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)
Encore Break 2
Pearl Jam Lyrics
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Were laid spread out before me, as her body once did
All all five horizons, revolved around her soul...
As the Earth to the Sun
Now, the air I tasted and breathed has taken a turn
Ooh, and all I taught her was... everything
Ooh, I know she gave me all... that she wore
All the pictures have all been washed in black
Tattooed everything
I take a walk outside
I′m surrounded by some kids at play
I can feel their laughter, so why do I sear?
Mmm, and twisted thoughts that spin around my head
I'm spinning, oh, I′m spinning
How quick the Sun can drop away
And now my bitter hands cradle broken glass... of what was everything
All the pictures have, all been washed in black
Tattooed everything
All the love gone bad, turned my world to black
Tattooed all I see, all that I am, all that I'll be, yeah
I know that someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you′ll be a star
In somebody else′s sky...
But why, why, why can't it be... can′t it be mine?
Ah, yeah
The lyrics to Pearl Jam's song "Evenflow" are full of raw emotion and show the intense pain and longing of the singer. The song begins with the image of blank canvas and clay, which serve as metaphors for the potential of a life that has been lost. The singer is haunted by the memory of a woman who once filled his life with meaning and purpose, but has now disappeared. He is consumed by the memory of her, as all five horizons revolve around her soul, and his own existence has lost its center.
The bitterness and regret in the singer's voice are palpable, as he realizes that the simple pleasures of life, like the taste of air, have lost their meaning in the absence of his lost love. The lines "Ooh, and all I taught her was... everything/Ooh, I know she gave me all... that she wore" suggest that the singer was once in a position of power, but now realizes that his love was never enough to save the relationship.
As the song progresses, the singer's pain intensifies and he becomes lost in his own thoughts, feeling the weight of everything he has lost. The final lines "All the love gone bad, turned my world to black/tattooed all I see, all that I am, all that I'll be, yeah" suggest that the singer is trapped in his own pain and is unable to move on from the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clay
The singer is faced with blank, untouched spaces that represent the potential for creation.
Were laid spread out before me, as her body once did
These spaces were once filled with a person who is no longer present, leaving behind a void.
All all five horizons, revolved around her soul...
The person who left was the center of the singer's world, around which everything else orbited.
As the Earth to the Sun
The relationship between the artist and the departed person was as fundamental as the gravitational force between the Earth and the Sun.
Now, the air I tasted and breathed has taken a turn
The artist's circumstances have changed, and the atmosphere they once knew is now different and unpleasant.
Ooh, and all I taught her was... everything
The departed person was once the recipient of all the singer's knowledge and guidance.
Ooh, I know she gave me all... that she wore
The departed person gave the singer everything they had, including their physical possessions.
And now my bitter hands, chafe beneath the clouds of what was everything
The artist feels remorseful and bitter about the situation that led to the person's departure.
All the pictures have all been washed in black
All the memories the artist has of the departed person have been defiled or obscured by darkness.
Tattooed everything
The artist is unable to forget or move on from the loss, and it has marked everything they perceive and experience.
I take a walk outside
The singer is attempting to escape their thoughts and surroundings by going outside.
I'm surrounded by some kids at play
The artist is aware of other people leading normal, carefree lives around them.
I can feel their laughter, so why do I sear?
Despite hearing the happy sounds of others, the singer is still consumed by pain and suffering.
Mmm, and twisted thoughts that spin around my head
The singer's mind is filled with unhealthy, obsessive thoughts.
I'm spinning, oh, I'm spinning
The emotions and thoughts the singer is experiencing are overwhelming and causing them to feel unmoored and dizzy.
How quick the Sun can drop away
The artist reflects on how rapidly things can change, and how quickly something that once seemed essential can disappear.
And now my bitter hands cradle broken glass... of what was everything
The artist is holding onto broken pieces of what was once central to their life.
All the pictures have, all been washed in black
Previously happy memories have been tainted and corrupted by grief and loss.
Tattooed everything
The singer remains unable to escape the hurt and sadness that have become a permanent mark on their life.
All the love gone bad, turned my world to black
The departed person's absence has led the artist's life to become incredibly dark and negative.
Tattooed all I see, all that I am, all that I'll be, yeah
The emotional pain and loss the artist has experienced have left a lasting impression on who they are, and what the future holds.
I know that someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star
The artist recognizes that the departed person may move on to have a wonderful life and be successful.
In somebody else's sky...
However, that life will not be with the singer, and they will only be able to observe it from a distance.
But why, why, why can't it be... can't it be mine?
The artist is still struggling to come to terms with the loss, and wonders why things couldn't have turned out differently.
Ah, yeah
A general expression of sadness and resignation.
Writer(s): Michael Mccready, Eddie Vedder
Contributed by Riley O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.