Vedder is known for his powerful baritone vocals. He was ranked number 7 on a list of "Best Lead Singers of All Time", based on a readers' poll compiled by Rolling Stone.
In 2007, Vedder released his first solo album as a soundtrack for the film Into the Wild (2007). His second album, Ukulele Songs, and a live DVD titled Water on the Road were released in 2011. His third solo album Earthling was released in 2022.
In 2017, Vedder was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pearl Jam.
Early life
Vedder was born Edward Louis Severson III in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, on December 23, 1964, to Karen Lee Vedder and Edward Louis Severson, Jr. His parents divorced in 1965, when Vedder was an infant. His mother soon remarried, to a man named Peter Mueller. Vedder was raised believing that Mueller was his biological father, and he went by the name Edward Mueller for a time. Vedder's ancestry includes Norway (Severson) and Dutch, German and Danish (Vedder).
While living in Evanston, Vedder's family fostered seven younger children in a group home. In the mid-1970s, the family, including Vedder's three younger half-brothers, moved to San Diego County, California. It was at this point that Vedder, who had received a guitar from his mother on his twelfth birthday, began turning to music (as well as surfing) as a source of comfort. He particularly found solace in The Who's 1973 album, Quadrophenia. He said, "When I was around 15 or 16... I was all alone—except for music." His mother and Mueller divorced when Vedder was in his late teens. His mother and brothers moved back to the Chicago area, but Vedder remained with his stepfather in California so he would not have to change schools.
After the divorce, Vedder learned the truth about his parentage: Mueller was really his stepfather. Vedder had met his biological father briefly as a child, but had believed that Severson was merely an old friend of his parents. By the time Vedder learned the truth, Severson had died of multiple sclerosis. During his senior year at San Dieguito High School, Vedder moved out to live on his own in an apartment, supporting himself with a nightly job at a drug store in Encinitas. Because of the pressure of work and school, Vedder dropped out of high school. He joined the rest of his family in Chicago, and it was at this time that he changed his name to Vedder, his mother's maiden name.
In the early 1980s, while working as a waiter, Eddie earned his high school GED, and briefly attended a community college near Chicago. In 1984, Vedder returned to San Diego, with his girlfriend Beth Liebling and his friend Frank. He kept busy recording demo tapes at his home and working various jobs, including a position as a contracted security guard at the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla. Vedder had several stints in San Diego area bands, including Surf and Destroy and the Butts. One of those bands, called Indian Style, included future Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave drummer Brad Wilk. In 1988, Vedder became the vocalist for the San Diego progressive funk rock band Bad Radio. The music of the original incarnation of the band was influenced by Duran Duran; however, after Vedder joined Bad Radio, the band moved on to a more alternative rock sound influenced by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Musical style and influences
Critic Jim DeRogatis describes Vedder's vocals as a "Jim Morrison-like vocal growl". Greg Prato of AllMusic said, "With his hard-hitting and often confessional lyrical style and Jim Morrison-esque baritone, Vedder also became one of the most copied lead singers in all of rock." Vedder has inducted the Doors, Neil Young, the Ramones, and R.E.M. into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in his induction speeches he has cited them all as influences. Other influences that Vedder has cited include The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, U2, the Who, Pink Floyd, the Jackson 5, Frank Zappa, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Tom Waits, Huey Lewis, Bob Dylan, and the Pixies.
Vedder was heavily inspired by the early Jethro Tull sound, stating that: "I'm a big fan of Jethro Tull, and I listen to this record [Stand Up] every night before I go on stage!"
Vedder's lyrical topics range from personal ("Alive", from Ten; "Better Man", from Vitalogy) to social and political concerns ("Even Flow", from Ten; "World Wide Suicide", from Pearl Jam). His lyrics have often invoked the use of storytelling and have included themes of freedom, individualism, and sympathy for troubled individuals. Other recurring themes include the use of water metaphors, as well as the idea of leaving everything behind to start again (featured in such songs as "Rearviewmirror", from Vs.; "MFC", from Yield; "Evacuation", from Binaural; and "Gone", from Pearl Jam).
Although best known as a vocalist, Vedder also plays guitar on many Pearl Jam songs, beginning with the Vs. songs "Rearviewmirror" and "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town". When the band started, Gossard and McCready were clearly designated as rhythm and lead guitarists, respectively. The dynamic began to change when Vedder started to play more rhythm guitar during the Vitalogy era. McCready said in 2006, "Even though there are three guitars, I think there's maybe more room now. Stone will pull back and play a two-note line and Ed will do a power chord thing, and I fit into all that." Vedder's guitar playing helped the band's sound progress toward a more stripped-down style; the songs "Rearviewmirror" and "Corduroy" (from Vitalogy) feature Vedder's raw, punk-influenced guitar playing. As he had more influence on the band's sound, Vedder sought to make the band's musical output less catchy.
He said, "I felt that with more popularity, we were going to be crushed, our heads were going to pop like grapes." He has also contributed performances on the ukulele, harmonica, accordion, and electric sitar to various Pearl Jam recordings.
