Falling Down

I'm a little sad that this is the first comment on this poignant song. I think it could have been the best Pearl Jam song of all. It was only played once, live at Red Rocks 6-20-95 if I'm not mistaken. The song isn't lacking in lyrical quality, or musical quality, so one is left the impression that it was not added to an album or played again because of the extreme personal content.

This song is also known as Fallen Down, and isn't the best sound quality on the majority of the bootlegs you'd find it. I haven't seen anything in print on this song's meaning, but my understanding over the time is it about the death of Eddie Vedder's child.

I don't know if it was his wife Beth, but it's been hinted in the past that he wrote this song for the child he never knew due to an abortion. Although they ended the child's conception on their own accord, it does of course inevitably hit you hard. This perhaps was the emotional outpouring some odd years later.

Read the lyrics, and draw the parallels.

I'd make a few changes to the lyrics, btw, most noticeably, instead of "oh no, the cry of a newborn child" I think "or know" fits better.

McCready is all over this one,... It's kinda reminiscent of "river of deceit" by mad season,....

It's a beautiful song,... from the No Code sessions,... I can't believe I only heard it last night,...

Amazing,... It's a shame there is no public studio version

Eddie and Beth never had an abortion, or rather, it's not known that they have. This song is typical of Eddie's lyrical improvs, although it's probably one of the best.