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"Dissident"
by Pearl Jam from the album "Vs."
Tabbed by Dave Miller (dwm3@po.cwru.edu)
Intro/Chorus
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||----3--2--1-----1--0--3-----
...the dissident...
Variation of chorus
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||*-----------------3-----3--2--5-----------------
||*------------3h5--------------------------------
||----3--2--1-------------------------------------
Verse
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||*---3-----3--3-----1-----3--3-----3/5-----1-----3---
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She nursed him there...
Interlude
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||*------1--3--------1--3--3/51----
||----3-----------3-----------------
Taken from The BassMasta -- http://www.bassmasta.net
Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques
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No Picture
Tom Average |
#1 by Tom Someguy at Aug 14, 1971 at 1:19 PM EST |
| I disagree about it being about an unwanted baby. Dissisdent is a synonym for Heretic, so it has to be about someone who disagrees with a widely held belief... | |
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Jazzy Average |
#2 by Jazzy at Aug 9, 1976 at 1:53 PM EST |
| i think it is about a person who falls in love with a rebel/outcast. (referring to definition of 'dissident' as one separated from widesread belief.) the person is intrigued by the other's danger and brazen attitude, and continues to see them despite protest or disapproval. But due to outside pressure from source: the accepted views of society and what she is doing is "wrong" in the eyes of others, she decides to end the relationship despite whatever feelings she may have. (She gave him away when she couldn't hold on). She regrets her decision and distances herself from others. (always home but so far away). She thinks that she should have stood up for him/her feelings, and feels bad that she didn't. (nothing said, what a waste). the line "when she had contact with the conflict, there was meaning...but she sold him to the state, she had to turn around" laments that when she first met the person she found meaning for herself with him instead of becoming a slave to society. But she cracks under the pressure of not being accepted by society and so she "sold him to the state" which i think means that she placed the values of society above their friendship/relationship, and sold him out when she dumped him. She realizes that escaping from such rebelliousness and conflict is not a solution, and that sometimes being callous to the viewpoints of others is necessary. by the way, this song got me hooked on pearl jam. They kick ass and are my favorite band. very underappreciated, but not by the fans. screw their critics. | |
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No Picture
ian Average |
#3 by ian at Apr 26, 1982 at 6:04 PM EST |
| I think it's about a one night stand that resulted in an unwanted child. Here's the breakdown: dissident as per merrian webster dictionary : disagreeing especially with an established religious or political system, organization, or belief - pre marital sex She nursed him there, ooh, over a night. I wasn't so sure she wanted him to stay. What to say? What to say? But soon she was down. Soon he was low. At a quarter past. A holy no. She had to turn around. ---they came back to her place, 'nursing' also relates to drinking, she didnt know if she wanted him to spend the nite-one night stand, soon she was down soon he was low at a quarter past a holy no- she ended up laying on the bed, 'he was low' - sorry to be a bit graphic- on top of her, the holy no refers to the premarital sex they had that nite When she couldn't hold, oh, she folded. A dissident is here. Escape is never the safest path. Oh, a dissidence. A dissident is here ---- this makes reference to her having an abortion she couldnt deal with the thought of being a mother, escape is never the safest path- death is never the answer, she did something not agreed to by society And to this day she's glided on. Always home but so far away. Like a word misplaced. Nothing said, what a waste. But when she had contact with the conflict. There was meaning but she sold him to the state. She had to turn around. ------ she went on thru the next year(s)in a daze, not really living ,just doing, she was there physically but always thinking about what she had done, like a word misplaced, nothing said what a waste- the word (or child) could have been the greatest thing to say (be born) but wasnt given the chance, i think the last of this line and the rest of the song allude to her having some sort of break down and getting help so she can get on with life (she had to turn around) just my thoughts could be wrong , but all seems to make sense | |
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No Picture
The Rabbi Wanna Be |
#4 by The Rabbi RuLEz at Jun 5, 1991 at 3:10 PM EST |
| Sorry, folks. This lyric simply doesn't work for the metaphorical interpretation as a song about abortion outlined above: "But when she had contact with the conflict./There was meaning but she sold him to the state." These lines only really work in the literal sense, which is also supported by Vedder himself (as pointed out by BigBoss above): "The toughest thing is to devote yourself to a cause... And the people who do that should be praised. Because there are people who literally give up their lives for a cause. Like that abortion doctor who was shot in Florida. He gave his life to keep alive the freedom of women to have an abortion. And it's something that should be their right by law. It's not as if he was doing anything illegal, though there are a lot of fucking people out there right now who want to criminalize abortion. "In 'Dissident', I'm actually talking about a woman who takes in someone who's being sought after by the authorities for political reason. He's on the run, and she offers him a refuge. But she just can't handle the responsibility. She turns him in. Then she has to live with the guilt and the realization that she's betrayed the one thing that gave her life meaning. It made her life difficult. It made her life hell, but it gave her a reason to be. But she couldn't hold on. She folded. That's the tragedy of the song." Yes, he does mention abortion, but in no respect in the sense people are discussing it here. | |
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No Picture
Tracii Wanna Be |
#5 by Tracii Guns at Dec 29, 1995 at 2:56 PM EST |
| ed is right. His comment is the true meaning behind the song. And PJ10, I believe this is what your looking for: Jones, Allan. Pearl Jam - The Illustrated Story, A Melody Maker Book. Hal Leonard Corp, 1995. ISBN 0793540356 Vedder explaining the meaning of the song. | |
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No Picture
reece Average |
#6 by reece f at Jan 7, 1997 at 6:52 AM EST |
| a woman giving a unwanted baby for adoption and regretting it later. yeah i know my interpretation sucks, you don't have to rub it all over my face oK? | |
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No Picture
jim Professional |
#7 by jim d.f at Jan 16, 1999 at 10:53 AM EST |
| it seems2show abortion as the lesser of 2evils in a way - it can have massive effects on the person who has it - it says in the song (presuming u go with the pregnancy meaning) that the girl here initially tries to carry on with the pregnancy&then cant do it& "folds"...and WS4 got it spot on, Eddie is known2b in favour of abortions (for people who cant viably raise a child if theyre not mentally r financially up to it) | |
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No Picture
Martyn Average |
#8 by Martyn cleary at Mar 31, 2001 at 3:24 AM EST |
| musically, pearl jam's best song. mike's guitar on this song is awesome. | |
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No Picture
Justin Wanna Be |
#9 by Justin Gaffney at Jul 15, 2001 at 1:21 PM EST |
| I haven't really thought about the lyrics to this very much but looking at it now and reading what others have wrote, I'm brought to thinking of the Magdalene Laundreys that we had here in Ireland until about 20 years ago. Unmarried women who got pregnant, if they weren't wanted by their family or the father, were put into homes - many of these women had been raped before and during their time in these 'homes'. When the baby was born, they could nurse them until it's new family came for it. I doubt this was Eddies intention while writing it but the more I read the lyrics, the more it seems it WAS written for those poor women. | |
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No Picture
Paul Lead Player |
#10 by Paul Jarosz at Feb 27, 2003 at 10:41 PM EST |
| islate is right, a dissident means premarital sex and all the interpretations are right on | |
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No Picture
Humey Average |
#11 by Humey at May 30, 2004 at 11:37 AM EST |
| im not calling anyone wrong, but i think the frist interpretation here (the one 'ed' wrote) is the meaning that eddie vedder intended for it. ive pretty sure ive read that before but i dont remember where so you'll just have to take my word for it ;-) | |
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