Porch

Back in '91 I went with some friends to an "Alice in Chains" show at "The Bacchanal" in San Diego. The opening band, "Mookie Blaylock" stole the show. My friends and I were mesmerized. I got goosebumps many times during that performance, but especially during a particular song that I didn't know the name of. For months we searched magazines and stores, looking for anything by them, but it didn't exist. When I heard that they had changed their name to "Pearl Jam" and were going to release an album soon, I counted down the days. When I bought it, I had finally found that song that gave me the goosebumps. It was "Porch". But I was intrigued by the words now that I saw them in print, because I had no idea what they could possibly have been about. Then I saw the "Pro-Choice on the arm" appearance on TV and made that same connection that everyone else makes that this song was about pro choice...and I believed it. Maybe I forced the idea upon the song because I was convinced that it was true. But looking at it now, I do think it fits. Think about the words from the perspective of a guy imagining how scary it would be if an "initiative" became a "bill" and then passed into law, overturning roe v. wade, making abortion illegal. It's like he was saying that if abortion was illegal, then young love would be a "daily minefield", always worrying that "this could be the day" that they might discover that they have to bring an unwanted/unplanned child into the world. And he's pondering that maybe he couldn't handle that and instead he "would not ever touch her, hold her, feel her...never again". Sure, birth control could solve that problem, but we all know how over-dramatic Eddie can be. I think not only is it a "pro choice" song, it's a "get out and vote so women will keep the choice" song.

I don't think it is about abortion. To me, this song is about bad time in relationship with someone you still love. But at the same time you drive each other nuts ("Daily minefield, this could be my time by you?") This situation goes to the point where you start thinking about leaving that person (leave the porch), because all that shit doesn't seem to be worth it anymore. It seems like a last warning to your significant other. Look at me, be good to me, because if you are not, this may be the last time you see me by your side ("Hear my name, take a good look. This could be the day. Hold my hand, lie beside me"...).

This is a love song, written about breaking up and having to deal with never seeing the person again.

That last comment should read "Eddie SANG the lyrics 'a woman HAS every right...to choose...to choose...to choose...for herself'."

The lyrics don't really fit a pro-choice meaning. I think its about a breakup. Eddie wrote that on his arm because it was national television so it was a good forum for his opinion. It just happened to be during this song. (They only get to play two.) But I could be wrong, I'm good at it.

I believe everyone is correct. If you think about the words you can tell that it might be about a woman who husband/boyfriend has left her and she is pregnant. I think the abortion thought comes into the picture because she is unable to afford the child. I could be wrong but after hearing the song seeing the unplugged version and reading everyones thought it just makes sense to me.

I don't see what's so hard to get about this song. It's partly polical but partly a call to join hands instead of leaving these brain dead twats like Georgey Bush to run the show

I think the titular "Porch" refers to Middle America: the kind of dutiful, patriotic flag-hoisting folk who sit on their front porch and watch the world decline, but who never actively protest, or seek to enable positive change. They blindly accept what they're told by government (or like to complain about moral decay) but don't personally DO anything about it.

When Eddie sings "left the porch / hear my name / take a good look / this could be the day" he's proclaiming his intentions to be a political activist, rather than a passive observer.

I think for sure that its a love song, however i think that the breakup is due to some uncontrollable circumstance and not directly by one of the parties, death perhaps, and if so, it deals with the anguish created from it. I feel this is Eddie Vedders most powerful piece of "poetry" to date.

This song is actually a pro-choice anthem by Pearl Jam...it's tough to see that meaning in the song, but in their unplugged performance on MTV, Eddie stood on his stool and wrote "pro-choice" on his arm during the instrumental part...also, on an appearance on Saturday Night Live, Eddie sand the lyrics "a woman her every right...to choose...to choose...to choose...for herself".