Stone Gossard provides guitar and backing vocals for Pearl Jam. He is also… Read Full Bio ↴Stone Gossard provides guitar and backing vocals for Pearl Jam. He is also a writer of lyrics and music for the band. Besides Pearl Jam he has a side project, Brad, with Shawn Smith. His solo music is very laid-back and influenced by funk music and Neil Young among others. So far he has released two solo albums, Bayleaf from 2001 and Moonlander in 2013.

Anchor
Stone Gossard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The hopeless immortal's beginning to fade
Wrestled down with anchors, impervious chains
The ocean's electric reduced to a buzz
The pills turn the popper, he probably would
The standoff mechanic of cognizance sighs
Mulls brooding through the alleyway, a harbinger's night
He pulled the remains, and teeth from the tree
When he sat down in Memphis, he bound it on a hill

How to take it all in stride, win your soul and mind the light
How to live around the storm, wind and pressures to befall

Here's a question you might need to ask
What's self destruction and how can we last?

Overall Meaning

In Stone Gossard's song Anchor, the lyrics explore the theme of self-destruction and the consequences of one's actions. The first line of the song is indicative of the subject's state of being, with the "hopeless immortal" slowly fading away. The use of antithesis in this line of a hopeless immortal adds depth to the character being depicted, showcasing their decline as something that is unnatural or unexpected. The character has become "wrestled down with anchors" and is now bound by "impervious chains", which represent the consequences of their actions.

The second verse of the song highlights the subject's struggle with addiction and the repetitive nature of their actions. "The pills turn the popper" indicates a habitual drug use that has become normalized for the subject. The third and fourth lines detail the subject's disconnection from the world around them, with the "ocean's electric reduced to a buzz". The subject has become indifferent to the beauty of life around them and is instead consumed by their addiction.

The chorus of the song serves as a call-to-action, asking listeners to consider how they can live life without falling into the same destructive patterns as the subject. The line "How to take it all in stride, win your soul and mind the light" suggests that the key to avoiding self-destruction is finding balance and purpose in life. The final question of the song, "What's self-destruction and how can we last?", invites listeners to reflect on the wider implications of the theme.

Line by Line Meaning

The hopeless immortal's beginning to fade
Someone who is believed to be immortal may start to lose that quality and become mortal.

Wrestled down with anchors, impervious chains
Feeling trapped by unyielding forces holding one down, unable to escape.

The ocean's electric reduced to a buzz
The once-powerful elements of nature become mundane and ordinary, almost unremarkable.

The pills turn the popper, he probably would
Drugs can lead someone down a destructive path, even if they are aware of the consequences.

The standoff mechanic of cognizance sighs
The state of consciousness that resists change or action is exasperated and hopeless.

Mulls brooding through the alleyway, a harbinger's night
Deeply reflecting on one's dark thoughts and emotions in a gloomy, foreboding setting.

He pulled the remains, and teeth from the tree
Taking what little remains after a destructive experience, leaving no trace of its former vitality.

When he sat down in Memphis, he bound it on a hill
When reflecting on the past, he accepted the consequences of his actions and put them behind him.

How to take it all in stride, win your soul and mind the light
Finding inner peace and strength in the face of life's challenges by focusing on positivity and clarity of mind.

How to live around the storm, wind and pressures to befall
Learning to navigate and survive through obstacles and hardships that may come in life.

Here's a question you might need to ask
Presenting a thought-provoking question that requires introspection and contemplation.

What's self destruction and how can we last?
Examining the concept of self-destructive behavior and its effects on our ability to persevere through life's trials.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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