Eddie Vedder - Earthling

When a band is but a fraction of Pearl Jam, but they aren't zero Pearl Jam.
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I would give Earthling

5 stars
12
11%
4 stars
59
52%
3 stars
24
21%
2 stars
9
8%
1 star
4
4%
0 stars
5
4%
 
Total votes: 113

Fattie_Vedder
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by Fattie_Vedder »

I really like this song after listening to it a few more times, despite it being disjointed in more ways than one. I still feel that the verse is the weakest part of the song and feels out of place, but the lyrics, while disjointed and lacking a particularly memorable line, are particularly powerful and impactful towards the end of the song.

I think this is 100% about Chris. I like that it teeters between both sadness and anger. The “fuck you… what are friends for?” lyric is Ed’s anger towards Chris for selfishly giving up and not letting his friends help pull him out of the darkness he was in. What are friends for if not to help each other in the darkest times?
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Chris_H_2
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by Chris_H_2 »

I don’t know how to imbed instagram. But I think this pretty much confirms it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CYwfa5LgnA9 ... hare_sheet
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epilogue
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by epilogue »

Chris_H_2 wrote:
epilogue wrote:Do not make me root for Bammer, Chris. Goddamnit.
Ha. I get it. But I’m being serious. I just don’t want to pull a B.
THEN READ THE THREAD CHRIS
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Chris_H_2
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by Chris_H_2 »

epilogue wrote:
Chris_H_2 wrote:
epilogue wrote:Do not make me root for Bammer, Chris. Goddamnit.
Ha. I get it. But I’m being serious. I just don’t want to pull a B.
THEN READ THE THREAD CHRIS
I’m sorry I upset you Joe
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epilogue
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by epilogue »

Chris_H_2 wrote:
epilogue wrote:
Chris_H_2 wrote:
epilogue wrote:Do not make me root for Bammer, Chris. Goddamnit.
Ha. I get it. But I’m being serious. I just don’t want to pull a B.
THEN READ THE THREAD CHRIS
I’m sorry I upset you Joe
Just don't let it happen again.
MattA75
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by MattA75 »

The song is jarring because that's how the emotions go when you lose someone the way that Eddie lost Chris.

He talked about it a little bit during the Stern interview, although he went into more detail with the Newtown dad he had befriended than Chris. But the idea is the same. The emotions are multiple and complex.

It's funny because it took me 3 or 4 listens to it to understand it...and when I thought about it that way the song clicked completely for me. This is easily the best of the 3 songs, and I really loved The Long Way (The Haves kinda sucks).
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by Ms Harmless »

just realised that the end section of this song, the angry part, reminds me of the Porch "hear my name, take a good look" section

I listened again and all in all, it's not that bad, aside from the vocal ticks and (imho) the bridge being mismatched musically with the rest of the song; I like the lyrics "I have no reference for this level of pain", so I wish the music behind it reflected the pain and wasn't so... jolly? I almost wish the bridge was constructed from the same chords as that end section, so that it felt like a hint of the anger to come musically
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EJ
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by EJ »

I really like this song now. The only thing that slightly grates on me is the glossy production.
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Jaeti
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by Jaeti »

Listened to this five or six more times in the car today; it's good. The verses are the weak link for me, but the chorus and bridge are :thumbsup: , and the outro is :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: .

It's good enough that I'm wishing it had been set aside for Pearl Jam and Josh.
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epilogue
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by epilogue »

The bridge is maybe my favorite part right now. But I think the piece as a whole really works. Still digging it.
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by Release_Me »

Personally, I think this could replace SBWM on Gigaton and improve the album. Not that SBWM is my least favourite song on Gigaton but both are helter skelter, jarring kind of songs. I am less concerned with production so this would work for me.
Pearl Jam is the only band I'll spend money on.
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by Ms Harmless »

I'm agreeing with those that think this could have worked on Gigaton; it might have felt more "finished" in different circumstances, I just think it sounds a little undercooked here
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Kevin Davis
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by Kevin Davis »

Jaeti wrote:It's good enough that I'm wishing it had been set aside for Pearl Jam and Josh.
Have you read the McSweeney's article? It is for Josh. It's all for Josh.
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epilogue
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by epilogue »

Kevin Davis wrote:
Jaeti wrote:It's good enough that I'm wishing it had been set aside for Pearl Jam and Josh.
Have you read the McSweeney's article? It is for Josh. It's all for Josh.
:lol:
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Rob
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by Rob »

epilogue wrote:The bridge is maybe my favorite part right now. But I think the piece as a whole really works. Still digging it.
:thumbsup:

I like this
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Strat
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by Strat »

Yea, the bridge rules. Gives it the EV flavor stamp as opposed to the Long Way being a standard singer songwriter/petty knock off (I love this song, FYI) and the uh....shit that is the haves.

Brother is a fantastic song and I couldnt be happier to have it.

Brother the cloud, Flag Day, Ill Be Waiting, Long Way - So far im mostly pleased with these new EV songs.
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tragabigzanda
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Tue January 06, 2026 8:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by guitar_davey »

EJ wrote:I really like this song now. The only thing that slightly grates on me is the glossy production.
Yup.
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tragabigzanda
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Tue January 06, 2026 8:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
guitar_davey
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Re: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Post by guitar_davey »

Well now I'm fully into this.

If this is where Eddie Vedder is at this point, I'm here for it. I could probably quibble with the details (lyrics, production, stylistic choices), but I don't even have it in me these days.

Also, I'm totally fine if Pearl Jam play this live. This has killer live song written all over it.
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