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)
Fortunate Son
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, that red, white 'n blue
And when they play "Hail to the Chief"
Oh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate son
It ain't me, it ain't me
Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand
Lord, don't they help themselves?
And when the tax man knocks on their door
Oh, the house looks like a rummage sale, yeah, yeah
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate son
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no
Some folks are born
Star-spangled eyes
Oh, they send you out to war
And when Australia asks:
"How much do we get?"
Oh, they just ask for more, and more, and more, and more, and more, and...
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no millionaires son, no
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate one, one, one
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no CIA son, no
It ain't me, it ain't me
I ain't no fortunate son, son, son
The song "Fortunate Son" by Pearl Jam is a cover of a similarly-titled song by Creedence Clearwater Revival, but it retains the original's message about class-based inequality and the unfairness of the Vietnam War. The opening stanza establishes the contrast between those who are born with privilege and prestige, glorified as American icons with their patriotic displays of nationalism, and those who have to fight for their rights and resources. The line about playing "Hail to the Chief" while aiming cannons is a clear reference to the government's manipulation and exploitation of its citizens in the name of war.
The chorus serves as a defiant rebuttal to the notion of every American having equal opportunity to achieve success and status. The singer rejects the notion that he is a "fortunate son," implying that his lack of wealth and connections places him at a disadvantage and prevents him from enjoying the privileges of the wealthy. This idea is further substantiated in the second verse, where he notes that the "silver spoon" offspring of the elite have the means to evade or minimize their taxes, while the average person sees economic hardship and loss as a result of their perceived obligations to the government.
The third verse touches on the military's use of propaganda and lies to promote war, especially in the context of the Vietnam War. The "star-spangled eyes" who believe in the war's righteousness are the same people who are sent to die in a conflict that they may not fully understand or support. The reference to Australia, a country that also contributed troops to the conflict, is a reminder that this was an international conflict, not solely an American one. The repetition of "more" emphasizes the never-ending cycle of war and greed that crushes the vulnerable and rewards the privileged.
Line by Line Meaning
Some folks are born made to wave the flag
There are people who are born to be patriotic and wave the American flag.
Oh, that red, white 'n blue
The colors of the American flag are red, white, and blue.
And when they play "Hail to the Chief"
The song "Hail to the Chief" is typically played when the President of the United States appears.
Oh, they point the cannon at you, Lord
The patriotic people are willing to go to war and fight against anyone who is seen as a threat to the United States.
It ain't me, it ain't me
I am not one of those people who were born to wave the American flag.
I ain't no fortunate son
I am not lucky enough to have been born into a privileged or wealthy family.
Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand
There are people who are born rich and have everything handed to them on a silver platter.
Lord, don't they help themselves?
These privileged people often take advantage of their situation and use it to benefit themselves.
And when the tax man knocks on their door
Even though they have more than enough, they try to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
Oh, the house looks like a rummage sale, yeah, yeah
Their houses may appear disorganized and cluttered because they have accumulated so many unnecessary possessions.
I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no
I was not born into a family with millions of dollars.
Some folks are born
There are people who are born into unusual circumstances.
Star-spangled eyes
These people are often extremely patriotic and see the American flag as a symbol of their identity.
Oh, they send you out to war
These people are often the first to volunteer for military service and to fight in wars that the government has deemed necessary.
And when Australia asks: "How much do we get?"
The government may make decisions about war and military assistance based on financial gain rather than moral considerations.
Oh, they just ask for more, and more, and more, and more, and more, and...
The government is never satisfied with what they have and always want more, regardless of the cost.
I ain't no CIA son, no
I was not born into a family with connections to the Central Intelligence Agency or other powerful entities.
I ain't no fortunate son, son, son
I am not lucky or privileged enough to have been born into a position of power or wealth.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: John Cameron Fogerty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kamal kanwadia
covers usually don't judge by on technical capabilities or playing capabilities .....but on the level of FEEL and massive respect which pearl jam showed here.....
BloozeDaddy
@Joseph Johnston agreed... But this version just lacks... well.... everything 🤣
Joseph Johnston
@BloozeDaddy even Fogerty rushes the shit out of it. Watch any live clip of him doing this song since 2000. Now, somebody else respond to this comment in 4 years.
BloozeDaddy
if by feel you mean "rush the shit out of it " then year...it has LOTS of feel.
Paulo Cezar
Muito bom , mas acelerou muito o ritmo .
Karina Andrea Orcellet
i love this versión. Eddie you are the best Singer. Aguante Pearl jam. Argentina siempre con ustedes!!!!!!
Joseph Zaremba
Eddie needs some hair treatments!
Daniel Sacolle
+jim-bob mclain : your ass will be in line next time
iam me
+Karina Andrea Orcellet the falklands are forever british!!!
Rande Ross
Next to their collaborations, their covers are THE best. Thanks for posting.