Live Song of the Day #10: Pain Lies on the Riverside, Post any interpretations, memories, comments, questions, etc Options

[edstipe]

Live Song of the Day #10: Pain Lies on the Riverside

Discuss.

[LiveOne]

Story time, boys and girls…

It’s 1992. I’m eating lunch with my friends in library; Operation Spirit is playing in the background (the librarian turned on MTV for us at lunch). Normal high school chit chat…blablabla, giggle, giggle. Who is this band? That voice is amazing… I turn and see Ed and the boys (and their oh-so-fashionable 90’s bowl cuts) running shirtless around a fire pit, climbing trees and hiking through tall grass. The video ends…I can’t see the credits to catch the name of the band. This same scenario happens several times. School ends for the summer and I gear up for my senior year of high school.

A couple of months later, I’m in a trendy clothing store in the mall, and PLOTR starts blaring over the speakers. Damn – it’s that same powerful, impassioned voice…that same funky bass, that driving drum rhythm. Wow – I love this song. I mean, I REALLY love this song. Goosebumps are popping out all over my body. WHAT THE HELL IS THE NAME OF THE BAND?? I station myself beneath the speaker and let the music flood my brain. The song ends; I wait patiently, hoping the DJ will announce the name of the band. Nothing. I drag my friend back over to the music store, and ask the sales person if he knows who sings the song about, “pain lies on the riverside, pain will never say goodbye.” He shakes his head. We head home, but the song stays in my head for the rest of the day.

That night, I dream…and in the dream I’m back in the music store and I ask a different sales person about the song and the band that sings it. This sales person looks oddly familiar…with an oh-so-fashionable 90’s bowl cut. This time, when I recite the chorus of the song, he replies, “LIVE, the name of the band is LIVE. Remember it.” That next morning when I wake up, the very first thought that pops into my head is the words of that familiar looking young man. I get dressed, borrow my dad’s Taurus and drive to Walmart, hoping that they have it. They do; one copy…a cassette tape. I quickly buy it, race back out to the car and pop it in the player. …and the rest is history.

This is a true story. No “creative liberties” were taken in the retelling. The rational, scientific part of my brain knows that I must have heard the name of the band and some point and just forgotten it; that it was buried in my subconscious until I needed it most.
But the part of my that believes in things fantastic and beyond rational explanation thinks something quite different…

So that’s story of how I came to know and love this band so dearly. In short, PLOTR sealed the deal for me…forever.

[Leigh]

Story time, boys and girls…

It’s 1992. I’m eating lunch with my friends in library; Operation Spirit is playing in the background (the librarian turned on MTV for us at lunch). Normal high school chit chat…blablabla, giggle, giggle. Who is this band? That voice is amazing… I turn and see Ed and the boys (and their oh-so-fashionable 90’s bowl cuts) running shirtless around a fire pit, climbing trees and hiking through tall grass. The video ends…I can’t see the credits to catch the name of the band. This same scenario happens several times. School ends for the summer and I gear up for my senior year of high school.

A couple of months later, I’m in a trendy clothing store in the mall, and PLOTR starts blaring over the speakers. Damn – it’s that same powerful, impassioned voice…that same funky bass, that driving drum rhythm. Wow – I love this song. I mean, I REALLY love this song. Goosebumps are popping out all over my body. WHAT THE HELL IS THE NAME OF THE BAND?? I station myself beneath the speaker and let the music flood my brain. The song ends; I wait patiently, hoping the DJ will announce the name of the band. Nothing. I drag my friend back over to the music store, and ask the sales person if he knows who sings the song about, “pain lies on the riverside, pain will never say goodbye.” He shakes his head. We head home, but the song stays in my head for the rest of the day.

That night, I dream…and in the dream I’m back in the music store and I ask a different sales person about the song and the band that sings it. This sales person looks oddly familiar…with an oh-so-fashionable 90’s bowl cut. This time, when I recite the chorus of the song, he replies, “LIVE, the name of the band is LIVE. Remember it.” That next morning when I wake up, the very first thought that pops into my head is the words of that familiar looking young man. I get dressed, borrow my dad’s Taurus and drive to Walmart, hoping that they have it. They do; one copy…a cassette tape. I quickly buy it, race back out to the car and pop it in the player. …and the rest is history.

This is a true story. No “creative liberties” were taken in the retelling. The rational, scientific part of my brain knows that I must have heard the name of the band and some point and just forgotten it; that it was buried in my subconscious until I needed it most.
But the part of my that believes in things fantastic and beyond rational explanation thinks something quite different…

So that’s story of how I came to know and love this band so dearly. In short, PLOTR sealed the deal for me…forever.

Cool!

[LiveOne]

Cool!

Yeah, I always thought so. Not to sound ridiculously cheesy, but I really feel like it was destiny…like somehow the band/the music was always meant to be a huge part of my life – and they are. I really don’t think that will ever change; even if (God forbid) they stopped making music today. Weird, huh?! Anyway, I’ve only ever told that full story to a couple of people – I’ve always felt weird about it…like they would think I had the makings of a freaky band stalker in me. But, this seemed like the right place to tell it. However, just to allay any fears that any of you might have about that – I’ve never actually “stalked” the guys, I’ve only ever sorted through their garbage and slept with it under my pillow. Just kidding. I’d love to meet them, but unlike some of you lucky people, I’ve never had the opportunity.

[seriakiLLa]

This is the song that started my journey with Live's music. It brings back a lot of memories when listening to it.

I bought MJ on cassette when it first came out without hearing any single from it, after reading a review from a local publication in Manila (the reviewer, whom I trust, was obviously excited about 'this new band').

The rest is history folks, I've bought every succeeding album they put out without hearing any single beforehand (except SFBM which leaked quite early).

So you see, I may not be too enthusiastic about some of the band's recent work, but I've been in this journey with Live for so long that I'm just not about ready to leave. But that's another story.

[aLIVEinNORWAY]

It's o.k...but LiveOne's story was great

[Elise]

Just like LiveOne this was the beginning of my love affair with LIVE. I Was in my room in my apartment in college, MTV was blaring in the other room. Pain Lies on the Riverside was on and instantly the sound resonated with me in a way that has never happened since. I ran in and watched anxiously for the name of the band. The next day I went out and bought the CD. At the time my CD player was connected to the light switch in my room so everytime I came into my room my CD player and light turned on simultaneously and heard PLOTR. This was the beginning of my lifelong love affair with LIVE. Even though SFBM does not move me the way MJ does, I still love crappy LIVE better than anything else.

[sandkind]

Ahhh, my favorite from MJ...love the bass line...pat rules! wondering, was this the start of ed's love affair with water

[SurvivorGuy99]

Hmm. I'm mixed on this sometimes.

I find Mental Jewelry has the weakest singles out of any of Live's albums. I always seem to mix up PLotR and Operation Spirit. I think both are good, but they have many better songs that WERENT singles.

With that being said, I have been warming up more to PLotR, and Mental Jewelry a lot lately. It's becoming a catchy song for me, and Im liking it more and more lately.

[edstipe]

PLOTR is everything that is great about the band at its best: deep, meaningful lyrics, kick-ass guitars (especially Pat's bass!), and straight-out, in-your-face passion for the music.

I love the idea of a baptism for the soul; one of the many reasons I love Mental Jewelry so much is the thoughtfulness and deepness that embodies almost every song on the disc. It's the album that guided me through the most intellectually/spiritually searching period of my life. Hell, just thinking about the concept of "mental jewelry" itself used to keep me awake at night.


By the way, AWESOME story, LiveONe!!

[LiveOne]

By the way, AWESOME story, LiveONe!!

Thanks! I enjoyed having the opportunity to tell it.

I hope someone steps up and assumes the role of “song of the day” administrator. You’ve done a maaa-velous job, edstipe!! I’m totally jealous of the summer-off bit, BTW!! If PLOTR ends up being the last one for the summer, you picked a goodie!

[Elise]

Hmm. I'm mixed on this sometimes.

I find Mental Jewelry has the weakest singles out of any of Live's albums. I always seem to mix up PLotR and Operation Spirit. I think both are good, but they have many better songs that WERENT singles.

With that being said, I have been warming up more to PLotR, and Mental Jewelry a lot lately. It's becoming a catchy song for me, and Im liking it more and more lately.

Listen to Good Pain, if that doesn't get you to like MJ nothing will