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)
World Wide Suicide
Pearl Jam Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It moved beneath my feet
In the form of a morning paper
Laid out for me to see
Saw his face in a corner picture
I recognized the name
Could not stop staring at the
Face I'd never see again
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when
A war has taken over?
It's the same every day
I heard my name
What can be saved and
Who will be left to hold her?
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
Medals on a wooden mantle
Next to a handsome face
That the president took for granted
Writing checks the whole world pays
And in all the madness
Thought becomes numb and naive
Too much to talk about
And nothing for to say
It's the same every day
And the wave won't break
Tell you to pray while
The devil's on his shoulder
Laying claim to the take
That our soldiers save
Does not equate, and
The truth's already out there
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
Looking in the eyes of the fallen
You've got to know there's another
Another
Another
Another
Another
Way
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when
The war has taken over
It's the same every day
And the wave won't break
Tell you to pray while
The devil's on his shoulder
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The whole world
World over
It's a world wide suicide
The lyrics of Pearl Jam's song "World Wide Suicide" describe the impact of war on people and how it affects their daily lives. The opening lines of the song serve as a metaphor for the shaking up of life as a result of war, where the singer feels the earth move beneath their feet, in the form of a morning paper, with news of death and destruction. The singer becomes fixated on the face of a name they recognize, but know they will never see again, representing the loss felt by many families during wars. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "It's a world-wide suicide," signifying that even with such tremendous destruction and loss of life, war continues to ravage the world.
The song takes shots at the politicians who use troops as pawns in their own ambitions. Pearl Jam seems to take issue with the president and his decisions leading up to the war that is the basis for the song. The line "Medals on a wooden mantle, next to a handsome face, that the president took for granted" suggests that the soldiers who give their lives for their country receive no respect for their sacrifice. Indeed, the soldiers in the song do not seem to understand why they are being sent to fight this war, leading to confusion and a sense of betrayal.
In conclusion, "World Wide Suicide" by Pearl Jam is a compelling protest against the ravages of war on families, soldiers, and society at large. Although the lyrics are straightforward and direct, they are poignant and effective in conveying the depth of feeling and frustration behind the anti-war message.
Line by Line Meaning
I felt the earth on Monday
I became acutely aware of the world around me
It moved beneath my feet
I felt the ground shake with the reality of the situation
In the form of a morning paper
I learned about the state of the world from the news
Laid out for me to see
The information was presented to me in a clear and apparent way
Saw his face in a corner picture
I recognized the face of a person who was affected by the events
I recognized the name
I had heard of this person before
Could not stop staring at the Face I'd never see again
I was captivated by the loss of an individual I had never met
It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
It's a depressing reality to wake up in a world rife with suffering and destruction
What does it mean when A war has taken over?
The implications of a war taking control of society are difficult to comprehend
It's the same every day
The constant cycle of tragedy and destruction becomes commonplace
I heard my name
I became personally affected by the events
What can be saved and Who will be left to hold her?
I'm left wondering what can be salvaged and who will be around to pick up the pieces
The whole world World over It's a world wide suicide
The global situation is so dire that it feels like the world is intentionally destroying itself
Medals on a wooden mantle
A display of honor and recognition
Next to a handsome face
Someone who was well-respected and admired
That the president took for granted
The leader of the nation didn't fully appreciate the sacrifices made by those that served
Writing checks the whole world pays
The ramifications of war extend far beyond the battlefield
And in all the madness
In the midst of chaos and destruction
Thought becomes numb and naive
It becomes difficult to process and comprehend everything going on
Too much to talk about
The situation is so dire that words are not enough
And nothing for to say
No adequate response can be formulated
And the wave won't break
The situation continues to escalate and worsen
Tell you to pray while The devil's on his shoulder
Prayer may be the only recourse, even though evil seems to be in control
Laying claim to the take
Taking credit for the success of the military
That our soldiers save Does not equate
The sacrifices made by soldiers don't seem to balance out the rewards
And the truth's already out there
The facts of the situation are already known, and not open to interpretation
Looking in the eyes of the fallen
Facing the reality of those who have been lost
You've got to know there's another
There is always another life that has been affected
Way It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
The pervasive nature of suffering and pain is profoundly sad
What does it mean when The war has taken over
War has become the de facto controller of the situation
The whole world World over It's a world wide suicide
Every society seems to be perpetuating its own decline
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EDDIE VEDDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind