first night was 90s themed. After an insane amounts of alcohol, they got up on stage and all together sang "Would" by Alice in Chains. Then they pressured me to go sing. Now - at the time, I was literally falling down drunk. So, figuring that I couldn't carry a tune anyway, I selected this song and completely nailed it.

[@pop9095]

This is a blues song about heroine, so nah-yeah naturally. Were the Japanese impressed?

[@ellasieradzki5398]

Please tell me there's a video of them singing Would. Please. I beg of you.

[@rom65536]

@@ellasieradzki5398 I wish - it was funny.

[@renecuellar3078]

Bahahahahaha!!!!!!

[@mrksts1]

“Drunk karaoke” perfectly describes what I’m hearing 😂

[@stevebruno7514]

I have never laughed quite this much at one of your videos. The confusion is wonderful. "I don't want to date" nearly broke me. But my favorite was "I'm not just a vocal nerd. I'm a regular nerd too." This is why your videos are so much fun.

[@carina-uy9nt]

As a huge Pearl jam fan the whole point of Eddie Vedder... it's all feeling and emotion. It's not about right key or correct technic, it's that his voice and all tunes plays on your inner string. When he glides through and between scales (or what it's called). Pure fantastic

[@verkpunk]

This is my favorite song about wizard dating.

[@laurieemme1534]

😂

[@JonH611]

Wizards NOT dating, that is

[@BeansBrown22]

😂😂

[@Ian-lm5ep]

So many to chose from

[@DonTrump-sv1si]

Speaking of, does anyone know of any good online wizard dating sites?

[@BertZedic]

Eddie Vedder when asked about the lyrics from the song : “the song took as its subject a friend of mine from Seattle whose brother served in the first Gulf War. My friend received a "yellow letter" in the mail informing him that his brother had died in the war”. Vedder and his friend then went for a walk. On this walk, the friend, whom Vedder described as "alternative looking", happened by a house with an American flag flying and people on the porch. He stopped and gestured to the flag, as if to salute it, but the people on the porch glared at him disapprovingly due to his appearance. The reference of a “box or a bag” also refers to how a soldier might come home. I always loved this song, but it took on a much deeper meaning for me when I found this out…

[@kieranobrien7342]

Great explanation 👌

[@OEFVet0405]

Exactly what I had read about the meaning to the lyric!

[@daveb8823]

I know in the early 00's he was using "I want to wish this war away" referring to the 2nd Iraq war so it kind of cemented my interpretation of this as an anti-war song. Beyond that it is just an amazing guitar driven song.

[@aniketkulkarni8414]

Yeah this needs to be pinned

[@Brieve]

Except the lyric is ""I don't know whether I'm the boxer or the bag"

[@BallardMusicBank]

i love the dogged determination by elizabeth to understand the lyrics , it shows her passion and reverence for the artist . i appreciate her soooo much !!

[@saltydroog854]

"There must be a wizard in here" -Elizabeth Zharoff This needs to be on a shirt, in the merch store.

[@2001Bytes]

And the Wizard is going wacka wacka.

[@techiegirl1331]

Wacka Wacka Wizard. 🧙‍♀️ because... alliteration encourages inspiration 🪄 🎶

[@dmoore0079]

As big Hendrix fan, I always loved this song. That intro is so Hendrix flavored that you could almost imagine him playing it.

[@Firedog-ny3cq]

He absolutely did.

[@mobhatter]

McCready really channeled Hendrix here. Oh, and they played this with Little Wing.

[@40ozkingwest9]

First time I heard it I thought it could be an unreleased JH song. Then he sang.

[@mattroxbury2691]

It’s because it’s the lick from Little Wing

[@Mephilis78]

It helps that he's playing a stratocaster. That lovely chime.

[@hippieslacker6466]

Your guessing the lyrics is pure comedic gold. I was smiling the whole reaction

[@AviatorLuber]

Sitting on the porch drinking a beer with a wizard you don't want to date, talking about a box and a bag. Makes sense to me.

[@sarkastro]

It's "I don't know whether I'm the boxer or the bag", and that makes perfect sense.

[@jimmccoys5778]

Don’t know why or how a song with lyrics you can’t ever understand is so good!! It’s the emotion and the music! I guess, who can really say?! It is what it is, or whatever you want it to be!!

[@danduntz2539]

@@jimmccoys5778 Music in general is massively emotive, which is what resonates with people. I’ll give you an example: I love the Gypsy Kings, who speak a combination of Spanish and French and their native tongue. The Spanish words I understand but the rest I don’t know, and yet it’s highly enjoyable and emotionally connecting.

[@nickmcp7191]

@@Whispererinthenoise Then there's Prisencolinensinainciusol by Adriano Celentano...

[@ems7448]

@@Whispererinthenoise I was just thinking, Yellow Ledbetter was the song in my teens that prepared me today for listening to (and loving) things like Alcest's Sapphire or Dèlivrance. Can't understand a single word? Who cares?! Wait, there are no real words? It's all good.

[@magnetikmonopole]

When i was in 7th grade, my best friend's younger sister died of leukemia. At the wake, his older sister had this song on repeat. 30 years later, this song always make me think of them and their living room where we sat.

[@robertredmon5409]

Pearl jam is by far the best live act i have ever seen in person

[@29micka]

Managed to score tickets for the yield tour in Brisbane, Australia and was like 15 feet away from eddie best night of my life

[@sharoncarlisle9453]

Hahahahaha! "Tries to analyze and fails" You and the rest of us. Can't wait to see this! ETA: The lyrics change every time he does it too.

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

Wait, really?!

[@tswdtx]

Yep. He was asked one time what the lyrics are and his response was, "Does that song have lyrics?"

[@sharoncarlisle9453]

@@TheCharismaticVoice Yes, really. There is a very funny misheard lyrics video for this song. Those are the words I hear now, lol.

[@MichaelBrown-me3bh]

Do you know who Jimmy Hendrix is?

[@sharoncarlisle9453]

@@MichaelBrown-me3bh Elizabeth. or me? Yes, I do.

[@secessioncycles1357]

Ready for the part 2 “reveal” video where you pull up the lyrics and re-listen 😁 I love to sing along in the car and this one was unintelligible but so easy to mimic the sounds. This song is truly about the emotions elicited from the music and then vocals. Mike McCready’s guitar with Eddie’s melody and vocal utterances just flow through you. I come close to tears when in listen to this in the headphones. It’s a beautiful song.

[@LukaszPakiela]

This is by far the funniest reaction I've seen from you. I can relate. I fell in love with this song before I looked up the lyrics , now I know them by heart and I love it even more

[@fgoogle5576]

PJ always play this as their final encore. The words often change, but it's not gibberish. The mood instantly chills when the crowd hears the opening riff. We all know its at an end and folks get REALLY emotional. Alot of strangers hugging and crying together during this song.

[@digdugsmug]

They play it often but not every show. That's why their shows are so good, tons of variety.

[@scottNNJ]

I’m not being critical of you when I ask about your phrase “final encore”, but how many encores do they do? I know some performers have more than one, and I can see Pearl Jam being one of them.

[@scapito]

@@scottNNJ I've seen them live several times for each tour, and they will sometimes do an extra encore, but more often than not is usually just 1 long encore. They usually play mammoth length shows too. Their last show at MGM had an 8 song encore after playing 17 songs. Yellow Ledbetter was the second to last song. Very common for them to play it at the end of each show.

[@fgoogle5576]

@@scottNNJI've seen 9 PJ shows (all prior to 2010) and this song WAS the final song played at each. Maybe bc we were in Seattle, maybe because they stopped this tradition after 2010? To Scott's point, I have experienced 2 encores on multiple occasions. In Seattle, we knew that having not heard Ledbetter yet... all we had to do was keep cheering and they would come out. If you are a crappy crowd... I can see them NOT returning for a second encore and therefore NOT hearing this song. But YES, multiple encores.

[@benmason9755]

I learned a long time ago with this one that the correct way to enjoy this is give up trying to work out what Eddie's actually saying and just BASK IN THE GENIUS of Mike McCready's INSANE guitarwork ...

[@imsohygh]

everytime i hear this song, ive never paid any attention to the lyrics, but that guitar though! A small part of me is in love with the idea that Jimi Hendrix' spirit had just one more thing to say and used Mike McCready as the vessel ......but yeah...go ahead KZbin, do your thang ;)

[@BeggarsOutpost4]

@@imsohygh Of course of mean Stevie Ray Vaughn...🙂

[@matthewparsons6496]

@@BeggarsOutpost4 definitely channeling Stevie! Maybe that's the wizard reference...

[@conehenge]

Amen!!! PREACH!

[@SingularlyNaked]

@@BeggarsOutpost4 I think you mean Kenny Wayne Shepherd! Who was inspired by SRV, who of course was inspired by Jimi. It’s world-changing guitarists all the way down!!

[@oCaioFavero]

I feel so validated right now. English, not being my first language, every now and then I hear a song or someone talking and think to myself "how do people understand that?". Turns out you also don't. And I love that

[@joshbodenhamer8737]

"Don't know whether I'm the boxer or the bag" is one of my favorite lines

[@ofsinope]

"ano wadda wedda amma bossa oda back"

[@georgeconradie4854]

I don't want a whale in a box or a bag

[@JB-un2iv]

Is his brother coming back in a box or a bag

[@EveryBodyHz]

"Don't know whether I'm in the box or a bag" ? Wine. Definitely, definitely wine. Lots of wine!🤣

[@jmhaces]

@@EveryBodyHz Maybe milk if he's in Canada.

[@MrChologno]

As a non native English speaker, it is somehow reassuring to see that understanding Eddie Vedder is not easy.

[@mirjamvond1731]

Right? 😄 It's not us!

[@petervandebelt6062]

Exactly!

[@kleeklee4572]

The comments are hilarious! But the songs about desert storm 1 and how everyone who had loved ones fighting felt. The lyrics talk about how he waves at an old couple sitting on a porch but they don’t wave back because he looks like a punk kid but they’re the same as they both have loved ones fighting in desert storm. He gets home and there’s a letter waiting for him which he doesn’t want to read because it could mean his brother is coming back in a box or a bag… from my memory…

[@ztrada7]

I think the lyrics are from the perspective of a mother, who is reluctant to open a letter form the army cus probably bad news, then she asks a family member whos with her if she can see 2 men standing on the porch (cus hopefully she's hallucinating) and reply is "yes but they dont wave" (meaning they have bad news), talking about the 2 CNOs (Casualty Notifying Officer) that have come to deliver news about their loved one being killed in action.

[@timb1319]

David Letterman said it best when he inducted PJ into the Hall of fame.. Pearl Jam had so much good music for their debut album, Ten that they left this as a b-side and that this song would make another bands whole career. This is one of the melodies that really got John Mayer into guitar. Epic concert closer letting Mike McCready go to another place with his closing solo

[@tomfoolery342]

He's singing in cursive!! When I first heard it, I thought I had eaten an edible but didn't realize it.

[@spamwagon]

"Singing in cursive"... that's f-in great! I gotta steal it.

[@Skfishin]

😂

[@otakubancho6655]

More like singing in Japanese calligraphy!

[@alia_and_gotin3117]

HAHAHA that is the best comment!

[@PriestessOfNothing]

😂😂😂

[@kimberlypeterson9234]

I woke up my family watching this because I was laughing so hard - wizards, don't want to date, etc. This is so good! Gotta love Eddie for keeping us all on our toes!

[@kimnicodemus9369]

Same!

[@SaiyanHeretic]

"Yellow Ledbetter" was originally an outtake from 'Ten' and an impromptu jam that Vedder made up lyrics for on the spot. There is an official set of lyrics, but they've been known to change in live performances. According to interviews and audience Q&A Vedder has had about this song specifically, it's an "anti-patriotic" song about a friend whose brother served in the First Gulf War. This friend, Tim Ledbetter, received a "yellow letter" informing him that his brother died in the war, inspiring the verse about not knowing whether the brother will be "coming home in a box or a bag."

[@waltciii3]

Well that ties some of these lyrical strings together.

[@Mephilis78]

What about the wizard though? Was the brother the wizard?

[@RustedSku11]

I generally think this is the plot of the song, but I recently was told the line is "...I don't know if I am the boxer or the bag" and I have seen evidence of this line. So it ties into the conundrum of waving back at the flag displaying couple, even though he is mad his brother is dead. I used to think it was "box or bag" but both of those outcomes are death and that doesn't fit as well as having opposing outcomes. The best part of this masterpiece is it makes people think and wonder from their own perspective in life.

[@ShaunHensley]

Suddenly the entire song makes perfect sense

[@JarredPearman]

@@RustedSku11 When you look up lyrics in a search it shows the boxer or the bag like you mention here, but listening carefully it sounds more to me like he says "don't know whether it was a box or a bag", right in line with what the OP explains. My suspicion is that the lyrics page is simply wrong and is simply a "sugar-fried honey-butts" moment.

[@maryohara6192]

His voice is so captivating. I think he was singing in a mix of French, Italian and Bob Dylan.

