| ←Lightning Bolt | Infallible | Pendulum→ |
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Infallible is the sixth song from Pearl Jam's tenth album, Lightning Bolt.
Analysys[]
InfallibleInfallible marks not only physically but also musicaly the middle of the album. After the first two strong rock songs, the big love song from the album and the one that marks its name, Infallible divides the album between the strongest and the calmer existential songs, specifically doing a critic on something that has always been present on humanity: egocentrism.
The protagonist of the song ironically advises those people who only cares for themselves to keep doing what they are still doing, like locking their doors and forgetting disasters of the outside world just because it didn't happened with them. It is concluded that "the ship", probably our society, since everybody is together on the same life, is sinking by the lack of collectiveness. All the things that are possible within human capacity, especially and ironically the biggest ones, slip through our hands just like grains of sand, and the main reason for that is because the human being consider himself/herself infallible, flawless. And by having this mentallity, humanity test fate, so it would be better if things could be changed on the present, that is already the end.
Describing how flawless humanity is, the protagonist affirms that we keep wanting a third second chance, meaning that we keep trying to fix what is wrong, but instead of getting things better, we keep destroying it. Also, it is criticized the ignorance with the other, paying no more than a glance to the other's situation. Stating that all good things comes to an end, once again ironically the protagonist criticizes the "view from the fence", meaning that we keep separating ourselves from the others. This is clearly a sign of the new era Pearl Jam carries, an opposite behavior from Vitalogy era, that never forgot collectiveness, but has built "walls" towards the band.
Affirming that progress could be plausible, meaning that what is called "progress" could really keep things going forward, by thinking we are infallible we just turn progress into a curse that keep us from socially and philosophically evoluting. Ending the song, seems like things aren't going to change, so the protagonist ironically advises, and after the song becomes a warning, to keep locking the doors, being isolated, just as before.
Music & Lyrics[]
Keep on locking your doors
Keep on building your floors
Keep on just as before
Pay disasters no mind
Didn't get you this time
No prints left at the crime
Our ships come in
And its sinking
Of everything that's possible
In the hearts and minds of men
Somehow it is the biggest things
That keep on slipping
Right through our hands
By thinking we're infallible
We are tempting fate instead
Time we best begin
Here at the ending
Wanna third second chance
Put your faith in big hands
Pay no more than a glance
All good things come to an end
This could be good as it gets
How's the view from the fence?
You think we been here before
You are mistaken
Of everything that's possible
In the hearts and minds of men
When progress could be plausible
In reverse we curse ourselves
By thinking we're infallible
We are tempting fate instead
Time we best begin
Here at the ending
Of everything that's possible
In the hearts and minds of men
Somehow it is the biggest things
That keep on slipping
Right through our hands
By thinking we're infallible
We are tempting fate instead
Time we best begin
Here at the ending
Keep on locking your doors
Keep on building your floors
Keep on just as before