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)
Grievance
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bottom of, bottle of denial,
Big guy, big eye, watching me,
Have to wonder what it sees,
Progress, laced with, ramifications,
Freedom's big plunge.
Raise the sticks then bring 'em down ,
If they fail to obey,
If they fail to obey.
For every tool they lend us, a loss of independence.
I pledge to my grievance to the flag,
Cause you don't give blood, then take it back again,
We're deserving of much more.
Progress, taste it, invest-it-all,
Champagne breakfast for everyone.
Break the innocent when they're proud,
Raise the stakes, then bring 'em down,
If they fail to obey,
If they fail to obey.
Pledge my grievance to the flag,
Aw come on, don't give blood, then take it back again,
We're all deserving something more.
I want to breathe, part of the seen,
I want to taste, everyone I see,
I want to run, when I'm up high,
I want to run to the sea,
I only want life to be,
I just want to be,
I will feel alive as long as I am free.
The lyrics of Pearl Jam's song Grievance are charged with political and social commentary as well as a call to action. In the first verse, the lyrics "Have a drink they're buying, bottom of, bottle of denial" suggest that society is in a state of denial and people are turning to alcohol to forget their troubles. The "Big guy, big eye, watching me" could be a reference to Big Brother watching over people or the government intruding on personal freedoms. The lyrics "Pull the innocent from a crowd, raise the sticks then bring 'em down, if they fail to obey" indicate a system of control that punishes those who don't conform. The line "For every tool they lend us, a loss of independence" echoes the idea that with every perceived benefit, there is a tradeoff for personal freedom.
The chorus of the song features the singer pledging their grievance to the flag, expressing their frustration with the government's actions. The lyrics "Cause you don't give blood, then take it back again, we're deserving of much more" suggest a sense of betrayal by those in power who provide empty promises. The second verse continues the critique of the system, as the lyrics "Progress, taste it, invest-it-all, champagne breakfast for everyone" suggest that the wealthy and powerful are benefitting from progress to the detriment of the rest of society. The lyrics "Break the innocent when they're proud, raise the stakes, then bring 'em down, if they fail to obey" continue the theme of control and punishment for nonconformity. The final lines of the song suggest a desire for personal freedom and a refusal to be controlled or limited.
Overall, Grievance is a song that reflects Pearl Jam's longstanding commitment to social justice and activism. The lyrics critique the system of control and the loss of personal freedom, while urging listeners to fight for their rights.
Line by Line Meaning
Have a drink they're buying,
Free drinks are offered, but at the cost of self-delusion.
Bottom of, bottle of denial,
Continuously drinking to forget about problems leads to denial.
Big guy, big eye, watching me,
Constant surveillance from someone in power creates uneasiness.
Have to wonder what it sees,
Uncertainty about the motives of the person in power.
Progress, laced with, ramifications,
Advancement comes with consequences that are not always positive.
Freedom's big plunge.
Taking risks for freedom can be daunting.
Pull the innocent from a crowd,
Singularizing and punishing someone without just cause is unfair.
Raise the sticks then bring 'em down,
Using force to control people breeds fear.
If they fail to obey,
Disobedience leads to punishment.
For every tool they lend us, a loss of independence.
In exchange for the convenience of technology, personal freedom is sacrificed.
I pledge to my grievance to the flag,
Devotion to their cause even when it goes against societal norms and rules.
Cause you don't give blood, then take it back again,
People should not have their basic human rights revoked.
We're deserving of much more.
The belief that everyone is entitled to better treatment.
Progress, taste it, invest-it-all,
Capitalizing on progress without considering the consequences is foolish.
Champagne breakfast for everyone.
Celebrating at the expense of others is selfish.
Break the innocent when they're proud,
Targeting someone who is confident and happy is cruel.
Raise the stakes, then bring 'em down,
Intimidating people to maintain power is oppressive.
If they fail to obey,
Disobedience leads to punishment.
Pledge my grievance to the flag,
Reaffirming one's dedication to their cause despite the consequences.
Aw come on, don't give blood, then take it back again,
It is unfair to demand sacrifices from people and then retract them.
We're all deserving something more.
Everyone should aspire to achieve more and demand better treatment.
I want to breathe, part of the seen,
A desire to be noticed and included in the world.
I want to taste, everyone I see,
A desire to experience and understand everything and everyone.
I want to run, when I'm up high,
A desire to feel free and exhilarated.
I want to run to the sea,
The ocean represents freedom and escape.
I only want life to be,
Simplicity and contentment are desired.
I just want to be,
The longing for individualism and self-determination.
I will feel alive as long as I am free.
Freedom is crucial for true happiness and fulfillment.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE VEDDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind