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)
Masters Of War
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks
You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly
Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain
You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you sit back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
While the young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud
You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins
How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
That even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do
Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could?
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul
And I hope that you die
And your death will come soon
I'll follow your casket
By the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand over your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead
The lyrics to Pearl Jam's song Masters Of War condemn those who make weapons of war and profit from them. The song explicitly calls out those who build guns, death planes, and bombs, and those who manipulate the world for their gain as playing with the world "like it's your little toy." The song points out that while these people hide behind walls and desks, they're ultimately weak and transparent, their "masks" easily seen through. The lyrics also criticize those in power who perpetuate destruction, manipulation, and violence, pointing out that they "fasten all the triggers / For the others to fire" while they sit back in their mansions and watch innocent people die.
The song also critiques war itself as needless and destructive, likening those who propagate it to Judas. It suggests that while the masters of war may believe that a world war could be won, the reality is that their actions show them to be ignorant and short-sighted. The song concludes with the singer expressing the wish that the masters of war would die soon and that they will never be able to buy back their soul with all the money they've made from war and death.
Line by Line Meaning
Come you masters of war
Addressing the leaders who wage wars
You that build the big guns
Referring to the manufacturers of large weapons
You that build the death planes
Referring to the manufacturers of planes used to drop bombs
You that build all the bombs
Referring to the manufacturers of bombs
You that hide behind walls
Addressing those who have power and influence but avoid public scrutiny
You that hide behind desks
Addressing bureaucrats who hide in their offices
I just want you to know
Acknowledging them
I can see through your masks
Accusing them of hypocrisy
You that never done nothin'
Referring to their lack of productive activity
But build to destroy
Complaining about their destructive work
You play with my world
Referring to their power to affect others' lives
Like it's your little toy
Implying they are selfish and careless
You put a gun in my hand
Addressing those who send people to war
And you hide from my eyes
Accusing them of not sharing the risk they create
And you turn and run farther
Fleeing when things get dangerous
When the fast bullets fly
When the fighting gets heated
Like Judas of old
Comparing them to the traitor
You lie and deceive
Accusing them of dishonesty
A world war can be won
Implying that they are willing to start a global conflict
You want me to believe
Questioning their motives
But I see through your eyes
Claiming to understand their true intentions
And I see through your brain
Claiming to know their thought process
Like I see through the water
Comparing it to something that is easily visible
That runs down my drain
Imagery to support his claim of easy visibility
You fasten all the triggers
Putting the blame on them for causing violence
For the others to fire
Effectively turning others into killers
Then you sit back and watch
Accusing them of not caring about the consequences
When the death count gets higher
When more people are killed as a result of their policies
You hide in your mansion
Accusing them of being disconnected from reality
While the young people's blood
Referring to the loss of innocent human life
Flows out of their bodies
Colorful visual imagery to highlight the horror of war
And is buried in the mud
Symbolizing how death is often anonymous
You've thrown the worst fear
Putting the blame of creating fear on them
That can ever be hurled
Suggesting how terrible the fear created is
Fear to bring children
Referring to the anxiety of bringing new life into a world with such violence
Into the world
The many fears that plague people every day
For threatening my baby
Making a direct and personal attack
Unborn and unnamed
Referring to someone who is not even born yet
You ain't worth the blood
Claiming that they are not worth the lives lost
That runs in your veins
Highlighting the contrast between the blood of the powerful and that of the many
How much do I know
Admitting his lack of expertise on some topics
To talk out of turn
Implying that he is not qualified to speak about these things
You might say that I'm young
Suggesting that he is inexperienced and impressionable
You might say I'm unlearned
Referring to his lack of an education in these matters
But there's one thing I know
Despite his limitations, there is one thing he does know
Though I'm younger than you
Acknowledging the age and status difference between him and the addressed persons
That even Jesus would never
Making reference to the Biblical figure
Forgive what you do
Claiming that even God Himself would not justify their actions
Let me ask you one question
Trying to address the rulers directly
Is your money that good?
Asking if their wealth justifies the price that is paid in human lives
Will it buy you forgiveness
Highlighting that they cannot escape judgement in the afterlife
Do you think that it could?
Rhetorically questioning their sense of morality
I think you will find
Making a statement of truth that they may not realize
When your death takes its toll
Referring to their mortality
All the money you made
Highlighting the fact that money and power cannot extend one's life or avoid their ultimate fate
Will never buy back your soul
Suggesting that their actions have serious consequences in life and beyond
And I hope that you die
Wishing them ill will
And your death will come soon
Predicting their eventual demise
I'll follow your casket
Symbolically continuing his attack after they are dead
By the pale afternoon
Describing the somber atmosphere of a funeral
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Describing the aftermath of their death
Down to your deathbed
The final resting place of the body
And I'll stand over your grave
Visual imagery of standing over their enemy's burial plot
'Til I'm sure that you're dead
Making sure that they are truly gone for good.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@StonedGossard_
Eddie's howl in certain bits of this song are hauntingly good
@bonniebabird
I remember the first time I heard Dylan sing this beautiful song. Too long time comin and here we still are
@rickstalentedtongue910
Dylan know who he is working for, and now is quite and his joy is sapped from his music, but not the wisdom.
@anwaradi
"And I'll stand over your grave 'til I'm sure that you're dead." Wow!
@freesouljah
“Lowered into your deathbed, and I’ll stand over your grave until I’m sure that your dead”…the song hits hard on Rumsfeld’s death day…
@yury2749
He was a stooge. Dylan is singing about the Marxists. They infiltrated both parties and now our political compass goes between Communism and Fascism, both of which are Marxist.
@turdferguson7504
It sounds like a line straight from the lips of the “masters of war”.
@batgurrl
Thanks for the reminder- powerful song ❤️
@jamesblanshard9468
A timeless Masterpiece x
@brutus4013
Another great cover ! Well done .