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)
Let the Records Play
Pearl Jam Lyrics
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And with his blistered thumb hits play
And with the volume up he goes and fills his cup
And lets the drummer drum take away the pain, the pain
Breaking, forsaken, what's that you're taken?
Bleeding the feeling, he lets the records play
The cigarette light's in
The vaporizer green light grim
And when the shot glass talks he goes to listens up
Until he's nice and numb again, again
Shaken, the breaking, not one for faking, no!
The reeling is healing
He lets the records play, there's wisdom in his ways
I've been down and I fell so hard and far from grace
I've been hurt and I still recall the flaws on her face
I've been off but but I'm on my feet, my feet again
Shaken, forsaken, what's that you're taking?
Oh! The weeding, the feeling, he lets the records play
Shaken but breaking, not one for faking, oh!
The reeling is healing, he lets the records play!
Oh, there's wisdom in his ways
The lyrics of Let The Records Play by Pearl Jam describe someone using music as a means of escaping from their pain and troubles. The song starts with "When the Kingdom comes, he puts his records on", suggesting that when things get tough, he turns to his music collection. He hits play with his blistered thumb, indicating that he's been doing this for a long time and has the calluses to prove it. With the volume turned up, he "fills his cup" (perhaps with alcohol) and lets the drummer's beat take away his pain.
As the song progresses, there's a sense of desperation and a need for escape. The lyrics depict someone who is "breaking" and "forsaken", feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders. But instead of facing their problems head-on, they turn to their records for comfort. The line "Bleeding the feeling" suggests that the person is letting out their emotions through the music they listen to.
Towards the end of the song, there's a sense of self-reflection and redemption. The person acknowledges that they've been through tough times and have fallen from grace, but they're back on their feet again. The line "The reeling is healing" implies that the person is starting to feel better, perhaps because of the therapeutic nature of music.
Overall, Let The Records Play is a song about using music as a means of escape and finding comfort during difficult times. It acknowledges that music has the power to heal and provide solace in times of trouble.
Line by Line Meaning
When the Kingdom comes, he puts his records on
When he's feeling down, he turns to music to improve his mood.
And with his blistered thumb hits play
He's so dedicated to music that he's developed callouses on his thumb from hitting the play button so frequently.
And with the volume up he goes and fills his cup
He turns up the music and pours a drink to completely immerse himself in the moment.
And lets the drummer drum take away the pain, the pain
Music has the power to distract him from his pain and give him a sense of relief.
Breaking, forsaken, what's that you're taken?
He's asking himself what has caused him so much pain and turmoil.
Bleeding the feeling, he lets the records play
He uses music to release the emotions he's been keeping bottled up inside.
And should the future dim
If he starts to feel overwhelmed by the uncertainty of the future
The cigarette light's in
He lights a cigarette to calm his nerves.
The vaporizer green light grim
He uses a vaporizer to help him relax and take his mind off his worries.
And when the shot glass talks he goes to listens up
When he drinks alcohol he becomes more introspective and listens closely to the music.
Until he's nice and numb again, again
He continues to drink until he reaches a state of emotional detachment.
Shaken, the breaking, not one for faking, no!
He's going through a rough time and can't pretend that everything is okay.
The reeling is healing
He feels better when he's able to let his emotions out through music.
He lets the records play, there's wisdom in his ways
He trusts his intuition and understands the healing power of music.
I've been down and I fell so hard and far from grace
He's experienced a lot of hardship and has made some mistakes.
I've been hurt and I still recall the flaws on her face
He's been hurt by someone he loved and still thinks about their imperfections.
I've been off but but I'm on my feet, my feet again
Despite his struggles, he's found a way to keep moving forward.
Shaken, forsaken, what's that you're taking?
He's questioning his choices and the substances he's been using to ease his pain.
The weeding, the feeling, he lets the records play
He takes time to reflect on his life and emotions through the lyrics of the music he's listening to.
Shaken but breaking, not one for faking, oh!
He's honest with himself about his current emotional state, and is determined to face his issues head on.
The reeling is healing, he lets the records play!
He knows that music has the ability to provide emotional healing.
Oh, there's wisdom in his ways
He understands the value of using music to process his emotions and overcome his pain.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE JEROME VEDDER, STONE C. GOSSARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind