Song of the Moment: Immortality

[chuck taylor]

Love this song.

So I always assumed this song is well-known even among casual fans, but is that true?

I know PJ was huge in 1994, but for people (like me) who were a little bit younger and became a fan much later on, the "hits" from Vitalogy that I knew by heart (Corduroy, Betterman) had no overlap with the original singles (STBC, Not For You, Immortality) from this album. Immortality is probably the only one of those singles where I could have said "oh yeah, I've heard that song before" when I first became a fan.

[mikejasond]

Love this song.

So I always assumed this song is well-known even among casual fans, but is that true?

I know PJ was huge in 1994, but for people (like me) who were a little bit younger and became a fan much later on, the "hits" from Vitalogy that I knew by heart (Corduroy, Betterman) had no overlap with the original singles (STBC, Not For You, Immortality) from this album. Immortality is probably the only one of those singles where I could have said "oh yeah, I've heard that song before" when I first became a fan.

Currently at least, the only songs from Vitalogy I've heard on the radio (not on the PJ station obviously) have been Corduroy and Better Man.

Before Sirius XM when I just listened to local rock stations in high school (2007-2010) I heard Alive, Black, Even Flow, and Jeremy all the time. Those would be the only ones I knew. When I started listening to more specific Sirius XM stations (Lithium), I would have heard Corduroy, Better Man, Rearviewmirror, Daughter, Animal, and maybe Elderly Woman.

[chuck taylor]

Love this song.

So I always assumed this song is well-known even among casual fans, but is that true?

I know PJ was huge in 1994, but for people (like me) who were a little bit younger and became a fan much later on, the "hits" from Vitalogy that I knew by heart (Corduroy, Betterman) had no overlap with the original singles (STBC, Not For You, Immortality) from this album. Immortality is probably the only one of those singles where I could have said "oh yeah, I've heard that song before" when I first became a fan.

Currently at least, the only songs from Vitalogy I've heard on the radio (not on the PJ station obviously) have been Corduroy and Better Man.

Before Sirius XM when I just listened to local rock stations in high school (2007-2010) I heard Alive, Black, Even Flow, and Jeremy all the time. Those would be the only ones I knew. When I started listening to more specific Sirius XM stations (Lithium), I would have heard Corduroy, Better Man, Rearviewmirror, Daughter, Animal, and maybe Elderly Woman.

That same list is true for me, except for Animal. I didn't know about that song until I started buying the albums.

[PHATJ]

I'll just leave this here. Ed sounds amazing. Dave A. is off the charts.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t_uLLzra0kM

[PHATJ]

This one is pretty fucking rad too. Stone for the win.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2_BFCl1Zyg

[Leatherhead]

This song deserves everything good that's ever been said about it.

[Vitalogist]

What’s the consensus on whether this is about Kurt?

[stip]

that its not, but it is broadly about some of the things they were both going through

[Vitalogist]

Thank you, that makes sense. I’ll always think of Kurt when I hear it.

[stip]

yea even if he did not directly inspire it the song speaks to his experience

[epilogue]

What is the evidence for those in the "it's about Kurt" camp? Just the cigar box line?

[wease]

And they debuted it right after his death.

[Lounge Lizard]

What is the evidence for those in the "it's about Kurt" camp? Just the cigar box line?

I'd say that's a dead giveaway

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[epilogue]

What is the evidence for those in the "it's about Kurt" camp? Just the cigar box line?

I'd say that's a dead giveaway

In the context of all the other lyrics, I'm not sure it is. But that's why I asked the question.

I guess another way to approach this is, if it's not about Kurt, what is the song about?

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[VinylGuy]

man, its been so long since i thought this one was about Cobain. Yeah the cigar box on the floor is a direct reference to his suicide but thats about it i guess.

[stip]

eddie has said somewhere that he kept lyrics he was working on in a cigar boz
x, which tracks with the scrawl disolved lyric preceding it

what is the cobain connection with the cigar box again?

[epilogue]

eddie has said somewhere that he kept lyrics he was working on in a cigar boz
x, which tracks with the scrawl disolved lyric preceding it

what is the cobain connection with the cigar box again?

I kept wanting to post "did y'all know what a cigar box was before Cobain?" but I didn't want to come across like a snarky asshat.

But really I understand why that's such a touchpoint/reference for so many. It was a powerful image at the time and something I'm sure a lot of people of a certain age associate with Kurt.

To answer your question (trigger warning):

Spoiler: show

[epilogue]

I'll be totally honest... this is a safe space, right?.... but honestly, I always thought the song was about Native Americans. It wasn't until much, much later that I considered it was about Kurt or what trag was saying or anything else.