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)
Whale Song
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ships followed the ancient lead. Deceiving friends under the sea.
Wow, imagine that? They won't fight back. I got a theory on that.
A whale's heart is as big as a car. A whaler's thought must be smudged by the dark.
They won't fight back. I'm sure they know how. Means they love or are too proud.
They won't fight back. I'm sure they know how. Means they love or too proud.
They swim. It's really free. It's a beautiful thing to see. They sing.
Hunters of land. Hunters of sea. Exploit anything for money.
I refer to anybody that takes advantage of what that is free.
They won't fight back.
It's only a thought that makes it seem right. What you don't see is because of your sight.
Take what you want. Kill what you can. That's just one way of the mind of man.
Take their lives. Sell their parts but there is not taking of their hearts.
If I was lost at sea. That harpoon boat in front of me. It's the whale I'd like to be.
They won't fight back. [x5]
They don't know how.
They won't fight back. [x3]
The lyrics of Pearl Jam's song Whale Song are a poignant commentary on the cruelty of whale hunting and the human greed that drives it. The song is written from the perspective of a person observing a pod of whales and contemplating their fate at the hands of whalers. The first verse describes the beauty of the whales as they swim and sing, but this is juxtaposed with the grim reality that they are being hunted and killed for profit. The line "Deceiving friends under the sea" refers to the fact that whales are highly intelligent creatures who are capable of forming social bonds and communicating with one another, yet they are being betrayed by humans who exploit them for their own gain.
The chorus of the song, with its repeated refrain "They won't fight back," is a powerful indictment of the injustice and inequality inherent in the whale-hunting industry. The singer suggests that the reason whales don't fight back is either because they are too loving to retaliate or because they are too proud to show weakness. In contrast, the whalers are portrayed as heartless and insensitive, their thoughts "smudged by the dark" of their greed and lust for profit.
The second verse of the song broadens the critique to encompass all forms of exploitation, as the singer denounces those who "exploit anything for money." The lines "Take what you want. Kill what you can" are a scathing indictment of the rapaciousness of human nature, which will stop at nothing to satisfy its endless appetites. However, the song ends on a note of hope, as the singer imagines himself as a whale, free and unencumbered by the greed and cruelty of humankind.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun was in clouds. The sun looked out. Exposed a trail of mist and spouts.
The sun peeked through the clouds, revealing a beautiful sight of sprays and fog.
Ships followed the ancient lead. Deceiving friends under the sea.
Boats hunt whales, despite these mammals leading them to their own demise.
Wow, imagine that? They won't fight back. I got a theory on that.
It's surprising that whales don't put up a fight when faced with their hunters. The singer has a hypothesis on why this is.
A whale's heart is as big as a car. A whaler's thought must be smudged by the dark.
Whales have impressive and large hearts compared to their killers, who possess a clouded and unethical mindset.
They won't fight back. I'm sure they know how. Means they love or are too proud.
Whales are capable of defending themselves, so their passivity towards hunters is either a sign of compassion or dignity.
They swim. It's really free. It's a beautiful thing to see. They sing.
Whales live a magnificent and unrestrained existence, showcased through their vocals and movements.
Hunters of land. Hunters of sea. Exploit anything for money.
Humans will exploit any environment for the sake of profiting, whether it be on land or sea.
I refer to anybody that takes advantage of what that is free.
The singer is referring to people who take advantage of anything that is available to them, regardless of it being free or not.
They won't fight back.
Whales do not put up a fight, despite being able to.
It's only a thought that makes it seem right. What you don't see is because of your sight.
What humans justify in their minds as right, might not truly be justifiable upon closer examination.
Take what you want. Kill what you can. That's just one way of the mind of man.
Humans possess a single-minded and straightforward approach of taking and killing what they want.
Take their lives. Sell their parts but there is not taking of their hearts.
Whales may have their lives and body parts taken for profit, but their emotions and spirits cannot be obtained by humans.
If I was lost at sea. That harpoon boat in front of me. It's the whale I'd like to be.
If the singer was ever stranded at sea with a harpoon boat nearby, they would rather become the whale being hunted than be left to their own demise.
They won't fight back. [x5]
Whales do not put up a fight, despite being able to.
They don't know how.
Whales are not incapable of defending themselves, despite their passivity.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind