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 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 Pearl Jam's song Crown of Thorns tell a story of fading glory and love that moves on. The song begins with a reference to a fallen hero, Mr. Faded Glory, and the idea that everyone must fall at some point. The singer speaks to their alter and reflects on the idea that life is what you make it, even if that means choosing death. The lyrics convey a feeling of brokenness and a sense of impending doom as the singer warns of a bad moon coming and encourages the listener to say their prayers.
The chorus speaks of a kind of love that moves on and leaves one alone, like a crown of thorns. The lyrics suggest that the singer used to treat someone like a lady but now they are just a substitute teacher, and the bottle in their hand is not a prayer. They owe someone money and Mr. Faded Glory is once again doing time. The lyrics convey a sense of regret and longing but also suggest that it is better to let go of love that holds one down and embrace the kind that moves on.
Overall, the lyrics to Crown of Thorns tell a story of faded glory, love, and the need to let go and move on. The lyrics convey a sense of regret, longing, and a feeling of brokenness, all while encouraging the listener to face the challenges of life with resilience and strength.
Line by Line Meaning
You ever heard the story
Of Mr. Faded Glory?
Say he who rides a pony must someday fall
Have you heard about Mr. Faded Glory, the one who was once great but now fallen? People say that whoever is in power will also fall eventually.
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
I've been speaking to my inner self, who believes that we create our own life. If someone chooses to live a destructive life, they will end up losing their soul.
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.
I feel empty and lost, and the only thing that can feel right is if I am in a helpless state. The future seems bleak, and we need to pray for our safety. I want to express my love for you, but is it even worth it? I can't handle seeing you in pain again and 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'm singing about the love that I prefer, which is the one that doesn't hold onto the past and moves on. It's the kind of love that sets you free and lets you be alone. That's the kind of love that I want - one that I can move on with, by myself.
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.
I used to respect you like a queen, but now you're just a teacher filling in for someone else. This bottle of alcohol won't ease my pain or be a prayer for me. I owe someone money and need to pay it back, so I'm leaving you. Mr. Faded Glory is once again serving time in prison.
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
Again, I'm singing about the love that I want, which moves on and leaves me alone. This kind of love is a burden to me, like a crown of thorns. Relationships that I form depend on who I know, so it's important not to ruin any friendships because they may be helpful in the future.
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
I'm starting to sing again about my favorite type of love, which again is the one that allows me to move on and be left alone. This type of love is like a burden, like a crown of thorns, and the thing I need to succeed.
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