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)
Angel
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like an angel, fly over your house
Like an angel, pass out wishes
Like an angel, I remove the arrow
Like an angel, I live alone
I'm not livin' what was promised
I am close but can't enjoy
Oh, I'm so tortured, 'cause I see all
Tortured, and all I cannot do
Tortured, all I should have done
Tortured, while I occupied a man
I'm not livin' what was promised
I am far from glorified
Oh, I'm not dyin'
Oh, I'm not alone
Mine is not a celestial state with idle hymns of praise
Time is short, I have an appointment at noon, at noon in Hell
Across the waste of space and fields of air I glide, alone at night
Oh please, please think of me, 'cause I'm, I'm by your side
I'm by your side, I'm by your side, oh...
I'm...I'm right in front of you...I'm by your side...
The lyrics of Pearl Jam's "Angel" depict a haunting and forlorn voice that sings of the pain and isolation of being an angel who can only witness and cannot intervene in the human world. The singer yearns to be seen and acknowledged by the humans they watch over, but they are forced to remain in the shadows. The anthemic line "I'm by your side" repeats throughout the song, underscoring the sense of longing and desperation that the singer feels. The lyrics suggest that time is short and that the singer has an impending appointment in Hell, perhaps implying that they are destined to fall from grace or that they are carrying out some sort of divine punishment.
The song conveys a sense of melancholy and sorrow through the powerful vocals of Eddie Vedder and the emotive instrumentation of the band. The haunting melody and sparse arrangement allow the lyrics to take center stage, and the repetition of the chorus creates a sense of urgency and desperation. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but some have suggested that they represent the struggle of artists or activists who are unable to effect change in the world despite their best efforts.
Line by Line Meaning
Like an angel, fly over your house
I am watching over you like an angel from above
Like an angel, pass out wishes
I grant your wishes like an angel would
Like an angel, I remove the arrow
I take away the pain inflicted upon you
Like an angel, I live alone
I live a solitary life like an angel would
I'm not livin' what was promised
I am not living the life that I expected to live
I am close but can't enjoy
I am near success but unable to enjoy it
Oh, I'm not dyin'
I am not dying physically, but suffering mentally
Oh, I'm so tortured, 'cause I see all
I am tormented by my knowledge and awareness
Tortured, and all I cannot do
I am tortured by my limitations and inability to act
Tortured, all I should have done
I am tortured by my regrets of things I should have done
Tortured, while I occupied a man
I am tortured while my physical presence remains in the world
I am far from glorified
I am not recognized or praised for my deeds
Mine is not a celestial state with idle hymns of praise
My existence is not a divine one where I am worshipped
Time is short, I have an appointment at noon, at noon in Hell
My time is running out, and I fear that I am heading towards a dark afterlife
Across the waste of space and fields of air I glide, alone at night
I move across vast distances, alone and lost in the darkness of the night
Oh please, please think of me, 'cause I'm, I'm by your side
I plead for you to remember me, as I am always with you
I'm by your side, I'm by your side, oh...
I reassure you of my constant presence and support
I'm...I'm right in front of you...I'm by your side...
I am physically present and always by your side
Contributed by London L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.