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)
MFC (Live in Las Vegas
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wheel will be turning right, then straight
Off in the sunset she'll ride
She can remember a time denied
Stood by the side of the road, spilled like wine now
She's out on her own and I'm high
There's no leaving here
She's disappeared
They said that timing was everything
Made him want to be everywhere
There's a lot to be said for nowhere
There's no leaving here
Ask- I'm an ear
He's disappeared
There's no leaving here
Ask- I'm an ear
Fuck it- we've disappeared
The lyrics of Pearl Jam's song MFC (Live in Las Vegas) seem to revolve around the themes of escape and disappearance. The lyrics of this song, especially the first part of the first verse, tell a story of a person who is driving away from something in the past and moving towards new horizons, represented by the sunset. The wheel turning straight could represent the transition into a path which is certain and straightforward, as opposed to the previous situation which was perhaps confusing, unclear, or dead-end.
However, the singer also mentions another person, who has "disappeared" in the second and third verses. This suggests that the song may be about two people who are trying to escape or leave behind something, together or separately. Their reasons for wanting to disappear may be different – one may have been denied something, while the other may simply want to be everywhere, or nowhere in particular. Whatever their reasons may be, they have both vanished from the scene.
The chorus of the song emphasizes that there is no leaving here, and that the singer is an ear to listen to those who have disappeared. Perhaps this suggests that the singer himself has been through similar experiences of wanting to escape or run away from something in the past. The final line of "Fuck it- we've disappeared" could be interpreted as a final act of defiance or liberation, where the individuals in question have finally succeeded in disappearing, whether or not it was intentional.
Line by Line Meaning
Sliding out of reverse into drive, this
Starting to move forward after backing up, and heading straight towards something.
Wheel will be turning right, then straight
Turning in one direction, then continuing on a straight path.
Off in the sunset she'll ride
Going off into the distance, towards a new destination.
She can remember a time denied
Recalling a past experience that was unpleasant or rejected.
Stood by the side of the road, spilled like wine now
Being left behind or abandoned, feeling lost and helpless.
She's out on her own and I'm high
She's moved on and left him behind, while he's feeling euphoric or intoxicated.
They said that timing was everything
People believe that timing is a crucial factor for success or failure.
Made him want to be everywhere
Something has inspired him to seek out new experiences and opportunities.
There's a lot to be said for nowhere
There are benefits to being in a state of limbo, with no specific destination or plan.
He's disappeared
He's gone missing or vanished without explanation.
Fuck it- we've disappeared
We're leaving everything behind and starting a new chapter, consequences be damned.
Contributed by Mila G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.