Pearl Jam's Darkest and Most Depressing Songs

[JC23]

Cold Confession

[Bammer]

Last Kiss

On every level.

[liebzz]

Last Kiss

On every level.

Does it count if it’s someone else’s? Does it get positivity points if it’s for charity?

Of not then isn’t it most depressing if it never goes school, never gets to fall in love, never gets to be cool!?

[Bammer]

That reminds me —- RITFW is very clearly an anti-abortion song, isn’t it??

[igotworms]

Sleight of Hand hasn’t been mentioned yet? Interesting.

The first song that sprung to mind for me as well.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[bodysnatcher]

Not many people are aware that “Future Days” is from the mindset of a man with schizophrenia, and the loved one he’s singing about in the song doesn’t actually exist.

[emanon]

Not many people are aware that “Future Days” is from the mindset of a man with schizophrenia, and the loved one he’s singing about in the song doesn’t actually exist.

While I don't believe this theory, it will in no way stop me from spreading it far and wide.

[liebzz]

Does that align with my theory that Pet Sounds is a concept record about a stalker who never actually falls in love with anyone except in his own mind that also convinces himself that his heart has been broken when in fact nothing ever happened?

[Kevin Davis]

Because it would be idiotic to compare the depressing plight of the working man with something like a school shooting.

In everyday life, in the news, of course you're right; in music, I don't think rules like this apply. A song can have serious subject matter without really forcing you to shoulder the weight of the story it tells, and this is kind of how "Jeremy" is for me. Nothing about that song pushes me into a headspace that corresponds to the heaviness of the subject. "Last Kiss" too -- it's a sad story, but it's a story I can hear without feeling forced to live it alongside the singer. "Sleight of Hand" isn't this way at all, not for me anyway, and that registers as something much more emotionally profound (and I guess "darker") than just a story about something terrible.

[CopperTom]

Sleight of Hand is my vote

[McParadigm]

this is kind of how "Jeremy" is for me. Nothing about that song pushes me into a headspace that corresponds to the heaviness of the subject. "Sleight of Hand" isn't this way at all, not for me anyway, and that registers as something much more emotionally profound (and I guess "darker") than just a story about something terrible.

This, but the reverse

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Kevin Davis]

I’m changing my answer to Olympic Platinum because my college girlfriend broke up with me while that song played and it really bummed me out, blah blah blah.

Trag, I think you know this isn't what I was saying, that a work of art becomes inherently "darker" just because you have an unpleasant memory affiliated with it. All I am saying is that just because a song is about a darker, more serious thing doesn't necessarily correlate with the sense of "darkness" or "depression" the listener will take from the song.

I do apologize, though -- from your post I thought you were referencing "Jeremy," not "Rival," which is certainly a darker, more sinister song. But I stand by my point, and have certainly felt "Sleight of Hand" in my gut way more intensely than I've ever felt "Rival," even though I agree that school shootings are worse than people being stuck in dead-end jobs.

[Leatherhead]

Because it would be idiotic to compare the depressing plight of the working man with something like a school shooting.

In everyday life, in the news, of course you're right; in music, I don't think rules like this apply. A song can have serious subject matter without really forcing you to shoulder the weight of the story it tells, and this is kind of how "Jeremy" is for me. Nothing about that song pushes me into a headspace that corresponds to the heaviness of the subject. "Last Kiss" too -- it's a sad story, but it's a story I can hear without feeling forced to live it alongside the singer. "Sleight of Hand" isn't this way at all, not for me anyway, and that registers as something much more emotionally profound (and I guess "darker") than just a story about something terrible.

I agree. Jeremy has never sounded very dark to me. More angry, regretful, affected... I dunno.

[stip]

there is a great deal of thematically dark material on Ten (once, even floe, alive, why go, jeremy, deep) but none of those are dark the way rival or SoH are (jeremy is if I watch the video) because there is a clear catharisis in each of them - in all cases the singer endures, or rages against the darkness, but they are still fighting. they dont give up

ignoring soon forget then the final 3 run of songs on Binaural is as dark as pj gets. all 3 subjecs throw their hands up in powerlessness or hopelessness. The subject of SoH has given up on their life, parting ways their love, and Rival their society. and there’s no redemption in any of those songs. Thats what make them dark, especially in a catalog with plenty of thematically dark material that explores those subjects as an act of resistance, rather than surrender

there are about 150 pj songs i find more moving and impactful than SoH. But not many darker

[knee tunes]

This is weird. I seriously cannot think of one "depressing" PJ song. All the ones mentioned here are too good to be depressing.

A depressing song to me is something like "Michelle" or "In my life". Hearing those make me want to crawl under a rug and BE depressed. I don't hate them. they're just depressing .

Now that I think of it, there are PJ songs that can/have made me cry. But still, it's a good cry , not a depressing one :

Thumbing my way
Come back
The end
Parachutes

And the sweet, sweet sorrowful one:

Around the bend

[knee tunes]

Last Kiss

On every level.

*Including the back of the stage

[knee tunes]

Otherside is super sad

oh this is a good call

This type of depressing is so good though

It a good hurt. Lol does that make sense

Maybe I'm getting depressing mixed up with "uneasy" .

Fuck uneasy

[knee tunes]

What do you think?
Tremor Christ #1?

Cool thread btw

And no, not tremor for christ's sake