Unthought Known

In my opinion, this very well could be Pearl Jam's best song ever.

Unthought Known kind of reminds me of Wishlist a bit, but where Wishlist wasn't exactly deep in thought, Unthought Known is masterfully written and beautifully insightful, giving us a list of things that we all should consider, we all can appreciate, and even things we should do to be responsible humans.

This is my interpretation of the song, please feel free to disagree!

• All the thoughts you never see, You are always thinking
• Brain is wide, brain is deep, Oh are you sinking?
• Feel the path of everyday, Which road you taking?"

These 3 lines set up the problem. Our brains never stop, always making decisions whether we're aware or not. Are we letting these choices consume us? Stress us out? Overwhelm us? Keep us down? Or are we using our brains to make us happy? For the betterment of life?

• Breathing hard. Making hay. Yeah, this is living.

Eddie provides us his answer, breathing hard and making hay. That's what is living to him. "Making Hay" is an expression that means "To be highly productive for a limited period of time when the opportunity is present." And if you're not breathing hard, you're not doing much, are you?

• Look for love and evidence that you're worth keeping
• Swallowed whole in negatives It's so sad and sickening

These lines give us examples of common pitfalls we should try to avoid. Such as appealing to others to determine our own self-worth, and allowing the bad things in life to define us, swallow us whole.

• Feel the air up above, Full of blue sky
• Fill the air up with love, Black with starlight
• Feel the sky blanket you, With with gems and rhinestones
• Feel the path cut by the moon, For you to walk on

Here we are asked to go out and actually do these things. I think even the most hardened of us can look up on a beautiful night, bathed in moonlight, and feel something good. Many of us feel overwhelmingly inspired when doing this. This feeling of awe is something we all share, it unites us, and must be protected.

• Nothing left. Nothing left. Nothing there. Nothing left.

Now Eddie snaps us out of our euphoric state, reminding us that these things are in danger. Hate, war, intolerance, environmental destruction, all threatens this feeling for future generations.

• See the path cut by the moon for you to walk on
• See the waves on distant shores waiting your arrival

But there is a path we can take to protect it all. On distant shores, to me, means that other people, different people, those we fear out of ignorance, ideological differences and simply geography, those people are waiting for us to come to them to be understood. Everyone wants to be understood, and when we understand each other, we'll finally realize that we're not so different after all.

• Dream the dreams of other men you'll be no one's rival

I wasn't sure at first if "dreaming dreams of other men" was meant to be taken as a good thing or a bad thing. But now I'm convinced that it's a good thing. We all have common dreams, to be happy, protect the ones we love, and make the future better for our children. When we all acknowledge this commonality, we won't have rivals.

• Distant time, distant space, That's where we're living
• A distant time, a distant place, So what are you giving?

A challenge. What are you doing to protect our future?

My take ...

Life is ultimately a sequential series of decisions. Often, these decisions are influenced by our dreams. Continue to dream. Dream often. Follow what's true. Realize that others may dream about the current point in your life. Can you help them achieve that dream to some degree? What will you give?

Eddie about this song:

Unthought Known “It’s about a conversation with (actress) Catherine Keener, and a book — I think it might have even been called Unthought Known . I got back late to my hotel in New York, and I pushed it that extra hour. I pushed the limits of how much you can drink and smoke, and this song came out of it. I think the thought of the song is that there are things that you know, and they’re in us, but we just haven’t thought of them. But they’re there, and we base decisions on them.”

I think it´s about trying to bi a better person."See the pat cut by the moon for you to walk on.See the waves on distant shores, waiting your arrival." Give your self and the others chance to be happy and do something for it.
I love how song start izzy, and then go hyer and hyer.

Musically this song is great and the lyrics are really well-written, but......I don't like this song. And it's for the reason that I don't like quite a few PJ songs, mostly on Backspacer - I find it too preachy

I think a big reason why Bob Dylan is so popular is because he ploughed deep into his own mind in his songs but he used what he dug out with his mental shovel to inspire others to pick up theirs. In this song though it's like Eddie's trying to push his own treasure on to others and, well... not everyone values everything the same

This song just doesn't really challenge or inspire me, even if the sentiment is quite noble. I think you have to be someone who already identifies strongly with Eddie's frame of mind to embrace the lyrics

Still though, the music's f'n brilliant!

This is Eddie Vedder's swan song. He is getting out of the business. Or at least out of Pearl Jam The guy has been gifted with the most amazing talent, tons of luck in life and of course an enormous amount of discipline that has brought him to where he is in his music career. This is him talking about his life's path and how great his life has been.

Feel the sky blanket you With with gems and rhinestones Feel the path cut by the moon For you to walk on (x2)

Eddie can really achieve no more that is new and exciting, at least in regards to Pearl Jam, fame, money, adulation, etc... Not that he's in to being adulated, but you get what I mean. This is him letting us know:

Nothing left Nothing left Nothing there Nothing left (3x)

During the last show of Pearl Jam's 2010 summer Euro tour, Eddie said in so many words that you will not be hearing from the band for a very long time.

Right or wrong about the interpretation, what a killer song! One of my favorites of all time. Apparently this was written by Vedder after "pushing the limits" of drinking and smoking in a hotel room after his 2008 solo tour. If these are the kind of lyrics that come out of him when he's abusing himself, keep on inflicting the pain, Eddie.

...EASILY my fav on Backspacer... if nottied with Black and Do the Evolution for ALL TIME

acheiving your dreams then doing your best to help others achieve theirs

This song makes me think of my 15 month old son. As a parent, I want the world to give its best to my child, and my child to give his best back to the world. This song speaks of opportunity and potential. "You will be noone's rival!" Basically, if you live a productive, honest life and project positivity and love, then the beauty of this earth will all be laid out for you.

Beautiful song. Thanks Eddie.

This song is so beautiful. One of my favorites. I love how Pearl Jam can make such uplifting and spiritual songs without betraying their roots. And I love how deep their songs are and how personal. The other day my little sister (she's 11 or 12) told me that all of Pearl Jam is about depression, and I was like... wow... typical Eminem fan. Pearl Jam is all about life, and making the most of it. And yeah, sometimes about death, but it all comes back to life.