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)
I Am A Patriot
Pearl Jam Lyrics
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And the rivers shall open for the righteous
And the rivers shall open for the righteous, someday
I went walking, with my brother
And he wondered, oh, how I am
Said what I believe with my soul
Ain't what I see with my eyes
I am a patriot, and I love my country
Because my country is all I know
I want to be with my family
People who understand me
I got no place else to go...
I am a patriot...
I was walking with my girlfriend.
She looked so fine, I said
"Baby, what's on your mind?"
Said I want to run like the lions
Released from their cages...
Released from the rages
Burning in my soul tonight.
I am a patriot, and I love my country
Because my country is all I know
And I ain't no communist,
And I ain't no socialist,
And I ain't no capitalist,
And I ain't no imperialist,
And I ain't no democrat,
Sure ain't no republican either,
I only know one party,
And that is Freedom.
I am... I am... I am...
I am a patriot, and I love my country,
Because my country is all I know.
And the rivers shall open for the righteous,
And the rivers shall open for the righteous,
And the rivers shall open for the righteous Someday...
Someday... Someday...
The song "I Am A Patriot" by Pearl Jam is a patriotic anthem that expresses love for the country but not necessarily for its political systems or government. The song begins with the repeated line “And the rivers shall open for the righteous” which has been interpreted as offering hope for a better future for those who are true and just. The lines “I went walking, with my brother” and “I was walking with my girlfriend. She looked so fine, I said" depicts the singer interacting with loved ones and trying to find common ground with them about their beliefs.
The chorus of the song “I am a patriot, and I love my country because my country is all I know” captures the sense of pride the singer feels for their country. However, the song goes on to distance itself from political ideologies such as communism, socialism, capitalism, imperialism, Democrats, or Republicans, thus suggests that the singer's loyalty lies with the idea of freedom rather than with any political party. The song does not necessarily criticize the country's political system but outlines the singer's love for the country and the freedom it represents. The repeated line “And the rivers shall open for the righteous someday” speaks to the singer's hope for a brighter future for the country.
Line by Line Meaning
And the rivers shall open for the righteous
One day, justice will prevail and the righteous will be rewarded.
I went walking, with my brother
I went for a walk with my close relative.
And he wondered, oh, how I am
My brother asked about my current condition.
Said what I believe with my soul
I expressed my deeply held beliefs with conviction.
Ain't what I see with my eyes
My beliefs aren't based solely on what I observe.
And there's no turning back this time
I'm determined to stick to my beliefs without wavering.
I am a patriot, and I love my country
I am a strong supporter of my nation and feel great affection for it.
Because my country is all I know
Growing up, my country was my only frame of reference.
I want to be with my family
I desire to spend time with those who understand me and whom I love.
People who understand me
Individuals who are able to relate to me on a deep level.
I got no place else to go...
I have nowhere else to turn.
I was walking with my girlfriend.
I was strolling with my romantic partner.
She looked so fine, I said
I was struck by her attractiveness and commented on it.
"Baby, what's on your mind?"
I asked her what she was thinking about.
Said I want to run like the lions
She expressed a desire for freedom and liberation.
Released from their cages...
Freed from the confines that limit them.
Released from the rages
Escaping the anger that consumes them.
Burning in my soul tonight.
A strong, passionate feeling is overwhelming me at this moment.
And I ain't no communist,
I don't subscribe to the ideology of communism.
And I ain't no socialist,
I don't subscribe to the ideology of socialism.
And I ain't no capitalist,
I don't subscribe to the ideology of capitalism.
And I ain't no imperialist,
I don't subscribe to the imperialist agenda.
And I ain't no democrat,
I don't subscribe to the political party of the democrats.
Sure ain't no republican either,
I don't subscribe to the political party of the republicans either.
I only know one party,
There's only one philosophy that resonates with me.
And that is Freedom.
It's the ideal of freedom that I espouse and believe in.
And the rivers shall open for the righteous
Eventually, justice will be served, and the righteous shall be rewarded.
Someday... Someday...
One day, in the future...
Someday...
At some point in time, it will happen.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEVEN VAN ZANDT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind