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)
Present Tense
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leaning out to catch the sun's rays...a lesson to be applied...
Are you gettin' something out of this all encompassing trip?
You can spend your time alone redigesting past regrets oh...
Or you can come to terms and realize
You're the only one who can forgive yourself oh yeah...
Makes much more sense to live in the present tense...
Have you ideas on how this life ends?
Have you the belief that the road ahead ascends off into the light?
Seems that needlessly it's gettin' harder
To find an approach and a way to live...
Are we gettin' something out of this all-encompassing trip?
You can spend your time alone redigesting past regrets, oh...
Or you can come to terms and realize...
You're the only one who cannot forgive yourself, oh...
A-makes much more sense to live in the present tense...
The lyrics to Pearl Jam’s song Present Tense talk about the importance of living in the moment and not dwelling on the past. The opening lines, “Do you see the way that tree bends? Does it inspire?” suggest that we can learn from nature and find inspiration in the way that trees reach out to catch the sun. The next line, “Are you getting something out of this all-encompassing trip?” implies that life is a journey and we should strive to make the most of it. The following lines emphasize the importance of not dwelling on past regrets, but rather forgiving ourselves and living in the present moment. The chorus, “Makes much more sense to live in the present tense…” emphasizes this message and suggests that living in the present is the best way to approach life.
The second half of the song asks the listener to consider their beliefs about the end of life and whether they believe in an afterlife or not. The lines “Have you the belief that the road ahead ascends off into the light?” suggest a belief in an afterlife, while the next line, “Seems that needlessly it’s getting harder to find an approach and a way to live…” suggests the difficulty in finding meaning in life without a belief in an afterlife. The final lines once again suggest that we should not dwell on the past but live in the present moment, as it is the only moment we truly have control over.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you see the way that tree bends? Does it inspire?
Do you notice the way the tree curves towards the sun? Does it make you reflect on what inspires you?
Leaning out to catch the sun's rays...a lesson to be applied...
The tree leans out to catch the sun's rays, maybe we can learn from its example and reach out towards light and warmth.
Are you gettin' something out of this all encompassing trip?
Are you experiencing any personal growth or learning valuable lessons while on this journey of life?
You can spend your time alone redigesting past regrets oh...
You can choose to dwell on past mistakes and regrets, feeling isolated and unhappy.
Or you can come to terms and realize
Alternatively, you have the power to come to terms with your past and understand it in a positive light.
You're the only one who can forgive yourself oh yeah...
You alone hold the power to forgive yourself for past mistakes and move forward.
Makes much more sense to live in the present tense...
It makes more sense to focus on the present moment and actively create a fulfilling life, rather than getting lost in past regrets.
Have you ideas on how this life ends?
Have you considered and developed thoughts on what happens when life comes to an end?
Checked your hands and studied the lines?
Have you taken a moment to reflect on your own mortality by inspecting your hands and the lines on them?
Have you the belief that the road ahead ascends off into the light?
Do you believe that life after death leads towards the light, a positive and hopeful end?
Seems that needlessly it's gettin' harder
It feels like life is becoming increasingly difficult and the challenges we face may be unnecessary or avoidable.
To find an approach and a way to live...
We struggle to find a path towards a fulfilling and purposeful life.
Are we gettin' something out of this all-encompassing trip?
Are we making the most of all life has to offer, growing and learning from our experiences?
You can spend your time alone redigesting past regrets, oh...
You could continue to isolate yourself and dwell on the mistakes of the past.
Or you can come to terms and realize...
Or you could come to a positive understanding of events and move forward in a way that aligns with your values and goals.
You're the only one who cannot forgive yourself, oh...
You alone cannot forgive yourself for past mistakes or change the past, but you can learn from that and move forward towards a brighter future.
A-makes much more sense to live in the present tense...
It is more fulfilling and productive to focus on the present moment, living intentionally and with purpose, rather than getting stuck in the past.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE VEDDER, MIKE MCCREADY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ricardo Costa
Lyrics
Do you see the way that tree bends? Does it inspire?
Leaning out to catch the sun's rays...a lesson to be applied...
Are you gettin' something out of this all encompassing trip?
You can spend your time alone redigesting past regrets oh...
Or you can come to terms and realize
You're the only one who can forgive yourself oh yeah...
Makes much more sense to live in the present tense...
Have you ideas on how this life ends?
Checked your hands and studied the lines?
Have you the belief that the road ahead ascends off into the light?
Seems that needlessly it's gettin' harder
To find an approach and a way to live...
Are we gettin' something out of this all-encompassing trip?
You can spend your time alone redigesting past regrets, oh...
Or you can come to terms and realize...
You're the only one who cannot forgive yourself, oh...
A-makes much more sense to live in the present tense...
Advent616
...Started with hope.
It started with hope.
We went from a shitty team to one of the all-time best dynasties.
All you needed was oooone little match... to start that whole fire. -Michael Jordan.
🎶You can... Spend your time alone
Re-di-gesting past regrets OOOOOOH
Or you CAN...
Come to terms AND realize
You're the only one
Who cannot forgive himself OOOOOOH
Makes much MORE sense
To liiiive... In the present teeeeee-eeense🎶
WYL2K
So stoked to hear this at the end of The Last Dance
Eino Kostiainen
for lance vance
andydufresne87
Same here... embraced the spirit of the 90's....
Brendon Ching
such a proper song to end the series...
Kobe Flann
It brought a tear to my eye, hearing this song while Jordan talked about how they should’ve had a chance to go after #7
Donna Suzanne
Great song. Makes a person look deep inside themselves about moments in their life that weren't always the greatest & learn to leave that in the past. Live for the now. Life's to short to let the bad shit drag you down & keep you down.
Ryan
I spent 6 months in 1995 in a group home. My only possession was this CD and a clunky Discman. I took great comfort in this song. Thank you Pearl Jam for helping to save me.
Luke Stocks
I don't know why this comment hit me so hard but it did.
Jerry Reyes
I hear you brother. There are tunes that have the power to get you through some serious stuff.
Shanno Bailey
I hope your well now?