As a grunge fan I will respectfully say that people keep trying but today's world doesn't like it because it's not the bands they grew up with. Nostalgia won't lead tomorrow.
Yes there is it was my twin brother all time favorite band I lost him 2 years ago miss him so much complications from heart surgery only lived 3 weeks after surgery rip brother
In the liner notes for Lost Dogs, McCready said: "A riff loosely based on something...I had during the 'Ten' sessions. I thought it was pretty. Eddie 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 Vedder's friend Tim Ledbetter who went off to war, "don't know if he'll come back in a box or a bag." I can attest as an attendee of many of their live shows, 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.
...Thank you Stacy, that clears things up a bit.Great song, I always wondered what it was about even after reading the lyrics....I kept looking up the word "ledbetter", i did not realize it was a name
I'm a gulf war Veteran myself. Eddies friend had a brother that was killed there in 91. The next year Yellow Ledbetter was released. Alway's loved this song. 🌄🌴🐊
The show I went to, the venue wanted to them to stop and Eddie said we are not even half way through, and it was already 3 and half hours into the show. I doubt it was half, but still that is what he said, and then some things were said and the venue was mad at Pearl Jam and Pearl Jam was mad at the venue, and threats of cutting the power was thrown out, and Eddie changed the lyrics to this song and dogged all over the venue. It was kind of funny.
I even bought the leather bound anthology book of scores a few years ago, hoping to get the true lyrics to this and it didn’t include the lyrics to that one song!! 😣😂 Dang it!!
Thought I'd share: Eddie Vedder admits that he changes the lyrics and meaning of the song when he performs it, but he wrote the song with one story in mind, which he told at a concert in Newark, New Jersey on August 7, 2008. He asked if anyone had any questions, and a fellow asked what the lyrics to "Yellow Ledbetter" were. Instead of going word for word, Eddie simply told the story of the song. The song was written during the first gulf war, when "Papa Bush" was President, as Eddie calls him. The story is about a young Grunger kid, all dressed up in his flannels with the long greasy hair. His brother goes off to fight in the war and gets killed. He gets a letter that comes in one of those yellow army envelopes and learns of his brother's death. So, all upset, he decides to go out and walk it off. On his walk he passes by a neat, middle-aged or elderly couple sitting on their front porch having some tea, and he sees that they have an American flag out. He gives a wave, because he feels like he relates: "The flag, my brother, you know..." But they don't know, of course. They don't know what's underneath the grunge and the long hair. All they see are the outward appearances, and they don't wave back. The song has changed its meaning over time and Eddie changes the words to suit whatever is on his mind. >> The guitar part is a tribute to Jimi Hendrix, as it is much the same intro riff as his "Little Wing." Pearl Jam often uses this to close their concerts. The houselights come on and the audience sings along. This does not appear on any of Pearl Jam's studio albums; it was released as the B-side of the "Jeremy" single. A live version is the B-side of Pearl Jam's "Daughter" single. A brief snippet of the song was played in the series finale of the television series Friends when Jennifer Aniston's character Rachel was about to board a plane to Paris. It marked the first time that Pearl Jam had licensed one of their tunes for a TV show.
Love his rambly'ness in this one. Seen them live twice and they closed with this song both times. The entire crowd on their feet, arm-in-arm, swaying back and forth. Just brilliant and magical.
It’s the blues played in grunge style. It’s about a soldier who never came home one of the gulf wars in the 90s. A yellow letter from the military showing up at your door, at least two of them. The yellow letter and the American flag.
Vedder said in an online chat that the song was written around the time of the Gulf War and added that "it's an anti-patriotic song, actually."[11] On August 7, 2008, at a solo performance at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey, Vedder took a question from the audience requesting that he explain the meaning of "Yellow Ledbetter". At first, Vedder joked, "Wait...you mean there's lyrics?" He went on to talk about how the song took as its subject a friend of his from Seattle whose brother served in the first Gulf War. His 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 Credits to wiki
Exactly!! And the song has now evolved, in that Eddie sings what ever he's feeling or about whatever is going on in the world in the moment at PJ's Live shows.... some speculate that even Eddie doesn't know the actual lyrics anymore!! lolol!! ;)
Yellow Ledbetter used to kind of be a secret song for people that went to their concerts. They end the show with this song. And they will change the lyrics sometimes depending on what is going. The first time I heard it was on a bootleg concert I got. I was getting ready for work one day, and was in the shower, and I heard a banging at the door. My friend was like what are you doing, I said I was going to work. He said no you are not, you are going to a Pearl Jam concert. I called my work after the shower, and told them I could not come to work. They asked why. I said because I just got a free ticket to go see Pearl Jam. They totally understood. Pearl Jam does an amazing show live. And, they don't stop. They will play every song they ever written, and some covers, they will play for 3 to 5 hours, and I have heard of longer shows than that. The concert I went to, they played about 3 and half hours, and were not done and the venue got mad at them and told them they had to stop playing. Eddie said on the mic, we are going to play all our songs until they turn our power off. A song later, people from the venue got on the mic and said during the song, This is your warning Pearl Jam, one more song after this and we will shut down the power. Pearl Jam finished that song, and then did Yellow Ledbetter, and he changed the lyrics. And all he did was dog on the venue. About how they sucked and about how they were making them stop, it was kind of funny. Also, almost every Pearl Jam show is recorded, and you get a link on your ticket, to that show. And, you can have that version of the concert, the actual show you went to. Who does that? Pearl Jam does. It's free with your ticket.
I read a couple of articles regarding what this song is about. During the first Gulf War, Eddie Vedder was going for a walk with a friend (who's last name was Ledbetter)who had just learned his brother has passed away during combat overseas. He was notified by receiving a letter in a Yellow Envelope. As they walked they passed a house with an American Flag hanging out front. There was a party at the house and the porch was full of people. Eddie's friend stopped and saluted the flag, but was completely ignored by the people on the porch. This is directly referenced in the lyrics. "Can you see them, out on the porch, but they don't wave" Also, Eddie often changes the lyrics while singing the song love. The lyric as written is "I don't know whether Im the boxer or the bag." During live performances he will sometimes change the line to "I don't know where it was a box or a bag." This is referencing how his friends body was returned to the US, a coffin or a bodybag.
Also, The people did not respond to him because of his looks, as he was a grungey looking punk rocker and they thought he was mocking the flag when he wasn't. It became this powerful moment.
I was thinking the exact same thing and laughed when I read your comment. The lack of articulation in the words makes it so hard to understand. Love the song though
There are no acoustic guitars played in this song. Rather, you have a clean electric guitar (with a lot of reverb) and a dirty electric guitar (during the solo).
Eddie Vedder, the lead singer, wrote the song with one story in mind, which he told at a concert in Newark, New Jersey on August 7, 2008. He asked if anyone had any questions, and a fellow asked what the lyrics to "Yellow Ledbetter" were. Instead of going word for word, Eddie simply told the story of the song. The song was written during the first gulf war, when "Papa Bush" was President, as Eddie calls him. The story is about a young Grunger kid, all dressed up in his flannels with the long greasy hair. His brother goes off to fight in the war and gets killed. He gets a letter that comes in one of those yellow army envelopes and learns of his brother's death. So, all upset, he decides to go out and walk it off. On his walk he passes by a neat, middle-aged or elderly couple sitting on their front porch having some tea, and he sees that they have an American flag out. He gives a wave, because he feels like he relates: "The flag, my brother, you know..." But they don't know, of course. They don't know what's underneath the grunge and the long hair. All they see are the outward appearances, and they don't wave back.
It is loosely about someone named Ledbetter that died in the military. To inform the family, a letter was sent in a yellow envelope. They didn't want to read it because they knew what it was going to say.
The era of the band is dead in the water. That's why we all love these bands so much. How many brand new hit bands do you hear on the radio today?? Zero! The biggest shame that has blighted our music in modern times. The era of the band in any genre is sorely missed.
3:00 we’ve been waiting for 30 years Lex. No music genre has come out that changes everything overnight. I was 17 in 91. The atmosphere/the music/the culture/the clothing was all awesome. I’ve been waiting for a new band to come out and change everything but if it hasn’t happened yet then I’m afraid we’re all out of luck. The 90s was the last great decade and peak of rock music. Even rap was better back then....everything was better.
@@bosshogg8447 I grew up in the late 60's, 70''s, 80's and then 90's came and I was 30ish....I am afraid nothing will ever come along to top what came out of these decades and it is so sad. I feel bad for my grandson that he will never have a Zeppelin, a Hendrix, an Aerosmith or a Nirvana.
Me too. In Tacoma Wa. The armpit of the Puget Sound. Went to their free show at Magnasun park in 92. "Porch" was epic. If you have seen the Pinkpop version, this one is better. Eddie was swinging 20 feet up of the rafters with the whole thing just swaying side to side as he did. Cypress Hill opened for them. Cool day. Still think their first album was their best work. Great time and place to be alive then. ua-cam.com/video/uNWVx64u7x4/v-deo.html I was there.
I agree music was far better . Still there's good rock out there though. There will be another decade ,it will be city based again, and it will be rock music
Theres so many musical genres, and i feel the closest we can get to 90s grunge would be bands like american football, tiny moving parts, movements and citizen. Its not categorized grunge. But it has the emotion and sound you enjoy from grunge. This music isnt dead, its just categorized different and the scene is smaller
You have probably have heard this but, im saying it again. This song is originally wrote for his friend that he lost in "Desert Storm ." May he rest in peace. The "letter on the porch" and it's not " I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag" it's "a box or a bag" I'm a vet and sometimes we don't come back.
@@shure81 I'll fight anyone who says otherwise. Same goes for GNR's Appetite for Destruction, Slayer's Seasons in the Abyss, and RATM's Battle of Los Angeles
I lived in Seattle in the 1980s and 90s. It was so much fun and the air was electric with all the musicians pouring in to the city. You could see your favorite band member walking down the street. I saw Layne Staley with long blonde curly locks and was tall and beautiful. Was lucky to see all the great bands and Pearl Jam has always been my favorite. Eddie speaks to your soul and Mike McCready was born with a guitar! Incredible times for people who spent 5 to 10 dollars to see greatness. ❤
what happened was the world got to peek into an open window downtown Seattle during a much smaller, quieter time. never-the-less it is cold, dark grey and usually raining keeping all this youthful talent living, partying, collaborating, writing and playing amazing music most of the year. A lot of drug use/ addiction led some to pen down to this day some of the most beautiful lyrics and music on top. Great honest reaction, thanks you two.
Brad & Lex Eddie wrote this song in opposition to war in Iraq as his friend from Chicago Tim Ledbetter's older brother died in Desert Storm. Back then the official death notice from the military was a yellow colored letter. Hence the spin on the name Yellow Ledbetter. Though Eddie's vocal style can challenge hearing the lyrics in some songs, this song was intentionally sang in an almost incoherent way as they sing different lyrics every time they sing this song with the exception of always keeping the opening line "unsealed on the porch a letter sat and she said I want to leave it again" an analogy that though the mother received notice of her son's death she struggled accepting that fact in at first. " I said, I don't know whether I'm the boxer or the bag" which is referring to whether the body was in a coffin or body bag. The lyrics " can you see them, out on the porch, yeah but they don't wave" is from Eddie & Tim walking down the street after Tim's brother died they saw a group of people on a front porch that they waved to but the people just looked at them without waving back. The guitar is an ode to the late great Jimi Hendrix & there's so many more layers of detail on this deep tune, but that's the main premise.
The song is about Eddie's friend who went to the Gulf war and he (Eddie) didn't know wether his friend would ever come come back. He changes the lyrics at concerts but always keeps the bridge part. As for the guitar, Mike pays homage to Jimi Hendrix, while trying to imitate the song: Little Wing. Beautiful song by Pearl Jam!👊
👏👏👏Love this one and Pearl Jam PERIOD!! Haven't watched yet, just wanted to say if you're wondering the meaning of this... even Eddie Vedder has never been clear about it AND.... he's known for for changing the lyrics ALL the time at PJ shows.😆 We all can't wait to see what the lyrics are gonna be each time!!😉 Some speculate that even Eddie doesn't know the actual lyrics anymore!! lolol!! But no matter what.... the lyrics are ALWAYS poignant!! LOVE THIS GROUP to the moon and back!!😍🤗 GREAT pick guys!!😎❤
Early 90’s Alice In Chains wouldn’t even come to mind. 1st Guns n Roses. Metallica, Pearl Jam, Nirvana. The INLY song is Man in the Box that I remember If that’s even from AIC??? Definitely not say 88-92/93. Maybe AIC was mid 90’s?? I just was heavily into everything that was loud back then & AIC wasn’t in the conversation. Sorry man. Just calling it S I see/hear it. Cheers!!!
