I don't mean because of the current events. I just mean they are really obvious lyrics. Like the chorus just seems aggressively unpoetic. I'm not sure what it is but something about the melody/lyrical combination in the chorus just seems very sloppy and amateur.

We live in aggressively unpoetic times, mikejasond.

it's weird, I think a bunch of Ed songs are "aggressively unpoetic" by being prosaic reportage (several on S/T come to mind), but I don't hold songs to high poetic standards and I still don't see the issues people are having with this one, I loved it from the beginning

I really like the song a lot, and the 'it's alright' core concept is good (and Ed really sells it in his performance). But this is largely getting by on his work, rather than what Jeff is asking him to say. I like the eucharist couplet, but a lot of the lines fall flat as lyrics for me. And few moments shine.

At least half of the Pearl Jam catalog is too cheesy for mjd.

My sentiments exactly, KD.

the 'acid trip' line is really bad, but i dont find the lyrics overly terrible. the music is lovely, i hope they tag 'kid a' onto it

This exchange is a good take on the song and the context. (It’s not in my bottom two though)

I agree on this. Eddie and the music does help this song a lot, but the lyrics are not good. It's obvious that it was not written by one of the bands good lyricists. Yeah Eddie has cheesy lyrics too but his lyrics are better than this one (and they are often bad too but this is amateury and bad, while Eddie is just earnest and bad)

these lyrics are better than half of Ed's late-career stuff

It’s still 4 stars for me for sure. It’s only in my bottom two because the album is so incredibly strong.

Earnestness will go a long way with me, and this song resonates enough with the S.I.P. experience that I don't have a real problem with the lyrics. The music is also such a refreshing interlude between two pillars of the album.

That is emphatically false. Whatever shortcomings people may have with latter day Pearl Jam (at whatever point you make that cutoff) the lyrics have been good. With the exception of got some the issues are a line or two here or there (as has always been the case)

its alright
to be wrong
about the lyrics
of this song

it's my opinion

I wasn't aware we were discussing objective fact

well now you are aware lol

but seriously, what do you think of the "acid trip" line? i dont hate the lyric here, but that line really sticks out as terrible.

it's clunky, but it's definitely far from Ed or Mike clunky; nothing here is

this is a skaterboy trying for meditative depth and personal encouragement, and hitting more often than he's missing - and it helps that the music doesn't aim for grandiosity - it's as "small" and intimate as the sentiments themselves; I'll take that over Inside Job, Unthought Known, Pendulum etc.

supersonic is weak, too. forgot that one. Unthought Known is an odd choice for a song to pick for weaker lyrics - that song is full of powerful momentd