Yellow Ledbetter

Matzy seems to be the correct but I read somewhere that the person who recieved the letter was a friend of Vedder's and upon recieving the letter, his friend couldn't bare to see it sitting on his porch table so she and Vedder went on a walk through the neigborhood. Aparantly Vedder's buddy had a bit of an alternative style and upon passing a family as they sat on their porch, Vedder'd friend saluted their raised flag, however, due to her grungy style, the family didn't wave or acknowledge her.

As they walked, Vedder and his friend conjured up the lyrics.

I think the song was written by a ghost of a father. His children stand on the porch, but he doesn't want to stay(even if he could), because it's too painful for him there. Reminds me of the song "Black", for the same reasons, but I suppose it was written to fit each life differently.

wow

@Matzy94 True or not the lyrics on this site tell a story.
Someone received a letter they didn't want to read and had to pick a box or bag. A decision they wanted to just go away and made them cry.

@Matzy94 Does the song not have any connection to the other "Ledbetter" renditions? It's a blues song recovered and revised by many blues artists. This is just their version.

Best comment by far.

@aaxantono 100%Spot on

me too i never knew what he was saying at all...i never even cared for the lyrics....it just sounds like he's making noises haha. luv it.

Thank you. I had the general gist of the meaning before (about the family of a soldier that died) but I never understood the meaning of the "boxer or the bag" until you explained it. Thank you a lot.

Don't call people retarded when you don't know the difference between 'whether' and 'weather', or 'there' and 'their' and they're'.

aaronkirkman you are my hero. Thank you so much for your brilliant and insightful words. I thank God in heaven that you have been sent to us with your powers of song interpretation that us normal folk can only dream about. I mean, its clear that you are great friends with the band and have interviewed them extensively about what they meant when they wrote this song. Like all songs this one obviously has one meaning and one meaning only and you have been given this meaning from on high by the Creator Himself. I'm just sorry that being the retards we are , and not having your incredible grasp of the English language, word usage and grammar, that we cannot hope to reach the lofty heights in which you dwell. I thank God for you aaronkirkman and I strive to live my life to someday be like you. You are truly an omniscient (that means all knowing for the retards who arent as enlightened as yourself) oracle and I am so glad that you have corrected all the retards who thought this song had a meaning other than the one you have been given directly from Eddie and the boys. But, it amazes me that you can impart these great words of wisdom while also making a complete ass of yourself by calling everyone else who contributes to this forum retards because you think you know everything. I can only imagine the great heights you must have obtained in your personal and professional life by being such a pompous P.O.S. . To the many retards that come here to see what other meanings and interpretations songs may have to different people, I apologize for the outburst. To aaronkirkman, if you can pull yourself out of mommy's basement and leave behind the dungeons and dragons spell book you undoubtedly hold dear, I would love to hear your insightful thoughts on every other song so the rest of us may have true understanding like yourself. PS I would much rather listen to a mentally handicapped persons interpretations of this song than listen to you and your self aggrandizing BS. (You might need to look that up. i know its a big word and their and they're seem to be too much for you to grasp) John Watson

Having said all of that I believe your interpretation to be near to the meaning the band had in mind when writing it. However, a simple, "According to the interviews I've read with the band......" would get you a lot less vitriol from people than the "Why cant you retards not even bother if you don't know the meaning" crap that you spewed.You are not anyone special because you read the same interview a lot of the rest of us read where the band said that's what the song meant. Don't be such a jerk and people may actually listen to you. it's kind of hard to plead your case as being an intelligent voice when you say such stupid things. Good luck in life. You're going to need it.

@aaronkirkman yo man I love this song too death I take it he was watching his ex with another man on the porch and he kept leaving letters and she would never open them she would just leave them there piling up as they don't wave but they all see them piling up also your on point you make perfect sense dude awesome man thx

@aaronkirkman ...99% sure the lyrics are "the box or the bag, referencing his (or the) brother (buddy, etc) being sent home in a box (coffin) or bag (body bag). In other live versions,(see link below at 1:31 into song) he clearly says, "he's coming home in a box or a bag". On the album versions, the lyric is "I don't know whether it was a box or the bag". Also of note, when performed live, the lyrics are frequently improvised and can vary along the same theme.

youtube.com/…

@dimitri 99% sure the lyrics are "the box or the bag, referencing his (or the) brother (buddy, etc) being sent home in a box (coffin) or bag (body bag). In other live versions,(see link below at 1:31 into song) he clearly says, "he's coming home in a box or a bag". On the album versions, the lyric is "I don't know whether it was a box or the bag"