[@SirHackwrench]

Nah. Too much vocal rhythm to be Dylan 😝

[@lennorris4544]

'Dylan' had me rolling 🤣

[@davidharden7575]

This is my new fav channel. So delightful

[@thomasruck2264]

The song "Release" is one of my favorite songs by Pearl Jam. It is a great example of singing aaaa's and oooo's like you were talking about. Its almost puts you in a trance. its beautiful

[@BeansBrown22]

Agreed 100%

[@ryanr5319]

Third that. Always loved track 11. Such a great closer. 😊

[@xoch1717]

it’s my favorite! and indifference❤

[@veddermn8]

Bandsplain podcast has Eddie's quote explaining the meaning pretty well at the 2:50:20 mark, Basically Ed was walking with a friend of his who was "alternative looking" who had a brother die in the Gulf War and recieved a "yellow letter" as notification. As they were walking, his friend saw a flag on a house and waved at the people sitting there in solidarity, but because of his appearance, the people on the porch ignored him.

[@giuliko]

That's true!

[@brianr9113]

This!

[@bo_wright]

“Can you see them? Out on the porch, but they don’t waive…..And I see them, round the front way and I know that I know, I don’t want to stay…”

[@tbmike23]

This is correct.

[@javyguzman9123]

It's an old lead belly song Some of the other songs Lead Belly recorded have become standards, including "Rock Island Line", "Midnight Special", "Where Did You Sleep Last Night (In The Pines)", "Bring Me A Little Water, Silvy", "Pick A Bale Of Cotton", "Cottonfields", etc. His songs are included in books and folios, and most are published by The Richmond Organization, with whom he's been associated since the early 1940s.

[@shauryajain5358]

Elizabeth, your enthusiasm is infectious...keep doing what you do!

[@tommydeamon7657]

The intro on this is so jimi hendrix sounding its so buetiful like castles made of sand wind crys marry type of vibe

[@jasoncarey2092]

It is Little Wing

[@eljison]

... and Little Wing.

[@A_Final_Hit]

As a 14 year old when this song came out, I hated it (and Pearl Jam) because it sounded like a Little Wing ripoff. Now, nearing 50, I love this song and Pearl Jam.

[@tommydeamon7657]

@A_Final_Hit I've actually worked a bit on both tunes for various bands I've been in through out my life and strait up its not 100% little wing but yeah it uses alot of simular cord voicing moving motifs and other various jimi hendrix type stuff it Also probably not coincidentally bares some resemblance to Lenny by s.r.v

[@jonlohrenz5446]

It’s similar to little wing but they are certainly not identical.

[@bruceanderson4219]

This reaction is priceless! You are adorable! None of us knew at first, either. Great song, great lyrics, great melody and thank you for a great reaction.

[@bruceanderson4219]

Once you know the lyrics, you will easily connect the emotion of Eddie singing with the music.

[@jonastune624]

There was an icy cold morning in upstate New York back in 1995 I will always remember. It was my junior year in college, there was a foot of fresh snow on the ground, and I was lying in bed just before dawn with my girlfriend at the time, who was graduating that spring. I awoke just as dawn was creeping into the sky, and the opening notes of this amazing song began to waft softly through my radio. I laid there quietly and listened to it fully for the first time, everything still and silent outside, a beautiful young woman nestled up against my side, and for those few minutes everything in the world was perfect in a way that I knew could not last.

[@kenleppek]

"I don't wanna go, I don't wanna stay."... This is my favorite Pearl Jam song. It's very emotional especially once you find out the back story.

[@A_Final_Hit]

What's the backstory?

[@kenleppek]

@@A_Final_Hit apparently it's about a friend of Eddie's that was deployed during the Gulf war and receiving a letter informing them of his death. They didn't know if he's gonna come home in a box or a bag. He talks about walking down the street where there are folks on the front porch with a yellow ribbon around a tee, he waves but they don't wave back presumably because they are older folks and he's a grunge looking young man. Eddie also says when asked about what the song means that simply, it's about whatever it means to you. He slurs the words on purpose and is known to change the lyrics a little bit every time he performs it.

[@Buckaroo_Banzai47]

​@@kenleppekI think people get to hung up on deep meaning when you can just feel the music when it's trying to tell you something that can't be described with words. Now that you shared the backstory of the song, though, it makes me like them even more.

[@A_Final_Hit]

@@kenleppek Thank you for the info. 👍🏽

[@emerje0]

My favorite fairly recent song from Pear Jam is "Just Breathe", it's acoustic and really highlights Eddies vocals.

[@craigstrickland1572]

Great tune. listen to it often along with this one!

[@depbugg]

YES!!

[@sharonspiller7427]

Really love Just Breathe. Just a beautiful song. It hits me that it’s a more mature song for those of us who were there from PJ’s beginning

[@Craigpyrog]

Another great PJ song to cry to!

