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)
Elderly Woman
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Haunting, familiar yet
I can't seem to place it
Cannot find the candle of thought to light your name
Lifetimes are catching up with me
All these changes taking place
I wish I'd seen the place
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
I swear, I recognize your breath
Memories like fingerprints are slowly raising
Me, you wouldn't recall for I'm not my former
It's hard when you're stuck upon the shelf
I changed by not changing at all
Small town predicts my fate
Perhaps that's what no one wants to see
I just want to scream hello
My God it's been so long
Never dreamed you'd return
But now here you are and here I am
Hearts and thoughts they fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade
The song "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" by Pearl Jam is a ballad about nostalgia and longing for the past. The opening lines set the stage for the theme, as the singer recognizes a face that is both haunting and familiar, but cannot quite remember who it is. The line "cannot find the candle of thought to light your name" suggests that the memory is there, but the singer is struggling to retrieve it. This is followed by the admission that "lifetimes are catching up with me," implying a sense of aging and loss.
The second verse continues the idea of change and loss, as the singer reflects on "all these changes taking place" and regrets not having seen the place he might be thinking of. The idea of hearts and thoughts fading away is repeated in the chorus, suggesting the inevitable passage of time and impermanence of all things.
The third verse adds a personal note to the song, with the singer addressing the person he recognizes directly. He admits that she probably wouldn't recall him, because he has changed since they last met. The line "it's hard when you're stuck upon the shelf" suggests a sense of feeling stagnant or trapped, unable to move on from the past.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of sadness and longing for a time that has passed. It taps into universal feelings of nostalgia and regret, inviting the listener to reflect on their own experiences of loss and change.
Line by Line Meaning
I seem to recognize your face
The singer recognizes the subject's face but can't remember who they are.
Haunting, familiar yet
The familiar face is haunting the singer's thoughts but they can't figure out why.
I can't seem to place it
The singer can't put a name to the familiar face.
Cannot find the candle of thought to light your name
The artist can't remember the name associated with the familiar face despite trying to remember and trying to bring it to their mind.
Lifetimes are catching up with me
The artist feels like life is slipping away and they're running out of time.
All these changes taking place
The singer is noticing changes around them, but they aren't sure what to make of them.
I wish I'd seen the place
The singer regrets not seeing a certain location or place.
But no one's ever taken me
Despite wanting to see the location, the artist has never been there.
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
The artist is acknowledging that memories and emotions fade over time.
I swear, I recognize your breath
The artist is confident they recognize the person based on their breath.
Memories like fingerprints are slowly raising
Memories are resurfacing slowly, like fingerprints being revealed by dust.
Me, you wouldn't recall for I'm not my former
The artist doesn't expect the subject to remember them because they have changed since they last met.
It's hard when you're stuck upon the shelf
The singer is feeling stuck in their life, helpless to change their situation.
I changed by not changing at all
The singer feels like they've changed in small ways, but overall are still the same person.
Small town predicts my fate
The singer feels trapped and like they have no control over their destiny in the small town.
Perhaps that's what no one wants to see
The artist thinks that others don't want to acknowledge the limitations and constraints of small town life.
I just want to scream hello
The artist is eager to connect with the person they recognize and say hello.
My God it's been so long
The singer is amazed and shocked at how long it's been since they've seen the person they recognize.
Never dreamed you'd return
The singer is surprised by the unexpected return of the person they recognize.
But now here you are and here I am
The artist and the subject are both present and able to meet again.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVE ABBRUZZESE, JEFF AMENT, STONE C GOSSARD, MICHAEL DAVID MCCREADY, EDDIE VEDDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Amathews625
I seem to recognize your face
Haunting, familiar yet
I can't seem to place it
Cannot find the candle of thought to light your name
Lifetimes are catching up with me
All these changes taking place
I wish I'd seen the place
But no one's ever taken me
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
I swear, I recognize your breath
Memories like fingerprints are slowly raising
Me, you wouldn't recall for I'm not my former
It's hard when you're stuck upon the shelf
I changed by not changing at all
Small town predicts my fate
Perhaps that's what no one wants to see
I just want to scream hello
My God it's been so long
Never dreamed you'd return
But now here you are and here I am
Hearts and thoughts they fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade, fade away
Hearts and thoughts they fade
@leghump
This song makes me think of my first love. This bold, vivacious, no-compromising young women who I met when we were in college. I was enchanted. I literally had no idea what I was doing. I was the perverbable puppy who caught the school bus.
We inevitably parted. It was young love not destined to last and yet...
We kept in touch throughout the years via Social Media...a few "Hey, who's things?" once every few years or so...
In the years since we parted and I'd be at a PJ show I always heard this song as she and I getting lunch some day, to catch up, reminisce, laugh at our foolish youth. I always heard this song as her and I just meeting as middle-aged (or older) friends.
She passed several months ago.
I unintentionally heard this song today for the first time since and had to pause for a moment. I'd like to think she knew how important she was to me and my development as a person who would go on to engage in true adult relationships. I hope she may be felt the same in some way.
And if you have anyone like this, or someone you have been meaning to reach out to...do it.
@danseth8065
"i changed by not changing at all." One of the best lines ever
@pedrovargas2301
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqnBxs7f1tI
@khelenlaiphrakpam386
Superficially lyrical
@dennisrandall1656
Yes
@vnctvega
I think "I swear I recognize your breath" is a better line
@kenweis2291
Lifetimes are catching up with me....
Im 40 yrs old and ive been working since i was 9 yrs old...
Last year i FELL 50ft doing professional tree removal....every 5 years i lived another lifetime....im tired
@tt4570
God, this song reminds me of 11th grade driving around with my buddies in my truck, this song blaring and all of us singing it at the top of our lungs. Such good memories. My eyes start to well up a bit just trying to sing along to it now. I'm 44 now with a couple of kids and I've lost some people in my life. What a simple and magical time it is when you are young and have your parents and family, everything seems right in the world even though high school and teenage years are anything but simple or easy.
@Jamesseekstruth
This is exactly how I feel man .
@Crackthe40oz
Amen brotha! Story a little different on this side growing up with Dominican cats who sold yayo but I truly think Eddie is a genius and one of the greatest musicians ever. Next to Nas and BIG and Bob and Jimi and Joe Strummer
@matthewbarnes1259
Yeah. I'm 43, my brother died from a heart attack 5 years ago. My dad from pneumonia a year ago next Monday, my girlfriend has a stroke in January, my mom's 78 in bad health, my sister isn't far behind. So, I'll be alone with myself and that's a horrible place to be.