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)
W.M.A.
Pearl Jam Lyrics
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Took his mothers white breast to his tongue
Trained like dogs color and smell
Walks by me to get to him
Police man
Police man
He won the lottery by being born
Do no wrong so clean cut
Dirty his hands it comes right off
Police man
Police man
Police stopped my brother, again
Police stopped my brother, again
Police stopped my brother, again
Police man
Jesus greets me, looks just like me
Do no wrong so clean cut
Dirty his hands, it comes right off
Police man
Police man
Police man
Police stopped my brother again
Police stopped my brother again
Police stopped my brother again
Police man
Police man
Police stopped my brother again
Police stopped my brother again
Police stopped my brother again
Police man
Police man
Police man
E ah e ah e ah
ah ah ah
E ah e ah e ah
E ah e ah e ah
E ah e ah e ah
Eh eh
E ah
E ah
E ah
E ah na na na
E ah na na na
E ah na na na
All my pieces set me free, human devices set me free
All my pieces set me free
All my pieces set me free
Human devices set me free
Human devices set me free
All my pieces set me free
All my pieces set me free
Human devices set me free
Human devices set me free
The song "WMA" by Pearl Jam, from their album Vitalogy, is a commentary on race and police brutality in America. The title is an acronym for "White Male American" and the lyrics describe the privilege that comes with being born into this demographic. The first two lines suggest that this character was born with advantages that others are not granted at birth, referencing the metaphor of winning the lottery with their genetics. The line "Took his mothers white breast to his tongue" speaks to the idea that white Americans have been conditioned to believe that they are entitled to the milk and resources of the country, whereas people of color have historically been oppressed and marginalized.
The second verse is where the song's criticism of the police kicks in. “Dirty his hands, it comes right off” is a nod to how police brutality and corruption is often sanctioned by those in power. This verse highlights an observation that being white means you are more likely to be treated better by the police and enjoy their protection. The chorus is where the darker reality of the song's message rings loudly. “All my pieces set me free, human devices set me free” conveys a sense of desperation – this character realizes he is both part of the problem and the solution.
Line by Line Meaning
He won the lottery when he was born
He was privileged by his birthright
Took his mothers white breast to his tongue
He enjoyed the benefits of his mother's race and social status
Trained like dogs color and smell
He was taught to differentiate people by their skin color and scent
Walks by me to get to him
He doesn't see me as a human being, just an obstacle in his way
Police man
A representative of the authority enforcing laws that further entrench privilege
He won the lottery by being born
His privilege is a result of his birth
Big hand slapped a white male American
The system rewards white males with privilege and power
Do no wrong so clean cut
His privilege protects him from the consequences of his actions
Dirty his hands it comes right off
His privilege allows him to distance himself from wrongdoing and blame others
Police stopped my brother again
The police target and harass those who are not privileged
Jesus greets me, looks just like me
The singer identifies with Jesus who was also oppressed by the privileged
All my pieces set me free, human devices set me free
The artist is finally freed from the limitations of their identity and can grow as a human being
All my pieces set me free
The singer is breaking free from societal constraints that limit their humanity
Human devices set me free
The singer is using tools of humanity, such as love and empathy, to break free
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID ABBRUZZESE, EDDIE VEDDER, JEFF AMENT, MIKE MCCREADY, STONE GOSSARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind