Pearl Jam: Yellow Ledbetter Meaning

Yellow Ledbetter Lyrics

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 I wanna wish it all away, yeah.
And they called and I said...

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   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Apr 25th 2010 !⃝

   The song Yellow Ledbetter was written by lead singer Eddie Vetter and the band's lead guitarist. There are many different opinioned meanings of the song but the only true way to know would be ask the guys who wrote it. From what I know about the band and Eddie Vetter, the song is actually about one of vetters old time friends brothers who was in the military and the lyrics, "Can you see them? out on the porch, yeah, but they don't wave, But I see them,round the front way yeah yea, and I know and I know, I don't wanna stay. Make me cry." are talking about the letterman bringing the latter saying that the member of the family was killed in the war but the people on the porch don't wave because they know if he is coming to them that its not good news so they don't wave. and as far as the title goes it is composed of two thing. The letters are yellow which is "Yellow" Ledbetter, and Vetters friends brothers name was Tim Ledbetter which is where Yellow "Ledbetter" comes from making "Yellow Ledbetter". Eddie Vettter is know and is also in a class of singers know mainly because of the way he mumbles as he is singing. Vetter never keeps the same lyrics on stage as when the song was recorded so to understand what I am talking about, listen to the studio version that is on an album. also listen to their live concert on youtube called Yellow Ledbetter, Live At the Garden. In that video he talks about never seeing his brother alive again but those are just modified lyrics Vetter uses off the top of his head but have nothing to do with the real song meaning

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   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Jul 11th 2012 !⃝

   it's about his friends bro dying in the gulf war Eddie himself said it.
3. anonymous

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   Nov 21st 2021 !⃝

   It's about about a friend's brother dying in war on a beach somewhere. The family receives a letter telling them that he died and they will be sending his body back. Then it goes on to say that they know if his body will be in a box or in a bag. If there was enough of him left he will be sent back in a box "coffin" or if his body was blown to pieces he will be in a bag.
4. anonymous

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   Feb 3rd 2018 !⃝

   day_shaman
   
   Sorry Ed. Time for truth mate.
   
   Yellow ledbetter.
   Or
   Yellow Leadbeater, rather.
   Yellow- Highest Intellect. Meaning of the colour.
   Leadbeater- C.W. Leadbeater, a member of the theosophical society (better understanding of ones self & ones place in the universe) whos teachings emphasized the power & use of thought and above mentioned withing brackets.
   Enjoy.
   Day Shaman
   Activist/Philosopher/Etymologist
5. anonymous

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   May 20th 2017 !⃝

   This Is Eddie Vedder on GHB
6. anonymous

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   Oct 25th 2011 !⃝

   A yellow letter is a marketing device used by real estate investors seeking to buy a house. The letter is mailed and the home owner is asked to telephone if interested in selling. Assuming the letter in the song is a yellow letter, the lyrics make sense because he is struggling with whether to sell and leave the neighborhood. On the one hand he is negotiating - "I want what I said." But he is not sure because sometimes he wants to "wish it all away" and the way the negotiating is going, he doesn't know if he is being tough or getting taken advantage of -is he "the boxer or the bag?" It appears in the end he decides he does not want to stay and will sell - maybe he doesn't feel that he fits in with the neighborhood - the neighbors "don't wave."

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