recently i read an article from few years ago about jeff talking about this song and i think it speaks for itself. it was in a issue of guitar world GW: Your songs on Yield seem to reflect that process. "Pilate" is all frenzied frustration, while "Low Light" is like a hymn, serene and at peace. But why does Pilate have a dog? AMENT: I think "Pilate" was the question I was asking myself, and "Low Light " was the answer, the realization. Have you ever read The Master and Margarita [by Mikhail Bulgakov]? I just read that book, and at the end they talk about Pontius Pilate being all alone on a mountain with his dog. He couldn't. sleep and he couldn't function. It really struck me hard, because at that point I was feeling very alone. I've always had this recurring dream about being old and just me and my dog sitting on the porch. It wasn't necessarily a sad dream or a premonition, but it did get me to thinking about why Pilate was so alone and freaked out. Then I realized he didn't get to finish his conversation with Jesus—that's why he can't function, because he didn't tie up the loose ends in his life. Later, I was playing the guitar, and I was hit so hard by this amazing, emotion. In that moment the words "low light" came out, and somehow those were the only words to explain what I was feeling. It was a kind of gratefulness at finding that place of calm and peace at my center and getting a glimpse of the person I could choose to be. It was the purest happiness that I've experienced in a long time, that particular emotion. God, I thought I was going to explode. I feel very lucky to have been able to put it down on tape that morning and work thorough it until it became a song.

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so it is easy to understand what this means to jeff now. in pilate he's got some things on his mind that could be troubling him, about the band, and growing old. it's looking back on your life and not being pleased with what you find. now you want to find some sorta way to deal with your problems.

Follow-up by PrlJade: Pilate is about questions that Jeff is asking himself, and Low Light is about getting answers. In the interview Jeff mentions finding himself old and sitting on a porch with his dog. What kind of image does that bring to your mind? You see someone that is alone. Jeff feels alone and is worried about being alone for the rest of his life: "like Pilate, I have a dog, obeys, listens, kisses loves". I see that as a very depressing image, that the dearest thing in your life is a dog (no offense to anyone), or at least this dog being the nearest thing to you until you die. So Jeff read this book he mentioned in the interview, and he sees the similarities between Pilate and himself - Jeff thinks the same thing will happen to him: "stunned by my own reflection, it's looking back, sees me too clearly".

This is one of my favourites written by the band - too bad they don't play it live often. Trying to analyze the lyrics to this song aren't easy AT ALL, as beautiful and powerful are. These words will mean something different to everyone, and my view of it will be different from the next person. I think of Ed's words are talking about our lives - you can either sit on your ass and do nothing with yourself or go out and make your life worth living. I see it talking about an ultimatum we might faced with, and how we choose what side to take. All of us will experience a struggle in life - you get your heart broken, you lose a job, someone close to you leaves this world, etc etc, but that is part of life. No one is ever going to breeze through life and suffer no conflict, they are meant to happen and they'll happen. Now: you can either give up and say "it's over, my life is over" or you eventually move on with your life and understand it was a roadblock but not a wall. Life is too short to spend ages reflecting on mistakes we've made, because if you do that, you're not going to get anywhere and your time to make a difference vanished. This song also to me speaks of the chances we must take and not aware of what's to come out of them in the end. There's people who'll try and figure out what their destiny is in life: "have you ideas on how this life ends? checked your hands and studied the lines", I think the studying the lines means those who go to fortune tellers/palm readers to try and see into their futures. The line: "have you the belief that the road ahead ascends off into the light?", to me this speaks of the whole image of heaven and is that what we imagine happens after our death. Then you have: "seems that needlessly it's getting harder to find an approach and a way to live". We're judging our past and looking in the future, but we should focus on the Present Tense as the song title suggests. The past is behind you - you made mistakes, and hopefully learned a valueable lesson from them. But don't carry the lessons you got into the future, but focus on using them for your good RIGHT NOW. That is what the lyrics speak to me, it's now or never, and only the individual him/herself can decide how to live their life, and no one else is going to do it for you (at least they shouldn't).

Follow-up by Mamasan_Live_Through_This:I basically feel the same way you do about Present Tense. For the longest time I would just sit lone and worry about the past. And thats the thing the past is over theres no changing it and theres no reason to worry about the future cause its not here yet and you might not be here when it finally arrives. To me this is truly one of Pearl Jams greatest songs lyrically and musiclly. Its very moving and inspirational. When I was in my depression, shit who am I joking I still am but anyway when Im feeling down and I feel theres no answers to my questions about life I put this song on and just try to remember that I dont need the answers and to live for today. This life is a journey and its all and its about the journey not the destination.

Follow-up by Dolokyle: this is a very inspirational song. When i listen to this song it reminds me that I am only human, that I do make mistakes.However, they are my mistakes and I need to learn from them because there may not be a tommorrow.

Follow-up by Roxdegabba:I would only like to add, that the song makes it a lot easier for me to focus on my point in life, so I don't bother with all the bullshit aroud, coz if you focus on now it's easier to reckognize all the meaningfull things apart from those that mean shit.

I think it talks about having some sorta inner conflict with yourself seeing that you are just a small fraction of the world... the character thinks he/she somehow matters in the world, but does it really matter?... in the beginning the character sees he/she isn't immortal and there is people dying and being born every second (we're all just visiting line)... the character also sees that love is something that goes beyond the belief of any of us (the oceans made him, but who came up with love?)... the character knows evil is based on knowing what is good (the angels and sins line)... and even after we die, we want people to remember how great we were (the make a spacious corner for me line) i see this song as talking about our life and all that there is to it: our mortality, the mysteries of love, good vs evil, and our quests to remembered as insignificant as we really are in the wide universe... i love this song and all the different sounds going on throughout the song...

Ok, to me Ed's wrote show someone that has been abused (ie: physically & mentally, or what not). This person's been putting up with this shit for too long, and can't live like this anymore. So getting in the symbolizes the relationship between the people, while speeding away from the situation the person realizes what they've been putting up with. The person takes a final look in the mirror as it reflects on the past. By now, you feel Ed's rage just burst out, the persona releases the anger within. "I gather speed from you fucking with me Once and for all I'm far away I hardly believe, finally the shades...are raised" The persona finally is free, but it still can't believe it. Then you've got Ed repeating the line about seeing things clearer once you were in my rearviewmirror, symbolizes the freedom once you get rid of the demon in your life. To me this song is about hope, and fighting with all your might to achieve freedom and not be held back anyone. The way the lyrics unfold, it tells a great story of inspiration & hope, Eddie is a VERY gifted lyrists =)

I think this is about temptation, and finally giving into it. The lyrics are the character's battle with his conscience. These lines: " i was bitten, must have been the devil he was just paying me... a little visit, reminding me of his presence letting me know, he's a-waiting" seem to me the character has given into some sorta temptation, and now is waiting for his time to come so the devil can take him away. Then you the character living with the sin and constant memory of it: "punctures in your neck hovering just above your bed". What confuses me is this line: "he's a'waiting, he's a'waiting...up there", why does Ed chose to write "up there". I'm not a very religious person, but I do not understand his contrary idea of heaven and hell, so to him the devil could be a good thing. The character learned from the temptation the first time, and has the "bite marks" to remind him/her. So it could mean if you made a mistake, but learned from it, it is like you never made a mistake at all? Maybe someone else can get a better interpretation of these lyrics, but I see it as a struggle with your conscience and making mistakes, but learning something valueable from them.

this song about the death of ed's father and that he never met him. it will be about ed living his life, and wherever it might take him, he always have the anguish of the father he never knew. "release me" could be ed's plea to his father to sign him some kinda signal, and this would makes ed's life much easier to live. so basically this song is about what could've been between eddie & his father.

This song relates to Stone's other song "Mankind" and the fitting in theme. Those of you who aren't fimilar with the story of Columbine, it's tragedy that took place in the spring of '99 where two teen students walked into their school killing I believe 12 of their peers. These boys were outcast among the other students and picked on by the "jocks". This song is from the point of the view of the two young men. The word "Rival" itself means someone trying to even to score or surpass another person/group. It's begins by telling the story that happened - the teens saying they'll get revenge with their guns and how they've got all the guns prepared: "harboring fleets in this resevoir". Suddenly this will spread throughout the world like wildfire and the 'disciplines' will try and figure out what caused this. You had that Jerry Falwell (some religious dude) character immediately pointing fingers at music, tv, videogames, the things teens are into, saying this caused these boys to do such havoc. In the end, you've got a mother asking how she can 'damn the contributors'. I see her as being confused on who to blame knowing that maybe if these boys weren't picked on, this wouldn't have happened. She can't talk to the 'contributors' since now they're dead, her only means of doing that now is going to their grave. The other blame is put on those make guns, and the lack of gun licenses. Correct me if I'm wrong, but these guns that were used by the killers belonged to an uncle and the boys had easy access to this. I think the question is asking: since you made these guns, shouldn't you suffer too? And the last question has some deeper meaning than what I get of it. How does a father deal with such a thing? Usually they'll take great pride in their sons hoping they'll grow up to be well classed citizens, but now they've gotta deal with the fact their child is a murderer. Dte420: This what Stone had to say about Rival: "[It's] kind of almost a cartoony look at male ego and sort of anger, violence," Gossard said, "what makes people kind of snap and how people are unpredictable. [There was] just kind of a melody that went through my head and right after Columbine happened. It kind of maybe took on a little of that, where I put myself in the mindset or tried to think about what those guys may have been thinking the night before."

this one is very easy to understand, it is about love. the first verse to me means when you are having an awful day and nothing is going right, you just think of your loved one to balance everything out and cheer you up. i think eddie wrote this song while on the road and missing beth, probably very early in a tour and having trouble getting adjusted to the time he'll be without her.

Follow-up by jfrancis666: not to tell you that yr interpretation of any pearl jam song is wrong(something i wouldn't even dream of saying). yr understanding is just that "yrs" i just wanted to let you in on something i once read about "smile" eddie said it was a letter from Dennis (of the frogs) after a tour they did i belive. and if you look on the no code card with the lyrics you can see his name (dennis, that is) on the bottom. so i belive it to be a very sincere thank you note from one good friend to another. but hey that is just my view, something i thought you might be interested in, (cuz i to am i big fan of "smile").

Ok now to me its obvious that in this song Ed is just simply talking to God and saying to him that he is still searching for his role and where he belongs but I also think that its Ed singing to the fans in a way. Its like hes saying hey Im just a regular person like you "sometimes I rise" and "sometimes I fall". For the most part I feel this is Ed talking to God and asking him what it is he was put on this earth for. Im not sure if Ed is a religious man but Im sure he believes in some kind of higher power. And to me this is Ed speaking to that higher power. Be it God, Buddah, whatever.

this one isn't hard at all...it is about Ed's love for vinyl and addiction to music...you've gotta be careful when putting the needle down on the record...don't want to ruin your new album...easy song to interpret...it's all in the words...

I wasn't the biggest fan of this song for long time until I heard it live, it's amazing how learing something in concert changes your views. I really like this song, and have been thinking of doing it for a few nights now, but thought someone would give it a shot first. I think this song is about religion. You've got people who are born into famalies belonging to a certain faith, but as they age, they question the religion and look for more. So you've this individual setting out on a spiritual journey. I think this person thought it would an easy journey, but finds it difficult seeing that the smallest oceans still get big waves. So he turns back to his original religion thinking maybe have the same belief within a large group is easier to find salvation: i'll decide...take the dive... take my time...not my life... wait for signs...believe in lies... to get by...it's divine...whoa... oh, you know what it's like... turns the bow back towards him...drops the line... puts his faith and love in tremor christ... The end of the song symbolizes going out this journey and finding nothing at all. So settle in the belief that you had and will continue to question all the time. Come to think of it, maybe that is what this song is about? We'll always find a new of living or trying to find something new, but it is better to stick to what we know. Very doubtful this is what Ed thought of when writing this, even I am not satisfied with my views on this song, I'll have to give it more thought.