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)
Faithfull
Pearl Jam Lyrics
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It's rare to come upon a bridge that has not been around
Or been stepped on
Whatever the notions we laced in our prayers
The man upstairs is used to all of this noise
I'm through with screaming
And echoes nobody hears it goes it goes it goes
We're faithful we all believe we all believe it {4X}
And echoes nobody hears, it goes, it goes, it goes {2X}
We're faithful, we all believe, we all believe it {3X}
So faithful, we all believe, we all believe it
M.Y.T.H. is?
Belief in the game controls that keeps us in a box of fear
We never listen
Voice inside so drowned out
Drowned you are, you are, you are a furry thing
And everything is you
Me you, you me, it's all related
What's a boy to do?
Just be darling and I will be too
Faithful to you
The lyrics of Faithfull by Pearl Jam seem to be about the struggle to maintain faith in something, even when it seems like everything around us is falling apart. Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, sings about looking at a plaque on the wall that says that no one has slept there before, implying that he is feeling an acute sense of loneliness and isolation. While it could be interpreted that this is a physical space, it is possible that this could be a metaphor for feeling disconnected from an idea or faith that he previously held.
Vedder goes on to describe how it is rare to find something like a bridge that has not been utilised before. Metaphorically, this could represent looking for something new or a way out, but coming up empty-handed. He emphasises that no matter what the people in the world around us may believe, the 'man upstairs' is used to all of this - this being the confusion and chaos that comes with being human. The repetition of the line "Echoes nobody hears it goes, it goes, it goes" adds to the sense of frustration and an idea that no one cares or is really listening. However, the band still believes, and this repetition of "We're faithful, we all believe" almost sounds like a mantra or an affirmation to hold on to this faith.
The second verse is a little more cryptic, but seems to be exploring the idea of not being in control of our lives. Vedder sings about "M.Y.T.H," which could stand for "myth" or may be an acronym for something else. He then goes on to mention the "game controls that keeps us in a box of fear," which suggests that we are being controlled by something larger than ourselves, leaving us powerless to affect change. Eddie Vedder then brings the focus back to himself, emphasising that the voice inside of him has been drowned out for too long. It's then unclear what the line "drowned you are, you are, you are a furry thing" means - it could just be a nonsensical throwaway line, or it could be a reference to a part of himself that he has lost or alienated. He closes the verse by acknowledging the connection between all things, and expressing his commitment to being faithful to another person, which could be a sign of hope and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Plaque on the wall says that no one's slept here
The absence of sleep in a place is marked by a plaque on the wall
It's rare to come upon a bridge that has not been around
A bridge's existence is usually indefinite and pervasive
Or been stepped on
Bridges are always subjected to the pressure of being walked upon
Whatever the notions we laced in our prayers
The intentions of our prayers are ambiguous and subjective
The man upstairs is used to all of this noise
The higher power is immune to the noise and commotion of human activity
I'm through with screaming
The singer is tired of screaming and wants to stop
And echoes nobody hears it goes it goes it goes
The echoes of the singer's voice fade away unheard
We're faithful we all believe we all believe it {4X}
We possess faith and believe in something with unwavering conviction
M.Y.T.H. is?
The singer questions the meaning of MYTH and its impact on human behavior
Belief in the game controls that keeps us in a box of fear
Belief in the controlling nature of games limits us and creates a sense of fear
We never listen
We refuse to listen to our internal voice, drowned out by external influences
Voice inside so drowned out
The natural voice within us is muted and indistinct
Drowned you are, you are, you are a furry thing
The singer describes the listener as a furry thing, submerged and inhibited from self-expression
And everything is you
The singer implies that the listener is interconnected with everything
Me you, you me, it's all related
The singer emphasizes the interconnectedness of all things
What's a boy to do?
The singer asks a rhetorical question and emphasizes a sense of helplessness
Just be darling and I will be too
The singer is asking the listener to be kind and loving
Faithful to you
The singer is expressing faithfulness and loyalty to the listener
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE VEDDER, MIKE MCCREADY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind