Immortality

Contrary to what everyone else thinks this song is clearly about the plight of Native Americans in the US. To vacate refers to the mass relocation of native americans onto reservations. vengence has no meaning in that they could not enact revenge. To be a truant (or someone without a place in society) as the native americans are. The trap door in the sun refers to a common native american belief in the sun being godlike and was worshipped however when they prayed for the killing and relocation to stop their worship of the sun ment nothing and they seemed to have been tricked into worshipping it. Victims in demand for public show refers to the many circus acts that payed many native americans to "act like indians" in their shows. This song also in its title refers to both the everlasting hate and pain that has been felt by the native americans.

anyone think that the line 'oh stripped and sold mom' could be about vedders mom? as in the success of 'alive'?

To me, this is not about Cobain at all. It is about the scum that use religion to steal away the life savings of poor, ignorant people.

"Artifical tears" is a reference to the Jimmy Swaggart-type of fake pain. ("I have sinned against you.. Boo-Hoo..")

"Vessel stabbed.. next up volunteers" refers people, one-by-one, giving their very life's blood to these televangelist vampires - their money.

"Vunerable, wisdom can't adhere" refers to people that are too vunerable to use rational thought to see through the scam.

"A truant finds home.. A wish to hold on.." refers to someone that feels they are not where they are supposed to be and comes "home" into the religious fold, only to find that what they thought would be a saviour is actually a sham, or "a trapdoor in the sun".

"As privledged as a whore.. Victims in demand for public show.. swept out through the cracks.." is about how the people that are looking for help used for monetary gain and then swept away and discarded.

"Holier than thou... how?" is another reference to the Swaggert-type that pretends to be closer to God than any of his followers can be , but Eddie asks how that can be possible.

"Scrawl dissolved.. cigar box on the floor" refer to the predators taking checks and cash from the poor. "Scrawl dissolved" is the check being deposited into the vampire's account and people sometimes keep their savings in a hidden cigar box, which is now empty and on the floor.

"Stripped and sold... auctioned forearm..." is about giving everything away (i.e. costing an arm and a leg), thinking they are paying admission to Heaven.

"Some die just to live" means that people refuse to live during their mortal existence on Earth. They are waiting to die so they can have true life in the ever after.

Pearl Jam makes reference to the sham and hypocrisy of organized religion in other songs.

Icarus and Daedalus?

When I first heard this song many years ago I believed it was about the containment of the Jews in Germany. It has several references that make sence to that if you put it together in that way. For example: vacate is the word, people were forced to leave their homes, their country, everything they had. Victims in demand for public show: many were beaten and killed on the street by the Nazis. Holier than thou: probably refers to , how Hitler thought his race was supreme and how could he kill because he thought his race was better than others. Stripped and sold Mom, seperated from the mother going into the concentration camps, auctioned forearm: in reference to the tattoos that they recieved in the camps. Whiskers in the sink, all Jewish prisioners had to shave their whole bodys. Some die just to live: I believe that many of the Jews in the camp that new what their fate was, gave in because they knew they were dying for their religious beliefs. I may be totally wrong, but that is what I always thought that song was about.

Here's how I see the song. Vacate is the word. <Do you leave the known, the indie arena, to move to the major record label?> Vengeance has no place so near to her. Cannot find comfort in this world. <The artist is unsure what to do. They're at a crossroads in their career. They don't know how they should proceed.> Artificial tear. Vessel stabbed, next up, volunteers? <This is people who are new to the industry. The industry sheds artificial tears for those who are new to it, but are always looking for new talent, the volunteers, those who sell their souls/art for profit> Vulnerable wisdom can't adhere. <Those new to the industry are still naive, thinking they can control something they cannot.>

A truant finds home, and a wish to hold on, but there's a trap door in the sun. Immortality. <Someone who is in the industry, the artist is the truant. They found a wish to hold on (to), but there is a trap door in the sun, which means that they can fall out of popularity as quickly as they got into it - popularity being the sun.>

