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 or None
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm starting to believe
That this hopeless situation
Is what I'm trying to achieve
But I try to run on
It's all or none
All or none
Here's the selfless confession
Leading me back to war
Can we help that our destinations
Are the ones we've been before?
I still try to run on
But it's all or none
All or none
To myself, I surrender
To the one I'll never please
But I still try to run on
No, I still try to run on
But it's all or none
All or none
The lyrics of Pearl Jam's "All or None" speak to a sense of hopelessness that the singer is experiencing, yet paradoxically it seems like they are striving for this outcome. They acknowledge that their current state of affairs is bleak and seemingly unchangeable, yet they continue to push forward regardless. The repeated phrase "all or none" hints at the idea that the singer is aware that there's no easy middle ground in their predicament - they must either go all in or give up entirely.
In the second verse, the singer refers to a "selfless confession" that is leading them back into a "war." This could be interpreted as a reference to their inner demons or perhaps a conflict with someone else in their life. Either way, they seem resigned to the idea that their destiny is preordained and that they are powerless to alter it. They express a sense of surrender to someone or something that they can never please, yet still try to push forward even though they know the result may be the same.
As a whole, "All or None" taps into themes of futility, determination, and acceptance. It's a beautifully crafted song, with sparse instrumentation and haunting vocals that emphasize the melancholic tone. Overall, it's a compelling meditation on the human condition and the struggle to rise above adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a hopeless situation
I am faced with a situation that seems impossible to overcome.
And I'm starting to believe
As time passes, I am beginning to accept that this situation is truly hopeless.
That this hopeless situation
I understand that the situation I am in has no solution or way out.
Is what I'm trying to achieve
Despite the hopelessness of the situation, I am trying to accomplish something within it.
But I try to run on
I try to keep moving forward and not give up.
It's all or none
My efforts to overcome this situation must be complete and all-encompassing, or they will fail completely.
Here's the selfless confession
I am confessing something about myself that does not benefit me personally, but rather is more focused on others.
Leading me back to war
This confession is leading me into conflict or struggle, perhaps with my own thoughts or with others.
Can we help that our destinations
Is it within our control to choose the paths our lives take?
Are the ones we've been before?
Do we always end up back where we started, no matter how hard we try to change our situation?
I still try to run on
Despite the challenges, I continue to persevere and move forward.
But it's all or none
My efforts must be complete and unwavering, or they will fail completely.
To myself, I surrender
I acknowledge that I cannot control everything and must surrender some degree of control to myself.
To the one I'll never please
I surrender to an unattainable standard or goal, one that I will never be able to fulfill.
But I still try to run on
Despite this surrender, I continue to push forward and try to achieve my goals.
No, I still try to run on
I make it clear that I will not give up, no matter how difficult the situation becomes.
But it's all or none
Once again, I reiterate that my efforts must be complete and all-consuming, or they will fail completely.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@abrahamesparza01
It's a hopeless... situation
And I'm starting to believe
That this hopeless... situation
Is what I'm trying to achieve
But I try
To run on
It's
All or none,... all or none
Here's the selfless confession
Leading me back to war
Can we help that,.. our destinations
Are the ones we've been before
I still try
To run on
But it's
All or none,... all or none
To myself I... surrender
To the one I'll never please
But I still try,.. to run on
You know I still try,.. to run on
But it's
All or none,... all or none.
@MjkL1337
Ellie's got a good taste in music
@Iriebaker1
Only here to hear 👂
@Tintineo_pulseras
OMG,i just search this song only because of Ellie (the last of us)
@glezisbauk4732
@@darknightsoup just enjoy the show, I hated her too but she's actually good if you're not petty about it
@michaelponce500
I'm Here cuz of her too
@crackudo3006
Who's Ellie?
@bobbydigital9371
Glad this song may get more recognition now.
@user-vr5zk9ox8d
LoU
@BrianCarnevaleB26
I rem hearing in
a decade ago . Completely forgotten. But what a composition.
So Neil Young in this song. It’s the only person I can find as a noticeable influence.
Peal Jan. Often forgotten now.
@BrianCarnevaleB26
Fantastic music. And real life stuff as some still try to find themselves. I have been there and came through the other side intact.