Pearl Jam Releases Uncensored Version of ‘Jeremy’ Video to YouTube
Pearl Jam, for the very first time, has released an uncensored version of the music video for “Jeremy.”
Embedded below, the video was accompanied by the following message: “Originally released in 1992, the ‘Jeremy’ video brought attention to gun violence, teen suicide, and violence in schools. The original uncensored video, previously unreleased, is being shown here for essentially the first time. The themes of Jeremy highlighted by Pearl Jam in 1991, have sadly only become more relevant in the intervening 30 years as gun deaths continue to increase.”
The video was uploaded to Pearl Jam’s YouTube page in honor of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which was June 5. In addition, Pearl Jam shared the link to their Choices 2020 t-shirt, whose proceeds will benefit the band’s Vitalogy Foundation to support organizations working to prevent gun violence in the United States.
“Jeremy,” which depicted the true story of a high school student who shot himself in front of his classmates, won the 1993 MTV Music Video Award for Video of the Year.
(WARNING: Violent imagery ahead.)
Pearl Jam: Top 50 Songs Ranked
50. âI Got IDâ from âMerkin Ballâ (1995)
ShareAlways a highlight of Pearl Jamâs live shows, most of Pearl Jam actually donât appear on the song. Itâs Eddie Vedder on guitar and vocals and Jack Irons on drums, with Neil Young on guitar and producer Brendan OâBrien on bass.
49. âIndifferenceâ from âVs.â (1993)
ShareThe closing song from the bandâs second album, itâs quiet and spiritual. The best versions of this song are the live ones, particularly when Ben Harper joins the band and duets with Eddie Vedder.
48. âDeepâ from âTen – Reduxâ (1991/2009)
ShareâTenâ is a classic album with not an ounce of fat on it, but âDeepâ is one song that could qualify as a, ahem, âdeep track.â Itâs one last blast of intensity before âTenâ wraps with âRelease.â Some fans have postulated that Eddie Vedder wrote the lyrics about Andrew Wood, the late singer from Stone Gossard and Jeff Amentâs pre-Pearl Jam band, Mother Love Bone.
47. âElderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Townâ from âVs.â (1993)
ShareAn acoustic ditty that you might have thought was a cover of an obscure R.E.M. song. Eddie Vedder sings warmly about a woman who never got out of her small town. She sees an old lover who moved on; she barely recognizes him and he probably doesnât recognize her. More than a few fans may have seen themselves in these lyrics.
46. âDo The Evolutionâ from âYieldâ (1998)
ShareA punk riff-inspired jam composed by Stone Gossard (who also plays bass on the track) fuels this rocker. The song inspired the bandâs greatest music video, an animated epic by comic book creator Todd McFarlane, which tells the history of humanity in less than four minutes.
45. âOceans (remix)â from âEven Flowâ single (1991)
ShareOne of many songs that references Vedderâs love for the ocean and surfing. According to an interview that Eddie Vedder did with Seattle Sound magazine, he wrote the lyrics while accidentally locked out of the studio. âIt was drizzling and I wasn't dressed for an outing in the rain. I had a scrap of paper and a pen in my pocket, and they were playing this song [inside]. All I could hear was the bass coming through the wall, this window that was boarded up. So I wrote the song to the bass.â This remixed version is rawer than the one used on the album, and was a B-side to the âEven Flowâ CD single.
44. âSmileâ from âNo Codeâ (1996)
ShareAll that hanging out with Neil Young really rubbed off on the band; this song sounds like a Crazy Horse outtake. Jeff Ament wrote the music and also played guitar. (Live, he straps on the six string when they perform this, and Stone Gossard fills in on bass).
43. âSonic Reducerâ Christmas single (1992)
ShareSome of Pearl Jamâs best covers are of lesser-known artists (see Victoria Wlliamsâ âCrazy Maryâ). This rendition of the Dead Boysâ 1977 punk rock classic brought the cult act to a much wider audience.
42. âRed Mosquitoâ from âNo Codeâ (1996)
ShareCo-written by the entire band -- Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder and drummer Jack Irons -- âRed Mosquitoâ sounds a bit like Mike McCready was auditioning for the Allman Brothers Band; his slide guitar is incredible. Vedderâs lyrics were inspired by a 1995 Pearl Jam show in San Francisco. He was unable to finish the gig due to food poisoning. The bandâs friend and mentor Neil Young stepped in for him. The songâs end refrain âIf I had known then, what I know now,â might have deep meaning for fans, but for Vedder it was probably just about wishing heâd avoided some tainted food.
41. âReleaseâ from âTenâ (1991)
ShareThe closing track from âTen,â itâs the only one that all of the members - Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder and drummer Dave Krusen - wrote together. For Vedder, it was about transcending the family issues of his past, for Gossard and Ament, it was about transcending after the death of Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood.
40. âSpin The Black Circleâ from âVitalogyâ (1994)
ShareBy 1994, Pearl Jam, and Eddie Vedder in particular, seemed focused on establishing their punk rock cred. This jam, influenced by underground punk, is a hard driving ode to vinyl. Stone Gossard wrote the music and it was intended to be a bit slower, but he sped it up at Vedderâs request.
39. âGardenâ from âTen – Reduxâ (1991/2009)
ShareA Stone Gossard/Jeff Ament composition, it features some of Eddie Vedderâs most vague lyrics, but âI don't question/Our existence/I just question/Our modern needs,â was an early example of him railing against trendiness.
38. âLast Kissâ Christmas single (1998)
SharePearl Jamâs most surprising radio hit: itâs a cover of a song originally released by Wayne Cochran in 1961.That version didnât climb the charts, but a few years later when J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers covered it, it was a hit. Decades later, Pearl Jam recorded it for their Christmas single in 1998, and it ended up becoming one of their biggest hits.
37. âYellow Ledbetterâ B-side (1991)
ShareThis is Pearl Jamâs second most surprising radio hit. During the âTenâ era, they were so popular that fans and radio programmers were desperate for new music. This song started getting requested on the radio, even though it wasnât even on the album. Itâs McCready at his most Hendrixian (he co-wrote the music with Jeff Ament). Eddie Vedderâs lyrics are fluid and he often changes them in concert.
36. âW.M.A.â from âVs.â (1993)
SharePossibly Pearl Jamâs funkiest jam, it was composed by Jeff Ament and then-drummer Dave Abbruzzese. The lyrics were among Eddie Vedderâs most politically charged. In a legendary appearance at Jay-Zâs Made In America festival in 2012, the legendary rapper joined them for a medley of this song and his own â99 Problemsâ (that live version was later released as one of Pearl Jamâs Christmas singles).
35. âAmongst The Wavesâ from âBackspacerâ (2009)
ShareOne of many songs where Eddie Vedder - an avid surfer - references the ocean and waves. This song seems to compare relationships to waves, and many fans have taken it to be about the bandâs bond. As Vedder told the Toronto Globe and Mail: "On the strength of this album, we feel good about where the band is at. Our relationship is long-standing, but it's turned into a forthcoming relationship. We're open and honest. Things go pretty easy â we feel like a gang. We feel like a galvanized group of individuals. As far as waves, I think we're up there."
34. âCome Backâ from âPearl Jamâ (2006)
ShareAn Eddie Vedder/Mike McCready co-write, itâs the closest Pearl Jam has come to doing a classic soul song. Vedder has said that itâs about the same character he wrote about in âMan Of The Hourâ from 2003âs âBig Fishâ soundtrack.
33. âSevered Handâ from âPearl Jamâ (2006)
ShareEddie Vedder started writing this on the same night that he wrote âI Am Mine,â the first song he penned after the Roskilde Festival tragedy where nine fans lost their lives at a Pearl Jam performance. Stone Gossard told Billboard, âThat song is pretty intense in terms of the perspective of someone who says, 'F*** it. I'm going to go lose my mind. That's how I want to live right now.â
32. âThe Fixerâ from âBackspacerâ (2009)
ShareMatt Cameron co-wrote the music with Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, and Eddie Vedder wrote the lyrics, which have a Joe Strummer-ish sense of defiance: âIf somethingâs old, I wanna put a bit of shine on it/When somethings gone, I wanna fight to get it back again.â
31. âMan Of The Hourâ from âBig Fishâ (2003)
SharePearl Jam wasnât the obvious choice to collaborate with film director and goth favorite Tim Burton. But Eddie Vedder saw a screening of the earnest âBig Fishâ and turned around the song a day later. It turned out to be the perfect fit (and if you havenât seen the film, check it out!)
30. âSuperblood Wolfmoonâ from âGigatonâ (2020)
ShareItâs not as surprisingly different as âDance Of The Clairvoyants,â but it does have more of a new wave influence than most Pearl Jam songs and shows that, even after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Pearl Jam is trying new things.
29. âWashâ B-side (1991)
SharePearl Jam had so many great songs for âTenâ that even the outtakes were better than most bandâs best songs. âWashâ might have gotten more attention, but âYellow Ledbetterâ was the biggest hit of the âTenâ era B-sides. Still, the slow-burn rocker has made Pearl Jamâs setlist nearly 100 times over the years.
28. âPresent Tenseâ from âNo Codeâ (1996)
ShareLike many songs of this era, the lyrics saw Eddie Vedder coming to terms with Pearl Jamâs fame. Ironically, as âNo Codeâ was released, their popularity was shrinking as times and tastes were changing. The music, composed by Mike McCready, seemed to demonstrate that you can get through tumultuous times: it starts out slow, gets a bit frantic, and then slows down again.
27. âSirensâ from âLightning Boltâ (2013)
ShareMike McCready wrote the music, itâs one of his most accessible songs. Eddie Vedderâs platinive vocals make this one of Pearl Jamâs best ballads.
26. âI Am Mineâ from âRiot Actâ (2002)
ShareThe first song that Eddie Vedder wrote after the Roskilde Festival tragedy where nine fans lost their lives at a Pearl Jam performance. At a show at Madison Square Garden in 2003, Vedder introduced the song thusly: âThis songâs about personal safety, and the feeling of being secure, and even free.â
25. âJeremyâ from âTen – Reduxâ (1991/2009)
ShareCo-written by Jeff Ament (music) and Eddie Vedder (lyrics), âJeremyâ was a disturbing song that was based on two stories: one, from a newspaper article about a 15 year old boy named Jeremy Wade Delle from Richardson, Texas who shot himself in front of his teacher and his English class. The other from Vedderâs junior high school classmate who fired a gun in a classroom. Weirdly, this was the song that brought Pearl Jam to MTV and mainstream fame, but it showed that they didnât flinch when looking at dark subjects.
24. âLong Roadâ from âMerkin Ballâ (1995)
ShareThe second song from Pearl Jamâs 1995 EP âMerkin Ball,â the companion piece to the Neil Young/Pearl Jam album âMirror Ball.â The Vedder composition is a tribute to loved ones weâve lost. This recording features Vedder singing and playing guitar, Neil Young on organ and backing vocals, Jeff Ament on bass and then-new-drummer Jack Irons. Vedder recorded another version with Pakistani Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for the 1996 âDead Man Walkingâ soundtrack. Perhaps the best version, though, was the one that featured Vedder, Young and Mike McCready on the post-9/11 âTribute To Heroesâ televised concert special.
23. âJust Breatheâ from âBackspacerâ (2009)
ShareOne of Pearl Jamâs best ballads. Written by Eddie Vedder, itâs been covered by Willie Nelson, and itâs one of the few post-2000 songs that makes his sets. Itâs also been covered by Jennifer Warnes (yes, the one who sang âIâve Had The Time Of My Lifeâ from âDirty Dancing,â and who duetted with Joe Cocker on âUp Where We Belongâ.)
22. âThin Airâ from âBinauralâ (2000)
ShareAnother one of Pearl Jamâs loveliest ballads. Written entirely by Stone Gossard (including the lyrics) itâs also one of their few openly romantic songs. Itâs also one of the few songs that we can think of with the word âbyzantineâ in the lyrics!
21. âNothing As It Seemsâ from âBinauralâ (2000)
ShareA moody, almost Pink Floydian song, it was written by Jeff Ament (including the lyrics). It was an odd choice to be the first radio single from âBinaural,â but by 2000, Pearl Jam were definitely not looking to make things easy for themselves or their team. The song is always a concert highlight, as it allows Mike McCready to stretch out and play some wild solos.
20. âRatsâ from âVs.â (1993)
ShareOne of Pearl Jamâs funkiest songs, itâs composed by Jeff Ament. The lyrics imagine a world where rats have taken over, and quotes from an early Michael Jackson ballad âBen,â from the 1972 film of the same name. Itâs about a colony of rats taking over the human world. Ben is the lead rat who befriends and protects a sick young boy with heart trouble.
19. âLove Boat Captainâ from âRiot Actâ (2002)
ShareCo-written by Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jamâs then-new collaborator, keyboardist âBoomâ Gaspar, it addresses the 2000 tragedy at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, where nine fans died. Quoting the Beatlesâ âAll You Need Is Love,â itâs a sad and bittersweet eulogy to ânine friends weâll never know.â
18. âCrazy Maryâ from âSweet Reliefâ (1993)
ShareThis has become an in-concert favorite, but many fans may not be aware that itâs a cover. At the least, when Pearl Jam released this song in 1993, between âTenâ and âVs.â when their popularity was at fever peak, itâs unlikely that many of their fans knew who Victoria Williams was. A critically hailed Americana singer-songwriter, her career was taking off in 1992 when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. That led to the formation of the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, to help musicians in need of health care. The âSweet Reliefâ album featured Soul Asylum, Lou Reed and Matthew Sweet, but Pearl Jamâs presence undoubtedly brought a lot of money and attention to the cause. Williams hadnât released her own version of the song yet. Thatâs her on backing vocals.
17. âDance Of The Clairvoyantsâ from âGigatonâ (2020)
ShareâGigatonâ probably wonât be Pearl Jamâs âAchtung Baby,â but the first single from the album was as different to anything Pearl Jam had done before as âThe Flyâ was to U2âs previous work. They really switched things up here: Jeff Ament is playing keyboards and guitar, and Stone Gossard plays bass; Talking Heads and Gang Of Four seem to be primary influences. Besides being a great song, it showed fans -- and the music industry -- that, over a quarter of a century into their career, Pearl Jam still has something to say and they still have surprises up their sleeves.
16. âWhy Goâ from âTen – Reduxâ (1991/2009)
ShareMany songs from âTenâ are built around monster riffs by Stone Gossard; âWhy Goâ is built around a monster riff by Jeff Ament. Like many of Pearl Jamâs songs, the lyrics address an outsider being treated unfairly. This one appears to be a girl who has been institutionalized against her will, with the help of her parents.
15. âFootstepsâ B-side (1992)
ShareThe same song, with different lyrics, was released as âTimes Of Troubleâ on Temple Of The Dogâs album. Itâs a testament to both Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedderâs talents as lyricists and singers that both versions are classics. âFootstepsâ is the final part of the âMama/Sonâ trilogy, which also features âOnceâ and âAlive.â
14. âPorchâ from âTen – Reduxâ (1991/2009)
ShareThe one song that Eddie Vedder wrote by himself for âTen,â it was one of the highlights of their live shows early on. The long instrumental break always led to -- and still leads to -- some incredible jamming. Vedder no longer ventures into the audience as he used to, but the song hasnât lost any of its excitement.
13. âState Of Love And Trustâ from âTen – Reduxâ (1991/2009)
ShareThis version is different than the one from the âSinglesâ soundtrack. This version was recorded during the âTenâ sessions with original drummer Dave Krusen (the âSinglesâ version was later recorded with drummer Dave Abbruzzese). A Mike McCready/Jeff Ament composition written for âSingles,â itâs one of the bandâs most straight-ahead rockers.
12. âBlackâ from âTenâ (1991)
ShareA gorgeous ballad composed by Stone Gossard and featuring one of Eddie Vedderâs most emotional vocal performances. âI know someday you'll have a beautiful life,â he sings. âI know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky, but why can't it be mine?â Even the âdoo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doosâ are incredibly moving.
11. âWishlistâ from âYieldâ (1998)
ShareOr, âHow Eddie Vedder Learned To Relax And Deal With Success.â On âYield,â Pearl Jam found themselves, for the first time, pretty far from not only pop cultureâs zeitgeist, but also rockâs. By now, many of Vedderâs peers had quit their bands, and in some cases, started getting ârealâ jobs. Pearl Jam was still an arena-headlining band, and this simple and sweet song saw Eddie Vedder seeming to realize that success might not be so bad after all, as he sings, âI wish I was as fortunate as me.â
10. âDaughterâ from âVs.â (1993)
SharePearl Jamâs first top 40 single. It also topped the Billboardâs Album Rock and Modern Rock charts. Itâs an acoustic-based jam composed by Stone Gossard, but the upbeat tone contrasted with the lyrics by Eddie Vedder, where he takes an empathetic look at young people with learning disabilities. As he told Melody Maker, âIt's only in the last few years that they've actually been able to diagnose these learning disabilities that before were looked at as misbehavior; as just outright rebelliousness, but no one knew what it was. These kids, because they seemed unable or reluctant to learn, they'd end up getting the s--- beaten out of them. The song ends, you know, with this idea of the shades going down, so that the neighbors can't see what happens next. What hurts about s--- like that is that it ends up defining people's lives. They have to live with that abuse for the rest of their lives. Good, creative people are just⌠destroyed."
9. âOnceâ from âTenâ (1991)
ShareIf you picked up Pearl Jamâs debut album, âTen,â on the release date, it was probably because you were a fan of Stone Gossard and Jeff Amentâs previous band, Mother Love Bone, or Stone, Jeff and Mike McCreadyâs supergroup Temple Of The Dog with Soundgardenâs Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron. Both of those projects had pretty slick production, as opposed to the dirty garage sound of most of the other Seattle bands. And âOnceâ is a pretty produced jam -- the intro almost sounds like a Peter Gabriel record. But the song -- one of many on the album that is powered by Stone Gossardâs incredible riffs -- packs a hell of a wallop, which is fitting, as itâs about someone on the edge of insanity⌠or maybe a few steps past that point.
8. âGiven To Flyâ from âYieldâ (1998)
ShareIn their early years, Pearl Jam seemed like a classic rock band trying to prove their indie cred. Lead guitarist Mike McCready -- supposedly one of the nicest guys in the music business -- never appeared to struggle with that. So itâs no surprise that he wrote the music here, which veers very close to Led Zeppelinâs âGoing To California.â And, as it turned out, it was one of their most successful songs on radio.
7. âNot For Youâ from âVitalogyâ (1994)
ShareOne of many songs written by Eddie Vedder during the bandâs early era where he struggled with their incredible popularity. On some level, though, he must have known that things would be changing -- he sings, âAll thatâs sacred, comes from youth.â Fortunately, though, he lived long enough to grow old(ish). But then, as now, he still clings to punk rock ideals, which is a big reason why Pearl Jam and their new music still matter.
6. âAnimalâ from âVs.â (1993)
ShareIn Pearl Jamâs early days, Stone Gossard cranked out incredible riffs that propelled some of the bandâs greatest songs, and âAnimalâ is one of the best. A semi-title track to âVs.,â the album was originally going to be called âFive Against One,â based on this lyric. When Pearl Jam performed this song at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards just days before the release of âVs.,â fans knew that they were about to get another classic album; Pearl Jam was not going to be a one-off phenomenon.
5. âAliveâ from âTenâ (1991)
ShareIn the early â90s, there was a fair amount of resentment among alternative-rock purists, and fans of lesser-known Seattle bands, about Pearl Jamâs success. The smoother production of the âTenâ album was partly to blame, and so was this song: a mid-tempo ballad/anthem that had a Springsteenian sense of transcendence. Eddie Vedderâs lyrics and Stone Gossardâs music gave an ambivalent generation a jam that recognized how awful the world could be, but reminded everyone that you could get through it. That wasnât Vedderâs original intent: as he said at the bandâs episode of VH1 Storytellers, âIn the original story, a teenager is being made aware of a shocking truth that leaves him plenty confused...It was a curse: 'I'm still alive.'â But the fans changed the way Vedder viewed the story. âThey lifted the curse,â he said. âThe audience changed the meaning for me." Mike McCreadyâs solo at the end is one of his best.
4. âBetter Manâ from âVitalogyâ (1994)
ShareOne of their most obvious hits (Eddie Vedder loosely based the song on the English Beatâs âSave It For Laterâ), the band actually rejected the song when it was submitted for âVs.,â according to Rolling Stone. Ah, the â90s - the era where the bands in the spotlight struggled with whether or not they wanted to be popular, and whether or not radio hits were âcool.â Weâre glad they listened to reason and finally agreed to release the song on âVitalogy.â
3. âEven Flowâ from âTen – Reduxâ (1991/2009)
ShareâTenâ is filled with incredible Stone Gossard riffs, and this might be the best one. Inspired by funk acts like Parliament-Funkadelic, his playing here drives the song, while Mike McCready channels Stevie Ray Vaughan on his iconic solo. The song is about a homeless man, who might be struggling with mental illness: he sleeps âon a pillow made of concreteâ and âlooks insane,â which is understandable, as his âthoughts arrive like butterflies/Oh, he don't know, so he chases them away.â
2. âRearviewmirrorâ from âVs.â (1993)
ShareThe bands from Pearl Jamâs generation, and particularly from their hometown, definitely had a dark and depressing vibe, even if it was packaged in anthemic rock chords. One thing that set Pearl Jam apart was a Clash-like sense that you donât take crap lying down, you donât accept it, and if you fight and hang in there, things might get better. âRearviewmirrorâ is a great example of that: in the song Eddie Vedder sings (over a fantastic, propulsive R.E.M.-ish riff) about transcending darkness, literally leaving it in the rearview mirror.
1. âCorduroyâ from âVitalogyâ (1994)
ShareAnother song that saw Eddie Vedder struggling with fame. In an interview with The Onionâs AV Club, he said, âThat song was based on a remake of the brown corduroy jacket that I wore. I think I got mine for 12 bucks, and it was being sold for like $650. The ultimate one as far as being co-opted was that there was a guy on TV, predictably patterned, I guess, after the way I was looking those days, with long hair and an Army T-shirt. They put this new character on a soap opera, so there was a guy, more handsome than I, parading around on âGeneral Hospital.â And the funny thing is, that guy was Ricky Martin.â Over the years, many of Pearl Jamâs peers couldnât cope with the spotlight and imploded (or worse.) Others fell out of favor and got day jobs. Weâre glad that Stone, Mike, Jeff, Matt, and Eddie figured it out: they never broke up, and theyâre still headlining stadiums and arenas today. âCorduroyâ remains their most powerful anthem; itâs about living life on your own terms and not being for sale. It could be the bandâs theme song, it certainly seems to have been their mantra for three decades.
