“Given to Fly” by Pearl Jam

Yield
Epic Records
1998

Jesus’ resurrection is the central theme of God’s kingdom. The original creation chose selfishness over God and tainted the perfect design. Since then God worked through the nation of Israel to prepare for Messiah, a decisive moment in history where the fullness of God manifest in Jesus broke into the world, defeated the power of death, and established the kingdom. This song is a description of Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and vindication.

He could have tuned in

Tuned in, but he tuned out

A bad time nothing could save him

Alone in a corridor, waiting, locked out

He got up outta there ran for

Hundreds of miles

He made it to the ocean

Had a smoke in a tree

The wind rose up set him

Down on his knee

A wave came crashing like a fist to the jaw

Deliver him wings, “Hey look at me now!”

Arms wide open with the sea as his floor

Power. He's flying whole. High, wide

He floated back down

Cause he wanted to share

This key to the locks, on the chains

He saw everywhere

But first he was stripped

And then he was stabbed by faceless men

Well fuckers, he still stands

And he still gets his love

He just gives it away

The love he receives is the

Love that is saved

And sometimes is seen

A strange spot in the sky

A human being that was given to fly

I'm flying, oh. High flying, oh

He's flying, oh. High, oh, oh

Interpretation

He could have tuned in

Tuned in, but he tuned out

A bad time nothing could save him

As Jesus hung on the cross, onlookers challenged him to save himself. ‘Call angels to save you,’ they taunted. Though Jesus could have responded to the jeers of the mob (he could have “tuned in”), he knew the path he had to travel led through execution and he accepted it—“he tuned out”. He’d made his decision to drink this cup and would not allow himself to be saved.

Alone in a corridor, waiting, locked out

He got up outta there ran for

Hundreds of miles

He made it to the ocean

Had a smoke in a tree

The wind rose up set him

Down on his knee

This stanza pictures Jesus dying. Being “alone in a corridor” refers to his anguish on the cross, which causes him to cry out to God, ‘why have you forsaken me?’ Though the physical pain is great, it is the feeling of separation from God that truly hurts Jesus. As his body fails, Jesus’ soul gets “up outta there”; it leaves his body and runs for “hundreds of miles”. Jesus travels to Hades (“the ocean” is a Jewish image of death) and rests for a little while by having “a smoke in a tree”. The tree may be a reference to the tree of life another prominent Jewish image. The “wind” that rises up is God’s hand summoning Jesus back to life. Like all the souls of the departed, Jesus’ soul rattled around in Hades for a time but now it’s time for vindication.

A wave came crashing like a fist to the jaw

Deliver him wings, “Hey look at me now!”

Arms wide open with the sea as his floor

Power. He's flying whole. High, wide

It’s time for the resurrection. A powerful force (a crashing wave) rolled the stone from the tomb and, with “wings” like an angel, Jesus is presented to the world that executed him by saying, “Hey look at me now!” This action occurs forcefully like a violent punch showing God defeating the forces of death. Jesus stands victoriously above death with his “arms wide open” and with “the sea as his floor”. In “power” Jesus is “flying whole, high, and wide”, a description of perfection and glory.

He floated back down

Cause he wanted to share

This key to the locks, on the chains

He saw everywhere

Those who saw him tortured, killed, and entombed can hardly believe what they see. Jesus appears to his followers after his resurrection by floating back down; he returns to earth. His bodily restoration vindicates his message of total redemption of the physical realm. Jesus is the first example of God’s plan for our world—complete restoration. Jesus returns for a time to his followers to ensure they understood what happened. The whole world is imprisoned by chains and locks but the way of God’s kingdom is the key that will unlock those prisons.

But first he was stripped

And then he was stabbed by faceless men

Well fuckers, he still stands

This is a step back to the crucifixion. It depicts the violence done to Jesus by the Romans. They are “faceless” because they are soldiers paid to be cruel rather than individuals who vindictively attacked Jesus. Though they killed him, Jesus rose from the dead; he defeated death; “he still stands”. The flashback to this scene implies that followers of Jesus may face a similar fate but they too will be vindicated just like Jesus.

And he still gets his love

He just gives it away

The love he receives is the

Love that is saved

Disciples of Jesus are in relationship with him and in this way “he still gets his love”. Jesus is now physically with God reciprocating our love (“he just gives it away”) by speaking on our behalf. The “love” Jesus “receives” is our devotion as we follow him. As we participate in the continuing work of redemption that Jesus began, we are “saved” by entering the Kingdom. This happens not just in the future but now as well.

And sometimes is seen

A strange spot in the sky

A human being that was given to fly

I'm flying, oh. High flying, oh

He's flying, oh. High, oh, oh

People who come to know Christ today sometimes see “a strange spot in the sky” or, in other words, we become aware of God and desire to be in relationship. That “human being that was given to fly” is a description of the resurrected Jesus and a promise of our own destiny. We aren’t told what exactly we will be like when we are resurrected. Here, Pearl Jam envisions that reality in a familiar way by comparing it to angels.