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Red Mosquito Lyrics
(Line one, mighty fine.)
Watched from the window with a red mosquito.
I was not allowed to leave the room.
I saw the sun go down and now it's coming up.
Somewhere in the time between I was bitten.
Must have been the devil.
He was just paying me a little visit.
Reminding me of his presence.
Letting me know he's a-waiting. Ohh...
Red man's your neighbor. Call it behavior.
While you're climbing up slippery hills.
Two steps ahead of him. Punctures in your neck.
Hovering just above your bed. (x2)
I was bitten must have been the devil.
He was just paying me a little visit.
Reminding me of his presence.
And letting me know he's a-waiting.
He's a-waiting ohh there. Yeah.
If I had known then what I know now... (x4)
I was not allowed to leave the room.
I saw the sun go down and now it's coming up.
Somewhere in the time between I was bitten.
Must have been the devil.
He was just paying me a little visit.
Reminding me of his presence.
Letting me know he's a-waiting. Ohh...
While you're climbing up slippery hills.
Two steps ahead of him. Punctures in your neck.
Hovering just above your bed. (x2)
He was just paying me a little visit.
Reminding me of his presence.
And letting me know he's a-waiting.
He's a-waiting ohh there. Yeah.
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The food poisoning incident and the literal mosquito eddie was annoyed by are good explanations, but I think we're neglecting one crucial line in the song: "Red man's your neighbor . . ." Back before political correctness, Native Americans were considered to be "red" in color, eg. Redskins. I think "Red Mosquito" is about the White American Male opinion of American Indians and how they feel pestered by this group of people they bought out years ago. The white man has put the indian on reservations and tried to keep him quiet, but he is still constantly reminded of whose country this really is. This "White Man's Guilt" theme is also evident on "w.m.a." and "do the evolution". You have to remember how intelligent (and liberal) eddie is and take that into account -- this can't just be a song about a stomach virus.
About life's little reminders. A stub in the toe, a pulled muscle, a mosquito bite; while we may try to stay two steps ahead of our adversaries (the Devil is quite an adversary, isn't he), they will catch up with us at some point on our journey. The last line "If I had known then what I know now" refers to the little lessons we learn from our setbacks, we learn because we have experienced.
this song is really ironic going along with the themes of the rest of No Code. As opposed to the buddhist-ish ideas of Present Tense and such, this song is about regret.
To me, anyway, this could mean No Code tells a story? maybe? i haven't really thought this through all the way. The proscess to enlightenment maybe?
What does everyone else think
Piros001's picking up on the two similar lines in "Red Mosquito" and "I'm Open" are every clever..... Clearly there is a correlation between the two and it surely reflects the experimental nature of No Code.....
This song is about Eddie's food poisoning incident... eddie was forced off stage at a show in front of about 60,000 people in a free concert because of his food poisoning... Neil Young Filled in for him for 4 whole hours but it was this incident that cast Ed and Pearl Jam as unappreciative of their fans.... and therefore probably forged the experimentation of No Code.... Thank God for that little Red Mosquito.....
I totally agree spenser_d. I think Eddie is saying while "red men" were needed they were treated as freinds but thereafter as if overnight were stabbed in the back and eventually the people will be held responsible.
eddie got sick from food poisining and missed a concert. he was in bed for a full 24 hrs (saw the sun go down, now its coming up) and was semi-hallucinating. he imagined his illness to be brought on by the devil in the form of a red mosuito as a reminder that death will eventually come.
GODDAMN i love the gutiar in this song!
The live version of this song is awesome
I think Eddie was dabbing with Heroin throughout much of' No code'. bitten by a red mosquito could be the itchy track marks left from heroin injection. and the all to familier sigh of a junkie leads off the song "If I had known then what I know now".
I don't think Eddie or any of the guys played with heroin due to the demise of Andrew wood (mother love bone). I think Ed's just a musical and lyrical genius.
I don't think Eddie or any of the guys played with heroin due to the demise of Andrew wood (mother love bone). I think Ed's just a musical and lyrical genius.
@Gforce38 wrong, the most he did on record was ecstasy, but never once in my 25 years of loving this band have I ever heard that rumor. You, my friend, are dumb.
@Gforce38 wrong, the most he did on record was ecstasy, but never once in my 25 years of loving this band have I ever heard that rumor. You, my friend, are dumb.
Gforce38,
Eddie has mentioned that the lyrics came to him while he was sick and bedridden; a pesky mosquito kept entering the room he was in, threatning him with its stinger.
Eddie's drug of choice appears to be the bottle of crimson wonder, not Heroin's poppy powder of doom.
Also, given the uplifting nature of many of No Code's songs (in contrast to the first three PJ records), I doubt that Eddie was dabbling in heroin during the No Code sessions.