Sleeping By Myself
Eddie Vedder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down below I always kept it to myself
Now I believe in nothing
Not today as I move myself out of your sight
Oh, I'll be sleeping by myself tonight
I could never go to no one else
The hurt don't show but who knows, time will tell
And I can't see this turning out right
Oh, I'll be sleeping by myself tonight
Forever be sad and lonely
Forever never be the same
Oh, I close my eyes and wait for a sign
Am I just waiting in vain?
Oh, I'll be leaving love and disaster
Sometimes the two are just the same
I'm beginning to see
What's left of me is gonna have to be free to survive
I'll be sleeping by myself
I'll be sleeping by myself
I'll be sleeping by myself tonight
Eddie Vedder's song Sleeping By Myself is a poignant depiction of a heartbroken man who is left to suffer alone after a failed relationship. He begins the song by stating that he should have known there was someone else even though he had kept it a secret from himself. This paradoxical situation led to his disbelief in anything, leaving him alone and isolated. As he moves himself out of sight from his ex-lover, he laments that he'll be sleeping alone tonight, giving the song its title.
The singer then goes on to express his reluctance to confide in anyone else about his pain, fearing that no one else will understand the depth of the hurt he's feeling. Even though he's trying to hide his sorrow, he knows that time will eventually reveal it, leaving him feeling helpless and numb. The overall mood of the song is one of helplessness and despair, as the singer sits alone and waits for a sign that things will get better. Despite his efforts, the pain and loneliness he's feeling create a sense of hopelessness that is reflected throughout the song.
He concludes the song by emphasizing his unwillingness to give up on love despite his current circumstances. He acknowledges that love and disaster often come hand in hand, but he has begun to see that there's a chance for something better in the future. As he takes steps towards healing and survival, he vows to sleep alone tonight.
Overall, Eddie Vedder's Sleeping By Myself is a sobering depiction of the impact a failed relationship can have on someone who is left to pick up the pieces alone.
Line by Line Meaning
I should have know there was someone else
I regret not realizing that you had someone else
Down below I always kept it to myself
I kept my true feelings hidden
Now I believe in nothing
I no longer believe in love or trust
Not today as I move myself out of your sight
I am leaving you and moving on
Oh, I'll be sleeping by myself tonight
I will be alone and lonely tonight
I could never go to no one else
I could never love anyone else
The hurt don't show but who knows, time will tell
I may seem fine now, but time will reveal the true extent of my pain
I believe in nothing but the pain
All that remains is the emotional pain of heartbreak
And I can't see this turning out right
I cannot see any hope for a positive resolution
Oh, I'll be sleeping by myself tonight
I will be alone and lonely tonight
Forever be sad and lonely
I will feel sadness and loneliness for a long time
Forever never be the same
I will never be the same person again
Oh, I close my eyes and wait for a sign
I am searching desperately for any indication that there is hope for my future
Am I just waiting in vain?
I am questioning whether my hope and effort are meaningless
Oh, I'll be leaving love and disaster
I am leaving behind the tumultuous emotions of love and heartbreak
Sometimes the two are just the same
Love and disaster can be one and the same
I'm beginning to see
I am starting to understand
What's left of me is gonna have to be free to survive
In order to move on, I must let go of the past and be free
I'll be sleeping by myself
I will be alone and lonely
I'll be sleeping by myself
I will be alone and lonely
I'll be sleeping by myself tonight
I will be alone and lonely tonight
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE JEROME VEDDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@felipebatista1137
I should have know there was someone else
Down below I always kept it to myself
Now I believe in nothing
Not today, as I move myself out of your sight
I'll be sleeping by myself tonight
…
I could never go to no one else
The hurt don't show, but who knows, time will tell
I believe in nothing but the pain
That I can't see this turning out right
I'll be sleeping by myself tonight
…
Forever be sad and lonely
…
Oh, I close my eyes and wait for a sign
Am I just waiting in vain?
Oh, I believe in love and disaster
Sometimes the two are just the same
I'm beginning to see
What's left of me is gonna have to be free to survive
…
I'll be sleeping by myself
I'll be sleeping by myself
I'll be sleeping by myself tonight
@Gabriela-dl9ns
The melodies and his voice touch me in a way that I can't explain. It makes me want to go out there and fulfill my dreams. It gives me strength. It reaches the soul. Thank you so much, Eddie!
@jessyloiseau
Gabriela Lins I feel the same, Eddie is amazing
@cleberchagas
His voice just made from "your" heart and soul.. And the target's just "our" heart and soul!!!
@wendehoogendoorn9193
You managed to put it in words! Thank you so much for that!
@brunomikael1312
Brasileira né?
@eddievedder7178
Hello,how are you doing today?nice meeting you here
Really glad some people still feel this way
@mikeklier1975
Eddie Vedder is just amazing nobody else in the world sounds like him, he's got the most amazing voice I've ever heard
@emeeme8555
He is so sweet 😍
@crazeedogs
I couldn’t agree more. His voice just touches ones inner most parts and he sure is easy on the eyes.
@eddievedder7178
@@crazeedogs you really think .?thanks a lot.🤘❤️