[@DenOrfield]

I love that Song yes Liz do this song next

[@marcusjones6586]

I was hoping you'd go over the lyrics, for the depth it has, between them and the songs progression, to me makes this song a masterpiece! "I don't know whether I'm the boxer or the bag". Personally, one of my favorite songs!❤ Thank you so much for the reaction!

[@Roostercox]

“On a wizard on the way”….”I think there was actually nonsense in there.” I love this channel!!!!!

[@TheBensMeister]

I want the T-shirt: "wishen wizard wasa onaway" - Eddie Vedder (In star wars font) Silhouette image of Baggins and Gandolf and a deathly hallows emblem on the shoulder

[@2015DMJG]

The song is like a Monet. Beautiful music, beautiful melody, blurry lyrics. Beautiful song.

[@myguykaikai9215]

That wasn’t a failure. It was a glowing success. You nailed the essence of the song.

[@mikegobin3169]

One of my favorite pearl jam songs.

[@anfool8774]

WOOOO, this is one of my all time favorite pearl jam songs, so glad you decided to give this one a listen

[@KristiEnigl]

thanks for discovering PJ and the goat C Cornell💜 happy listening. Don’t wait on seeing PJ live. It will change your life. For the Yellow Ledbetter 💜

[@mr.mertman5711]

Just saw them in concert last week. Great show!!!

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

Awww nice!

[@ronaldsabourin8835]

I always loved the Hendrix inspired guitar intro

[@jm__8246]

On a porch a letter sat Then you said I want to leave it again Once I saw him On a beach of weathered sand And on the sand I want to leave it again On a weekend want to wish it all away And they called and I said that I want what I said And then I call out again And the reason oughta leave her calm, I know I said, I don't know whether I'm the boxer or the bag Oh yeah, can you see them? Out on the porch Ah, but they don't wave I see them 'Round the front way, yeah And I know and I know I don't want to stay Make me cry I see Oh, I don't know, there's something else I want to drum it all away And I said "I don't, I don't know whether I was the boxer or the bag" Oh yeah, can you see them? Out on the porch Yeah, but they don't wave I see them 'Round the front way, yeah And I know and I know I don't want to stay at all I don't want to stay I don't want to stay I don't want to stay I don't, oh-ooh, yeah Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh-oh oh oh

[@notanyonespecific]

And it is perfectly reasonable to read these for the first time and just respond with "Bullshit! There's no way that's what he's saying" 😂

[@pastorofmuppets13]

Liz, no worries, we have all been trying to figure out this song for years. I have heard numerous live versions and the lyrics are different each time. I have come to think of this as Eddie using his voice as an instrument for different tones. My son singing this song is hilarious! So this one has a special place in my heart.

[@justadarnminute474]

Raw emotion marinading in delicious resonance. That and “a chonky sound.” These are the sorts of phrases I love watching your channel for. Love it. Another great watch Elizabeth, thanks for sharing! Also, that little wing homage at the end is so nice. 🧑‍🍳 💋

[@amykarnehm3602]

Great reaction! Love your channel! Many years ago, I went to a wedding and the groom played this (instrumental). He was a local, well known guitarist. Was absolutely beautiful. I never got to ask the bride about it - I’m guessing it was part of their story. ❤️

[@danm2152]

I'm so glad you did this song, it's one of my favorites. I've always called it the perfect "end of the party" song. When everyone is tired out and falling asleep on couches, this is the song that comes on and you just vibe out.

[@simonbischoff7840]

I feel the same. I saw them live in Nuremberg 2000 and this was the final song of the festival, all lights on. Good times...

[@deadmanjack100]

Sooo... I cheated and read the lyrics while you were doing your analysis, and I gotta say... I could not stop laughing! And you still got your own little nuggets of wisdom in there. One of my favorite episodes so far. Bravo!

[@kwharrison6668]

Read the lyrics? All of the ones online are wrong 🤣

[@justins3810]

I read the lyrics too! Haha!

[@TwoWrights]

When Eddie says to Mike "Make me cry", it's the only thing Mike understood in the song, but he totally understood the assignment. He's been making crowds cry with that solo for 30 years.

[@evanreese4883]

My favorite artist of all time! I could watch you analyze Pearl Jam all day.

[@johndef5075]

One of my PJ favorites! This should be fun.

[@Cr1tikal_Hitz]

Wow u explained that vibe to lv 10 and I DIG It!!!! Love this song!

