The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time 1955 to 2005: Number 418

Number 418

Pearl Jam

"Jeremy"

(1991)
.

417

...........Genre: Grunge........

419

Jeremy's 21st: aKa GinJa NiNGa

Ah, yes indeed, Jeremy has spoken. Unlike my learned friend here on the right, who has grand desires of ruling Earth by the date of December 22nd, 2012 and good luck to him i say, just don't let the Mayans know, but he does have the fortune [?] to be named after one of this planets favourite tune "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam, otherwise known as the rock gurus of the late twentieth century.

Now on the left here is Cyclone Innis, it comes courtesy of Australia, where that cyclone flooded out in NSW [thats New South Wales - and not "Not Suitable for Work"] and that cyclone is here tomorrow in NZ. Poor Tez has had to deal with the fires in her homeland of Victoria, although New Zealand has had a far better summer than Oz which has had to endure floods and fires, now it is our turn for some unfortunate weather. So as i pack the Ark up with supplies ... it is adieu for now! Now where did i leave my water wings?

Hey Bro, can you jump this high?

"Jeremy," the haunting and riveting single from Pearl Jam's debut release, Ten, struck an intense chord with generation X at the start of the 1990s. A song about a kid growing up feeling alone and isolated from schoolmates and family who later lashes out paints a harsh picture at the realistic life many teenagers go through. Who would have ever thought that this story, most notably understood through the band's only produced video, would later impact the world public via the media down the road as a foretelling of many school shootings, including the Columbine crisis. "Jeremy" is drenched in distortion and grunge appeal, with the vibrant presence of Eddie Vedder's compelling lyrical message delivered in angst-ridden fashion.

Oh God, Mom didn't want me

Two other imaginative tracks appear on this single, never to be packaged on a long-play album. "Footsteps" is a pretty song about relationships and the pain of breaking up, as well as the challenge of moving on. It's a pretty acoustic tune featuring Vedder and guitarist Stone Gossard, recorded live for the show Rockline in May of 1992. "Yellow Ledbetter" is a brilliant composition spirited by Vedder's anonymous lyrics and Mike McCready's memorable guitar riffs. Certainly the highlight of the album, this is the only place the listeners will find the studio version. "Ledbetter" has been an ongoing request at shows during the band's history and due to the overwhelming demand was released again in live format on another single. This small collection is a pleasure to listen to and very enjoyable from beginning to end. ~ [Shawn Haney, All Music Guide]

For more Pearl Jam see Number 505 & MM Vol 1 #116

So, Who Is Jeremy then?

The song especially gained notoriety by way of its music video (directed by Mark Pellington and released in 1992), which was put into heavy rotation by MTV and became a hit. In 1993, the "Jeremy" video was awarded four MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Video of the Year. "Jeremy" is based on two different true stories. The song takes its main inspiration from a newspaper article about a 15-year-old boy named Jeremy Wade Delle, born February 10, 1975, from Richardson, Texas who shot himself in front of his English class at Richardson High School on the morning of January 8, 1991 at about 9:45 am. Delle was described by schoolmates as "real quiet" and known for "acting sad." After coming in to class late that morning, Delle was told to get an admittance slip from the school office. He left the classroom, and returned with a .357 Magnum revolver. Delle walked to the front of the classroom, announced "Miss, I got what I really went for", put the barrel of the firearm in his mouth, and pulled the trigger before his teacher or classmates could react. A girl named Lisa Moore knew Jeremy from the in-school suspension program: "He and I would pass notes back and forth and he would talk about life and stuff," she said. "He signed all of his notes, 'Write back.' But on Monday he wrote, 'Later days.' I didn't know what to make of it. But I never thought this would happen."

Loaded

When asked about the song, Vedder explained:
"It came from a small paragraph in a paper which means you kill yourself and you make a big old sacrifice and try to get your revenge. That all you're gonna end up with is a paragraph in a newspaper. Sixty-three degrees and cloudy in a suburban neighborhood. That's the beginning of the video and that's the same thing is that in the end, it does nothing … nothing changes. The world goes on and you're gone. The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself. Be stronger than those people. And then you can come back". ~ [Source: Wikipedia]

Jesus? Jesus who?

What does, ah, RS think of Pearl Jam?

In many ways, Pearl Jam continues to defy expectations. For instance, they still play exclusive shows for fan-club members, who also receive limited-edition Christmas singles — one of them turning into the surprise hit "Last Kiss" (Number Two, 1999) when it got a wider release. With former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron in tow, Pearl Jam released the scruffy rock album Binaural (Number Two, 2000) in an era that found the MTV audience listening to either rap-metal or teen pop. In September, Pearl Jam made history by self-releasing 25 live double albums in one week, and by having five of them enter the Billboard 200 simultaneously. ~ [Source: Rolling Stone]

Rolling Stone magazine deemed their '418th Song of all Time' was "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" by Crosby Stills & Nash. Crosby Stills & Nash has appeared in The Definitive 1000 @ #660