The Eddie Vedder lyric that floored Bruce Springsteen: “So beautiful”
Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder are like-minded individuals who see the world through the same lens. Whether this is their approach to songwriting or their shared outlook on politics, the Pearl Jam frontman and ‘The Boss’ are kindred spirits who have become close associates over a series of decades.
Although both artists became prominent in different eras, this allowed Springsteen to take on an older brother role in their relationship as it blossomed.
The two bridge the generational divide with their love of music, including their appreciation of one another’s songwriting. Notably, the pair have performed together numerous times, with their friendship beginning during the ‘Vote For Change’ tour in 2004.
The run of shows was a fundraising effort for the Democratic Party ahead of the 2004 election and targeted swing states, which were critical in deciding who would sit in the White House.
While the election result didn’t go the way Vedder and Springsteen would have liked, it led to them becoming friends. At one date in Washington, Vedder, who had yet to know Springsteen on a deeply personal level, called upon him for advice worth its weight in gold about performing as a solo artist. Vedder recalled on the Daddy Issues podcast, “He gave this one gem of advice that just changed everything – because I was saying I was making mistakes in those first few mini-gigs. He said, ‘There’s real power when there’s just one person up there. It’s terrifying, for the audience even. It’s a tight-wire act. There’s just something, an intimacy in it, and there’s a power in it.'”
How Bruce Springsteen became a mentor to Eddie Vedder
Over 20 years later, Vedder was the first major musician to publicly support Springsteen after Donald Trump threatened him after he criticised the politician’s administration. Like most artists, Vedder could have chosen to stay silent, but he couldn’t stand by and watch his friend get attacked without standing up to fight his corner.
Instead, he powerfully said, “All that we heard were personal attacks and threats that nobody else should try to use their microphones or voice in public, or they’ll be shut down.”
While Vedder risked offending audience members with this statement, he had to follow his heart and do what he felt was right. After all, since taking Springsteen’s words on board, Vedder has carved out a successful solo career and has released four albums. To promote his 2022 album, Earthling, he sat down with his mentor for an illuminating conversation. It also allowed Springsteen to compliment Vedder about his favourite lyric from the record.
While discussing the opening track ‘Invincible’, Springsteen said: “Fabulous, it starts the album. Incredible album opener and has the great couplet, ‘We’re invincible when we love’. Those are the lines, as simple as that seems, that you pay money for. It’s so beautiful at the start of the record.”
In response to Springsteen’s kind words, Vedder revealed that ‘Invincible’ was the “first piece of music and last set of lyrics” for the album. He elaborated: “We almost forgot about it, it was an instrumental that had been forgotten about. There were about three songs in the batch that we wanted to fix and finish, and then we were like, ‘Remember this one?’ Then I heard it and said, ‘I think that’s the one’. So I went back and started crafting it at night, and then I sang ‘Invisible’, but Andrew said we need something else in-between, and I just sang those three words.”
While songwriters can often spend days, weeks and months mining for the perfect line, a moment of inspiration can occasionally strike out of nowhere, such as on ‘Invincible’. In this instance, it was not only a spine-tingling lyric; it also delivered the pièce de résistance for Earthling and wrapped up the project perfectly. It may only be three simple words, but it touched Springsteen’s soul, which is the ultimate compliment that every songwriter craves.
