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PEARL JAM "GIVEN TO FLY" -BASS TAB
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Tune to Drop D dadg
the bass starts after guitar riff plays once
First verse
|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|
|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5|
|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|
|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0|-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0|
This is pretty much the whole song
when eddie sings "he is flying..." play
|----------------|---------------|
|----------------|---------------|
|-33-3-3-3-33-3--|-33-3-33-2-0---|
|----------------|-------------5-|
Outro
|-18-16-14-12-14-12-14-12-|
|-------------------------|
|-------------------------| repeat until fade
|-------------------------|
h = hammeron
p = pulloff
~ = vibrato
/ = slide up
= slide down
(X)= hold note (let ring)
Tabbed by Mark Linwood
Hint suggesstions or comments to (Rlinwood@powerup.com.au)
I will reply to all emails
Taken from BASSMASTA.NET - http://www.bassmasta.net
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brad Wanna Be |
#1 by brad at Feb 13, 1971 at 5:03 PM EST |
| To anyone who has read the book "Illusions" by Richard Bach this sounds very familliar. An enlightened individual who first rejects his knowledge, then trys to share it only to be shunned for it, but still teaches one person and so he has acomplished his goal in life. I have always loved this song. | |
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stash Average |
#2 by stash at Sep 17, 1971 at 9:20 AM EST |
| the character is a jesus figure. | |
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Roxie Wanna Be |
#3 by Roxie Ramos at Feb 21, 1977 at 4:00 AM EST |
| I think this song is more about death...."tuned out" and the "waiting locked out" reference means someone he loves shut him out and then killed himself in the ocean (drowned himself) and given to fly means he gave into death and after he died he saying "he still gets his love" and he just gives it away" sounds like he's in heaven and still loves that person and "seen in a strange spot in the sky...given into fly" reference obvious it's about death | |
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Devon Average |
#4 by Devon Thauriaux at Jun 24, 1980 at 10:13 PM EST |
| Pearl Jam received a lawsuit for this song because it sounds so similar to led zeppelin's "Going to California." I say who gives a fuck because Pearl Jam rocks and Led Zeppelin doesn't | |
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jakadict Average |
#5 by jakadict the brave at Jul 8, 1988 at 4:56 AM EST |
| i like jam. perals are pretty. | |
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Ben Rhythm Player |
#6 by Ben Gibson at Oct 20, 1988 at 10:07 AM EST |
| id say a majority of eddies lyrics are autobiographical or at least rooted in his actual experiences (like alive). so, with that in mind, i definitely see this song being about eddie. 1st stanza: hes in a bad mood and no one can cheer him up, so he goes off to be by himself.("couldve tuned in....nothing could save him") to relax, he goes surfing, and it puts him in a better mood because hes kind of a private, solitary guy and just spending some time on his own does him some good. ("a wave came crashing...delivered him wings") i think the flying on the wave is meant to be taken both literally and symbolically. going out and acting free makes him feel free. 2nd stanza: except that hes famous now so that feeling cant last. he cant just be himself because hes being watched and it makes him uncomfortable. ("faceless men"=crowds of people/media) overall, he can still be himself, but he does it subtly (instead of "flying" right in front of everyone, hes a "strange spot in the sky" far away) i can see how the jesus intrepretation would work in this one case, but youve got to look at all his work. no offense to anyone who interpreted the song that way (or to jesus for that matter), but eddie just doesnt write songs about jesus. there are a lot that are spiritual or philosophical, but religious? i cant think of any. for the most part id describe them as introspective or highly emotional. if it being about jesus is your personal intrepretation, i think its a really intriguing idea, but if you think thats what eddie meant, im going to have to disagree with you. | |
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Jesse Rhythm Player |
#7 by Jesse Holmes at Aug 6, 1991 at 7:55 AM EST |
| Ok, this is where I'm going to go with this.... I agree with everyone that its about a kid whose life is fucked, who could have saved himself ("tuned in") but chose not to ("tuned out"). Sadly, he's gone to a clifftop by the ocean ("The wind rose up...The waves came crashing...etc.), smoked a jay, working up enough courage to give himself wings....and jumps. He's given to fly. He wanted a "key to the locks" a way out. But first he is stripped and "stabbed by faceless men". I see this as an autopsy, the faceless men being the surgeons. He may be dead, but his memory still stands. And the love that no one would give him when he was alive now appears through the sadness of his loss. Now a star in the sky... ("...a strange spot in the sky. A human being who was given to fly). That's how I see it, anyways. | |
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Jonathan Average |
#8 by Jonathan Williams at Feb 12, 1997 at 6:10 PM EST |
| I agree with the guy who said its about jesus. It does make sense if you think of it that way except for the last line....but to each his own | |
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billy Wanna Be |
#9 by billy tams at Jul 29, 1998 at 5:06 AM EST |
| Ok... so the kid has this life right, kinda like mine... where everyone simply sucks (we see this in Eddie's youth if any of us ever read). So instead of "tuning in" and focusing on all of the bull sh*t of the day to day he "tunes out" and goes into his own world to simply get the hell away. So he heads out and kicks back in a nice tree down at the beach (to any of you who live on the water you know how relaxing this can be) and rips on a fatty joint. And from there comes enligtenment. He tries to share his enlightenment, however surprise SURPRISE!!! Nobody accepts him. Instead they condemn him for his beliefs, for his way of life... for being a fuc*ing kid with a philosophy (take it from me adults aren't open to that kinda sh*t). So believe me, or don't... but thats what the song means to me so... yeah... | |
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Jazzy Average |
#10 by Jazzy at Nov 9, 1999 at 12:44 PM EST |
| You think its about a surfer?!?!? Well i suppose each are entitled to their own opinion... but i would like you to respond with the lyrics that state or elude to the death of the character, because i don't see it | |
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steffan Badass |
#11 by steffan harkins at Jan 7, 2003 at 6:57 PM EST |
| DUDE...YOU'RE TOTALLY RIGHT... I WAS WAITING TO SEE THE RIGHT ANSWER..AND IT WAS SECOND TO LAST... oh..the only reason i was waiting, is cuz i didn't want to repeat anyone else.. i dunno..whatever...sorry guys..i'm kinda buzzing right now.. :crazy: :angel: ~alyson | |
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chris Average |
#12 by chris thomas at Jan 29, 2005 at 10:56 AM EST |
| the first few times i hear this i thought it was about Jesus and i still think it has some connections to Jesus but i agree with lazyforelife. i reckon it's about someone who got high cos of lines about smoking, then rising up above everything... then the guys floats back down. to me these are all metaphors about the stages of getting high... | |