As privileged as a whore. <The artist is entitled to as much as their selling themselves to the industry is worth.> Victims in demand for public show. <The public, and the industry, is always interested in more, ie. the artist bearing themselves, and their dirty laundry, out for all to see.> Swept out through the cracks beneath the door. <Again, like falling through the trap door, you can also be pushed aside by the next big thing, and easily forgotten.? Holier than thou. How? Surrendered, executed, anyhow. <Those already established in the industry are somehow better than newcomers or those on the outside; perhaps also a comment on the industry itself thinking it knows better than those creating the art. However they can proceed, be it through others surrendering, being executed <ie. their contract cut>, however.> Scrawl dissolved. Cigar box on the floor. <Lyrics to songs changed, make it more radio-friendly, easier to sell, the cigar box is on the floor as all that remains from handing out the cigars to celebrate a job well done.>

A truant finds home, and I wish to hold on to, but saw the trap door in the sun. Immortality. <Ah, the artist knows now what they are getting in to, and they see the trap door, but avoid it, or choose to go through it.>

I cannot stop the thought of running in the dark. <The artist is unsure what to do. They are forging their own path, or so they think.> Coming up a which way sign. <The artist realizes others have been here before. Do you go one way or the other? Do you become a part of the industry, or not?> All good truants must decide. <The artist must make the decision on which way to go.? Stripped and sold mom. <The artist's work has been changed, whether they realize it or not.> Auctioned forearm and whiskers in the sink. <Parts which cannot be sold, for example, their art being a separate entity from themselves, is somehow now a commodity. They change their appearance, hence the whiskers in the sink.> Truants move on, cannot stay long. <The artist must make their choice, and live with it. The window is so short, it can be over before it began.> Some die just to live. <Some choose to embrace immortality by killing themselves once in the spotlight; some choose to embrace immortality by their choices, or their music.>

I agree with Mr. Vedder's comments that this is not about Kurt Cobain's death. I do see it as a song about artists at a crossroads where perhaps they've been offered a contract by a major record label and aren't sure what to do. Do you take the deal and sell your soul, but in turn make your art available to the masses, or decline it and continue on the indie path, but be at peace with that decision?

Pearl Jam - Immortality

Native American version

Vacate is the word. (-Obvious.) Vengeance has no place so near to her. (Earth.) Cannot find comfort in this world.

Artificial tear, ("A single tear", an American invention to pretend sympathy from government/corporate/media) Vessel stabbed (The most important item in the village was the sacred bundle. Believed to have gifted by God's or ancient ancestors. The sacred bundle was regularly destroyed when Americans invaded Native villages.) Next up, volunteers? (Sarcasm.)

Vulnerable wisdom can't adhere. ("The Sacred Bundle holds a profound and enduring significance. It represents a tangible bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds." The "wisdom" was vulnerable to the sociopaths.)

A truant finds home, (Nomadic tribes, or all nomads during the forced travel.) and a wish to hold on (Begins another tribal settlement or village in the locations they were told are safe, but Americans violated the contract and made them leave the new location too. Natives hold on to their own culture regardless of all the abuses.)

but there's a trap door in the sun. (One way to retain your society or culture while the invaders try to forcefully assimilate you is to ensure that your religion and language continues. The "Sun Dance" was a multi-village, multi-tribe ceremony that was prohibited by American governments. Retaining your culture via Sun Dance is a trap to get more abuse or violence.)

Immortality. (Fame caused by abuse; permanent mental picture in society of historical Natives instead of actual Natives today.)

As privileged as a whore. (Obvious, and additional layered commentary that Natives were told that they are receiving benefits or privileges.) Victims in demand for public show. (Movies, circuses, actors told to portray historical characters in modern non-scifi settings.) Swept out through the cracks beneath the door. (Obvious.) Holier than thou. How? (Disney's Pocahontas explains this line.) Surrendered, executed, anyhow. (Actually killed even if they surrendered, in some cases.) Scrawl dissolved. (Signed treaties that Americans quickly decided to ignore the signatures of and commit more violence.) Cigar box on the floor. (Cigars and boxes are a "trope" associated with Native Americans.)

A truant finds home, and I wish to hold on too, but saw the trap door in the sun. Immortality.

I cannot stop the thought of running in the dark. Coming up a which way sign. All good truants must decide.

Stripped and sold mom. (This verse starts with "I". Eddie Vedder talks about his own mom, "sold out" by the lyrics to "Alive". When he rewrote the lyrics, he left this line in the way it is, because Earth is also a "mother" that was literally stripped and also literally sold, by Americans, in contrast to basic principles of life that Natives loved under before they arrived. That's why this line says "mom" instead of "mother".)

Auctioned forearm (Americans graverobbing and then removing the tattoos from the body and selling it as framed artwork, which the Natives were horrified by because the dead men still had living relatives.)

and whiskers in the sink. (Forced shaving of beards by military. Maybe Eddie's personal experience that he wrote the song for also involved himself shaving. Or maybe talking about head hair would be too obvious to the audience who he wants to obscure the song's meaning from.)

Truants move on, cannot stay long. Some die just to live. (Protest ethos; fight for your rights, liberty or death.)

This is the only proposed interpretation that has zero missing lines or words that have no specific explanation.

Pearl Jam - Immortality Native American version

Vacate is the word. (-Obvious.) Vengeance has no place so near to her. (Earth.) Cannot find the comfort in this world.

Artificial tear, ("A single tear", an American invention to pretend sympathy from government/corporate/media) Vessel stabbed (The most important item in the village was the sacred bundle. Believed to have gifted by God's or ancient ancestors. The sacred bundle was regularly destroyed when Americans invaded Native villages.) Next up, volunteers? (Sarcasm.)

Vulnerable wisdom can't adhere. ("The Sacred Bundle holds a profound and enduring significance. It represents a tangible bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds." The "wisdom" was vulnerable to the sociopaths.)

A truant finds home, (Nomadic tribes, or all nomads during the forced travel.) and a wish to hold on (Begins another tribal settlement or village in the locations they were told are safe, but Americans violated the contract and made them leave the new location too. Natives hold on to their own culture regardless of all the abuses.)

but there's a trap door in the sun. (One way to retain your society or culture while the invaders try to forcefully assimilate you is to ensure that your religion and language continues. The "Sun Dance" was a multi-village, multi-tribe ceremony that was prohibited by American governments. Retaining your culture via Sun Dance is a trap to get more abuse or violence.)

Immortality. (Fame caused by abuse; permanent mental picture in society of historical Natives instead of actual Natives today.)

As privileged as a whore. (Obvious, and additional layered commentary that Natives were told that they are receiving benefits or privileges.) Victims in demand for public show. (Movies, circuses, actors told to portray historical characters in modern non-scifi settings.) Swept out through the cracks beneath the door. (Obvious.) Holier than thou. How? (Disney's Pocahontas explains this line.) Surrendered, executed, anyhow. (Actually killed even if they surrendered, in some cases.) Scrawl dissolved. (Signed treaties that Americans quickly decided to ignore the signatures of and commit more violence.) Cigar box on the floor. (Cigars and boxes are a "trope" associated with Native Americans.)

A truant finds home, and I wish to hold on too, but saw the trap door in the sun. Immortality.

I cannot stop the thought of running in the dark. Coming up a which way sign. All good truants must decide.

Stripped and sold mom. (This verse starts with "I". Eddie Vedder talks about his own mom, "sold out" by the lyrics to "Alive". When he rewrote the lyrics, he left this line in the way it is, because Earth is also a "mother" that was literally stripped and also literally sold, by Americans, in contrast to basic principles of life that Natives loved under before they arrived. That's why this line says "mom" instead of "mother".)

Auctioned forearm (Americans graverobbing and then removing the tattoos from the body and selling it as framed artwork, which the Natives were horrified by because the dead men still had living relatives.)

and whiskers in the sink. (Forced shaving of beards by military. Maybe Eddie's personal experience that he wrote the song for also involved himself shaving. Or maybe talking about head hair would be too obvious to the audience who he wants to obscure the song's meaning from.)

Truants move on, cannot stay long. Some die just to live. (Protest ethos; fight for your rights, liberty or death.)

This is the only proposed interpretation that has zero missing lines or words that have no specific explanation.

Great song, i particulary like the really raw-sounding part around the guitar solo

This song was debuted live before Kurt Cobain's death, so it wasn't originally about that. However, after Cobain died some of the lyrics were changed (eg "cigar box on the floor")