Pearl Jam Lyrics

Pearl Jam History

The five guys that would end up becoming Pearl Jam, came together in a roundabout sort of way. In 1990, the lead singer Andrew Wood of the Seattle band, Mother Love Bone, died of a heroin overdose. At the time of Wood's death, the band had just signed a deal with Mercury Records, but had yet to record their debut album. Record execs asked the remaining members of Mother Love Bone, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard to record the album with a different lead singer, to which the gentlemen replied, "No."

Gossard and Ament went on to form a new band and record a new demo along with Mike McCready. The trio then asked Jack Irons, then drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to join the group after giving him a copy of their demo. Irons, already a part of a successful band, declined, but sent the demo to a singer he knew that might be interested, Eddie Vedder.

Upon receiving the demo, Vedder penned a few lyrics, recorded them to the tracks and sent the demo back to Gossard and Ament. They loved it and asked him to come out to Seattle. Drummer Dave Krusen then joined the group and they christened the band Mookie Blaylock. The name was later changed to Pearl Jam. Krusen left the band after their debut album and was replaced by Matt Chamberlain, who also left. The chair was finally filled by Dave Abbruzzese.

Grunge Rock Hits the Music Scene

The early 1990s ushered in a new era of music now known a "grunge." The songs on the radio were not longer pop-music leftovers of the 1980s and were heavier both lyrically and musically. Nirvana is credited with bringing "grunge rock" to the mainstream in 1990 and Pearl Jam quickly followed with the 1991 release of their debut album Ten.

Anyone who has heard songs from any of the Pearl Jam CD's, knows that lyrics coming out of Eddie Vedder's mouth are sometimes a little difficult to understand. Seriously, how many people think that the line in Daughter that goes Don't call me daughter, not fit to sounds a lot like Don't call me daughter, my big toe? There also the line in the song Glorified G in which Vedder is actually saying Glorified version of a pellet gun, but sounds a lot like four or five versions of a pelican or forty-five virgins and a pelican. Finally, check out the Misheard Lyrics video on YouTube for hilariously funny jumbled lyrics for Yellow Ledbetter. Once you watch it, peruse the following websites to find out the correct Pearl Jam lyrics.

• elyrics.net – Find Pearl Jam lyrics to over 100 of the band's songs.
• lyricsmode.com – This site has a searchable Pearl Jam song database.
• azlyrics.com – Get the lyrics from the songs on Pearl Jam's most popular CD's.
• metrolyrics.com – Has over 200 Pearl Jam lyrics.
• completealbumlyrics.com – A large database of Pearl Jam lyrics.

Just for Laughs

If you have messed up many-a-lyric on any given Pearl Jam song, here are some of the funniest misheard lyrics that have been posted on various websites and message boards on the Internet:

• From the song No Way
  • Actual lyric – Of my need to not disappear.
  • Misheard as – All I need tonight is a beer.
• From the song Even Flow
  • Actual lyric – Even flow..
  • Misheard as – Heathen frog..
• From the song Jeremy
  • Actual lyric – Jeremy spoke in class today.
  • Misheard as - Tyranny spoken here today.
• From the song Wish List
  • Actual lyric – I wish I was a neutron bomb.
  • Misheard as – I wish I was a new trombone.
• From the song Once
  • Actual lyric – Once upon a time.
  • Misheard as – Once, oh party time.