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)
Off He Goes
Pearl Jam Lyrics
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Know a man his face seemed pulled and tense
Like he's riding on a motorbike in the strongest winds
So I approach with tact
Suggest that he should relax
But he's always movin' much too fast
Said he'll see me on the flip side
He's been takin' too much on
There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
There he goes
He's yet to come back
But I've seen his picture
It doesn't look the same up on the racks
We go way back
I wonder 'bout his insides
It's like his thoughts are too big for his size
He's been taken where, I don't know?
Off he goes with his perfectly unkept hope
There he goes
And now I rub my eyes for he has returned
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned
For he still smiles and he's still strong
Nothing's changed, but the surrounding bullshit, that has grown
And now he's home, and we're laughing, like we always did
My same old, same old friend
Until a quarter-to-ten
I saw the strain creep in
He seems distracted and I know just what is gonna happen next
Before his first step, he is off again
The lyrics of Pearl Jam's "Off He Goes" song depict the story of a man who is always on the move and seems to be struggling with something internally. The singer of the song knows him for a long time and sees him in a picture that looks different from his usual self. When the man comes back, he still has his same big thoughts and is still strong, but there's something different about him. The surrounding "bullshit" seems to have grown and is causing a strain on him.
The song appears to be inspired by Pearl Jam's lead singer, Eddie Vedder's, relationships with friends who struggled with addiction and relied heavily on drugs and alcohol. The song alludes to the fact that the man in the song is struggling with a substance abuse problem, which can be inferred from the lines that describe his perfectly unkept clothes and that he's been taking too much on. The chorus of the song, "Off he goes with his perfectly unkept hope" suggests that despite his personal issues, the man still had hope that he could change his ways.
The lyrics of the song are well-written and extremely emotive. Vedder's powerful and soulful voice brings the story to life and perfectly encapsulates the emotions of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Know a man his face seemed pulled and tense
I met a man whose face looked strained and worried
Like he's riding on a motorbike in the strongest winds
He looked like he was struggling and dealing with tough pressures
So I approach with tact
I carefully approached him
Suggest that he should relax
I advised him to take a break and calm down
But he's always movin' much too fast
He was always in a hurry, too busy to stop and rest
Said he'll see me on the flip side
He promised to see me later when he was done with his work
On this trip he's taken for a ride
He is on a journey that he can't avoid or control
He's been takin' too much on
He has been taking on too many responsibilities
There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
He is always rushing around and never has time to fix his appearance
He's yet to come back
He hasn't returned, and it's unclear when he will
But I've seen his picture
I have seen a photo of him while he was away
It doesn't look the same up on the racks
The photo doesn't capture his true struggles and emotions
We go way back
We have a long history of friendship
I wonder 'bout his insides
I am curious about what he is really feeling and thinking
It's like his thoughts are too big for his size
He is dealing with bigger problems than he can handle
He's been taken where, I don't know?
I don't know where he has been or what he has experienced
Off he goes with his perfectly unkept hope
He has left again with the same unfulfilled dreams and hopes
And now I rub my eyes for he has returned
I am surprised and relieved to see him back
Seems my preconceptions are what should have been burned
I was wrong to judge him and underestimate his strength
For he still smiles and he's still strong
Despite his struggles, he is still positive and resilient
Nothing's changed, but the surrounding bullshit, that has grown
He is still the same person, but the world around him has become more complicated and challenging
And now he's home, and we're laughing, like we always did
We are back to our old ways, enjoying each other's company
My same old, same old friend
He is my old friend who hasn't changed
Until a quarter-to-ten
Until almost ten o'clock
I saw the strain creep in
I noticed the stress returning to his face
He seems distracted and I know just what is gonna happen next
I sense that he is about to leave again
Before his first step, he is off again
He leaves before even taking his first step, unable to stay
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Eddie Jerome Vedder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elliot Alderson
Lyrics -
Know a man
His face seems pulled and tense
Like he's riding on a motorbike
In the strongest winds
So I approach with tact
Suggest the he should relax
But he's always moving much too fast
Said he'll see me on the flip side
On this trip he's taken for a ride
He's been taking too much on
There he goes with his perfectly unkept clothes
There he goes
He's yet to come back
But I've seen his picture
It doesn't look the same up on the rack
We go way back
I wonder 'bout his insides
It's like his thoughts are too big for his size
He's been taken, where? I don't know
Off he goes, with his perfectly unkept hope
There he goes
And now I rub my eyes
For he has returned
Seems my preconceptions are
What should have been burned
For he still smiles
And he's still strong
Nothing's changed
But the surrounding bullshit
That has grown
And now he's home and we're laughing
Like we always did
My same old, same old friend
Until a quarter to ten
I saw the strain creep in
He seems distracted
And I know just what is gonna happen next
Before his first step
He is off again
Jeffrey Buck
It needs to be played more often. I love this song.
Anna W
I agree with Jeffrey!😄💞💞
Zane Roy
I know Im quite off topic but does anybody know of a good site to watch new tv shows online?
Omari Kobe
@Zane Roy flixportal
Zane Roy
@Omari Kobe Thanks, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there =) Appreciate it!!
Omari Kobe
@Zane Roy You are welcome xD
RodgertheNegotiator
I love how he changes the word "portion" this is one of my all time favorite songs. This song will always put me in a good mood and into tears. This is one of those songs that makes you realize what's important.
Sarah Eff
Awesome guitar solo. You can tell he's feeling the music through every fiber of his being.
Shanno Bailey
There is a story in everything song he sings 👍
Adilson De Paula
Caramba que música boa da porra !!!
👏👏👏👏❤🤘