I think the thought of the song is that there are things that you know, and they’re in us, but we just haven’t thought of them. I pushed the limits of how much you can drink and smoke, and this song came out of it. I got back late to my hotel in New York, and I pushed it that extra hour. As Vedder explained, “It’s about a conversation with Catherine Keener, and a book – I think it might have even been called Unthought Known. This song was inspired by a good old fashioned rock star night on the road, getting a little too wasted and staying up late talking with an Academy Award nominated actress. But we think it’s a pretty cool departure, so we’re including it on our list. That all being said, if you ask Pearl Jam purists, they’ll tell you they hate “Last Kiss.” We know because we did. It was also released on the charity compilation No Boundaries: A Benefit for the Kosovar Refugees, and helped earn roughly 10 million dollars for Kosovo relief. The cover song got picked up by radio stations across the country pretty quickly, and became very popular, so Pearl Jam released it as an official single with the all proceeds going to the aid of refugees of the Kosovo War. and put it out exclusively for their fan club as a Christmas single. They eventually recorded it during soundcheck before a gig at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C.
Shortly after, he convinced the band to give the song a try, and they ended up performing it during their 1998 tour. Franklin and the Cavaliers original 1964 version of “Last Kiss” at the Fremont Antique Mall in Seattle, and stayed up all night listening to it. Vedder described the song before performing it at Madison Square Garden in 2003, saying, “This song’s about personal safety, and the feeling of being secure, and even free.” It ended up being the most successful cut off Riot Act, and for good reason.Īlbum: No Boundaries: A Benefit for the Kosovar RefugeesĮddie Vedder found an old record of J. It was written by Vedder the day after the Roskilde Festival tragedy of 2000 in Denmark, when 9 festival goers were killed as the crowd rushed the stage for Pearl Jam’s performance. This song about personal freedom was the first single released on Riot Act. And though he doesn’t sing on the song, that’s Neil Young on lead guitar, blending in beautifully with the band. Vedder wasn’t around much for the sessions, but he lent vocals to “I Got Id,” which is also known as “I Got Shit.” Vedder explained before an ’06 live performance of the song in Toronto that the chorus melody of “I Got Id” was actually subconsciously inspired by Young’s “Cinnamon Girl” verse melody, though he didn’t realize it out until years after the song was recorded. Pearl Jam collaborated with the legendary Neil Young on his album Mirror Ball, and the Merkin Ball EP was made up of leftovers from that project. Nevertheless, we’ve enjoyed every moment of putting this together, and are happy to present it to you as the summer starts. It’s a list we’ve been building since before they were announced as headliners with Hova, and a daunting task we have not taken lightly. To gear up for Made In America and celebrate Pearl Jam’s catalog, we’ve compiled a collection of their 50 Best Songs.
They came from a small scene and ended up representing a whole genre. In a lot of ways, Pearl Jam is a lot like Jay-Z. It’s a long way from the Seattle grunge scene they started in, and a testament to how widespread their reach has become. This September, Pearl Jam will headline the first ever Made In America festival in Philadelphia, along with its curator, Jay-Z. They have inspired us, given us hope, made us think, and grown older with us, and while other bands have come and gone, they have always managed to hold on to their spot. Whether he’s singing about social or political issues, love, or death, Vedder and his Pearl Jam band of brothers- including founding members Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Jeff Ament- have provided the soundtrack to our lives.
For twenty plus years, Eddie Vedder’s quivering baritone has been the voice of a generation.