Man of the Hour
Pearl Jam Lyrics

Tidal waves don't beg forgiveness
Massive waves are a natural phenomenon and do not plead for absolution from anyone.

Crashed and on their way
The waves are forcefully making their way towards the shore, crashing upon it with great intensity.

Father he enjoyed collisions; others walked away
The singer's father took pleasure in confrontations, while others would try to avoid them.

A snowflake falls in may.
A rare event, something that is out of place, unexpected.

And the doors are open now as the bells are ringing out
The places that were once closed and reserving for someone are now open as the occasion demands it.

'Cause the man of the hour is taking his final bow
The person who is the center of attention or is to be acknowledged is leaving.

Goodbye for now.
Farewell for the present. The person may return at a later time.

Nature has its own religion; gospel from the land
The natural world has its own belief system and philosophy to guide it. The earth itself is the supreme authority.

Father ruled by long division, young men they pretend
The artist's father ruled the household using a strict, mathematical approach, while the young men in the family had to pretend to follow along.

Old men comprehend.
The older generation understands the rationale behind the father's ways of dividing things.

And the sky breaks at dawn; shedding light upon this town
As the sun rises, it illuminates the town and brings new clarity to the situation.

They'll all come 'round
Others will eventually come and acknowledge what was once ignored or unnoticed.

The old man paved
The father figure of the family paved the way for the singer in life, guiding them through challenges.

The broken seems along the way
There were obstacles, difficulties, and setbacks experienced during the journey.

The rusted signs, left just for me
The signs that were encountered were old and worn, but they were personally relevant to the singer.

He was guiding me, love, his own way
The artist's father was leading them through life with love and care, even if his approach was unconventional.

Now the man of the hour is taking his final bow
The central figure is leaving the stage, stepping away from the spotlight.

As the curtain comes down
As the event or period of time draws to a close, the curtain is being lowered to signal the end.

I feel that this is just goodbye for now
The singer is acknowledging the ending of the current situation, but holds hope for future meetings or interactions.