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)
Rockin
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People shufflin' their feet, people sleepin' in their shoes
There's a warnin' sign in the road ahead
There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead
Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them
So I try to forgive 'em, any way I can, yeah...
I see a girl in the night with a baby in her hands
Under an old street light, oh, near a garbage can
She hates her life, and what she's done with it
That's one more kid, that'll never go to school
Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool
Keep on rockin' in the free world (3x)
( The US of A, the United States )
( Ain't a free place, it's not a free place )
( Ain't got the right to choose, barely got the right to vote )
( There they got the right to make an honest buck )
( The USA ain't a free, free place )
There's a thousand points of light for the colored man
There's a kinder, gentler police man's hand
There's department stores, and toilet paper
Styrofoam garbage for the Ozone layer
There's a man of the people, said 'keep hope alive'
Got fuel to burn, got roads to drive
Keep on rockin' in the free world (4x)
The song "Rockin' in the Free World" by Pearl Jam is a cover of Neil Young's 1989 hit. The lyrics describe a picture of life in the United States, particularly the issues that America faces. The opening lines "There are colors on the street...red, white, and blue/People shufflin' their feet, people sleepin' in their shoes" imply that although the country is seen as a beacon of freedom and opportunity, there are still many people who struggle to make ends meet.
The lines "There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead/Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them/So I try to forgive 'em, any way I can, yeah" suggest that there is a lot of anger and resentment towards those in power, but the singer tries to maintain a sense of forgiveness and understanding.
The verse about the girl with the baby in her hands highlights the struggles of single mothers who turn to drugs as a way of coping. The lines "That's one more kid, that'll never go to school/Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool" paint a bleak picture of the future for these children.
Overall, "Rockin' in the Free World" is a commentary on the state of America and the issues that the country faces. While it acknowledges some of the positives, it also brings attention to the negative aspects of life in the United States.
Line by Line Meaning
There are colors on the street...red, white, and blue
The colors of the USA's flag can be seen on the streets.
People shufflin' their feet, people sleepin' in their shoes
There are people struggling with poverty and homelessness.
There's a warnin' sign in the road ahead
There are warning signs of trouble in the future.
There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead
Some people think that things are so bad that death would be a better alternative.
Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them
The singer is different from some people, and they perceive him as evil.
So I try to forgive 'em, any way I can, yeah...
Despite their prejudice, the singer tries to forgive people for their ignorance.
I see a girl in the night with a baby in her hands
The singer sees a struggling mother on the streets.
Under an old street light, oh, near a garbage can
The mother is standing near a trash can under a dim light.
Now she put her kid away, she's gone to get a hit
The mother left her baby to get drugs.
She hates her life, and what she's done with it
The mother is regretful and unhappy with what she has become.
That's one more kid, that'll never go to school
The baby is unlikely to receive an education due to the mother's situation.
Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool
The baby may miss out on the experiences of love and fun due to the mother's struggles.
Keep on rockin' in the free world (3x)
Despite the problems, people should continue to enjoy their lives and rock out to music.
( The US of A, the United States )
The song is about the United States of America.
( Ain't a free place, it's not a free place )
The US is not as free as it claims to be.
( Ain't got the right to choose, barely got the right to vote )
Americans do not have complete freedom of choice, and their voting rights are limited.
( There they got the right to make an honest buck )
In contrast, people are allowed to earn an honest living in the US.
( The USA ain't a free, free place )
The US is not as free as it should be.
There's a thousand points of light for the colored man
There may be some opportunities for people of color in the US.
There's a kinder, gentler police man's hand
Not all police are harsh and cruel.
There's department stores, and toilet paper
The USA has plenty of consumer goods and amenities.
Styrofoam garbage for the Ozone layer
The US also produces harmful waste that damages the environment.
There's a man of the people, said 'keep hope alive'
There are leaders in the US who inspire hope and progress.
Got fuel to burn, got roads to drive
The US has the resources and infrastructure to support its citizens.
Keep on rockin' in the free world (4x)
The song concludes with a call to continue enjoying life and fighting for change in the US.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Frank M. Sampedro, Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rubengarcia1982
CON EL PERMISO DE PEARL JAN
NEIL YOUNG!!
DEDICO ESTE TREMENDO-MAGICO TEMAZO!!
VA POR TODOS LOS SANITARIOS Y CUERPOS DE SEGURIDAD 🌍❤️🇪🇸
YA QUE EL PODER LEGISLATIVO. NOS HA MENTIDO Y DEJADO TIRADOS A NUESTRA SUERTE ☠️
GRACIAS HEROES!!! 👏🏽🙌🏻💪🏾👌🏼❤️
Y LOS GRANDES OLVIDADOS QUE TAMBIÉN ESTÁN EN PRIMERA LINEA
FARMACÉUTICAS /OS 👏🏽🙌🏻👌🏿💪🏻❤️
@marumaruko_47
It's 2024, I found this and now I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes. What a performance. This is Rock n Roll.
@TaniaSchmidt-pk3cf
2004 São Paulo Brazil
@TaniaSchmidt-pk3cf
#FreePalestine🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸
@remcocraane3862
✌️Beware , it started five years back. I keep on coming back. Free world😁✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️
@drips1030
Amazing. Just found it myself too!!! 💖
@rmawer1986
🇵🇸❤ @@TaniaSchmidt-pk3cf
@philipclifton3058
The bassist! SMASHES it"
@james-op6zu
you can tell Eddie had no idea uncle Neil was going to join him. he is in awe... we all are in awe!
@winstonramroop3387
The drummer is from another friggin planet !
@ldolphin34
This was good to start with, then the moment you realize Neil is walking on stage, this becomes priceless.