Lyric discussion by divineblindclown 

Cover art for Off He Goes lyrics by Pearl Jam

I'd say this song is deffinitly about Layne Staley of alice in chains and how due to his addiction to drugs he seemed to come and go from the music scene quite frequently.

the lyrics all fit perfectly to him too:

Know a man His face seemed pulled and tense Like he's ridin' on a motorbike In the strongest winds So I approach with tact Suggest that he should relax But he's movin' much too fast

  • Layne had grown skinny and tense looking after years of drug abuse, and Eddie and others would try and get him clean and to "relax" but he was into the drugs way to deep to be saved

Said he'll see me on the flip side On this trip he's taken for a ride He's been takin' too much on There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes There he goes

  • He's been taking on too much of the heroin and forced alice to stop touring while he dissapeared for a little while... plus the unkept clothes and flip side remark (traditional grunge wear and slang)

He's yet to come back But I seen his picture It doesn't look the same up on the rack We go way back I wonder 'bout his insides It's like his thoughts are too big for his size

  • He is saying that its been a while since he's seen and heard from Layne but it hits him harder than it does fans of his because he sees Layne as a friend unlike the fans who just see him on a cd rack and don't really know how bad its gotten... but him and Eddie go way back (to the days of mookie baylock opening for alice)

And now I rub my eyes, for he has returned Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned For he still smiles... And he's still strong Nothing changed but the surroundin' bullshit That has grown

  • Everyone thought Layne was pretty much finished but he seemed to return a few times, for the Alice unplugged show and for Mad Season with Mike from PJ... the "bullshit that has grown" is the media constantly referring to layne as a hopeless junkie

And now he's home and we're laughin' Like we did, my same old, same old friend Until a quarter to ten I saw the strain creep in He seems distracted and I know just what is going to happen next

Before his first step, he's off again

  • even though Layne is back for now they know that it wont be too long before he's off again

this theory kind of makes sence because the song came out around '97 i think and the last time most people saw Layne was in '96 after the unplugged.

Nope. Not about Layne though it could be. Eddie has said in concerts going back to 2000 that he was talking about himself, being a shit friend as he became famous.