Off He Goes-Pearl Jam

1, 2, 1, 2, 3...
Know a man, his face seems pulled and tense
Like hes riding on a motorbike in the strongest winds
So I approach with tact, suggest that he should relax
But hes always moving much too fast
Said hell see me on the flipside
On this trip hes taken for a ride
Hes been taking too much on ...
There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
There he goes...

Hes yet to come back, but I see his picture
Doesnt look the same up on the rack
We go way back

I wonder about his insides
Its like his thoughts are too big for his size
Hes been taken, where, I dont know?
Off he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
And there he goes...

And now I rub my eyes, for he has returned!
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned
For he still smiles, and hes still strong
Nothings changed, but the surrounding bullshit
That has grown

And now hes home, and were laughing like we always did
My same old, same old friend
Until a quarter-to-ten

I saw the strain creep in
He seemed distracted and I know just what is gonna happen next
Before his first step, hes off again

Category:

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Tags:

• Pearl
• Jam
• Off
• He
• Goes
• Hard
• Rock
• Grunge

[gizmoshadow1978]

It is also notable to point out that during a Pearl Jam performance on June 16, 2000 Poland Vedder said before starting the song that "this is about being friends with an asshole,"and right after he made the statement he pointed at himself

[Grrrrunge]

You probably mean Eddie Vedder...Yes the song is about him being a lousy friend...

[italicslob]

does anyone know what the song is about?,c u on the flipside

[Grrrrunge]

Eddie Vedder wrote this song and it's about him being a lousy friend.

[gibby207]

It reminds me of my husband.... a veteran of war. He's short on words, short on patience, was in and out of my life until we were married. Eddie = my husband. Quiet, intense, and emotional. Plus, on a motorcycle.

[OvalJetX]

awesome song

[damrod1231]

Why it seems to me with a song about Cobain?

[jamboline]

Another song for our Jim, love you friend

[sk8erJG95]

@Grrrrunge The meaning is right, but what he said was "June 16, 2000 [in] Poland, Vedder said..." who would name their kid poland?

[morjohnny540]

:)cool song.

[pakmanmanc]

fuck you tube

[pakmanmanc]

@italicslob listen to lyrics and devise your own meaning, thats what nusic is about, not what eddie wrote ........ peace

[pakmanmanc]

@jjamonit1 what??????????? shut up

[puppynut5]

@5oulPower That's a really cool interpretation to me though because I actually spent 5 years in the Marine corps and deployed twice to Iraq. Which was part of the reason I was abusing opiates. Helped bring me down when my combat stress was kicking up. Thanks for your thoughts on that, actually really made me think differently about it.

[5oulPower]

@puppynut5 my first impression was of 2 lovers. And this song is from the perspective of the woman who had to see her husband leave for long periods of time... Maybe because he was in the army. Interesting how this song can evoke so many different impressions. Truly beautiful...

[mkoloi69]

and had been past a lot of years and pearl jam still is the better band i all this world :)