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)
Brain of J
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What's it mean to us now?
Oh, it's sound insurance
But I can tell you, this is no lie
The whole world will be different soon
The whole world will be relieving
We'd been the same, now they got you in line
Stand behind the stripes
There will be order, so give it a good mind
The whole world will be different soon
The whole world will be relieving
And by name
The name they gave me
The name I'm letting go
The whole world will be different soon
The whole world will be relieving
The whole world will be different soon, soon
The lyrics to Pearl Jam's song Brain of J. are politically charged and seem to comment on issues of power, authority, and control. The line "Who's got the brain of JFK?" could be interpreted as a question about who has the same level of intelligence, charisma, and leadership qualities as former US President John F. Kennedy. However, the line could also be read as a more sinister reference to individuals who may have orchestrated JFK's assassination or who have a similar level of power and influence.
The following lines about "sound insurance" and "order" suggest a theme of control and manipulation. The song seems to be warning of how easily people can be convinced to follow authority blindly, without questioning the motives or consequences. The repeated phrase "The whole world will be different soon" adds a sense of urgency to the song, as though the warning being issued is that change is imminent and we need to be prepared for it.
Overall, "Brain of J." is a song that speaks to the idea of critical thinking, individuality, and the importance of questioning authority in a society that often values conformity over independence.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's got the brain of JFK?
Who possesses the intelligence and leadership qualities of John F. Kennedy?
What's it mean to us now?
Why is JFK's legacy relevant to us today?
Oh, it's sound insurance
JFK's leadership qualities are a guarantee of success.
But I can tell you, this is no lie
The artist is absolutely truthful about JFK's capabilities being important to success.
The whole world will be different soon
Significant change is imminent and will impact the entire world.
The whole world will be relieving
There may be a collective sense of relief once the change happens.
You, you've been taught
The listener has been educated to think a certain way.
We'd been the same, now they got you in line
The artist and listener were once alike in their thinking, but now the listener has conformed to a specific mindset.
Stand behind the stripes
Follow the rules and guidelines set in place.
There will be order, so give it a good mind
If you maintain order and follow the rules, you'll be successful.
And by name
Referring to something specifically by its name.
The name they gave me
The artist was given a label or identity by others.
The name I'm letting go
The singer is choosing to not let others define their identity.
The whole world will be different soon
Reiterating the idea that significant change is coming.
The whole world will be relieving
Reiterating the idea that there may be a collective sense of relief after the change happens.
The whole world will be different soon, soon
Emphasizing the idea of imminent change.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE VEDDER, MIKE MCCREADY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@julianholland4009
Nobody talks about Brendan O’Brien’s stellar mixing and production. There’s a reason why the majority of PJ albums sound amazing.
@dommediscordia
O'Brien REALLY finessed their work!
@SweetKingTanner
This message brought to you by Brendan O’Brien
@Saezel03
Rick parashar did a great job in Ten too
@jeff7764
Best song on Yield and that’s a tough decision!
@HextimusDuex
First time I heard it was live. Opening riff started and this dude behind me started freaking out like "THIS IS THEIR NRW SHIT!!! ITS SO FUCKING GOOD THIS IS LIKE THE THE BEST SONG ON THE ALBUM!!!!"
@lowezoll2023
aww
@Littleneddygtw
Pearl Jam’s first 5 albums are uniquely great.
@laurawatters914
Awesome song awesome band my favorite band on this planet!! Love you Pearl Jam Happy 25th Birthday Yield!! LONG LIVE PEARL JAM!! 😊💓🤘✌️
@gianfg7628
Que buen arranque de este discazo. La voz de Ed quebrando después de la intro de la guitarra es genial, luego le bajan el ritmo al mitad y entra la batería y la guitarra con fuerza 💪. Larga vida Pearl Jam!