Pearl Jam

thumb thumb|Pearl Jam at Madison Square Garden in 2010 Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. One of the key bands in the grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam has outsold and outlasted many of its contemporaries and is considered one of the most influential bands from that decade, dubbed "the most popular American rock and roll band of the '90s". The band has consisted of guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready, bassist Jeff Ament, and vocalist and guitarist Eddie Vedder since its formation. The band had a revolving cast of drummers throughout their early days, including Dave Krusen, Matt Chamberlain, Dave Abbruzzese, and Jack Irons. The band's longest-tenured drummer was Matt Cameron, who joined the band in 1998 and departed in 2025. Keyboardist Boom Gaspar has also featured with the band as a session and touring musician since 2002. Formed after the demise of Gossard and Ament's previous bands, Green River and Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam broke into the mainstream with their debut album Ten (1991). Ten stayed on the US Billboard 200 chart for nearly five years, and has gone on to become one of the highest-selling rock albums ever, being certified 13× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Released in 1993, Pearl Jam's second album, Vs., sold over 950,000 copies in its first week of release, setting the record for most copies of an album sold in its first week of release at the time. Their third album, Vitalogy (1994), became the second-fastest-selling CD in history at the time, with more than 877,000 units sold in its first week. Pearl Jam had sold more than 100million albums worldwide by 2018, including nearly 32million albums in the United States by 2012, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. Pearl Jam was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 in its first year of eligibility. They were ranked eighth in a readers' poll by Rolling Stone magazine in its "Top Ten Live Acts of All Time" issue. Throughout its career, the band has promoted wider social and political issues, such as abortion rights sentiments and opposition to George W. Bush's presidency, with Vedder acting as its spokesman on these issues. Song lyrics All lyrics are written by Eddie Vedder, except where noted. Ten (1991) Once upon a time I could control myself,Ooh, once upon a time I could lose myself, yeah. "Once" Freezin',Rests his head on a pillow made of concrete, again.Oh, feelin',Maybe he'll see a little better set of days, ooh, yeah.Oh, hand out,Faces that he sees time again ain't that familiar, ooh, yeah.Oh, dark grin,He can't help, when he's happy he looks insane, hm, yeah.<p>Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies.Oh, he don't know, so he chases them away (Ooh)Oh, someday yet, he'll begin his life againLife again, life again. "Even Flow" "Is something wrong?" she said, well of course there is."You're still alive," she said, oh, and do I deserve to be?Is that the question?And if so, if so who answers? Who answers?<p>I, oh, I'm still alive.Hey, I, hey, I'm still alive. "Alive" Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clayHer lace spread out before me, as her body once did.All five horizons revolved around her soul, as the Earth to the Sun.Now the air I tasted and breathed has taken a turn.<p>Ooh-oh, and all I taught her was everything.Mmm, oh, I know she gave me all that she wore.<p>And now my bitter hands chafe beneath the cloudsOf what was everythingAll the pictures have all been washed in black,Tattooed everything. "Black" At home, drawin' pictures of mountain topsWith him on top, lemon yellow sunArms raised in a "V"And the dead lay in pools of maroon below.<p>Daddy didn't give attentionOh, to the fact that Mommy didn't careKing Jeremy the wickedOh, ruled his world.<p>Jeremy spoke in class today.Jeremy spoke in class today. "Jeremy" You don't have to strayThough oceans away, waves roll in my thoughts.Hold tight the ring,The sea will rise, please stand by the shore. "Oceans" Vs. (1993) Once fastened, servile, now you're gettin' sharp,Movin' oh-so swiftly with such disarm.I pulled the covers over him, shoulda pulled the alarm,Turned to my nemesis, a fool, not a fucking god. "Go" Torture from you to me, yeah,Abducted from the street, and, uh<p>I'd rather be, I'd rather be with,I'd rather be with an animal, oohh. "Animal" Alone, listless,Breakfast table in an otherwise empty room.Young girl, violence,Center of her own attention, theMother reads aloud, child tries to understand it,Tries to make her proud.The shades go down, it's in her head,Painted room, can't deny there's something wrong.<p>Don't call me daughter, not fit to,The picture kept will remind me.Don't call me daughter, not fit to,The picture kept will remind me.Don't call me<p>She holds the hand that holds her down.She will rise above! "Daughter" Got a gun, fact I got two.That's okay, man, 'cause I love God.Glorified version of a pellet gun;Feel so manly when armed. "Glorified G" When she couldn't hold, oh, she folded.A dissident is here.Escape is never the safest path, oh,A dissident's-, a dissident is here. "Dissident" I took a drive today, time to emancipate.I guess it was the beatings made me wise,But I'm not about to give thanks or apologize.<p>I couldn't breathe, holdin' me down,Hand on my face, pushed to the ground.Enmity gauged, united by fear,Forced to endure what I could not forgive.<p>I seem to look away, the wounds in the mirror wavedIt wasn't my surface most defiled. "Rearviewmirror" I seem to recognize your face,Haunting, familiar, yet I can't seem to place it.Cannot find the candle of thought to light your nameLifetimes are catchin' up with me<p>All these changes takin' place,I wish I'd seen the place,But no one's ever taken me.<p>Hearts and thoughts, they fade, fade away.Hearts and thoughts, they fade, fade away. "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" I swear I recognize your breathMemories, like fingerprints, are slowly raisin'Me, you wouldn't recall, for I'm not my formerIt's hard when you're stuck upon the shelf.<p>I changed by not changin' at all.Small town predicts my fatePerhaps that's what no one wants to see<p>I just wanna scream, "Hello!My God, it's been so long! Never dreamed you'd returnBut now here you are, and here I am."Hearts and thoughts, they fade away. "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" Vitalogy (1994) Restless soul, enjoy your youth,Like Muhammad hits the truth.Can't escape from the common rule,If you hate something, don't you do it too (Too). "Not for You" Little secrets, tremors,Turned to quake.The smallest oceans still getBig, big waves, yeah. "Tremor Christ" Once divided, nothing left to subtract,Some words when spoken can't be taken back.Walks on his own with thoughts he can't help thinkin',Future's above, but in the past he's slow and sinkin'.<p>Caught a bolt of lightning,Cursed the day he let it go.<p>Nothingman, nothingman.Isn't it something? Nothingman. "Nothingman" The waiting drove me mad.You're finally here, and I'm a mess.I take your entrance back;Can't let you roam inside my head.<p>I don't wanna take what you can give.I would rather starve than eat your bread.I would rather run, but I can't walk.Guess I'll lie alone just like before. "Corduroy" Waitin', watchin' the clock,It's four o'clock, it's got to stop.Tell him, take no more, she practices her speech.As he opens the door, she rolls over,Pretends to sleep as he looks her over.<p>She lies and says she's in love with him.Can't find a better man.She dreams in color, she dreams in red.Can't find a better man.Can't find a better man, can't find a better man. "Better Man" Vacate is the wordVengeance has no place so near to her.Cannot find the comfort in this worldArtificial tearVessel stabbed, next up, volunteers?Vulnerable, wisdom can't adhere.<p>A truant finds home,And a wish to hold on,But there's a trapdoor in the sun. "Immortality" External links https://pearljam.com/ Category:American bands Category:Alternative rock bands Category:Grunge Category:Grammy Award winners