Where ‘ThePresentTense’ Came From

One of the drawbacks to working in our office in LA is that I can’t listen to my iPod during the day at work.  Back in D.C.  I listen to my iPod for most of the day every day.  Some of my music that I’ve been missing the most has been Pearl Jam.  Goofing around on YouTube, I found a video of a performance of the song where I got the name for this site.

Present Tense was one of the tracks off of the band’s fourth album, No Code, which was released in 1996.  I didn’t really become familiar with the song until I downloaded the official bootleg from their 2006 D.C. show and listened to it a couple of times.  What I love about this song is that the message is so simple, and something we hear all the time, but some of the imagery that they use in the lyrics is great.  The image of the tree bending to capture as much sunlight and take in everything that it can is really cool.  We, as people, can be as rigid as trees appear to be, but like trees, if we want to get everything we can out of life must learn to flex.  I’m still working on the whole flexible thing, but this song is good inspiration.

As if you couldn’t figure it out, the basic idea is that you shouldn’t waste your time worrying about things that you could or should have done in the past, and concentrate on what is happening now.  Looking forward to where you want to be and trying to figure out how to get there is a much better use of your time.  Because this blog is about what’s going on in my life now and some of where I’m going, I thought the title was quit fitting.

Below I included two videos of PJ playing the song in concert.  The first I included b/c they let the crowd sing the same portion of the song as when I saw them in concert, and it was one of those great concert memories you remember for a long time.  The second is just so you can hear them sing the whole song.

Present Tense – written by Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready, Performed by Pearl Jam

Do you see the way that tree bends?
Does it inspire?
Leaning out to catch the sun’s rays
A lesson to be applied
Are you getting something out of this all-encompassing trip?

You can spend your time alone, re-digesting past regrets, oh
Or you can come to terms and realize
You’re the only one who can’t forgive yourself, oh
Makes much more sense, to live in the present tense

Have you ideas on how this life ends?
Checked your hands and studied the lines
Have you the belief that the road ahead, ascends off into the light?
Seems that needlessly it’s getting harder
To find an approach and a way to live
Are we getting something out of this all-encompassing trip?

You can spend your time alone re-digesting past regrets, oh
Or you can come to terms and realize
You’re the only one who cannot forgive yourself, oh
Makes much more sense, to live in the present tense

Pearl Jam’s Release

I pretty much listen to music all day. Some of the music that I listen to is crap (guilty pleasure) and some of it is great. This post is about what I consider to be one of the greatest rock bands to ever record music. I really liked Pearl Jam’s music in the early and mid-90s through their first three albums or so. I had wandered off the PJ path when my brother convinced me to go to one of their shows in Atlanta, and even though I didn’t know a fair number of the songs they played, they impressed me as one of the best live bands I’d ever seen. So when I heard they were going to play a concert here in DC in 2006 it was an easy decision to get tickets to go.

That concert changed my musical life. They solidified themselves as the best live band I’ve seen with an incredible 2.5 hour show. My friend that went with me, who really isn’t a PJ fan, said something that simply stated one of the reasons I love to see PJ play live. He said “They play like they truly appreciate their fans. They put everything they have into it.” PJ is now a bit of an obsession for me music wise, which is really saying something considering I don’t really have an obsessive personality.

All of that being said, I like to share music and will share the lyrics, and when possible clips, of some of my favorite songs. Release is my favorite PJ song. The emotion that went into the song and the emotion Eddie puts into it when he sings is incredible. Though I don’t believe the song’s true meaning has ever been officially stated, I agree with the common belief that the song is to his biological father. Eddie was lead to believe his stepfather was his biological father until after his biological father had died and the truth was revealed to him. With that in mind, take a look at the clip below.

Release

Written and performed by Pearl Jam

I see the world
Feel the chill
Which way to go
Windowsill
I see the words
On a rocking horse of time
I see the birds in the rain

Oh dear dad
Can you see me now
I am myself
Like you somehow
I’ll ride the wave
Where it takes me
I’ll hold the pain
Release me

Oh dear dad
Can you see me now
I am myself
Like you somehow
I’ll wait up in the dark
For you to speak to me
I’ll open up
Release me
Release me
Release me
Release me