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first of all this song is probably one of my favorite songs of all time in fact second only to name by the goo goo dolls. However I agree with several of you that live is the greatest of all time and no one can touch them. That said I think is more sarcastic and kind of a betrayed pissed off and brooding. if you follow live lyrically it seems to me ( and this is strictly my theory) like ed found something to believe in a religion of some sort but then it was like he was betrayed and then by the time tdth rolled he revived his hopes in something new or found a way to better understand the old. But my point is I think this song is more about betrayal and I'll find my own way "love" type of deal. This is the way I envision i alone in my mind. Ok the first verse its like a priest is preaching its easier not to be wise ( humble people follow better ) then the next line is ed saying I sank into eden with you ( the ideal of this religion ) alone in the church by and by ( now i see this line as a confession, as a description line not talking, at this point its seems like ed has sinned or is asking a question) I'll read to you here save your eyes, ( the priest trying to comfort ed with scripture, the scripture doesn't explain or comfort ed and its almost as though he is condemned in the next few words ) you'll need them your boat is at sea ( you've drifted from our beliefs ) your anchor is up you've been swept away (too far for return) and the greatest of teachers won't hesitate to leave you there by yourself chained to fate (the priest has abandoned him for his crimes and left him chained without forgiveness to his fate, this line is ed's words, full of anger because he's been cast out and left on his own.) the chorus I alone loved you, I alone tempt you, I alone loved you ( the recollection of the teachings of this religion, and ed trying to figure out why he's been abandoned if this was true, and he's saying this to himself like yeah right, and then) fear is not the end of this (this is ed then rising above and not falling amidst his pain and saying I won't be scared into submission and screw this I'll find something better) Then I've never really pondered a lot on the second verse but to go along with what I've been saying, Its easier not to be great (this is ed figuring out where to turn but taking some of the truths he's learned from the past, it is easier to follow with out an ego and being humble) you measure these things by you're eyes (ed saying i've seen this with my own eyes and so this is truth) we long to be here by his resolve (ed saying he's not alone in his desire to be part of the great plan and he just wants to find god's truth) alone in the church by and by (just more that he wants to be part of the divine plan) to cradle the baby in space ( your guess is as good mine but maybe ed is comparing himself to a child compared to god and wishing to be cradled in the arms of the truth) and leave you there by youreself chained to fate (ed's fear of being betrayed again) then the bridge I think this whole thing is ed speaking to himself oh now we took it back to far only love can save us now, all these riddles that you burn all come running back to you, all these rythems that you hide, only love can save us now,all these riddles that you burn, yeah yeah yeah ( this is the best bridge of all times by the way) anyway i think this is ed saying i've got to find the truth to save me from my self ( all these riddles, maybe the riddles are sins he can't figure out how to stop committing, all come running back to you, and only love can save us now) So that is one of my interpretations of i alone, yes I do have others but that was the most I've typed in a long anus time. So I thought that all of you had pretty good interps. and there's mine so enjoy and take from it what you will, cuz only the guys in live really know what the song is about, and I've always thought that the line I sank into eden with you could imply a love gone bad song, and maybe the song isn't about ed maybe he was inspired by a story as was Pearl Jam's Jeremy who knows, but its awesome, and that's all I have to say about that. Oh yeah I also think that dollsteaktestmeat's ideas were really good, I agree alot with what you had to say, anyway that's all. |
