So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
I've used hammers made out of wood
I have played games with pieces and rules
I've deciphered tricks at the bar
But now you're gone
I haven't figured out why
I've come up with riddles
And jokes about war
I've figured out numbers and what they're for
I've understood feelings
And I've understood words
But how could you be taken away
And wherever you've gone
And wherever we might go
It don't seem fair
Today just disappeared
Your lights reflected now
Reflected from a far
We were but stones
Your light made us stars
With heavy breath
Awaken regrets
Back pages and days alone they could've been spent
Together but we were miles apart
Every inch between us becomes light years now
No time to be void
Or save up on life
Uh you've got to spend it all
And wherever you've gone
And wherever we might go
It don't seem fair
You seem to like it here
Your lights reflected now
Reflected from a far
We were but stones
Your light made us stars
And wherever you've gone
And wherever we might go
It don't seem fair
Today just disappeared
Your lights reflected now
Reflected from a far
We were but stones
Your light made us stars
I have played games with pieces and rules
I've deciphered tricks at the bar
But now you're gone
I haven't figured out why
I've come up with riddles
And jokes about war
I've figured out numbers and what they're for
I've understood feelings
And I've understood words
But how could you be taken away
And wherever you've gone
And wherever we might go
It don't seem fair
Today just disappeared
Your lights reflected now
Reflected from a far
We were but stones
Your light made us stars
With heavy breath
Awaken regrets
Back pages and days alone they could've been spent
Together but we were miles apart
Every inch between us becomes light years now
No time to be void
Or save up on life
Uh you've got to spend it all
And wherever you've gone
And wherever we might go
It don't seem fair
You seem to like it here
Your lights reflected now
Reflected from a far
We were but stones
Your light made us stars
And wherever you've gone
And wherever we might go
It don't seem fair
Today just disappeared
Your lights reflected now
Reflected from a far
We were but stones
Your light made us stars
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On the next youtube video you can hear Eddie Vedder explain this song was written for Diane, a good friend of them, she died suddenly and they never got a chance to say goodbye... youtube.com/watch
I think this is an obvious metaphor for the loss of fans due to their unability to grasp the ideal of the band. In some ways, they cravy the popularity they once had on certain levels. The song is disguised as the loss of a person, but hidden is their regret (as a whole) as not being completly understood. Hammers made out of wood: guitar games w/ pieces and rules: any number of songs
's and what their for: hello, Animal
think about it
Eddie Vedder, Katowice 16/6/2000: "it's got a bunch of meanings, to me. And maybe you." I think the fact that it's so abstract means that Eddie didn't really know what it was about and that he just added words or lines with some connection (not necessarily a strong one) to how he was feeling. It sounds as if it could have been written over a week or something. I think Eddie wants people to come up with their own view of what it's about. The strongest message I get from it is that he's talking to people who jumped on the grunge bandwagon but don't listen to Pearl Jam any more, hence the title (his audience is light years away). He criticises them for being fickle (1st verse, because "now you're gone" with no logical explanation), yet he feels like he's missed out on something by doing so "awakened regrets. Back pages and days alone that could have been spent together". I see the line "we were but stones" as having a double meaning: 1) insignificant gravel 2) When the band 1st started, Stone wrote the majority of the music. The "light" of the the fans influenced the band. So they went from being stones to stars. Anyway, that's just my interpretation of one possible meaning. I'm sure there's plenty of others.
First off---how cool is this? THIS is in MY opinion what PJ is all about----us all interpretting the lyrics and music as we see fit. In the case of Light Years, however, I couldn't agree with Moody1 more. To me, its simply about dealing with the grief / loss of a loved one. Its a hard process to learn and actively perform.
It seems as PJ has matured in their music and writing, grief / loss of loved ones is a topic that the band has explored A LOT! (aka Light Years, Other side, Love Boat Captain, Man of the Hour etc.) I love it. We all go thru it and I feel that these songs help because they ALL provide a semblance of hope. To me, in light years, the hope comes from the line "your light made US stars". I like the US because the person lamenting in the song isn't dead yet. It seems to foreshadow how we will all (Godwilling) be united again sometime, somehow, in an even BETTER place than what we have here----even though we SEEM TO LIKE IT HERE :) .
Well done again, PJ on a truly classic song.
One more thing.....i feel a great sister song to this one is Other side.....THAT song is written from the point of view of the person IN heaven longing for the person left behind on earth! Another great one!
Down with all the haters! Binaural, Riot Act, Self-title = PJ gettin' better, better and better, man! ;) Pun intended :)
“We were but stones. Your light made us stars.”
I just wanted to add a comment on this particular line. When you look at the night sky, not all of the twinkling things in it are stars. Some are just planets (stones) that are reflecting the Sun’s light. This idea is useful for several of the interpretations people mentioned. Maybe the fans are a sun and they’ve turned the band into “stars”. Or maybe the song is about loss; even though the person is very far away (physically or dead), their influence still lights up the singer like a planet in the night sky.
From day one I’ve always thought this song was about Kurt, it seems self explanatory but I don’t think Eddie ever had the real relationship he wanted with Kurt and this was a beautiful nod to him.
Light Years is about a very smart man. He is able to figure out all these great and complicated things yet he is unable to figure out why his love was taken away from him. Without his love this man is nothing. Together they are mearly stones but together they shine like stars. He regrets not spending more time with her when they were only seperated by miles because now they are seperated by light years.
this song is about loss, death and how once they were far apart, burt could still see each other, but now death has made the distance 'light years' there is a regret from not spending time together, and he is unable to figure out why this person was taken away so young. i can definatly relate to this song, it helped me through a recent berevement
i agree Matzy94, this man can slove anything., but he can't figure out love, and he doesn't realize it till its gone.
this is a lovely song.........enough said :)