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 13Γ 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)
No More
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Took a bullet in the back for his pay
Spilled his blood in the dirt and the dust
He's back to say:
What he has seen is hard to believe
And it does no good to just pray
He asks of us to stand
With his mind, he's saying, "No more!"
With his heart, he's saying, "No more!"
With his life he's saying, "No more war!"
With his eyes, he's saying, "No more!"
With his body, he's saying, "No more!"
With his voice, he's saying, "No more war!"
Yeah, nothing's too good for a veteran
Yeah, this is what they say
So nothing is what they will get
In this new American way
The lies we were told to get us to go
Were criminal ... let us be straight
Let's get to the point where our voices get heard
And I know what I'll say
With our minds, we're saying, "No more!"
With our hearts, we're saying, "No more!"
With our lives, we're saying, "No more war!"
With our eyes, we're saying, "No more!"
With our voices, we're saying, "No more!"
With our bodies, we're saying, "No more war!"
No more innocents dying
No more terrorizing
No more eulogizing
No more
No more evangelizing
No more
No more presidents lying
No more war
With our minds, we're saying, "No more!"
With our hearts, we're saying, "No more!"
With our lives, we're saying, "No more war!"
The lyrics of Pearl Jam's song No More speak to the experiences of a veteran who has given his blood and his body for his country, but who has returned home to find that the war he fought was not worth it. The singer acknowledges the sacrifices that veterans have made, but also recognizes that the government and the country as a whole are not doing enough for these men and women. The singer wants to end the war, and the song is a plea to his fellow citizens to stand up and demand that the government take action.
The chorus of the song is a powerful repetition of the phrase "No more!" This simple phrase expresses the veteran's desire to put an end to the cycle of war and violence, and to create a more just and peaceful world. The different ways in which the phrase is repeated - with his mind, with his heart, with his life, with his eyes, with his body, and with his voice - emphasize the urgency and the depth of the singer's feelings.
The verses of the song are somewhat more specific, addressing the lies and the propaganda that were used to justify the war, as well as the lack of support and resources that veterans often face when they return home. Despite the dark subject matter, the song is ultimately a hopeful one, calling on people to work together to build a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
I speak for a man who gave for this land
The singer is representing a man who sacrificed for their country
Took a bullet in the back for his pay
The man the singer represents was shot while fighting for their country
Spilled his blood in the dirt and the dust
The man the singer represents shed blood while fighting for their country
He's back to say:
The man the artist represents has returned to speak out against war
What he has seen is hard to believe
The man the artist represents witnessed things in war that are difficult to comprehend
And it does no good to just pray
Prayer alone cannot solve the problem of war
He asks of us to stand
The man the singer represents calls on us to take action
And we must end this war today
The man the artist represents believes the war must be ended immediately
With his mind, he's saying, "No more!"
The man the artist represents wants an end to war through rational means
With his heart, he's saying, "No more!"
The man the artist represents feels emotional pain at the thought of war and longs for it to end
With his life he's saying, "No more war!"
The man the singer represents has put his life on the line to end war
With his eyes, he's saying, "No more!"
The man the artist represents observes the consequences of war and wants them to stop
With his body, he's saying, "No more!"
The man the singer represents physically feels the effects of war and wants them to end
With his voice, he's saying, "No more war!"
The man the singer represents speaks out against war
Yeah, nothing's too good for a veteran
Society owes its veterans a debt of gratitude for their service
Yeah, this is what they say
This is what people claim about veterans
So nothing is what they will get
However, veterans are not always treated with the respect they deserve
In this new American way
This new era of American society has not yet learned how to properly care for its veterans
The lies we were told to get us to go
The government used false information to convince people to support war
Were criminal ... let us be straight
These lies were illegal and unethical
Let's get to the point where our voices get heard
It's time for people to speak out against war
And I know what I'll say
The artist knows what message they will deliver
No more innocents dying
Innocent people should no longer be harmed by war
No more terrorizing
The use of terror tactics in war should cease
No more eulogizing
People should not have to mourn the loss of loved ones due to war
No more
All aspects of war must stop
No more evangelizing
People should not be manipulated or pressured to support war
No more presidents lying
Leaders of nations should not be untruthful in order to gain support for war
No more war
There must be an end to war, as it causes too much suffering and death
With our minds, we're saying, "No more!"
People are calling for an end to war using reason and logic
With our hearts, we're saying, "No more!"
People are calling for an end to war with deep emotional conviction
With our lives, we're saying, "No more war!"
People are willing to sacrifice their lives to end war
With our eyes, we're saying, "No more!"
People are witnessing the destruction that war causes and calling for it to end
With our voices, we're saying, "No more!"
People are using their voices to speak out against war
With our bodies, we're saying, "No more war!"
People are taking physical action to end war
Contributed by Gavin C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Francesco Casaccio
I speak for a man
who gave for this land
Took a bullet in the back
for his pay
Spilled his blood
in the dirt and the dust
He's back to say
That what he has seen
is hard to believe
And it does no good
to just pray
He asks of us to stand
And we must end this war today
With his mind,
he's saying, "No more!"
With his heart,
he's saying, "No more!"
With his life,
he's saying, "No more war!"
With his eyes,
he's saying, "No more!"
With his body,
he's saying, "No more!"
With his voice,
he's saying, "No more war!"
Well nothing's too good
for a veteran
Yeah, this is what they say
So nothing is what they will get
In this new American way
The lies we were told
to get us to go
War criminal(?)
let us be straight
Let's get to the point
where our voices are heard
Behind the White House gates
With our minds,
we're saying, "No more!"
With our hearts,
we're saying, "No more!"
With our lives,
we're saying, "No more war!"
With our eyes,
we're saying, "No more!"
With our bodies,
we're saying, "No more!"
With our voices,
we're saying, "No more war!"
No more innocents dying
No more terrorizing
No more eulogizing
No more evangelizing
No more presidents lying
No more war
With our minds,
we're saying, "No more!"
With our hearts,
we're saying, "No more!"
With our lives,
we're saying, "No more war!"
Andy Kaufmann
Wow, what a strong song. "Bush lied, my son died" Eddie is genius.
Caleb Kallander
I so rarely cry from songs....But Eddie Vedder never ceases to take my breathe away..
MT
This sends chills down the core of my being. Imagine if we stood up with this message in masses
P M
Timeless and moving.
Dan Nordstrom
It's really refreshing to see a peace song supported by a major label. Thanks Warner Brothers.
Bren Ferris
I love you even more for this, Eddie Vedder. This brought tears to my eyes.
Questionauthority chawasa
Love & respect to my family members who served & all our brave veterans.
Makenzie Leanne
Powerful message.. But without Eddie singing it would be another peace loving hippie song. Only a voice like his could send such a powerful message.
Felipe Mondaca Pimentel
Eddie genio, mostro, capo, Γdolo. Las tiene todas.
Bill Stanton
This song is 15 years old and the first time I heard I was offended. I thought it was disrespectful to our service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Over many years of reflection and growth Iβve come to realize how true this song is. Eddie was right to write it and Iβm grateful he did. We need to stop sending our best overseas to die for causes that are not important to Americans and our allies. Our leaders have failed us over and over again.