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)
Breath And A Scream
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shadows, a light, a warm breath and a scream, oh yeah
Oh, tamper if you like between the doors, oh yeah
Oh, can't expect to go out, to go out
With anything, anything more
Oh, reach the door, a breath and a scar
Oh reach the door and a nada lada yeah
Life ain't what it's worth, a breath and a scar
All these reaching hands out grabbin' things, grabbin' me
Day in, day out, accumulating, oh yeah
I suggest you step out on your porch, oh yeah, yeah
Run away my son to see it all oh, see the world
Oh reach the door and a nada lada yeah
Life ain't what it's worth, a breath and a scar
Oh, reach the door
Come here it comes there it goes when it comes
Where it goes where it comes, can't see through the faith
Oh, come here it goes, there it goes, grasp what you can
Don't you know there's something inside your hand, yeah
Oh, if I knew where it was I would take you there
There's much more than this, oh much more than this
Oh, see the world much more than, oh
Much more than, why?
The lyrics to Pearl Jam's song "Breath and a Scream" are somewhat cryptic and open to interpretation, but the overall message seems to be about the fleeting nature of life and the desire to escape, explore, and grasp for more. The song begins with a sense of anticipation, with the singer describing the start of a night that could lead anywhere. They mention "shadows, a light, a warm breath and a scream," which could be interpreted as the different emotions and experiences that may come with the night ahead.
As the song progresses, there is a sense of urgency and restlessness, with the singer urging the listener to "reach the door" and escape whatever is holding them back. They mention accumulating things day in and day out, suggesting a feeling of being weighed down by the monotony of daily life. The repeated line "Life ain't what it's worth, a breath and a scar" reinforces this sentiment, reminding the listener that life is short and should be lived to the fullest.
The song ends with a plea to "see the world" and embrace all that it has to offer. The line "if I knew where it was I would take you there" suggests a sense of camaraderie or a desire to help others achieve the same sense of freedom and adventure. Overall, "Breath and a Scream" is a powerful anthem for those who feel stuck in their current circumstances and long for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, tonight began with anything
The night began without any particular event or purpose.
Shadows, a light, a warm breath and a scream, oh yeah
The night was filled with mysterious figures, faint light, warmth, and a sudden, loud scream.
Oh, tamper if you like between the doors, oh yeah
One can mess around with barriers or boundaries, if they wish to do so.
Oh, can't expect to go out, to go out
One cannot anticipate or plan for what will happen in the future.
With anything, anything more
One cannot expect anything beyond what has already happened.
Oh, reach the door, a breath and a scar
Approaching a door causes a rush of air and leaves a small physical mark as a reminder.
Oh reach the door and a nada lada yeah
Arriving at the door, one is reminded that life is sometimes empty or uneventful.
Life ain't what it's worth, a breath and a scar
Life is fleeting and sometimes painful, but has value despite this.
Oh, reach the door
The door is symbolic of the unknown future, which lies beyond reach.
All these reaching hands out grabbin' things, grabbin' me
In life, everyone is trying to take hold of something, and it can feel overwhelming.
Day in, day out, accumulating, oh yeah
Each day passes by with us accumulating more things, experiences, and memories.
I suggest you step out on your porch, oh yeah, yeah
It is recommended to take a step back and observe the world around you from a different perspective.
Run away my son to see it all oh, see the world
The singer advises someone close to them to go out and explore life, to see everything the world has to offer.
Oh reach the door and a nada lada yeah
As before, life sometimes feels empty or insignificant.
Life ain't what it's worth, a breath and a scar
This line is repeated as a reminder that life is short and sometimes painful, but still worth experiencing.
Oh, reach the door
The door remains a symbol of the unknown future, which one must approach with caution.
Come here it comes there it goes when it comes
Life's ups and downs are unpredictable and can come and go as they please.
Where it goes where it comes, can't see through the faith
One cannot always predict the direction in which life will take them - they must have faith and accept the journey.
Oh, come here it goes, there it goes, grasp what you can
When good things come your way, take advantage of them and hold onto them as tightly as you can.
Don't you know there's something inside your hand, yeah
You possess the power to make a difference in your own life and in the world around you.
Oh, if I knew where it was I would take you there
The artist wishes they could help someone find their way in life, but cannot because the path is different for everyone.
There's much more than this, oh much more than this
There is more to life than what we can see or understand at this moment.
Oh, see the world much more than, oh
The singer urges others to broaden their horizons and experience more of the world.
Much more than, why?
The line repeats the previous sentiment, questioning why people do not explore the world more than they do.
Writer(s): Stone C. Gossard, Kathryn Williams Copyright: Warner/Chappell Music Publishing Ltd., Polygram Int. Publishing Inc., Write Treatage Music
Contributed by Parker Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jrroulette4977
Still loving it!!!
@laurawatters914
Breath Oohh my goodness, one of my favorite songs, so it's originally called Breath and a Scream? Awesome 💓😊✌️🤘
@rtbrown4977
This is by far the best version of the song. I Love It!
@billythekid10
Breath and SOLAT from the Singles sountrack were both recorded in January '92, along with Yellow Ledbetter, Dirty Frank, and the re-recorded version of Even Flow that they used for the video. Those were obviously all with Dave A. This version of Breath is from the Ten recording sessions, so this wasnt "butchered", this is the original version. Then a few months later in january 92 they recorded the definitive version that was released on the singles soundtrack.
@johnc675
See, it varies between fans; lots of folk seem to have heard all the unreleased tracks prior to the re-release of Ten. Think everyone had heard state of love and trust well before then anyway! But gotta love this track and Brother :D It seems theres 2 versions of brother though, if you look up Brother (with lyrics) on here it seems like a remixed version of the one on the legacy edition... And oh yeah cant wait for the new single next month too :D
@TheGrungeYears
Well my friend, this... is history... I´d take them both!
@Cuatroooooo
just heard this version for the first time and i'm wordless.. fucking awesome!
@DaveTaste
Love it!
@dmobes47
Pearl Jam - FIRST SHOW EVER! (7) Breath
@Aliceinchainhead
Bro i can never stop listening to this track i think i like it better than brother...the beginning is just amazing...