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

Eddie Vedder is probably tied with Chris Cornell for my favorite grunge singer so far, and diving in deep into Pearl Jam's catalogue is the best way. Not prepping for this song by reading any lyrics, I figured I'd have an easy time analyzing "Yellow Ledbetter". I was dead wrong. Wizards, right?
Join professional opera singer Elizabeth Zharoff, as she listens to Pearl Jam performing "Yellow Ledbetter" for the first time.
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Written and Performed by Pearl Jam
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I definitely recommend watching the original video without interruptions. Here's the link: • Pearl Jam - Yellow Led...
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Elizabeth Zharoff is an international opera singer and voice coach, with 3 degrees in voice, opera, and music production. She's performed in 18 languages throughout major venues in Europe, America, and Asia. Currently based somewhere between Los Angeles and Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth spends her days researching voice, singing, teaching, writing music, and recording TONS. She also plays Diablo and Dungeons & Dragons.
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Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
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[@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

[@fervidApathy]

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]

😂

[@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

[@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

[@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".

[@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.

[@joshsimons7028]

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

[@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.

[@scottschneider5866]

It’s about a grungish pinkish kid who loses his brother in the gulf war and the letter the government sends to inform you he died, and the pain he’s feeling inside even though he looks like an outcast on the outside 😢, Eddie is one of the best lyricists ever, he’s a modern day Hemingway 🐐

[@coryoden629]

Wrong

[@EnZo7992]

Talk about sucking all the fun out of trying to interpret the lyrics 😭

[@justhays]

@@coryoden629Nah, he’s correct

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@Roostercox]

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

[@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!!!

[@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.

[@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.

[@verkpunk]

This is my favorite song about wizard dating.

[@laurieemme1534]

😂

[@JonH611]

Wizards NOT dating, that is

[@BeansBrown22]

😂😂

[@Ian-lm5ep]

So many to chose from

[@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🤔

[@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!

[@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

[@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.

[@Whispererinthenoise]

@@danduntz2539 Sigur Rós, Cocteau Twins or Alcest (for example) in alot of their songs don't even sing actual words, it's just vocalizations but they still have emotional impact.

[@nickmcp7191]

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

[@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 😂

[@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!

[@CaelenSawyers]

I've listened to this at least 200 times. The fact Elizabeth is coming up with lyrics I've never heard anybody say is testament to the meme behind this song.

[@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.

[@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.

[@AlmightyTod]

Yo, how have I never seen this reaction?!? I love the way she started off the video. SO amazing

[@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 !!

[@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 👌

[@jasonbertholomey1142]

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"

[@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!

[@user-my7bx8hw6y]

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

[@pattyconley4096]

Im so happy that you are listening to Eddie Vedder and Chris Cornell, Elizabeth! My favorites of my favorites ❤

[@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 🪄 🎶

[@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!!

[@thane9]

It's been probably 30 years since I first heard this song...and your summary of the vibe of hanging with a friend just quiet, sharing each others company passing the time. PERFECT summary of the feeling this song gave me back then as I was finishing up my undergrad, starting my real adult life, and those exact kind of friendships. I mean, I love the wizard idea...but...that little vignette you painted was definitely peaking inside my soul and expressed in words something I never knew I didn't have words for before. Thanks for that. I appreciate this song a lot more than I ever did before.

[@marciopaim2088]

Man, it was so much fun to watch this!

[@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.

[@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]

😂😂😂

[@eakelcoker9216]

Very brave to analyze this one as you did. I was the same way the first time I heard it, I’ve since seen the lyrics and I love the song even more. PJ had so many songs of meaning, one of the truly great bands.

[@wardettinger6177]

One of the WORLDS best songs close your eyes and feel it

[@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.

[@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

[@Mountain-em1oq]

And yet, my favorite song of all time. I loved your description of him playing with sounds, beautiful sounds.

[@paulwiens5918]

Wow that was fun Elisabeth! I was laughing so hard I cried!! Yes you are close to what I heard,with exception of the wizard! Great time. Thanks!

[@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.

[@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.

[@Lets_RC]

My absolute all time favorite band! Seen them a bunch of times and when they play this song it always makes for a great memory!!

[@Cr1tikal_Hitz]

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

[@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. 👍🏽

[@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.

[@Hereisone.]

I love the bluesy guitar work. Eddie..one of the greats.

[@chipchops420]

I cannot get enough of these Pearl Jam,videos hopefully there will be many more 😎

[@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

[@Nick.Steven]

Remember when she recently praised Eddy for his clear enunciation?

[@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.

[@skeeterskier]

One of my all-time favorite songs. Not sure why it's so endearing to me, but it is. FINALLY got to see it done live a few months ago when the ended their show with it. Greatness!

[@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.''

[@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 😄

[@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!

[@johanlabuschagne377]

One of the most emotional filled songs ever. Love it

[@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 🤣

[@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.

[@rickfowler273]

Favorite song of all time.

[@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...

[@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❤

[@slothkng]

my friends and i have this running joke that eddie's singing style at points is inspired by the swedish chef from the muppets

[@WristwatchAddiction]

“Fooost weee beee gooona cooook deeee chiiicken”

[@otakubancho6655]

More like the Finnish chef.

[@otakubancho6655]

@@WristwatchAddiction here moosey moosey moosey!🤣🤣🤣

[@johnkropp3793]

Marinating in delicious resonance... yup, nailed it 😊

[@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

[@zombieflowers]

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

[@mikegobin3169]

One of my favorite pearl jam songs.

[@aerickw]

Such a beautiful song. Probably in my top 10 of all time.

[@kathleendouglas9893]

girl u didnt fail. u NAILED THIS.

[@ronaldsabourin8835]

I always loved the Hendrix inspired guitar intro

[@theoldgoat3000]

"There must be a wizard in there"

[@AMGK]

🧙🏻‍♂️😂😂😂😂😂

[@nikkireviews]

😂 This was so fun to watch. I had no idea what he was saying either but his voice is amazing - as is the melody, like you said!

[@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.

[@2015DMJG]

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

[@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.

[@RickNorthwest]

OMG you had me lol'ing. Thank you for this.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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...

[@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!

[@johnjohnblazin]

Lmao!! I love all your videos but this one today.. you have me cracking up😂😂😂😂 I just had to let you know haha never stop making content we love you

[@5burowz]

"Elderly Woman Behind A Counter In A Small Town" is probably my favorite song by Pearl Jam.

[@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.

[@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.

[@kieranobrien7342]

Love this solo❤

[@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!

[@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.

[@ziggyae1]

Eddie Vedder recently explained why this song wasn't on "10". Howard Stern show, in support of their latest album .It's gold!

[@markusestrada8290]

One of your best videos yet 😂😂😂

[@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... ♥️

[@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".

[@shane2296]

by far one of my all time favorite songs.....not just pearl jam

[@joshuapridgeon8190]

And still one of my favorite songs of all time!😊

[@mr.mertman5711]

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

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

Awww nice!

[@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.

[@1finhead]

When I was a younger man this is the song my friends and I always brought the new year in with. Definitely a vibe

[@jerseymetalmike5111]

When you're in a bar, had way too many beers, and this song comes on the jukebox...fun interpretations!