Formed after the demise of Gossard and Ament's previous band, Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam broke into the mainstream with their debut album, Ten, in 1991. Ten stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for nearly five years, and has gone on to become one of the highest-selling rock records ever, going 13× platinum in the United States. 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.
One of the key bands in the grunge movement of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam's members often shunned popular music industry practices such as making music videos or participating in interviews. The band also sued Ticketmaster, claiming it had monopolized the concert-ticket market. In 2006, Rolling Stone described the band as having "spent much of the past decade deliberately tearing apart their own fame."
Pearl Jam had sold more than 85 million albums worldwide by 2018, including nearly 32 million 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 also promoted wider social and political issues, from pro-abortion rights sentiments to opposition to George W. Bush's presidency. Vedder acts as the band's spokesman on these issues.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Jam
Studio albums
Ten (1991)
Vs. (1993)
Vitalogy (1994)
No Code (1996)
Yield (1998)
Binaural (2000)
Riot Act (2002)
Pearl Jam (2006)
Backspacer (2009)
Lightning Bolt (2013)
Gigaton (2020)
All Along The Watchtower
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion
I can't get no relief
Businessmen they drink my wine
Plow men dig my earth
None will level on the line
Nobody of it is worth
No reason to get excited
The thief he kindly spoke
There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a fucking joke but, uh
But you and I we've been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now
The hour's getting late
Hey
Hey
All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
Bare-foot servants to, but, Uh
Outside in the cold distance
A wild cat did growl
Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl
Hey
Oh
All along the watchtower
Hear you sing around the watch
Gotta beware gotta beware I will
Yeah
Ooh baby
All along the watchtower
The lyrics to Pearl Jam's cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" depict a conversation between a joker and a thief. The joker expresses his desperation, asking for a way out of his current situation, overwhelmed by the confusion around him that deprives him of any relief. He complains about businessmen drinking his wine and plowmen digging his earth, possibly making a reference to feeling exploited by people in power. The refrain that follows echoes, "Hey Hey," adding a sense of urgency and frustration in the joker's tone.
The thief then responds to the joker's despair with empathy, acknowledging that there are many who feel that life is a joke, but they have both been through that phase and have moved on from it. He urges the joker not to be false in their words and actions, highlighting that they must face the reality of their situation as the hour is getting late.
The song then transitions into a description of a watchtower where princes keep a view, while women come and go as barefoot servants. Further, in the cold distance, a wild cat's growl is heard, and two riders are approaching, as the wind starts howling. The mention of the watchtower, which is well-guarded, indicates a possibility of danger in the surroundings, but it could also symbolize one's ability to keep watch and be aware of their surroundings.
Line by Line Meaning
There must be some kind of way out of here
The singer is expressing a desire to escape from their current situation.
Said the joker to the thief
The singer is addressing another person, using metaphorical language to refer to themselves and the other person.
There's too much confusion
The singer feels overwhelmed by the complexity of their situation.
I can't get no relief
The artist is unable to find any respite from their problems.
Businessmen they drink my wine
The artist is experiencing a sense of frustration at people who take advantage of them.
Plow men dig my earth
The singer feels as though they are being exploited by others.
None will level on the line
The singer feels as though they are alone in their struggle and that others are not willing to help them.
Nobody of it is worth
The artist feels as though their efforts to improve their situation are futile.
No reason to get excited
The artist is advising against becoming overly optimistic about the future.
The thief he kindly spoke
The artist is using metaphorical language to address themselves.
There are many here among us
The singer is acknowledging that many people share their struggle.
Who feel that life is but a fucking joke but, uh
The artist is aware that some people view life in a cynical or pessimistic way.
But you and I we've been through that
The singer is expressing solidarity with the person they are addressing.
And this is not our fate
The singer is expressing a belief that their fate can be changed.
So let us not talk falsely now
The singer is advising against being insincere or deceptive.
The hour's getting late
The artist is expressing a sense of urgency.
All along the watchtower
The artist is using a metaphorical image to represent their current situation.
Princes kept the view
The singer is expressing a sense of powerlessness and being controlled by others.
While all the women came and went
The singer is highlighting the transience of things and the impermanence of life.
Bare-foot servants to, but, Uh
The artist is expressing a sense of injustice and exploitation.
Outside in the cold distance
The artist is describing a sense of isolation and distance from others.
A wild cat did growl
The artist is using a metaphorical image to represent danger or threat.
Two riders were approaching
The singer is expressing a sense of anticipation or impending change.
And the wind began to howl
The artist is using a metaphorical image to represent a sense of chaos or upheaval.
Hear you sing around the watch
The singer is expressing a desire for connection or communication.
Gotta beware gotta beware I will
The singer is expressing a sense of caution and vigilance.
Yeah
The singer is expressing agreement or affirmation.
Ooh baby
The artist is expressing emotion, possibly a sense of longing or desire.
All along the watchtower
The artist is using a repeated refrain to create a sense of unity and continuity.
Contributed by Brooklyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Elke Pluntke
hell yeah ... love it so much ... great live stuff
Goodnessa Gracious
Hell Yeah!
Simon Jäger
Hell yeah, no paradise
Ayden edits
Disappointed