[@alexroman71647]

4 theories about this song: Yellow Ledbetter” may very well be one of the most-debated songs in Pearl Jam’s repertoire. There are at least 4 prominent theories circulating as to the origin of the song title alone, including (but not limited to): It is derived from the name of an old friend of Vedder’s from Chicago named Tim Ledbetter. (This theory is strongly supported in Kim Neely’s definitive biography Five Against One.) It is derived from an old tongue twister in which you try to say “yellow better, red better” as fast as you can. According to an explanation on Songfacts, “Just a few times repeated, the words become jumbled and you get ‘yellow ledbetter.’ The reason they named the song this is because the lyrics are indistinguishable just like the tongue twister.” It is a tribute to Huddie Ledbetter, also known as Lead Belly. Lead Belly was a pioneering Blues musician in the 1930s and, later, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who recorded much of his music while in prison (at first, for carrying a pistol, then for killing one of his own relatives in a fight over a woman). It refers to someone receiving a letter and finding out their brother had died in the war (these types of communications were often sent in yellow envelopes). This theory is heavily supported by Eddie’s variation on the words during the Live at the Garden version of “Yellow Ledbetter,” in which he purportedly sang, “I don’t know whether my brother will be coming home in a box or a bag.” Title aside, the lyrics of “Yellow Ledbetter” are fairly difficult to understand when heard live and even on the recorded version. Pearl Jam’s fan organization, the Ten Club, would regularly receive letters from fans begging them to provide some hint as to what the “real” lyrics were. Thus, when Epic released “Yellow Ledbetter” on a Japanese CD-single of “Daughter” in 1993, fans were scrambling to get their hands on the lyric booklet included with it. However, as Kim Neely points out in Five Against One, “Even the purportedly official lyrics were nonsensical… In fact, there never were any real lyrics. Eddie had simply improvised them during the one-take session, singing whatever phrases happened to pop into his head.” Today, this ambiguity still leads to the creation of many ‘misheard lyrics’ videos, dedicated to humorously interpreting whatever Vedder is saying.

[@CathyKeating]

"Misheard lyrics" = mondegreens. Many opportunities for those here!

[@clownzzz4837]

'Coming home in a box or a bag' is what I thought the lyrics were for years, because in my mind, this song was about a father who lost a son in a war.

[@bofdiggy1918]

That Kim Neely explanation makes the most sense… this really does sound like Eddie is improvising, mapping out the melody. Which would also make sense as to why such a great song didn’t make it onto the Ten or Vs albums… in Ed’s mind, it wasn’t finished. But it sounded great so that they used it as a B-Side/outake/filler and when the radio DJs caught wind of it, they blew it up in rotation. Then the fans took it from there. The vibe was actually so refreshing against the stereotypical grunge sound. Pretty remarkable jam.

[@Spectre-wd9dl]

Eddie says it's about his friend and the letter.

[@wiz3421]

I've always subscribed to the fact it's just an improv song given the lyrics change with each performance.

[@ButBigger42]

I love this song but the misheard lyrics video is amazing. "Potato Wave" gets me every time.

[@BadHammers1]

“Make me fries!” 😂😂

[@timfrank6183]

Make me fries

[@BourbonondaBayou]

Can you see Dems

[@ButBigger42]

@@BourbonondaBayou unfortunately.

[@FatherKenobie]

I don't know why they sun tan nails.

[@techiegirl1331]

18:16 Eddie is a wizard in "unlocking the shackles of lyrics to express un‐Veddered emotion." I loved your entertaining efforts in trying to interpret his lyrics, Elizabeth!

[@markhennigar748]

One of my favourite Pearl Jam tunes. Mike McCready’s Strat sounds on this are fabulous.

[@Nozferatu46]

A song with a similar vibe, since Mike McCready is lead guitar on both... "River of Deceit" by Mad Season. Only instead of Eddie Vedder on vocals, you get Layne Staley...

[@OtherTheDave]

Oh, cool! Thanks, I hadn’t heard of them.

[@Littlewing1977]

@@OtherTheDaveMad Season only had one album but it is a masterpiece

[@Littlewing1977]

@@OtherTheDaveyou should watch some of the live shows they did

[@DustyBleeker]

Mad Season album Above is a work of art!

[@maximovillarreal7205]

don´t forget Mark Lanegan

[@tbmike23]

It has an explaination, but it doesn't need one. Glad you enjoyed. This song was ubiquitous in the 90s. It was sorely needed, as well.

[@jefersonnatan9875]

When you ask what it's like to feel a song with your soul, that song is the translation of perfection. Pearl Jam is way beyond... ♥️

[@wilusa3113]

This song still weighs on my chest and brings a tear to my eye.

[@j.p.7708]

…… every time dude, every time!!

[@ricardocoloma-md]

makes me cry every time too

[@kingcosworth2643]

Yep, that poor wizard, life is just not fair

[@Alex77au]

The music is emotional but the "Lyrics" sound like Eddie was singing in a foreign language...

[@gjptmpmnp]

Unsealed, on a porch a letter sat.

[@Quezonol]

Thanks. Pearl Jam will always be the sound of the 90s and my childhood. It’s weird they’ve never been my fav band but gotta luv their sound.

[@midkingsteve]

I've loved this song since I heard it in like middle school. Even though it's the one people make fun of the most, who aren't big fans, it's SO evocative. I always got that there's people on a porch, not waving, and there was a letter on the porch. And just that scene alone, with the performance, creates such a sense of loss and longing. It allowed me several times, not on purpose for me, to connect to those feelings via my own life experience and begin to weep, and feel supported by this song. I think it's magical. I have read the lyrics several times, but I always forget them, no matter how hard I try, because it gets replaced by the original experience every time.

[@zennenn]

This is beautiful, thank you.

[@Cadinho93]

In the liner notes for "Lost Dogs", Mike McCready said: "A riff loosely based on something...I had during the "Ten" sessions. I thought it was pretty. Eddie Vedder then started making up words on the spot and we kept them. I still don't know what it's about and I don't want to! I love it. Fans like it too!" The song is about Eddie Vedder's friend Tim Ledbetter who went off to war, "don't know if he'll come back in a box or a bag." Also, I can attest as an attendee of their live shows, Eddie Vedder intentionally changes the words to this song when he plays it live. You never know what he's going to sing and I love hearing what the audience comes up with on their own.

[@scapito]

Did you steal this comment from Brad and Lex's reaction? 😊 It's word for word the same one I wrote 2 years ago.

[@kawrss31]

Eddie was interviewed in Amsterdam, and stated, he wrote 'Yellow Ledbetter' when he was plastered. So he said the words change with each performance, since he dosen't actually remember the original lyrics. It all depends upon his mood. So according to Eddie, there's no actual "lyrics" to the song, either right or wrong. It's improvised for each performance. I've seen PJ in concert 14 times and each time, the lyrics are switched up. But, regardless of what comes out of Eddie's mouth, the song is absolutely amazing. '' ~ myinfinitestate1586 10 years ago

[@jasonremy1627]

The riff is totally cribbed from Little Wing.

[@lorikislack1504]

box or bag is so powerful. I also heard him sing, "why does he wear sand" meaning the sand camo....and he relates it to the beach lines.

[@saltydroog854]

As I understand it, it was Tim Ledbetter's brother that went off to war, and he received the news of his death in a yellow letter, and Eddie just cryptically combined "yellow letter" and "Ledbetter".

[@ThomTremblay]

Ament is SO good. He doesn't just come up with emotive parts, he chooses the right version of a bass. The bowed double bass is perfect.

[@vitorisfrozen]

Elizabeth is closer to understanding the lyrics when analyzing the vibe, at 11:00, then she was when actively trying to understand the lyrics 😄

[@danholmesfilm]

I remember my cousin and I driving down the highway with the windows rolled down screaming this song and it’s “lyrics” out the window with all the passion and rage on earth even though we didn’t have a clue what we were saying 😅😊

[@JayPhonomancer]

That's fantastic 😂

[@mojobag01]

THAT is how it is done.

[@gregallen4272]

How dare you to Dare to live life . Next big thing is to learn to dance like nobody is watching. Rock on

[@jezlanejl]

Love the way you experienced this exactly the same way i did, for years i thought there was a Wizard in the tune, when i actually read the lyrics when the Internet finally arrived i was shocked! the song actually made sense...

[@Bugsounds]

This is one of my favourite songs to play on guitar . I love it

[@barrypennington6245]

The greatest drunk karaoke song ever

[@floyd6545]

I know that's right!

[@Tinus-pi3il]

Hmm,when I'm drunk I can't sing like that but yeah, you're right. Come to think of it, I can't sing like that when I'm sober only when I'm drunk🤔

[@sentientsolutions7011]

Nice work! Footsteps is on the same single...it's stunning.

[@aggrozen7467]

Great song to put your own context to. Begins with a letter, then people on a porch, then a box or a bag. When it was released I immediately thought of a fallen soldier.

