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)
Lightning Bolt
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you don't know where from she was thrown
Like a burning meteor from miles high
Shes looking for a place to land
She said you got yourself some sand
And whatever you'd reply she took as yes
She comes out the deep?
Thrown down on your knees and then you're dead
Then before you know the weeds are all beastly overgrown
With all the wild seeds he sews in your sleeve
You've got to know you'll never let her go
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Always something and never nothing
Isn't that the way we're taught to be, to be?
Through the worn our pages
In stages when you knew not who to be
Yeah! yeah!
Until the lightning strike sets you free, yeah!
You've got to know you'll never let her go
She is lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
Lightning bolt!
The crashing stormy waves are over shoreline everyday
Until the castle on her waves turns to sand
She holds her lovely breast as her birds fall from her nest
Flying towards the great northwest, yeah you were here
And with no repair in sight
There is no god with such might
As you open her world wide with such a view
And your death will soon arrive as she finally decides
That all her problems, they won't die with you
A-yeah! a-yeah! a-yeah!
Never let her go
She's a lightning bolt
Never let her go
She's true
She's rock 'n roll
She's a lightning bolt
Uncontrollable
Like you
The opening lines “She comes on like a stone, but you don’t know where from she was thrown” initiates a conversation about a woman who enters into someone’s life not as a spark, but as a heavy presence. Her impact is unclear from the onset, and as she settles in, the singer admits that he has fallen to her whims, and whatever he replies, she takes as a "yes." The singer metaphorically describes the woman as a meteor, "Looking for a place to land" and as "having seeds," that she plants within him that eventually grow into a wild untamed garden with all the wild seeds he sews in your sleeve. From the inexplicable burnout that she brings, he draws strength and freedom in the realization that she is a stormy wave, unpredictable and uncontrollable –a powerful symbol of rock'n'roll itself.
The chorus repeatedly sings that she is a "Lightning Bolt," a force of nature; a life-changing, electric event that has its trajectory and intentions, but ultimately unavoidable. The lyric is an analogy of lust, infatuation or love, and how these life-altering emotions may come so suddenly, catching one off-guard, like lightning. Pearl Jam's song conveys a sense of powerlessness when it comes to the effects that a relationship can have on someone, and how these episodes change one's life in profound and unpredictable ways, similar to being hit by lightning.
Line by Line Meaning
She comes on like a stone
She appears tough and unbreakable, but in reality, she's gone through many struggles.
But you don't know where from she was thrown
You don't know the hardships and obstacles she's overcome to reach where she is now.
Like a burning meteor from miles high
Her journey to get to where she is was intense, exciting, and full of energy.
Shes looking for a place to land
She's looking for a place to belong and make her mark in the world.
She said you got yourself some sand
She noticed that you're a strong and resilient person.
And whatever you'd reply she took as yes
She was confident in herself and interpreted your responses positively.
She comes out the deep? With her newly planted seeds and soon you're Thrown down on your knees and then you're dead
From a place of obscurity, she comes with new ideas that can change your life for the better, even if they lead to your temporary downfall.
Then before you know the weeds are all beastly overgrown, With all the wild seeds he sews in your sleeve
With her influence, your life will become full of uncertainty and chaos, but also with potential for greatness.
You've got to know you'll never let her go, Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt! Lightning bolt!
She's an unstoppable force that you'll never be able to shake.
Always something and never nothing, Isn't that the way we're taught to be, to be?
We're taught to continuously pursue progress and growth, never being idle or complacent.
Through the worn our pages, In stages when you knew not who to be Yeah! yeah! Until the lightning strike sets you free, yeah!
You may have struggled with your identity, but when she comes into your life, she brings a transformative spark that liberates you.
The crashing stormy waves are over shoreline everyday Until the castle on her waves turns to sand She holds her lovely breast as her birds fall from her nest Flying towards the great northwest, yeah you were here
Time relentlessly takes things away from us, including her, but she'll always feel like home to you.
And with no repair in sight There is no god with such might As you open her world wide with such a view And your death will soon arrive as she finally decides That all her problems, they won't die with you
When her world is destroyed, she can't imagine anyone being able to fix it except you, but even then, you can only do so much. Eventually, she'll have to face her problems on her own.
A-yeah! a-yeah! a-yeah! Never let her go She's a lightning bolt Never let her go She's true
No matter what happens, never let her go because she's unique, special, and true to herself.
She's rock 'n roll She's a lightning bolt Uncontrollable Like you
She's wild, unpredictable, and fascinating, just like you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE JEROME VEDDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind