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)
The Long Road
Pearl Jam Lyrics
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All the precious moments. Cannot stay.
It's not like wings have fallen. Cannot stay.
But still something's missing. I cannot say, yeah.
Holding hands are daughters and sons.
And their faiths are falling down, down, down, down.
I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today.
Will I walk the long road? (the long road) Cannot stay. (the long road)
There's no need to say goodbye. (to say goodbye)
All the friends and family.
All the memories going round, round, round, round.
I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today.
And the wind keeps roaring. And the sky keeps turning grey.
And the sun is set. The sun will rise another day.
I...
I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today.
I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today.
Will I walk the long road? We all walk the long road.
Will I walk the long road. We all walk the long road.
Will I walk the long road?
Will I walk the long road? We all walk the long road.
Will I walk the long road? We all walk the long road.
Will I walk the long road?
The lyrics of "The Long Road" by Pearl Jam explore the theme of loss and the struggle to move on. The singer is dealing with the aftermath of a loss that has left them feeling incomplete and lost. The repetition of the phrase "I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today" emphasizes the singer's longing and pain.
The first verse uses imagery of wings falling to convey a sense of loss and the absence of something essential. The singer cannot say what is missing, but the ambiguousness of their feelings adds to the depth of the emotion conveyed in the song. The second verse introduces the idea of the passing of time and its effect on relationships. The reference to children holding hands and their "faiths falling down" suggests a loss of innocence and the inevitability of change.
The chorus, "Will I walk the long road?" is a powerful question that captures the struggle that the singer is facing. The repetition of this phrase reflects the cyclical nature of grief and the ongoing battle to move forward. The final lines of the song offer a glimmer of hope as the singer acknowledges that the sun will rise another day.
Line by Line Meaning
And I wished for so long. Cannot stay.
I longed for something for a while, but I can't hold onto it anymore.
All the precious moments. Cannot stay.
The cherished memories slip away as time passes.
It's not like wings have fallen. Cannot stay.
Although it seems like something important is missing, I can't quite put my finger on it.
But still something's missing. I cannot say, yeah.
There is an unexplainable feeling of emptiness that I am experiencing.
Holding hands are daughters and sons.
Parents hold their children's hands tightly.
And their faiths are falling down, down, down, down.
Their beliefs and trust in something are collapsing.
I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today.
I have been hoping for something or someone for a long time.
Will I walk the long road? (the long road) Cannot stay.
I wonder if I am able to endure the struggles and challenges ahead.
There's no need to say goodbye. (to say goodbye)
There is no need for a farewell because the memories will last forever.
All the friends and family.
The relationships I've built throughout my life.
All the memories going round, round, round, round.
All the happy and sad moments swirling in my head.
And the wind keeps roaring. And the sky keeps turning grey.
The world seems to be in turmoil and chaos.
And the sun is set. The sun will rise another day.
Although the day seems bleak, there is always hope that a better tomorrow will come.
Will I walk the long road?
Am I strong enough to face the challenges of life?
We all walk the long road.
Everyone faces challenges and hardships throughout life.
Will I walk the long road?
Am I capable of enduring the difficult path ahead?
Will I walk the long road? We all walk the long road.
We all experience the struggles and obstacles that life presents.
Will I walk the long road? We all walk the long road.
We are all on a long journey through life, and we must keep moving forward.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDDIE VEDDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind