The song Eddie Vedder stole from The Who: “I should probably send him some dough”
Not long after Nirvana helped to spearhead the Seattle grunge scene with their debut album Bleach in 1989, Pearl Jam burst on the scene with Ten. The 1991 record quickly became a best-seller, helping the band to establish themselves as one of the most iconic acts of the decade. They were icons of grunge, and lead singer Eddie Vedder was known for his deep, baritone voice and signature long hair.
Pearl Jam continued to find success decades after the initial grunge scene died out, still welcoming thousands of fans to their live shows. Since 1991, they have released 12 studio albums, earning their status as alternative rock legends.
Vedder and the band have also inspired countless groups that followed, including The White Stripes, Sleater-Kinney, and The Killers. However, their own success is rooted in the influence of a diverse array of artists, such as Led Zeppelin, Kiss, and The Who.
It’s the latter band that Vedder has often heaped praise on throughout the years. The Who was a vital part of the so-called ‘British invasion’ during the 1960s, emerging on the scene with ‘I Can’t Explain’, although they had already released a single, ‘Zoot Suit’/’I’m the Face’, as The High Numbers beforehand. The band quickly became popular due to their relatable lyricism and catchy riffs. ‘My Generation’ came in 1965, which spoke of the dissatisfaction felt by many young people at the time, paving the way for grunge in a way.
Writing an article for Rolling Stone, Vedder claimed: “They asked, ‘What were the limits of rock & roll? Could the power of music actually change the way you feel?’ Pete Townshend demanded that there be spiritual value in music. They were an incredible band whose main songwriter happened to be on a quest for reason and harmony in his life. He shared that journey with the listener, becoming an inspiration for others to seek out their own path.”
He also boldly added: “Presumptuously, I speak for all Who fans when I say being a fan of the Who has incalculably enriched my life. What disturbs me about the Who is the way they smashed through every door of rock & roll, leaving rubble and not much else for the rest of us to lay claim to,” while also labelling them “quite possibly […] the greatest live band ever”.
Thus, it is unsurprising that Vedder has looked to the band as a significant source of inspiration and, in the process, plagiarised them. Vedder was a big fan of the band as a teenager, which is when he first heard their song ‘Blue Red and Grey’, featuring the ukulele. “Yeah, hearing that song when I was maybe 13 legitimised the instrument, it was just a beautiful piece of music,” he told Rolling Stone on another occasion.
Thus, when Vedder was writing some music for Pearl Jam’s 2000 album Binaural, he took inspiration from The Who’s song when creating ‘Soon Forget’.
He said: “The open chords are unabashedly ‘Blue Red and Grey.’ After that, I felt like I almost had to make a whole ’nother batch of songs to make up for the fact that that one was 30 seconds of plagiarising. I thanked Pete [Townshend] profusely, but I should probably send him some dough, or a nice ukulele. I think I owe it to him at this point”.
