The classic Pearl Jam song Eddie Vedder never revisited
Grunge music is still a popular style of music today, as many people listen to it frequently and relish attending Pearl Jam shows. However, there was a period in the 1990s when it was more than just popular; it was one of the most talked-about genres in the world. Eddie Vedder and Co were at the forefront of this movement, but what made their music so special to so many?
There are various reasons for this. The community that was inspired by the grunge movement in Seattle still persists. Equally, Pearl Jam remains one of the tightest-sounding live bands on the planet. However, the aspect of the movement that seemed to appeal to people the most was grunge’s innate ability to straddle a fine line between joy and melancholy.
The contrast between the uplifting nature of distortion and major chords, paired with strong lyricism, made for an incredibly exciting combination. However, add to that the fact that songs can switch from that feeling to something downbeat and sad at the drop of a hat, and you have a style of music that is engaging for everyone.
Pearl Jam championed this sound. The band’s style of music, paired with Eddie Vedder’s dynamic vocals, brought into the spotlight every aspect of grunge that made the movement so appealing. Pair this with the fact that he usually wrote about deep and profound subjects, and it’s hardly surprising that Pearl Jam has gained the reputation they have.
For instance, take the song ‘Getaway’, which saw Eddie Vedder stop everything to question the meaning of life. “I’m always trying to unravel the same mysteries when I write, the same mysteries I’ve been trying to unravel for a few decades now,” he said, “It could be questioning our existence – what is the purpose of life? What’s going to be left of our future?”
It is worth noting, though, that while many of Pearl Jam’s songs verged on the profound, a few fell through the cracks and resonated as nothing more than utter chaos. A prime example of this was the song ‘Yellow Ledbetter’. The lyrics provided by Vedder are said in such a chaotic way that they can’t be understood; as such, the meaning of the song has been debated by fans for years.
Vedder confirmed that he had a meaning in mind when he wrote the song. He says it was supposed to be a story about a kid dressed in grunge clothing who finds out that his brother passed away in the Gulf War. He goes for a walk and tries to relate to some patriotic older people, but they dismiss his sorrow as they cannot see past his grungey look.
While this was the original meaning that Vedder was thinking about, he has confirmed since that because of the difficult-to-understand lyrics, he changes the meaning every night depending on how he’s feeling. Some popular theories about the story behind the song include a homage to a tongue twister and an honorary song dedicated to blues singer Leadbelly.
When asked whether he had ever considered re-recording the song with better lyrics, Vedder confirmed that he had no interest in revisiting it. “That would assume I ever listened back,” he said, “I didn’t. Have I listened back to every other song since? Maybe.”
