Some songs are famous for being indecipherable.
In some cases, it’s because they were never meant to make any sense.
In others, it’s because the lyrics are filled with abstract, and seemingly disconnected, imagery.
The Yellow Ledbetter lyrics meaning has always been a mystery.
But was it supposed to make sense?
The songwriters have always avoided telling us anything. But it does seem like there is an actual meaning to the song. It’s just not an easy one to figure out.
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Yellow Ledbetter Lyrics And Meaning
Yellow Ledbetter is a song performed by the band Pearl Jam. It has become one of the band’s most beloved tracks, even though it was originally released as a B-side to the single Jeremy. The song is featured on Pearl Jam’s debut album, Ten, which was released in 1992.
Even though the song wasn’t originally released as a single, it still received a large amount of chart success. It peaked at number 21 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks and number 26 on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks in 1994.
Yellow Ledbetter has been included in various compilations, like Pearl Jam’s 2003 B-sides and rarities album Lost Dogs. It was also featured on the band’s greatest hits album, Rearviewmirror which was released in 2004.
It is also a song that the band plays regularly and this is what has made it such a fan favorite. Pearl Jam sings it as part of an encore and their fans sing along with them.
Yellow Ledbetter was written by both Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready. Vedder is the lead singer of Pearl Jam and McCready is the guitarist. It was only the second song that both Vedder and McCready wrote together.
This song has also made its mark on television. It was played during the very last episode of Friends, titled The Last One. It was played when Jennifer Anniston’s character, Rachel, was just about to board her plane to Paris and Ross finally confessed his love for her.
Yellow Ledbetter Lyrics
Verse
Unsealed on a porch a letter sat
Then you said I wanna leave it again
Once I saw her on a beach of weathered sand
And on the sand I wanna leave it again, yeah
On a weekend wanna wish it all away
And they called and I said that I want what I said
And then I call out again
And the reason oughta leave her calm, I know
I said, I don’t know whether I’m the boxer or the bag
Chorus
Oh yeah, can you see them
Out on the porch
Yeah, but they don’t wave
I see them
‘Round the front way, yeah
And I know and I know, I don’t wanna stay
Make me cry
Bridge
I see
I don’t know, there’s something else
I wanna drum it all away
Oh, I said I don’t, I don’t know whether I’m the boxer or the bag
Chorus
Oh yeah, can you see them
Out on the porch
Yeah, but they don’t wave
I see them
‘Round the front way, yeah
And I know and I know, I don’t wanna stay, oh
I don’t wanna stay
I don’t wanna stay
I don’t wanna stay, oh, no
Yeah
Ohh, oh-oh-oh
Ohhh, oh-oh-oh
Yellow Ledbetter Meaning
The story of Yellow Ledbetter starts in the early 1990s. McCready created the iconic riff to the song while experimenting with his new guitar foot pedal.
The meaning of the song, though, has remained the subject of mystery and intrigue since the song was released. Over the decades, two main theories have surfaced about what the song means.
The first theory suggests that it comes from a tongue twister and this led to misheard phrases such as ‘Yellow Ledbetter’.
The second theory is that the song is a tribute to blues legend Huddie Ledbetter. Neither theory has ever been confirmed by the band, but Pearl Jam has joked that it was related to Vedder’s friend, Tim Ledbetter.
The lyrics of Yellow Ledbetter are hard to decipher. The song is filled with lots of abstract imagery, which means you can interpret it in many different ways.
Some fans’ interpretations suggest that the song deals with complex human emotions such as grief and loss, while others suggest it deals with a more societal issue, with a possible reflection on the war.
One interpretation of the lyrics is that they tell the story of a young man whose brother is sent to fight in the Gulf War and is then killed. The song evokes a moment when the protagonist of this story encounters a lack of empathy from others for his brother, who died in the war.
The song goes on to discuss the alienation of war and the personal costs that come with it. This interpretation would also align with Vedder’s own personal view on war. It is something he has always been against.
The fact that neither Vedder nor McCready have ever stated what the song is actually about just adds to the mystery. It is grown more and more mysterious as the years pass by. However, this isn’t always a bad thing. It means we can all connect with the song however we wish.
Yellow Ledbetter Lyrics Meaning: Final Thoughts
There have been numerous theories as to the Yellow Ledbetter lyrics meaning. And there is no way of knowing which one is “correct”. The songwriters have made it clear they will not give us any clues.
That means we can ascribe whatever meaning we want to the song. Some people hate that, but I actually love it. It makes a song so much more personal, when you can read your own meaning into it.
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