[@MrTyler918273]

Yea Vedder has said that was the initial idea when he wrote it (maybe "wrote" it is more accurate). It's about a kid whose brother died overseas and the people on the porch are military personnel there to inform the family, hence he doesn't want to stay there. Though that was just an initial idea and the lyrics and exact meaning change every time, but those few lines tend to stay in there somewhere.

[@aggrozen7467]

@@MrTyler918273 Thanks, I didn't know that before.

[@1960rlv]

That’s how I interpret the song as well. I imagine the lyric is mumbled because they are laden with grief.

[@kawrss31]

''Eddie was interviewed in Amsterdam, and stated, he wrote 'Yellow Ledbetter' when he was plastered. So he said the words change with each performance, since he dosen't actually remember the original lyrics. It all depends upon his mood. So according to Eddie, there's no actual "lyrics" to the song, either right or wrong. It's improvised for each performance. I've seen PJ in concert 14 times and each time, the lyrics are switched up. But, regardless of what comes out of Eddie's mouth, the song is absolutely amazing.''

[@lckaustin]

Love this analysis. I know the lyrics so it was as a hoot watching you guess. The guitar at the end was definitely influenced by one of my fav songs, Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix. It’s also worth checking out the Stevie Ray Vaughan version of Little Wing. Great fun with this vid.

[@runnerb0y]

I applaud you for going into this analysis totally blind to the lyrics. It is a genuinely sweet reveal. Nice work!

[@michaeldb78]

I interpret it how i interpret it and that's good enough for me. And that's what makes this song so beautiful

[@ClodODirt]

30 years I've been listening to this song, blissfully unaware that it was the English language... Now you've made me actually look up the lyrics... And as an aside, this is my favorite reaction video of yours! And, Cosplay?... Im never gonna be able to watch one your reaction videos again without imagining furry ears underneath your headphones, and a long tail hanging off the back of your office chair...

[@Pabloghghgh]

I will never forget the first time I saw these guys live here in Argentina. Probably the most magic concert of my life. The band and the crowd delivered a perfect night. This was the last one they played and damn we sang along the no lyrics.

[@blankthoughttv]

That opening always makes me think of Steve Ray Vaughn and Jimmi Hendrix. Straight out of their play book and so masterfully played too.

[@anewvibration3586]

The opening riff was actually written by Kenny Wanye Sheppard when he was 16,

[@blankthoughttv]

@@anewvibration3586 Now thats something I diddnt know! thats super cool. I got to see Kenny Wayne Sheppard back in like 2012. Some strange stuff going on with family so I diddnt get to stay for long.

[@TheDevNull]

Mike McCready wrote it, and has said that he was inspired by Jimi's "Little Wing". It makes sense when you realize they are both from Seattle.

[@SingularlyNaked]

@@anewvibration3586 And it appears in the song “While we Cry”, which Eddie references with “make me cry”. “While we Cry” appears on the album Ledbetter Heights. I saw somewhere that Pearl Jam acknowledged that this song was inspired by While we Cry, and I can’t imagine that’s not true.

[@SeanEnginetechnology]

McCready is such an underrated guitarist, the jamming with Mad Season at the Moore theater is so incredible, aside from that solo for Alive, gave me a whole new level of respect for his playing ❤❤

[@RogerFlynt966]

probably the most iconic example of just singing on a vowel/improv playing with sound and emotion i can think of is Claire Tory on the Great Gig. Absolutely phenomenal and gets me every time. Always loved just the flow of this song... good stuff

[@andyschnell58]

While growing up in the 60's and 70's, we rarely had access to the lyrics of a song. Each of us would have our own interpretation. Has been great fun to learn the actual lyrics, years later. This was a fun premiere with Elizabeth clueless to the actual lyrics. I have no idea either but it is a great song.

[@zombieflowers]

"make me fries" - Edward Louis Severson III, Yellow Ledbetter

[@xrexc3179]

Youre spot on with the vocalese as evidence by the fact that there are countless recordings of this song performed live where eddie sings completely different lyrics

[@SPVFilmsLtd]

I've literally heard a live version of the song where the second verse was just Eddie singing drivers license information from a lost wallet he found by the stage. That says it all, really.

[@Carmella64]

That’s hilarious. 🤣😂

[@shadowproductions969]

goes to show that lyrics don't really matter that much, it's more about the melody and emotion

[@davidboer4122]

The hook brings you back

[@otakubancho6655]

🤣🤣🤣

[@nickmasino]

​@@shadowproductions969I grew up never listening to the lyrics. Only the melody. Vocals were always indecernable and part of the melody just like this.