@@keithwessel3531 AIC opened up for Van Halen’s For unlawful carnal knowledge tour in 91...facelift had been released...Dirt came out in 92 or 93...we can agree to disagree
@@rowdyyates4766 yeah. Cause opening for Van Halen in 91 really isn’t that impressive. As VH wasn’t big then either. Guns & Metallica ruled late 80’s to abort 92ish. Then AIC may have done something?? Agreed to disagree. Metallica was even earlier. 1 of my favorite albums of all time is Ride The Lightning & Metallica put that out in early 80’s It’s cool
@@keithwessel3531 Van Halen wasn’t big? Are you kidding ? What are you, like under the age of 40? When did appetite for destruction come out...summer of 87
@@keithwessel3531 Pearl Jam’s Ten released in 91, Nirvanas Nevermind released in 91, AIC’s Facelift released in 90. Grunge took over the early 90’s, Guns was done by then and Metallica’s black album was overshadowed by grunge in 91
This song as I understand it, is based on an experience Eddie Veder had as a child, starting with the title Yellow Ledbetter was named after his friend's brother in a sense but Eddie could not recall his name at the time of writing this song so he named it Yellow for the color of the house that is friend and friend's brother lived in, and Ledbetter was their last name, hence "Yellow Ledbetter". The song itself is supposedly from the experience Eddie had hanging out with this friend, and the brother this song is referring to was in the military at the time, however, as Eddie was hanging out 2 ppl from the military came to the house to delivery horrible news to mama Ledbetter that her son was killed in the war. "Unsealed on a porch a letter sat." was the condolence letter the military men dropped off for the mother. "The reason ought to keep her calm I know" is a reference to him dying while protecting this country, but who in their right mind would take solace from this when they lost a loved one. "Can you see them out on the porch yea, but they don't wave, I see them round the front way, yeah. But I know I don't want to stay. Make me cry." *Guitar solo* I have loved this song for a long time, and another VERY under rated song by Pearl Jam you should check out is called "Daughter", it's absolutely gorgeous.
As others have stated, this is one of Pearl Jam's most popular live songs, but it was never on a studio album and was only a B-side to the Jeremy single. The guitar is "borrowed" a bit from Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix and the lyrics change every time Eddie sings the song (besides the "they dont wave" and "I dont wanna stay" parts). SO MANY of Pearl Jam's best songs are from this era and were never on actual PJ albums. Check out State of Love and Trust, Breath, and Footsteps to hear 3 more that fit that bill!
@@stonecold5373 Which album was Yellow Ledbetter on? How many albums does Pearl Jam have? State of Love and Trust was TECHNICALLY/ACKSHUALLY on the Singles soundtrack ALBUM. Checkmate, Atheists...where is your God now??
Amen to that, another great era!!! With a sound.. Hes talking about a longhaired guy who lost a friend in the war and he walked by the front porch of someone who lost a family member in the military as well, and thought because of his appearance they thought he was anti-war so when he waved they didn't wave back
Them Ledbetter boys of South Miss'ippi. One day a fire started by a neighbor's house which could not be contained. Suddenly, a truck crashed through shrubbery at the roadside, and them Ledbetter brothers and cousins were all over it. The truck stops directly in the center of the raging fire, and all them Ledbetters jumped out and began to jump and dance and stomp, until the fire was extinguished. "Ya'll are amazing," the homeowner hollered. The Ledbetter who was driving answered, "I been meanin' to get them brakes fixed."
Got Me Wrong by Alice In Chains. That was another great "slow" grunge ballad. Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns by Mother Love Bone, too. Mother Love Bone was Pearl Jam before Eddie Vedder came along, if you don't know. Also, Far Behind by CandleBox and Call Me A Dog by Temple Of The Dog. You'll like all them slow Seattle jams. Guaranteed.
There is an entire mythology behind this song and there are debates about the song’s meanings that the band declines to elaborate on. I’ll update this comment later and provide some links with at describe the various theories. Amazing tune. Glad you liked it. The two guitars you heard are the great Mike McCready and Stone Goddard. Under-appreciated superstars.
They wrote this song when they were high, after finding out that their friend was killed in the War, hence Yellow Letter is what the War Department sends out to the family of their son death. They kept the song as was written, while under the influence of whatever they were on. Only they know the meaning of the song. 🇲🇽🇺🇲💯👍🏽
Y'all would not believe how huge PJ was in the 90's, unbelievable....sooooo much they have given....each album....I just wish you could have some sort of "Matrix" download to understand them.
this song is about a friend whos brother died in the gulf war. after his friend got the "yellow letter" saying his brother had died, they went for a walk. there were some ppl on a porch with an american flag who just glared at them disapprovingly because of their "alternative" style clothing.
This is literally the first time I’ve actually seen the lyrics to this song and I’ve heard it millions of times over the past 20+ years. More vibe than worries about what he said.
When you listen to live versions of Yellow Ledbetter, it's never the same lyrics twice. It almost doesnt make sense to worry much about the lyrics...they really dont mean much except for the constants ("They dont wave"...."I dont wanna stay").....the rest of what remains is the mood or the theme and that's been good enough for me since 94. Check out "Change" by Blind Melon or "Halloween" by Dave Mathews.....those are other songs where you never hear the exact same lyrics twice in live versions.
Same. "Boxer or the bag" makes more sense than "box or the bag". I typically just mumble out matching notes except for the parts where you can kinda make it out. "Round the front wayyyyy!"
I see a lot of people have seen the Yellow Ledbetter misheard lyrics video. You do yourself a severe disservice if you don't watch that one. Hilarious! Potato wave!
This song has a sad story behind it - Ledbetter is the last name of his friend growing up who's brother went to combat and he said there's a saying when soldiers die in combat - they come home either in a box or a bag (shot or blown into pieces). He went to hang out with his friend one day and unfortunately his friend had just learned that his brother was killed in combat, devastated he just wanted to go walk so they did, and he said they didn't know yet if his brother was in a box or a bag. They walked by a house that had a group of kids hanging out on the porch and they had an American flag hanging from the porch and that made his friend stop and he saluted the flag then waived at the people saw him do that, but they ignored him and didn't waive back ... that had a profound effect on him.
Fundamentally, it is inspired by a friend of theirs who got a letter saying his brother had died in the Gulf War and he went for a walk outside. He saw some folks sitting a a porch with an American flag displayed and he waved at them and when they looked, he saluted the flag, but they ignored him (but they don't wave). Some of the other lyrics like the girl on the weathered beach were just thrown in. "Boxer or the bag" is an expression like sometimes in life you're the hammer and sometimes you're the nail.
First time I heard this was a live version on the bside for the song Daughter (great song), that was a great version. Great song. Man Of The Hour may be my favourite Peael Jam song, great song from a great movie... Big Fish
This song is great for us non singers as you can make up the words and still sounds roughly right.....mumble rock? btw everyone needs a lex in their life such a positive spirit and amazing way of interpreting songs, sounds like grapes has been my favourite so far. Brad so great at finding the hook and getting inside the song.
Ledbetter is the real last name of blues legend "Leadbelly" (King of 12 string guitar blues and writer of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" which Nirvana covered Unplugged). Kenny Wayne Shepherd did a song called Ledbetter Heights which borrows a lot from Yellow Ledbetter....whereas Yellow Ledbetter borrows a lot from Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix.
Grunge was a reaction to the corporate rock of the 80s, combined with a youthful demographic in a very cold and rainy city, where there's nothing to do but stay in, play music, and become really good.
