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)
Crown Of The Thorns
Pearl Jam Lyrics
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Of Mr. Faded Glory?
Say he who rides a pony must someday fall
I been talkin' to my alter
Says life is what you make it
And if you make it death well then rest
Your soul away
Away away yeah
It's a broken kind of feeling
She'd have to tie me to the ceiling
A bad moon's a comin'
Better say your prayers
I wanna tell you that I love you
But does it really matter?
I just can't stand to see you dragging down.
Again, again, again.
So I'm singing
This is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind that leaves you alone
This is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind and leaves me alone
I used to treat you like a lady
Now you're a substitute teacher
This bottle's not a prayer, not a prayer in sight
I owe the man some money
So I'm turnin over honey
Oh Mr. Faded Glory is once again doin' time.
This is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind that leaves me alone
This is my kinda love
It's a crown of thorns
It's the kind that
It's the kind that leaves me alone
Like a crown of thorns
It's all who you know.
So don't burn your bridges cause
Someday, yeah
Start singing
This is my kinda love
It's the kind that moves on
It's the kind that leaves me alone
This is my kinda love
It's a crown of thorns
It's the kind that leaves me alone
The lyrics to "Crown of Thorns" by Pearl Jam/Brendan O'Brien describe the singer's sense of brokenness and disillusionment, as well as his desire to move on from a toxic relationship. The song opens with a reference to "Mr. Faded Glory," a metaphorical figure who represents the transience of success and power. The verse suggests that no matter how high someone rises, their fall is inevitable. The singer then turns to his inner voice, which he refers to as his "alter," and concludes that life is what you make of it. If someone chooses to make their life about death, then they may as well "rest [their] soul away." The chorus then strikes a poignant note, as the singer expresses his sense of isolation and separation from his partner. He acknowledges that he loves her, but wonders if it even matters. He laments seeing her "dragging down" and grappling with the brokenness of their connection, which leaves him feeling alone.
The second verse explores the singer's guilt over mistreating his partner, which has led her to become a "substitute teacher" in his life. He's also struggling with addiction and financial burdens, as "this bottle's not a prayer." He owes "the man" some money, and this may be contributing to his seclusion and despair. Ultimately, the song is a sad but honest reflection on the pain that can come with loving someone who is broken, and the difficulty of moving on from a toxic relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
You ever heard the story
Have you ever been informed
Of Mr. Faded Glory?
About a person named Mr. Faded Glory?
Say he who rides a pony must someday fall
It is said that anyone who rides a horse will fall down at some point in their life
I been talkin' to my alter
I have been conversing with my inner self
Says life is what you make it
My inner self tells me that life is determined by the individual
And if you make it death well then rest
If a person chooses to make their life end in death, they can finally rest
Your soul away
In peace
Away away yeah
Far, far away
It's a broken kind of feeling
There's a feeling of sadness and pain
She'd have to tie me to the ceiling
If not, I would fall apart
A bad moon's a comin',
Something terrible is about to happen
Better say your prayers
It's better to pray for safety
I wanna tell you that I love you
I have a desire to express my love to you
But does it really matter?
However, I have doubts if it carries any weight
I just can't stand to see you dragging down.
I can't bear to watch you suffer
Again, again, again.
Repeatedly
So I'm singing
Now I'm expressing my emotions through song
This is my kinda love
This is my preferred type of relationship
It's the kind that moves on
It's the type of love that continues to progress
It's the kind that leaves you alone
The love that maintains freedom
This is my kinda love
This is my choice of romance
It's the kind that moves on
It progresses with time
It's the kind and leaves me alone
It allows me to have space
I used to treat you like a lady
I used to show respect and care for you
Now you're a substitute teacher
Now you have become someone who replaces the person I was with
This bottle's not a prayer, not a prayer in sight
Even if I drink this bottle, it won't help me in any way
I owe the man some money
I am in debt to someone
So I'm turnin over honey
So I'm surrendering my affection to someone else
Oh Mr. Faded Glory is once again doin' time.
The person named Mr. Faded Glory is imprisoned again
It's a crown of thorns
The love he prefers is just like being forced to wear a painful crown
It's all who you know.
Success depends more on who you know rather than what you know
So don't burn your bridges cause
Don't sever all ties since
Someday, yeah
In the end
Start singing
Begin to express myself in song
This is my kinda love
This is my preferred type of relationship
It's the kind that moves on
It's the love that progresses over time
It's the kind that leaves me alone
It is the love that provides me freedom
This is my kinda love
This is my choice of romance
It's a crown of thorns
The love I prefer is painful but rewarding
It's the kind that leaves me alone
It is the love that provides me freedom
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDREW WOOD, BRUCE IAN FAIRWEATHER, GREG A. GILMORE, JEFFREY ALLEN AMENT, STONE C. GOSSARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind