There's a light, when my baby's in my arms.
There's a light, when the window shades are drawn.
Hesitate when I feel I may do harm to her.
Wash it off cause this feeling we can share.
And I know she's reached my heart in thin air.

Byzantine is reflected in our pond.
There's a cloud, but the water remains calm.
Reaching in the suns fingers clutch the dawn to pass.
Even out, it's a precious thing to bear.
And I know she's reached my heart in thin air.
Yes I know she's reached my heart in thin air.

It's not in my past to presume.
Love can keep on moving in both directions.
How to be happy and true is quest we're taking on together.

Take it on, on, on, on, on.
Take it on, on, on, on, on.

There's a light when my baby's in my arms.
And I know she's reached my heart in thin air.
And I know she's reached my heart in thin air.
And I know she's reached my heart in thin air.
Yes I know she's reached my heart.



Lyrics submitted by Trent

Track duration: 03:33


Thin Air song meanings
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22 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Song was written sometime in 1999, right? By Stone?
    Ed said it in an interview it was about Stone experiencing love?
    "Young Love" b/c Ed himself was at that time in a 17 yr relationship so he said that he couldn't have written it. Had that perspective.

    "She's reached my heart in thin air"

    A gal has touched Stone's heart but is gone (not a part of his life). She's disappeared.

    I'd consider it a hopefully love song about lost love.
    They guy is hopeful she will return.
    He's optimistic.

    I wonder whom Stone was involved with in the late 90s?
    She probably is the inspiration.
    Flag YESWAYon September 15, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:@glorifiedg79 "wash it off.." I believe, means forget about the fear of hurting the fragile newborn in your arms. Ever seen a baby get handed to a guy and he gets this panic-stricken look? Haha it's cos we're afraid of breaking or hurting such a delicate, beautiful little creation.
    Flag Spotinthecloudson September 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Their most romantic song ever. I've heard many of their songs, (not self-titled yet) and this song takes the cake. Stone writes most of my favorite songs, and here he does lyrics too!

    Such a beautiful song. On several of my bootlegs for the 2000 tour Ed states that "This is a song about young love". Basically that is what is is. STRANGELIFE wrote the perfect description from Stone himself.
    Flag yj49on April 23, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This is a love song unlike any I have ever heard in my life.
    I still don't understand what is it that makes it different from all the others.
    It makes me happy. I want to scream , to laugh, to cry, to jump.
    I don't know why but I feel that people who don't listen to PJ are in a way losing something that they didn't even know existed, by not hearing this song .
    People who listen to their music are rewarded by knowing this beautiful song. It's like a hidden treasure.
    Flag no code88on November 01, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Gossard: I think the stronger your connection with someone, the more chances you can really hurt them. I think that's the key to that. You put yourself into a situation where something really means something to you, and if you lose that situation, it can really be painful.

    Vedder: I appreciated the fact that it was a song about new love. I couldn't have written that song. Because my love is actually really very, very old. It's on a whole other spectrum.

    Sonicnet: Because you've known [wife] Beth [Liebling] since high school?

    Vedder: Seventeen years. So, to hear this one, and know that that stuff is true ... I responded to the apprehension that was in there. I thought it was beautiful.

    Vedder: I might ask them a little bit. My only question to Stone on "Thin Air" is, "Do you want to sing it?"
    Gossard: Every night? No.
    Vedder: Actually, when he said yes, I was pretty happy. I turned around and said, "Yeah! Great!"
    Gossard: You don't know what it's like to be in a band with a singer that's open to looking at somebody else's songs and saying there's value in that. That's what gives life to this band, and what will sustain it, the idea that if everybody just writes two to three good songs a year. And usually it's the ones you don't even think that anyone will respond to that everyone responds to.
    You come in with your A-list, and you think, "I got this one surefire." But, by the end of the day, everyone is like, "You know that one on the second side? That kinda weird one? That's the one we should do." That's great. That's such a great process — to be in a collaboration where people are pulling stuff, and responding to your music in a way that you don't expect.

    EV: Actually, that was one of my favorite ones during the beginning of the recording process, which made me want to write 2 or 3 ones that were better. Yeah! It's a good song.
    Flag STRANGELIFEon May 21, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I sing this song to my newborn daughter and she responds to it so well! My daughter was a month pre-mature so naturally she was very small. When I first was able to hold her, there was some fear that I may "do harm to her" because of her small weight. You quickly have to "wash that feeling off" because the feeling of love between parent and child is meant to share.
    Flag JAKETHEDOGon August 29, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:anyone knwo what he means by "Wash it off cause this feeling we can share" ?
    Flag glorifiedg79on July 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I was just noticing somthing. Going back to what Edley said, after reading that comment, I just listened to the song to think about what was written, and noticed, at the very beginning of the song, when there's that tambourine-thing being shaken (not a tambourine.. can't remember the name right now!), it kind of makes me think of a baby shaking a rattle or something, because it isn't really in time with the music. it seems a bit out of place, but looking back, i don't think it would be complete without it.
    Flag AllMyRivalson June 21, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To add to Edley's point:

    Knowing Pearl Jam's love of The Who, and Quadrophenia in particular, I can't ignore the melodic similarity between the line "Take it on, on, on, on, on" and The Punk and the Godfather, which is a debate between two different generations. It seems to me that the person he is singing to is from another generation, so quite possibly his daughter.
    Flag Regos the Saneon June 16, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:actually if you think about it its about having sex and thinking about its effects on a relationship...like will he do harm to her? or will their love for one another move in a different direction than it used to...although the first two lines make it seem like its after sex...anyways yeah...beautiful song
    Flag PJamfan90on May 17, 2006   Link

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