Yellow Ledbetter, Eddie writes in metapho "Unsealed on a porch a letter sat" The song is about a soldier who was killed and watching his wife and parents read his last letter. As far as being sent to war; "I don't know if I was the boxer or the bag" (punching bag)
Good song to not get caught up in the lyrics on. Eddie deliberately changes up the lyrics every time he sings it. Combine that with the fact that the vocals are somewhat difficult to understand, his voice just becomes like another instrument to listen to.
Difficult to understand? Dude, it's a poem. The point of the song is not only the sound, it is about the feeling that creates the sound of the song. The song is about a little brother getting news his older brother died in war. Unsealed on a porche a letter sat... And I said I wanna leave it untouched. It's so sad and powerful song.
The grunge era was awesome! My freshman year in high school was 1991, this literally changed the world to us. So we were the biggest class in the school literally our single class was bigger than the other 3 combined because they redistricted as we were going into high school. Every grade older than us were literally preppy like they wore polo shirts khakis and bass shoes to school and was very clique oriented. Our class came in wearing torn up jeans, t shirts flannels and chuck taylors or Doc Martens not giving a shit about anything and we all hung out with each other poor rich race didnt matter and we ran the school because there were more than us than all the other classes. It was a great time to come up everyone older were listening to Bon Jovi and we were listening to this, it was awesome.
Great comments regarding wishing for a new genres to emerge again from Lex and Brad’s response. This song takes me back and always believed it was about a friend or a brother coming back from war in a box and the confusion and mixed emotions of losing a loved one in service to their country. Vedders style was perfect for this song as it is beautifully musically and the lyrics filled with sorrow
Eddie said at a concert that it was written with the story in mind of a young Grunge kid in a flannel whos older brother went off to war and was killed, the yellow letter referring to the Army letter stating he was killed. He said the kid went out to walk and seen an older couple on a swing with the American flag and he waved to them because he related the flag to his brother but the people didn't know his story and ignored him instead of waving back because of his grunge appearance. Eddie did say he tends to change the lyrics for different concerts but that was the original story.
It’s about how his friend got a yellow letter from the military which he knew meant his brother was killed. He didn’t open the letter and went for a walk with Eddie. His friends last name was Ledbetter.
Love how many different lyrics I’ve seen for this song, and they have a beauty to them and they all fit. The lyrics about a soldier returning in a box or a bag, not knowing whether you’re the boxer or the bag, etc. it’s such a cool concept.
The lead singer Eddie Veddar was discovered by his bandmates as they were walking along the Seattle waterfront down by Pike's Place. Suddenly they heard this amazing voice coming from under the boardwalk....where Eddie lived. Knowing this kept me alive when I wound up homeless. This song's about jonesing for heroin (soda bags) and the inner struggle. Check out Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Temple of the Dog for more Seattle Grunge.
As a child of grunge, it was a deep cynicism from being abused by our parents and seeing that the larger society was more focused on money than any of us and we were left on the wayside. The reason it has that soul to it is reflective of the pain we went through as Gen X which isn't as cool as it sounds lol.
"We need Grunge to happen again" I approve of this message.
Not enough heroin
As a grunge fan I will respectfully say that people keep trying but today's world doesn't like it because it's not the bands they grew up with. Nostalgia won't lead tomorrow.
I'm 46 and I approve of this message as well!
Grunge is back. Unfortunately it's mostly nirvana wannabes
We need music in general back..
Can we all just take a second to give Brad a round of applause for trying to just feel the song for once!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
AMEN!! It's OK to get lost in the sauce
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
👏👏👏👏👏👏
Yay Brad. B-R-A-D. Brad. Brad. Brad. Now if he would just stop pulling up the effing lyrics.
Lol! Right!
" they did say this is a thing he does..." " what...not breathe??", that was funny.
You guys should do more Pearl Jam. SO many legendary songs.
Yes there is it was my twin brother all time favorite band I lost him 2 years ago miss him so much complications from heart surgery only lived 3 weeks after surgery rip brother
Given to Fly is amazing!!!
Agreed!
@@jdkkittrell3052 so sorry man, RIP to your twin bro✊he had great taste in music. Peace to you🎶
Guys plz recommend me some Pearl Jam songs, I gotta get more into them! Don’t recommend me anything on ten cuz I’ve heard all of those ofc!
In the liner notes for Lost Dogs, McCready said:
"A riff loosely based on something...I had during the 'Ten' sessions. I thought it was pretty. Eddie 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 Vedder's friend Tim Ledbetter who went off to war, "don't know if he'll come back in a box or a bag."
I can attest as an attendee of many of their live shows, 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.
Many have lost consciousness trying to figure out what the hell this song means. The mystery endures.
@@adarpino1 😂🤣😂
Second favorite to 'Black' and still have no idea what it's about after all these years.
Maybe not the same chords but it always makes me think of Little Wing
...Thank you Stacy, that clears things up a bit.Great song, I always wondered what it was about even after reading the lyrics....I kept looking up the word "ledbetter", i did not realize it was a name
I'm a gulf war Veteran myself. Eddies friend had a brother that was killed there in 91. The next year Yellow Ledbetter was released. Alway's loved this song. 🌄🌴🐊
You know a song is great when Brad, "does a Lex", and misses out on the lyrics because the sound and vocals are so captivating. So fun to see.
“Said I don’t want a whale in a box or in a bag” 😂
There's been many great songs Brad has just missed the boat on. Lex however, gets it.
@@randomperson-dy6kj FACT!
Well the lyrics are unintelligible, so you have to just feel the music
Haha also hard to understand the lyrics
This song is all about the sound. Eddie often makes up the lyrics when performing live.
The show I went to, the venue wanted to them to stop and Eddie said we are not even half way through, and it was already 3 and half hours into the show. I doubt it was half, but still that is what he said, and then some things were said and the venue was mad at Pearl Jam and Pearl Jam was mad at the venue, and threats of cutting the power was thrown out, and Eddie changed the lyrics to this song and dogged all over the venue. It was kind of funny.
Often? I think it’s every time. Lol
I even bought the leather bound anthology book of scores a few years ago, hoping to get the true lyrics to this and it didn’t include the lyrics to that one song!! 😣😂 Dang it!!
they should watch the misheard lyrics for this song
@@user-vc5rp7nf8f Anna Nichols momma said that I don't wanna see Anna fall down again. 🤣
When asked about the lyrics to this song, Eddie Veddar replied, "there's lyrics?"
He said he don’t wanna stay . Let him. Go. That is the best thing you can do.❤❤❤❤
"ELDERLY WOMAN BEHIND THE COUNTER IN A SMALL TOWN" by Pearl Jam
Whiteboard worthy 👍
One of Pearl Jam’s best, most unknown songs
Beautiful song about a younger brother learning about his older brothers death during Vietnam War
I'm a grunge kid, graduated in 1991. This is my favorite pearl jam song! The blue's vibe and Eddie's vocals are the perfect mix!
Thought I'd share: Eddie Vedder admits that he changes the lyrics and meaning of the song when he performs it, but he wrote the song with one story in mind, which he told at a concert in Newark, New Jersey on August 7, 2008. He asked if anyone had any questions, and a fellow asked what the lyrics to "Yellow Ledbetter" were. Instead of going word for word, Eddie simply told the story of the song.
The song was written during the first gulf war, when "Papa Bush" was President, as Eddie calls him. The story is about a young Grunger kid, all dressed up in his flannels with the long greasy hair. His brother goes off to fight in the war and gets killed. He gets a letter that comes in one of those yellow army envelopes and learns of his brother's death. So, all upset, he decides to go out and walk it off. On his walk he passes by a neat, middle-aged or elderly couple sitting on their front porch having some tea, and he sees that they have an American flag out. He gives a wave, because he feels like he relates: "The flag, my brother, you know..." But they don't know, of course. They don't know what's underneath the grunge and the long hair. All they see are the outward appearances, and they don't wave back.
The song has changed its meaning over time and Eddie changes the words to suit whatever is on his mind. >>
The guitar part is a tribute to Jimi Hendrix, as it is much the same intro riff as his "Little Wing."
Pearl Jam often uses this to close their concerts. The houselights come on and the audience sings along.
This does not appear on any of Pearl Jam's studio albums; it was released as the B-side of the "Jeremy" single.
A live version is the B-side of Pearl Jam's "Daughter" single.
A brief snippet of the song was played in the series finale of the television series Friends when Jennifer Aniston's character Rachel was about to board a plane to Paris. It marked the first time that Pearl Jam had licensed one of their tunes for a TV show.
Appreciate this post
This song is fantastic live. They usually close the concert with this one.
Zach is a gem of a human, always giving a positive glance over to the Jersey Lawman, and hyping him up.
Love his rambly'ness in this one. Seen them live twice and they closed with this song both times. The entire crowd on their feet, arm-in-arm, swaying back and forth. Just brilliant and magical.
The line "I don't know whether I'm the boxer or the bag" is brilliant.
great line..right now feeling like the bag
This is considered one of the greatest songs of all time even though no one really knows what he is saying
Brad feels like such a rebel when he can ignore the lyrics lmao
It’s the blues played in grunge style. It’s about a soldier who never came home one of the gulf wars in the 90s. A yellow letter from the military showing up at your door, at least two of them. The yellow letter and the American flag.
Vedder said in an online chat that the song was written around the time of the Gulf War and added that "it's an anti-patriotic song, actually."[11] On August 7, 2008, at a solo performance at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey, Vedder took a question from the audience requesting that he explain the meaning of "Yellow Ledbetter". At first, Vedder joked, "Wait...you mean there's lyrics?" He went on to talk about how the song took as its subject a friend of his from Seattle whose brother served in the first Gulf War. His 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
Credits to wiki
Exactly!! And the song has now evolved, in that Eddie sings what ever he's feeling or about whatever is going on in the world in the moment at PJ's Live shows.... some speculate that even Eddie doesn't know the actual lyrics anymore!! lolol!! ;)
Yellow Ledbetter used to kind of be a secret song for people that went to their concerts. They end the show with this song. And they will change the lyrics sometimes depending on what is going. The first time I heard it was on a bootleg concert I got.
I was getting ready for work one day, and was in the shower, and I heard a banging at the door. My friend was like what are you doing, I said I was going to work. He said no you are not, you are going to a Pearl Jam concert. I called my work after the shower, and told them I could not come to work. They asked why. I said because I just got a free ticket to go see Pearl Jam. They totally understood. Pearl Jam does an amazing show live. And, they don't stop. They will play every song they ever written, and some covers, they will play for 3 to 5 hours, and I have heard of longer shows than that.
The concert I went to, they played about 3 and half hours, and were not done and the venue got mad at them and told them they had to stop playing. Eddie said on the mic, we are going to play all our songs until they turn our power off. A song later, people from the venue got on the mic and said during the song, This is your warning Pearl Jam, one more song after this and we will shut down the power. Pearl Jam finished that song, and then did Yellow Ledbetter, and he changed the lyrics. And all he did was dog on the venue. About how they sucked and about how they were making them stop, it was kind of funny.
Also, almost every Pearl Jam show is recorded, and you get a link on your ticket, to that show. And, you can have that version of the concert, the actual show you went to. Who does that? Pearl Jam does. It's free with your ticket.
He's ramble rhymes are so good. Almost like scatting but with his curly grunge sound.
What’s curly sound? Are you trying to say surly?
What’s surly about anyone in this band?
@@guslulou8428 Lol I meant Yarl
YES!!!!!!!!🙌🏻💜🥰
I read a couple of articles regarding what this song is about. During the first Gulf War, Eddie Vedder was going for a walk with a friend (who's last name was Ledbetter)who had just learned his brother has passed away during combat overseas. He was notified by receiving a letter in a Yellow Envelope. As they walked they passed a house with an American Flag hanging out front. There was a party at the house and the porch was full of people. Eddie's friend stopped and saluted the flag, but was completely ignored by the people on the porch. This is directly referenced in the lyrics. "Can you see them, out on the porch, but they don't wave" Also, Eddie often changes the lyrics while singing the song love. The lyric as written is "I don't know whether Im the boxer or the bag." During live performances he will sometimes change the line to "I don't know where it was a box or a bag." This is referencing how his friends body was returned to the US, a coffin or a bodybag.
Also, The people did not respond to him because of his looks, as he was a grungey looking punk rocker and they thought he was mocking the flag when he wasn't. It became this powerful moment.
Its been 30 years, and I still can't understand what the fuck he is saying... even with a lyric video. Sounds great though.
I was thinking the exact same thing and laughed when I read your comment. The lack of articulation in the words makes it so hard to understand. Love the song though
those mumbles really know how to hit you in the soul
So Eddie drinks wine during the show (last concert I went to) maybe he just wrote it that way so it will sound the same live? LOL
Look up the Misheard Lyrics video for this song on UA-cam. It’s freakin’ hilarious!
@@DaveThomson when I saw them live Eddie sang the whole concert laying on the floor! Was it still awesome? Of course!
Grunge is to me still the greatest genre of music ever. Its so sad we lost all our greatest lead singers during this era to mental health.
There are no acoustic guitars played in this song. Rather, you have a clean electric guitar (with a lot of reverb) and a dirty electric guitar (during the solo).
Eddie Vedder, the lead singer, wrote the song with one story in mind, which he told at a concert in Newark, New Jersey on August 7, 2008. He asked if anyone had any questions, and a fellow asked what the lyrics to "Yellow Ledbetter" were. Instead of going word for word, Eddie simply told the story of the song.
The song was written during the first gulf war, when "Papa Bush" was President, as Eddie calls him. The story is about a young Grunger kid, all dressed up in his flannels with the long greasy hair. His brother goes off to fight in the war and gets killed. He gets a letter that comes in one of those yellow army envelopes and learns of his brother's death. So, all upset, he decides to go out and walk it off. On his walk he passes by a neat, middle-aged or elderly couple sitting on their front porch having some tea, and he sees that they have an American flag out. He gives a wave, because he feels like he relates: "The flag, my brother, you know..." But they don't know, of course. They don't know what's underneath the grunge and the long hair. All they see are the outward appearances, and they don't wave back.
This song was never released as a single, rather the B-Side to the "Jeremy" single and blew up from there.
This song has some of the crunchiest guitar ever, and I love it.
Im telling you, do- pearl jam - elderly woman behind the counter in a small town. Great song just like this one, you will love it!
It is loosely about someone named Ledbetter that died in the military. To inform the family, a letter was sent in a yellow envelope. They didn't want to read it because they knew what it was going to say.
Yes, Lex! We do need something to come along and give us a great rock trend again.
The era of the band is dead in the water. That's why we all love these bands so much. How many brand new hit bands do you hear on the radio today?? Zero! The biggest shame that has blighted our music in modern times. The era of the band in any genre is sorely missed.
3:00 we’ve been waiting for 30 years Lex. No music genre has come out that changes everything overnight.
I was 17 in 91. The atmosphere/the music/the culture/the clothing was all awesome.
I’ve been waiting for a new band to come out and change everything but if it hasn’t happened yet then I’m afraid we’re all out of luck.
The 90s was the last great decade and peak of rock music.
Even rap was better back then....everything was better.
I'm just a couple years younger, but yeah, I remember....everything was better. It's tragic. These kids don't even know what's been lost.
@@bosshogg8447 I grew up in the late 60's, 70''s, 80's and then 90's came and I was 30ish....I am afraid nothing will ever come along to top what came out of these decades and it is so sad. I feel bad for my grandson that he will never have a Zeppelin, a Hendrix, an Aerosmith or a Nirvana.
Me too. In Tacoma Wa. The armpit of the Puget Sound. Went to their free show at Magnasun park in 92. "Porch" was epic. If you have seen the Pinkpop version, this one is better. Eddie was swinging 20 feet up of the rafters with the whole thing just swaying side to side as he did. Cypress Hill opened for them. Cool day. Still think their first album was their best work. Great time and place to be alive then. ua-cam.com/video/uNWVx64u7x4/v-deo.html I was there.
I agree music was far better . Still there's good rock out there though. There will be another decade ,it will be city based again, and it will be rock music
Theres so many musical genres, and i feel the closest we can get to 90s grunge would be bands like american football, tiny moving parts, movements and citizen. Its not categorized grunge. But it has the emotion and sound you enjoy from grunge. This music isnt dead, its just categorized different and the scene is smaller
You have probably have heard this but, im saying it again. This song is originally wrote for his friend that he lost in "Desert Storm ." May he rest in peace. The "letter on the porch" and it's not " I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag" it's "a box or a bag" I'm a vet and sometimes we don't come back.
Anything from the DIRT album is gold. Especially down in a hole and angry chair.
Lex you ain’t joking. The world needs another revelation like this! This is platinum!
I've always thought this was PJ'S best song, even though th album Ten is a masterpiece start to finish
Absolutely!
We can agree to disagree. For me, it's hard to do better than Porch, especially the MTV Unplugged version
@@shure81 I'll fight anyone who says otherwise. Same goes for GNR's Appetite for Destruction, Slayer's Seasons in the Abyss, and RATM's Battle of Los Angeles
@@shure81 yes, & it's like, how do you follow that up?? Talk about sophomore slump!
I lived in Seattle in the 1980s and 90s. It was so much fun and the air was electric with all the musicians pouring in to the city. You could see your favorite band member walking down the street. I saw Layne Staley with long blonde curly locks and was tall and beautiful. Was lucky to see all the great bands and Pearl Jam has always been my favorite. Eddie speaks to your soul and Mike McCready was born with a guitar! Incredible times for people who spent 5 to 10 dollars to see greatness. ❤
This is amazing song, other great song by Pearl Jam is " Rearviewmirror " My favorite by them.
what happened was the world got to peek into an open window downtown Seattle during a much smaller, quieter time. never-the-less it is cold, dark grey and usually raining keeping all this youthful talent living, partying, collaborating, writing and playing amazing music most of the year. A lot of drug use/ addiction led some to pen down to this day some of the most beautiful lyrics and music on top.
Great honest reaction, thanks you two.
This song is poetry, deep AF
Brad & Lex Eddie wrote this song in opposition to war in Iraq as his friend from Chicago Tim Ledbetter's older brother died in Desert Storm. Back then the official death notice from the military was a yellow colored letter. Hence the spin on the name Yellow Ledbetter. Though Eddie's vocal style can challenge hearing the lyrics in some songs, this song was intentionally sang in an almost incoherent way as they sing different lyrics every time they sing this song with the exception of always keeping the opening line "unsealed on the porch a letter sat and she said I want to leave it again" an analogy that though the mother received notice of her son's death she struggled accepting that fact in at first. " I said, I don't know whether I'm the boxer or the bag" which is referring to whether the body was in a coffin or body bag. The lyrics " can you see them, out on the porch, yeah but they don't wave" is from Eddie & Tim walking down the street after Tim's brother died they saw a group of people on a front porch that they waved to but the people just looked at them without waving back. The guitar is an ode to the late great Jimi Hendrix & there's so many more layers of detail on this deep tune, but that's the main premise.
It’s amazing that you can have a favorite song and not know the lyrics lol. Pure emotion
The song is about Eddie's friend who went to the Gulf war and he (Eddie) didn't know wether his friend would ever come come back. He changes the lyrics at concerts but always keeps the bridge part. As for the guitar, Mike pays homage to Jimi Hendrix, while trying to imitate the song: Little Wing.
Beautiful song by Pearl Jam!👊
Lex, we have been waiting a long time for the next era. Usually its a 10 year cycle, but its been over 20 years now. Still hoping
This guitar solo gives me goosebumps
👏👏👏Love this one and Pearl Jam PERIOD!! Haven't watched yet, just wanted to say if you're wondering the meaning of this... even Eddie Vedder has never been clear about it AND.... he's known for for changing the lyrics ALL the time at PJ shows.😆 We all can't wait to see what the lyrics are gonna be each time!!😉 Some speculate that even Eddie doesn't know the actual lyrics anymore!! lolol!! But no matter what.... the lyrics are ALWAYS poignant!! LOVE THIS GROUP to the moon and back!!😍🤗 GREAT pick guys!!😎❤
Pearl jam been rocking for 30 years now. My favorite band ever!!! Seen them live 40 times. Thanks for doing this
this song is so AWESOME live, usually their last song.
Yellow Ledbetter doesn't have words
And this is what the early 90’s sounds like...this and anything by Alice In Chains.....good times
Early 90’s Alice In Chains wouldn’t even come to mind. 1st Guns n Roses. Metallica, Pearl Jam, Nirvana. The INLY song is Man in the Box that I remember If that’s even from AIC??? Definitely not say 88-92/93. Maybe AIC was mid 90’s?? I just was heavily into everything that was loud back then & AIC wasn’t in the conversation. Sorry man. Just calling it S I see/hear it. Cheers!!!
@@keithwessel3531 AIC opened up for Van Halen’s For unlawful carnal knowledge tour in 91...facelift had been released...Dirt came out in 92 or 93...we can agree to disagree
@@rowdyyates4766 yeah. Cause opening for Van Halen in 91 really isn’t that impressive. As VH wasn’t big then either. Guns & Metallica ruled late 80’s to abort 92ish. Then AIC may have done something?? Agreed to disagree. Metallica was even earlier. 1 of my favorite albums of all time is Ride The Lightning & Metallica put that out in early 80’s
It’s cool
@@keithwessel3531 Van Halen wasn’t big? Are you kidding ? What are you, like under the age of 40? When did appetite for destruction come out...summer of 87
@@keithwessel3531 Pearl Jam’s Ten released in 91, Nirvanas Nevermind released in 91, AIC’s Facelift released in 90. Grunge took over the early 90’s, Guns was done by then and Metallica’s black album was overshadowed by grunge in 91
This song as I understand it, is based on an experience Eddie Veder had as a child, starting with the title Yellow Ledbetter was named after his friend's brother in a sense but Eddie could not recall his name at the time of writing this song so he named it Yellow for the color of the house that is friend and friend's brother lived in, and Ledbetter was their last name, hence "Yellow Ledbetter". The song itself is supposedly from the experience Eddie had hanging out with this friend, and the brother this song is referring to was in the military at the time, however, as Eddie was hanging out 2 ppl from the military came to the house to delivery horrible news to mama Ledbetter that her son was killed in the war. "Unsealed on a porch a letter sat." was the condolence letter the military men dropped off for the mother. "The reason ought to keep her calm I know" is a reference to him dying while protecting this country, but who in their right mind would take solace from this when they lost a loved one. "Can you see them out on the porch yea, but they don't wave, I see them round the front way, yeah. But I know I don't want to stay. Make me cry." *Guitar solo* I have loved this song for a long time, and another VERY under rated song by Pearl Jam you should check out is called "Daughter", it's absolutely gorgeous.
As others have stated, this is one of Pearl Jam's most popular live songs, but it was never on a studio album and was only a B-side to the Jeremy single. The guitar is "borrowed" a bit from Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix and the lyrics change every time Eddie sings the song (besides the "they dont wave" and "I dont wanna stay" parts). SO MANY of Pearl Jam's best songs are from this era and were never on actual PJ albums. Check out State of Love and Trust, Breath, and Footsteps to hear 3 more that fit that bill!
It was included on an album :)
@@stonecold5373 Which album was Yellow Ledbetter on? How many albums does Pearl Jam have? State of Love and Trust was TECHNICALLY/ACKSHUALLY on the Singles soundtrack ALBUM. Checkmate, Atheists...where is your God now??
Amen to that, another great era!!! With a sound..
Hes talking about a longhaired guy who lost a friend in the war and he walked by the front porch of someone who lost a family member in the military as well, and thought because of his appearance they thought he was anti-war so when he waved they didn't wave back
Given To Fly is another one you'll love
Them Ledbetter boys of South Miss'ippi. One day a fire started by a neighbor's house which could not be contained. Suddenly, a truck crashed through shrubbery at the roadside, and them Ledbetter brothers and cousins were all over it. The truck stops directly in the center of the raging fire, and all them Ledbetters jumped out and began to jump and dance and stomp, until the fire was extinguished. "Ya'll are amazing," the homeowner hollered. The Ledbetter who was driving answered, "I been meanin' to get them brakes fixed."
Got Me Wrong by Alice In Chains. That was another great "slow" grunge ballad. Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns by Mother Love Bone, too. Mother Love Bone was Pearl Jam before Eddie Vedder came along, if you don't know. Also, Far Behind by CandleBox and Call Me A Dog by Temple Of The Dog. You'll like all them slow Seattle jams. Guaranteed.
Grunge is what the blues is, just feel it
There is an entire mythology behind this song and there are debates about the song’s meanings that the band declines to elaborate on. I’ll update this comment later and provide some links with at describe the various theories. Amazing tune. Glad you liked it. The two guitars you heard are the great Mike McCready and Stone Goddard. Under-appreciated superstars.
They wrote this song when they were high, after finding out that their friend was killed in the War, hence Yellow Letter is what the War Department sends out to the family of their son death. They kept the song as was written, while under the influence of whatever they were on. Only they know the meaning of the song. 🇲🇽🇺🇲💯👍🏽
Y'all would not believe how huge PJ was in the 90's, unbelievable....sooooo much they have given....each album....I just wish you could have some sort of "Matrix" download to understand them.
this song is about a friend whos brother died in the gulf war. after his friend got the "yellow letter" saying his brother had died, they went for a walk. there were some ppl on a porch with an american flag who just glared at them disapprovingly because of their "alternative" style clothing.
This is literally the first time I’ve actually seen the lyrics to this song and I’ve heard it millions of times over the past 20+ years. More vibe than worries about what he said.
Me too. I had the cassette of their first album, it had lyrics but I never bother to read em, didn’t matter.
me too. i've always just mumbled along singing out loud
When you listen to live versions of Yellow Ledbetter, it's never the same lyrics twice. It almost doesnt make sense to worry much about the lyrics...they really dont mean much except for the constants ("They dont wave"...."I dont wanna stay").....the rest of what remains is the mood or the theme and that's been good enough for me since 94. Check out "Change" by Blind Melon or "Halloween" by Dave Mathews.....those are other songs where you never hear the exact same lyrics twice in live versions.
Same. "Boxer or the bag" makes more sense than "box or the bag". I typically just mumble out matching notes except for the parts where you can kinda make it out. "Round the front wayyyyy!"
There are no official lyrics. It changes everytime he sings it.
That is a fretless electric standup bass that sounds so cool. Chill vibe for sure.
The best part about this song is that it’s a B-side that wasn’t even intended for release. Pearl Jam’s b-sides are even classic.
I see a lot of people have seen the Yellow Ledbetter misheard lyrics video. You do yourself a severe disservice if you don't watch that one. Hilarious! Potato wave!
