Song of the Moment: Jeremy

[stip]

old thread archived here

I love Jeremy, and while it isn't my favorite Pearl Jam song by a long shot, it is an excellent song that does not deserve a fraction of the shit that it gets.

Musically it's got one of the more famous beginnings in rock music history, with a slow, brooding build that sounds like it's leading somewhere important (and it is). Once the verses start the music gets a little buried in the mix though. It carries the song along, but this is clearly going to be Eddie's show, and he doesn't disappoint. Jeremy is one of Eddie's stronger vocal outings, with a deep, rich performance that gives the lyrics extra power and depth

Lyrically Jeremy is slightly uneven. The first verse is terrific, with some wonderfully evocative lyrics, with pictures of a bloody apocalypse forshadowing what is going to come. The prechorus gives Jeremy the sympathy that he need to make the song poignant. And the vagueness of the King Jeremy the wicked line is well done--without punctuation it could mean a number of different things

King Jeremy the Wicked ruled his world: Here Jeremy is the villain, a bad kid in charge of his own little violent fantasy

King Jeremy, the wicked ruled his world: a much sadder line--here Jeremy lacks power and control. He's just a kid at the mercy of abusive forces he cannot control

Iv'e always loved the simplicity of Jeremy spoke in class today. It leaves what was said vague (until the video, at any rate), but the urgency surrounding the delivery of the lyric (more from the music) tells you that you know what was said was important, and the final Try to forget this lyrics make it clear that whatever was said was something shocking, and something permanent, something that no one will be able to escape for a long time.

The second verse is the weak link here. It's supposed to demonstrate that Jeremy is a troubled, confused kid starting fights and trouble (from the standpoint of an observer, not from the standpoint of Jeremy) but it just isn't that compelling. I would have rather seen more from Jeremy's perspective

The outro lasts a little too long, but it is powerful enough that I don't mind too much. Like the end of black (deep too), it is just wordless howls and worlds falling apart, music for someone whose life is shattering around them with them unable to do anything to stop it as it bleeds into the ominous final notes.

This is one of those songs that has held up live on the strength of audience participation--being able to sing the woah's with a room full of 15,000 people (congrats on your tour by the way Europe) is always a powerful experience and Jeremy is always a concert highlight for me

The video does destroy some of the ambiguity of the song. I don't remember what I thought about the song before the video came out, but I think I may have thought it was about Jeremy killing his classmates rather than himself (it works better as suicide--it's a sadder song that way). Fortunately the story part of the video is so well done that I don' care (although the shots of the band jumping around are so f'ing stupid)

Anyway, 4 stars from me.

[dimejinky99]

This is interesting. Just eddies vocals. Boy had some pipes on him back then.
http://youtu.be/R-X-lIYls3s

[dimejinky99]

This is obviously a different video but is the audio different from the album version?
http://youtu.be/vXOIWLZTl2w

[PHATJ]

I still absolutely love this song. Jeremy is the reason I absolutely fell in love with PJ as a 12 year old. 22 years later I still love hearing it.

[epilogue]

This song is good.

[LetMeSleep]

Jeremy at the VMAs changed a mild interest into a complete obsession. Top notch track that I still love. At Sydney's show this year the crowd at the end was immense and the band knew it. Happy days.

[stip]

What asshole gave this song a 2?

[dimejinky99]

theres always one, stip..

this was the banner call of the time. and we ran to it support it..woefully underappreciated song, lyrically especially..hes never done third person as well since then.

[numbers]

theres always one, stip..

this was the banner call of the time. and we ran to it support it..woefully underappreciated song, lyrically especially..hes never done third person as well since then.

Agreed. This song doesn't get nearly as much love as it should.

[Kaius]

It's top notch

[Birds in Hell]

Fantastic song.

[Biff Pocoroba]

Yeah, this is the one that solidfied Pearl Jam as my favorite band back when "favorite band" meant something. Still enjoy it & on the recent shows I've heard they've been playing it great again live.

[bodysnatcher]

Jeremy smoked in class today

[bada]

It's top notch

[Release_Me]

Sometimes, the stars align and RM acknowledges a great PJ song as a great PJ song.

[dimejinky99]

I know we all spout endlessly and complain about Pj songs..this one though...i think we're all in agreement about this one

is this a first?

you cannot fault this song...lyrically, musically, theme, intent...it punches every one of those factors..

[numbers]

I know we all spout endlessly and complain about Pj songs..this one though...i think we're all in agreement about this one

is this a first?

you cannot fault this song...lyrically, musically, theme, intent...it punches every one of those factors..

you certainly wont hear me faulting it.

[PryTo]

We're not all in agreement, sorry. I don't like Jeremy. Never have. I find it heavy-handed, pedantic, preachy, and guilty of taking itself way way way too seriously. Like most of the songs on Ten, it's bathed in a glossy, reverb-laden production that was calculated to appeal to the widest possible audience. (It worked, folks.)

Stip's remark about the ambiguity of the King Jeremy the Wicked line strikes me as giving PJ far too much credit. It seems fairly obvious to me that there is no comma, although I appreciate the subtlety that a comma would offer. So, no, I don't like Jeremy, although I appreciate that even the band can't stomach it enough to play at every single show they way they do Alive and Even Flow. I've been to shows where they played all three (many times) and let's just say I was never in need of a piss break. So yeah, chalk me up as a Jeremy hater.

THAT SAID. I know some of you are freaking the f**k out right now and gearing up to blast me a good one. You know what? I don't like eggplant either. Does that bother you, too? I doubt it. So who cares if I don't like this song and you do? I'm not remotely bothered by this, and I don't think less of anyone who thinks Jeremy is the greatest song of all time. Different people have different tastes in things. It's not a big deal. Neither party is right or wrong. Taste is totally subjective. The fact that we have different tastes in things is part of what makes the world an interesting place. So chillax. If you think Jeremy is a great song and I don't, it's just really not something to spend one second worrying about. Let alone angry.

[Jorge]

I like the bass.

[Birds in Hell]

I like the bass.

Me too.

Ed's lyrics are grandiose and ridiculous, as they almost universally were at the time, but the musical meat of the song still sounds great to me - it has a very pleasing droning, repetitive quality that's relatively unique in their catalogue.