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)
Marker in the Sand
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one sees it 'cause the sand
Has covered over all the messages it kept
Misunderstanding, what original truth was
And out expanding, in a faith, but not in love
What went wrong?
Seeing visions of falling up somehow
Do come down
With the living let what is living love
So unforgiving, yet needing forgiveness first
God, what do you say?
Those undecided needn't have faith to be free
And those misguided, there was a plan for them to be
Now you got both sides claiming killing in god's name
But god is nowhere to be found, conveniently
What goes on?
Walking tightrope high over moral ground
Walk the bridges before you burn them down
Do come round
With the living let what is living love
Unforgiving, yet needing forgiveness first
God, what do you say? What do you say?
I feel a sickness. A sickness coming over me
Like watching freedom being sucked straight out to sea
And the solution? Well, from me far would it be
But the delusion is feeling dangerous to me
What goes wrong?
Walking tightrope high over moral ground
Seeing visions of falling up somehow
Do come down
With the living, let what is living love
Are forgiving, yet needing forgiveness first
What do you say? God, what do you say?
What do you say?
Calling out, calling out
Calling out, calling out
The song "Marker in the Sand" by Pearl Jam appears to be an exploration of the complexities and contradictions of faith, morality, and justice. Eddie Vedder, the lead vocalist and songwriter, uses powerful imagery and metaphors to convey a sense of confusion and despair about the state of the world and the role of religion and belief systems in perpetuating violence and conflict.
The first verse of the song describes a hidden marker in the sand that has become obscured by time and misunderstanding. This marker represents the original truth that has been lost or distorted by conflicting interpretations and perspectives over time. The lines "Misunderstanding, what original truth was / And out expanding, in a faith, but not in love" imply that while faith and belief systems can provide a sense of purpose and meaning, they can also be used to justify violence and discrimination if not grounded in love and compassion.
The second verse continues this theme by describing the dangers of walking a tightrope of morality and the difficulty of finding forgiveness in a world filled with anger and hate. The lines "Those undecided needn't have faith to be free / And those misguided, there was a plan for them to be" suggest that it is possible to find freedom and purpose without relying on traditional religious beliefs, and that those who have been led astray by misguided ideologies may still have the potential to find redemption and meaning.
The chorus and repeated refrain of "What do you say? God, what do you say?" seems to express a sense of desperation and longing for guidance or clarity in a world that is increasingly fragmented and chaotic. The final lines of the song, "Calling out, calling out / Calling out, calling out" suggest a plea for connection and community in the face of uncertainty and fear.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a marker
There exists a sign or symbol that holds meaning or significance.
No one sees it 'cause the sand
Due to the build-up of sand or other objects, this symbol can no longer be seen.
Has covered over all the messages it kept
As an effect of the accumulated debris, the meaning or message that the symbol once held is lost.
Misunderstanding, what original truth was
There has been a mistake or misinterpretation of what the truth was intended to be.
And out expanding, in a faith, but not in love
A belief system or religion has grown in size or following, but lacks the essence of love and its principles.
What went wrong?
An inquiry into what went astray or what caused the problem.
Walking tightrope high over moral ground
The idea of navigating through moral and ethical dilemmas or issues with difficulty, without any sense of security.
Seeing visions of falling up somehow
Having thoughts of failure or falling despite thinking and acting positively.
Do come down
Urging oneself to return to reality, and ground oneself.
With the living let what is living love
With the present or live ones, show love and understanding.
So unforgiving, yet needing forgiveness first
Although one needs to be forgiven, they are finding it difficult to forgive.
God, what do you say?
Asking God or a higher power for guidance or answers.
Those undecided needn't have faith to be free
People who are uncertain or hesitant do not necessarily require faith to attain freedom.
And those misguided, there was a plan for them to be
People who are mistaken or misled still have a purpose or fate.
Now you got both sides claiming killing in god's name
Presently, multiple parties are claiming and justifying the act of killing in the name of God.
But god is nowhere to be found, conveniently
However, God is absent or uninvolved in the matter in a convenient way.
What goes on?
What is happening or occurring?
Walk the bridges before you burn them down
Resolve issues or conflicts first before they escalate to the point of no return.
Do come round
Change your mindset and viewpoint.
I feel a sickness. A sickness coming over me
Experiencing a feeling or sense of unease or anxiety.
Like watching freedom being sucked straight out to sea
Similar to observing freedom or independence being taken away or disappearing.
And the solution? Well, from me far would it be
The solution for this problem is something that is distant or not within one's reach.
But the delusion is feeling dangerous to me
However, the current state of being deluded or misled in thinking is starting to become a serious concern.
What goes wrong?
Questioning what has gone wrong or what has caused things to deteriorate.
Are forgiving, yet needing forgiveness first
One is willing to forgive, but they also need to be forgiven as well.
Calling out, calling out
Repeating a phrase or statement, but with an urgent or emphasized tone.
Calling out, calling out
A repetition of the last statement.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE VEDDER, MIKE MCCREADY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cristian S
"Marker In The Sand"
There is a marker,... no one sees it 'cause the sand
Has covered over,... all the messages it kept
Misunderstanding,... what original truth was
And out expanding,... in a faith but not in love
What went wrong?
Walking tightrope high,... over moral ground
Seeing visions of,........ falling up somehow
Do come down
With the living, let,... what is living love
So unforgiving, yet,...... needing forgiveness first
God, what do you say?
Those undecided,.... Needn't have faith to be free
And those misguided, there was a plan for them to be
Now you got both sides claiming killing in Gods name
But God is nowhere,.. to be found conveniently
What goes on?
Walking tightrope high,... over moral ground
Walk the bridges,......... before you burn them down
Do come round
With the living, let,... what is living love
So unforgiving, yet,...... needing forgiveness first
God, what do you say? What do you say?
There is a sickness,... a sickness coming over me
Like watching freedom,. Being sucked straight out to sea
An the solution?...... Well, from me far would it be
But the delusion,..... Is feeling dangerous to me
What goes wrong?
Walking tightrope high,... over moral ground
Seeing visions of,........ falling up somehow
Do come down
With the living, let,... what is living love
So unforgiving, yet,...... needing forgiveness first
What do you say,.......... God, what do you say?
Calling out,....... Calling out.
Calling out,....... I'm calling you out.
david lovelady
This album/cd is very underrated
Maks Faks
@VicInNocal and yet you still come here and waste your time instead of listening to something not bland and shitty
priorities
Black Belt Jones
@VicInNocal stop describing urself bro.
VicInNocal
Because it is bland and shitty
JammastaJ23
After Ten I actually think this is their most listenable album.
Jeff Panetta
david lovelady I couldn't agree with you more, glad others think so! This song is so fucking awesome
Kevin Calhoun
Best song from this album
Daryl C
Top 3 best PJ albums imo
Jose Hernandez
This song is amazing (the whole album) so much feeling!
Cynical Scorpio
I recently had a dream where I was standing in a classroom and this song started playing. Not sure what made me randomly remember it, amazing song btw