Hahaha!! it IS HYSTERICAL!! love it!! ;)
This song has a sad story behind it - Ledbetter is the last name of his friend growing up who's brother went to combat and he said there's a saying when soldiers die in combat - they come home either in a box or a bag (shot or blown into pieces). He went to hang out with his friend one day and unfortunately his friend had just learned that his brother was killed in combat, devastated he just wanted to go walk so they did, and he said they didn't know yet if his brother was in a box or a bag. They walked by a house that had a group of kids hanging out on the porch and they had an American flag hanging from the porch and that made his friend stop and he saluted the flag then waived at the people saw him do that, but they ignored him and didn't waive back ... that had a profound effect on him.
Fundamentally, it is inspired by a friend of theirs who got a letter saying his brother had died in the Gulf War and he went for a walk outside. He saw some folks sitting a a porch with an American flag displayed and he waved at them and when they looked, he saluted the flag, but they ignored him (but they don't wave). Some of the other lyrics like the girl on the weathered beach were just thrown in. "Boxer or the bag" is an expression like sometimes in life you're the hammer and sometimes you're the nail.
Love this song. For more songs with this style of guitar playing listen to SRV's Lenny and Hendrix's Little Wing.
Great shout, whenever my nephew plays those songs on his guitar it reminds me of this one...
Yeah. It's Mike's tribute to Jimi. He'll often play little wing at the end live.
Hey guys great reaction.This song is about guys in the forces,coming back from nam war.They were ridiculed and spit on when they came home.
Cheers!!
First time I heard this was a live version on the bside for the song Daughter (great song), that was a great version. Great song.
Man Of The Hour may be my favourite Peael Jam song, great song from a great movie... Big Fish
This song is great for us non singers as you can make up the words and still sounds roughly right.....mumble rock?
btw everyone needs a lex in their life such a positive spirit and amazing way of interpreting songs, sounds like grapes has been my favourite so far. Brad so great at finding the hook and getting inside the song.
Lex def has a unique take on music.
My fav is the one she said sounded like bacon grease: smooth and gritty at the same time. Lol
Pearl Jam is the white equivalent of mumble rapping 😂
To sing "I wanna wish it all away" like Eddie did, you say "on a wizard, on a whale." Try it. It works.
You guys should do “porch” live at pinkpop….it has to be the live version 🔥🔥👍
Ledbetter is the real last name of blues legend "Leadbelly" (King of 12 string guitar blues and writer of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" which Nirvana covered Unplugged). Kenny Wayne Shepherd did a song called Ledbetter Heights which borrows a lot from Yellow Ledbetter....whereas Yellow Ledbetter borrows a lot from Little Wing by Jimi Hendrix.
We just need another rock revolution…it’s been way to long.
Wait 😉
AMEN girl!!
Grunge was a reaction to the corporate rock of the 80s, combined with a youthful demographic in a very cold and rainy city, where there's nothing to do but stay in, play music, and become really good.
imo one of pearl jams best songs
Nobody knows what the songs about, yet we all vibe to its beauty 😂🖤
Yellow Ledbetter, Eddie writes in metapho "Unsealed on a porch a letter sat" The song is about a soldier who was killed and watching his wife and parents read his last letter. As far as being sent to war; "I don't know if I was the boxer or the bag" (punching bag)
Good song to not get caught up in the lyrics on. Eddie deliberately changes up the lyrics every time he sings it. Combine that with the fact that the vocals are somewhat difficult to understand, his voice just becomes like another instrument to listen to.
Difficult to understand?
Dude, it's a poem.
The point of the song is not only the sound, it is about the feeling that creates the sound of the song.
The song is about a little brother getting news his older brother died in war.
Unsealed on a porche a letter sat...
And I said I wanna leave it untouched.
It's so sad and powerful song.
@@jeoffreywortman I think you misread what I said. The vocals are difficult to understand, not the lyrics, or the meaning.
The grunge era was awesome! My freshman year in high school was 1991, this literally changed the world to us. So we were the biggest class in the school literally our single class was bigger than the other 3 combined because they redistricted as we were going into high school. Every grade older than us were literally preppy like they wore polo shirts khakis and bass shoes to school and was very clique oriented. Our class came in wearing torn up jeans, t shirts flannels and chuck taylors or Doc Martens not giving a shit about anything and we all hung out with each other poor rich race didnt matter and we ran the school because there were more than us than all the other classes. It was a great time to come up everyone older were listening to Bon Jovi and we were listening to this, it was awesome.
Sounded like Brad was getting ready to say "yellow bed-wetter". LOL
Great comments regarding wishing for a new genres to emerge again from Lex and Brad’s response. This song takes me back and always believed it was about a friend or a brother coming back from war in a box and the confusion and mixed emotions of losing a loved one in service to their country. Vedders style was perfect for this song as it is beautifully musically and the lyrics filled with sorrow
Brings me back to those awesome few years
I ❤️ she says, "yarling."
Eddie said at a concert that it was written with the story in mind of a young Grunge kid in a flannel whos older brother went off to war and was killed, the yellow letter referring to the Army letter stating he was killed. He said the kid went out to walk and seen an older couple on a swing with the American flag and he waved to them because he related the flag to his brother but the people didn't know his story and ignored him instead of waving back because of his grunge appearance. Eddie did say he tends to change the lyrics for different concerts but that was the original story.
It’s about how his friend got a yellow letter from the military which he knew meant his brother was killed. He didn’t open the letter and went for a walk with Eddie. His friends last name was Ledbetter.
Love how many different lyrics I’ve seen for this song, and they have a beauty to them and they all fit. The lyrics about a soldier returning in a box or a bag, not knowing whether you’re the boxer or the bag, etc. it’s such a cool concept.
The lead singer Eddie Veddar was discovered by his bandmates as they were walking along the Seattle waterfront down by Pike's Place. Suddenly they heard this amazing voice coming from under the boardwalk....where Eddie lived.
Knowing this kept me alive when I wound up homeless.
This song's about jonesing for heroin (soda bags) and the inner struggle.
Check out Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Temple of the Dog for more Seattle Grunge.
I use to listen to this living on the Big Island, Hawaii. You took me back to 89.
Thanks
Eddie Vedder: why can't people understand me?
Also Eddie Vedder: 🎶 homya bibbidan homya 🎶 😂😂
The blues artist Leadbelly's real name is Huddie Ledbetter. Leadbelly originally performed "Where Did You Sleep Last Night".
Lex is spot on about grunge music. My favorite style of rock music.
As a child of grunge, it was a deep cynicism from being abused by our parents and seeing that the larger society was more focused on money than any of us and we were left on the wayside. The reason it has that soul to it is reflective of the pain we went through as Gen X which isn't as cool as it sounds lol.
THE GUYS IN PEARL JAM HAVE AN INSIDE JOKE CALLING THIS SONG YELLOW BED WETTER..LOL
This and Garden are my two favorite Pearl Jam songs.