Vocal ANALYSIS of Graphic Content and Themes. Viewer Beware.

[@mikemasse]

This made me cry for all the right reasons. One of my favorite vocal performances. Elizabeth, please do “Purple Rain” by Prince.

[@mikemasse]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqfRiqCNpamSipo 💜🌧

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

Thank you, Mike! For you to say this means quite a bit to me. Your cover songs are amazing! I am a prince fan, and have heard a lot of his work but a pure vocal analysis of Purple Rain might be very intriguing. I'll write this on my list. Thank you!

[@mikemasse]

@@TheCharismaticVoice Makes sense that you’ve heard it. :) I suggest it for selfish reasons because I’ve been learning it. So I’ve been “reacting” to it a lot lately myself. It’s masterful, especially because it appears to be an actual live performance that they used in the movie.

[@ericmccarty9526]

@@TheCharismaticVoice I live in the "Land of 10,000 lakes" MN, I have been to First Avenue venue countless times over the decades which Prince made famous along with putting Minnesota music squarely on the map, I've been a huge fan of him & it was such a massive loss when he passed. (RIP you are sorely missed by so many)

[@adampickering2807]

@@TheCharismaticVoice please. Im a rock/metal guy, but Prince is two of the best live music experiences of my life . Man was epic.

[@theroachden6195]

Eddie is all we have left of the Grunge vocalists. They're all gone. May Eddie live forever.

[@NortheastSurvival911]

I agree. It saddens me deeply. I grew up in the '80s and '90s so I was right there for the grunge explosion and for the death of it all. I say death of it all because do you remember what it was like between like 1988 and 1997? The grunge and alternative sound ruled the airwaves. Big time. So many wonderful bands came out of seattle. And they're gone. All of them. Except for pearl jam. Pearl jam is my number one Seattle band second to Alice in chains. I can admit it you know I cried when Staley died. And with everybody else when Cornell died. Their music was a huge influence in my younger years. It really was. I'm 42 years old now but.. I'm still stuck musically in the '90s. And that will never end. Stay safe and God bless

[@TheFuzzypuddle]

omg... i had not thought about or realized this until you said it. this is incredibly sad.

[@NortheastSurvival911]

@@TheFuzzypuddle Eddie pays tribute to all of them with his music. Growing up watching all these bands just appear you know in the late '80s right up through the late '90s.. it was an amazing time for music. It truly was. I'm so glad that I was alive for all of that I was in my teen years. I remember every bit of it when grunge just exploded on the scene and then Seattle just started throwing out amazing bands. And then sadly within a decade or so they all started to die off. Seattle used to be the suicide capital of the United states. And I can see why. I lived there for a little while. It rains a lot. When the sun comes out it is a beautiful city though. But yes Eddie is I believe officially the last one left. As far as original vocalist. But Jerry Cantrell is still here. And we can't forget him. Layne Staley might have been the front man for Alice in chains but Jerry Cantrell put in the work just as much. He's still with us. Listen to the song Black gives way to blue. It's his eulogy for staley. At any rate thank you for reading my rant. Stay safe and God bless.

[@lordsnuffy]

Mark Lanagen may look dead, but he is still going. Look at his cover of nutshell

[@junkfoodisgood69]

@@lordsnuffy Plus Jerry Cantrell is still killing it.

[@CDeWayneFletcher]

this is my dads account btw (he just passed so i'm closing things out). I bought Pearl Jam Ten the day it came out. This had such a profound effect on my life back then at the age of 15. Thank you for covering this. Your channel is unbelievable. Watching you cover so much variety... wow... plus your personality shines and I have to say. It's refreshing to hear such a deep technical analysis while also having fun with the songs. You're seriously needed in the music scene.

[@carolcarol3938]

very sorry for your loss

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

I'm very sorry for your loss. I am glad I read this before you closed the account, and my heart goes out to you.

[@darrenbarlow5759]

Sorry for your loss. May your Dad rest in peace 🙏

[@TRYBALS]

Very sorry for your loss

[@masterd4964]

Coming up on the one year anniversary of my dad's passing this month, so I can relate to how you might be feeling. All of Pearl Jams albums got me through alot of tough times going through my teens when they came out. Eddy is one of the people I taught myself to sing to. I wish I had someone like her back then to educate me. You're right. Music and future music needs people like her. I've greatly enjoyed so many of your videos. Thank you for what you do.

[@john_thorpe]

"Jeremy" is based on two different true stories. The song takes its main inspiration 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 second-period English class of 30 students on the morning of January 8, 1991. In a 2009 interview, Vedder said that he felt "the need to take that small article and make something of it-to give that action, to give it reaction, to give it more importance." When asked about the song, Vedder explained: "It came from a small paragraph in a paper which means you kill yourself and you make a big old sacrifice and try to get your revenge. That all you're gonna end up with is a paragraph in a newspaper. Sixty-four degrees and cloudy in a suburban neighborhood. That's the beginning of the video and that's the same thing in the end; it does nothing ... nothing changes. The world goes on and you're gone. The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself. Be stronger than those people. And then you can come back." The second story the song is based on, involved a student that Vedder knew from his junior high school in San Diego, California, who committed a school shooting. He elaborated further in a 1991 interview: "I actually knew somebody in junior high school, in San Diego, California, that did the same thing, just about, didn't take his life but ended up shooting up an oceanography room. I remember being in the halls and hearing it and I had actually had altercations with this kid in the past. I was kind of a rebellious fifth-grader and I think we got in fights and stuff. So it's a bit about this kid named Jeremy and it's also a bit about a kid named Brian that I knew and I don't know ... the song, I think it says a lot. I think it goes somewhere ... and a lot of people interpret it different ways and it's just been recently that I've been talking about the true meaning behind it and I hope no one's offended and believe me, I think of Jeremy when I sing it."

[@hannathompson7998]

Wow, thank you

[@killingyouwithlogic5808]

Nowhere near enough Thumbs Up for such an accurate Comment!

[@braylens1822]

@@killingyouwithlogic5808 he copied and pastes

[@PutinsMommyNeverHuggedHim]

oh no not the oceanography room 😂

[@chrismissed]

@@PutinsMommyNeverHuggedHim there were people in that oceanography room

[@EverendeverGroup]

The line, "Daddy didn't give affection" is raw enough, but "The boy was something Mommy wouldn't wear" is truly Joni Mitchell level poetics. Brilliant!

[@YerpDerp17]

You aren't lying though. The mommy line is one of the most underrated lines ever. And if you've lived that existence as a child it really hits you in the gut. It says soooo much in just 7 words. Absolutely beautiful, but also heartbreaking.

[@shellymills8105]

@@YerpDerp17very true. Also the first set of “daddy didn’t give attention to the fact that mommy didn’t care” the act of doing nothing is an act in and of itself and I remember being stunned essentially that someone even recognized that…

[@lcpharm]

Ethan Crumbly

[@vaska1999]

This is the true art of today. The novel is moribund, the cinema purely commercial, fine art in a crisis that threatens to turn mortal: what these guys did here, and in some of their other songs, is the best of art created in the US in the last 30 years.

[@rugged04270]

As otherwise noted, the line is "to the fact that Mommy didn't care"

[@ejn1011]

I was having a really tough time as a 15 year old in 1999. Bullies. Parents' relationship falling apart. I was on the cusp of solving a temporary problem with a permanent solution. My English teacher assigned us to read our favorite poem in class. I read the lyrics to this song. It was my call for help. The teacher completely missed the point and sent me to the office for dropping an F bomb in class. Luckily, the Assistant Principal saw exactly what was happening and the referral to therapy saved my life.

[@rancidcrabtree.]

;

[@BilboCameron]

Thank you for staying. Life is better with you here. ❤️

[@stulora3172]

I am glad you are around, dear internet stranger!

[@crossefire01]

Appreciate you sharing that with us, Eric. Courage is fighting through things that overwhelm you. I'm glad that you got the help you needed.

[@kyleromus6845]

Glad you stuck around, bud. Fifteen years is just way too soon, way *_way_* too soon...

[@zebrion5793]

Speaking from experience, seeing someone kill themselves in front of you is something that you NEVER forget. It's been 15 years and I still occasionally have nightmares from it. There's a saying I've heard that says "suicide doesn't get rid of your pain, it just passes it to those around you." The video gets this across in a powerful way - that Jeremy's last way to get people to understand what he was feeling was to show them and give them that pain and trauma. The song strikes you in the heart and lets you temporarily connect with that pain and understand that when we hear the FIRST cry for help, we need to go all-in on helping.

[@mitchellmcglamry2074]

I didn't see the actual suicide in real-time but I did have to pick up the pieces of my father( not literally, overdose) but it doesn't go away.

[@danrowe2227]

Im so sorry

[@victorylane2377]

I understand. I watched my mom shoot herself. I was 13 years old. I dialed 911 and held her as she lay bleeding on the floor. We lived close to the hospital so she managed to survive. She nor I were ever the same again. One of my stepfather's shot himself and another took a bottle of pills. The one that took the pills died. The one that shot himself drank himself to death by 40. My mother died from smoking cigarettes. All were gone way too soon.

[@richarizard526]

I love the quote in the beginning of the video for Ghost by Badflower, something along the lines of "Suicide doesn't end the pain, it only ends the chance of it getting better"

[@scottNNJ]

@@victorylane2377I know this reply is about a year late to your comment, but hearing this is just heartbreaking. I know there’s a saying that living through trauma makes you stronger, but in your case I don’t know if it holds true. Seeing your parents and caretakers do this to themselves must hurt in a way that I cannot fathom. Kudos to you for enduring and thank you for sharing your experience. Hopefully it helps someone else cope with a similar tragedy.

[@ThunderTaco206]

I was eleven when this video premiered on MTV. I turn 40 in 9 days. I understood this song from Jeremy's point of view at the time, as I was not a popular kid in elementary and middle school and was bullied frequently throughout that period of my life. As an adult this song hits so much differently. I ended up joining the Army and fighting in Iraq. I have now lost more close friends from my time in service to suicide than I did to combat, and every time I hear this song it is absolutely gutting on both fronts. I love it, but it is a rough listen.

[@darrenbarlow5759]

Thank you for your service. Hang in there brother 🙏

[@musickf]

From one Vet to another, *hugs*.

[@JeffTiberend]

Sorry for what you've been through. Thank you for your service. I hope you can find healing and support.

[@bobkitten8150]

Welcome home John ❤

[@DEATHrocket777]

@@musickf This. I always try to embrace my brothers when I get the chance.

[@radziwilltablada8583]

"Daaaddy didn't give attention" It was not just sung, it screamed the emotion on a personal level that many of us relate to.

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

To the fact that mommy didn't care.

[@gonzalochavez7990]

Indeed

[@mikesmith6226]

My daddy killed his self when I was 9 years old in front of my mom and me TRUTH!!!!!

[@chezzachezza7325]

@@mikesmith6226 😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

[@mikesmith6226]

@@chezzachezza7325 THX 👍🥲👍

[@HaleysTusk]

This song and Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun" tackled similar issues of childhood trauma, PJ w/ bullying and Aerosmith w/ sexual abuse, both about gun violence, both had raised the discussion on the rise of abuse of children, showed that videos don't have to be fluff, videos can also elevate subject matter that needed to be brought to the forefront. Steven Tyler continues to do annual events to support his Janie's Fund to this day

[@darkvisiongothacked]

that song is still one of the most heart wrenching songs ever made. especially the video with it. it is spectacular in its pain.

[@endless013]

I don't think this one counts as gun violence, if Jeremy didn't have a gun he would have used anything else to get it done since he was the only person shot this is really a suicide and the gun was just the big neon exclamation point on the message he was sending about not being able to take anymore, you don't need a gun for that.

[@joshl.8950]

Mr. Tinkertrain

[@Masonicbrother]

​@@endless013 Yeah, sure he could have used anything else to kill himself, but only a gun could achieve what he did in a classroom setting. It is also pretty much guaranteed he wouldn't survive the outcome. A gun just makes it easier and faster to do with the most dramatic effects.

[@pablojose4890]

Don't forget Opera singer turned rocker Pat Benatar and her "Hell is for Children" song released in 1980, 9 years prior to Aerosmith's "Janie's Got a Gun."

[@evanrayswenson]

Eddie’s “woah’s” are like a howl to me. Just so pained and powerful.

[@bongisland2762]

I was stunned to FINALLY realize that, in the JOURNEY hit "Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin"..... the "NAH NAH, NAH-NAH-NAHS" ......were actually meant to be ala "NYAH NYAH NYAH!" which means ha ha YOU LOSE! Cuz the lyrics are about his girl cheating on him....and then the guy SHE is cheating on him with....cheats on HER.....so karma's a bitch. SUPER-SUBTLE, right? Most would think it's just classic "NAH NAH" ala "LA LA", but it's far more clever and cynical! I hadn't realized Vedder's woahs were like an animal howling until i saw your comment. Good catch.

[@mickeykearney935]

I love this lady. She's so sweet and positive. I could watch this channel all day

[@ayybeealternative1999]

She's also very pretty 😍 💕 💖 💗

[@kmw1175]

I think that if everyone stopped watching news so often and watched Elizabeth’s videos about vocal analysis the world would be a better place lol. It’s so relaxing.

[@kmw1175]

Also, it’s funny because sometimes Elizabeth doesn’t seem to enjoy some singers but she always finds something positive to mention. That’s a rare attitude nowadays.

[@danrue3263]

For sure she’s real ❤

[@PrecursorLegend]

It’s hard to listen to this song or watch the video without tearing up. That climax to the ending is so powerful.

[@vaughncollar8014]

The “grunge” movement of that time was all about expressing the pain of youth ignored in the materialistic 80’s. Eddie and Kurt were both masters at bringing it to light. It is so sad that it ended up claiming Kurt.

[@jarnicules]

kurt's catapult to fame is what killed him. poor guy had a spotlight on him

[@ruralgoblin]

@@jarnicules that was the sadistic irony of being a grunge band back then. Kurt hated materialism and fame and the egotistical nature of capitalist society and the upper class. He didn't like being famous and you could see it in any interview where he treats it as a joke. He didn't even like them putting his face on t shirts. Now he's dead 30 years and they're selling pictures of him as NTFs. It's tragic.

[@killinbildvow80]

@@jarnicules Kurt was murdered, but he did loathe the fame, as he should, fame is a bad joke with no punchline

[@OGGOAT23]

@@jarnicules i think heroin addiction killed him tbh

[@CDeWayneFletcher]

Just wow.. thank you to all the kind and supportive people on here regarding my dad. Something I've buried for years... my dad had a collection of Commodore Amiga computers back in the day. Around 35 years ago, my friend Adam would come over (he had an Amiga as well) and we'd play games learn programs, etc. He was in ROTC in junior high and I remember being one of maybe 2 friends of his. He was picked on daily and I would stick up for him as often as possible. One day it was too much after constant bullying and finally rejection from a girl he liked. He did just like in the video but at our friends house.. dressed in his ROTC uniform. I really tried to be a good friend but the pressure overtook him. This is the first time I watched this video because I wasn't ready back then. RIP my friend.

[@Wraithlen]

Eddie is just so...simply refined, especially in the grunge/alt rock world. He's a master for sure.

[@truckerjosh5547]

Eddie sings straight from his heart. That's all there is to it. He feels what he's singing as he sings it. That and he uses his voice as an instrument like nobody else can.

[@BigHippo-si3nd]

I wouldn't say as nobody else can. There are so.e pretty amazing singers out there that use their voice as an incredible instrument but he does a tremendous job of it for sure.

[@tvlug]

I think the way a lot of rock/metal/grunge is not afraid to address hard issues and deep questions in life has saved many lives. I can fully understand Eddy's remark that he thinks that this is the case for him. I know it helped me through dark times in the past. Lyrics like these are so much better than songs about b*thes and money... there is a reason why I have been a metalhead for over 4 decades now.

[@shaggy791]

Amen dude.

[@jenh9221]

Mudhoney recently released a song called “Kill yourself live,” a commentary on internet “fame.”

[@guytansbariva2295]

Yep, you're 100% right. And I'll go so far as to say that the b*tches, money, and violence music that's favored in certain communities is worthless, as is most Top 40 music around the world today. We all like a nice beat when teenagers, but eventually you grow up. In America, you'll still see 45 year old guys in urban areas driving around with a custom junky car blasting rap music wearing clothes they wore when they 20. Pathetic man lol

[@bongisland2762]

Yup. ONLY TWO THINGS SAVED MY LIFE: Grass and Music. Everything else and everyone else made me want to hang myself every fucking second in this vile society. And now I play Guitar Sorcery outdoors (instrumental loops or tripppy shit), JUST to make society more weird and colorful.... but to my shock, EVERYONE LOVES IT, even the kops or Normals or Mall Girls or Jocks! WHAT I DID NOT REALIZE until then (even though we all know Music is Medicine) was I HAD THE POWER TO CURE ALL DEPRESSION....in 3 seconds! (It helps that I have a funny stage name and funny sign and wear flashy fun clothes and play a flashy funny guitar [the world's only "Michael" Jackson flying V, ha ha][ i modded the headstock and it cracks eveyrone up, even ppl who don't know what a jackson flying v is!....plus i'm always stoned and drunk so I'm out there on sidewalks HAVING A BLAST....and everyone tells me MY JOY is contagious and instantly cheers them up, as does my music.) SUPERMAN and SPIDER-MAN couldn't cure all depression! This is why i keep begging all other musicians to PRACTICE OUTDOORS. Never ever practice indoors if you can help it. PEOPLE LOVE TO SEE LIVE MUSICIANS, even if they hate the music. They like the idea that there are more musicians out there!

[@guytansbariva2295]

@BONG ISLAND don't forget, much of what makes this a "vile society" as you say is rampant minority crime and shallow culture, substance abuse, apathy, and lack of education.

[@matthewgoodA1206]

I’ve always thought a lot of Eddie for writing this song, regarding such a terrible tragedy. He also wrote “4/20/02” on the day he found out Layne Staley had died. I think that type of empathetic songwriting shows that he has real heart.

[@hr8839]

Jeremy’s mother didn’t see the empathy in it . Love Pearl Jam Love Eddie V . I didn’t know the meaning then I was about 19… Now I do know the story . As a mother myself I can see how his depictions using her son’s real name was very hurtful unintentionally disrespectful.

[@andreatheriot8940]

For the first time in the thousands of times I've listened to this song, it just dawned on me that the lyrics, "try to erase this...." goes on to say, "from the blackboard". It's Jeremy basically saying bet you can't erase brains from the blackboard. I'm beyond grateful for this channel.

[@masterendeveld1174]

It also references that the blackboard are his classmates memory

[@felyciti]

I never made the connection, either. This video deserves any and all accolades it received.

[@ORLOSTguy]

Elizabeth, I'm a 58 year old guy who remembers when Ten came out, and the MTV Unplugged performance and this video. At the time it came out and to this day It is definitely one of the best performances in each format and was a very brave choice for lyrics and video. I've seen quite a few video reactions of not just this song, but many others and you do an amazing job breaking down not just the vocal performance but also the emotions that drive it. Thank you and take care.

[@robertobayer1970]

We need songs like this now, not just songs that talk about how much money I have or how many girls I can sleep with. I recently read something that makes a lot of sense to me. “When are we gonna stop pretending that songs that talk about drugs, fucking a girl while putting a gun against her head and living to buy luxury cars doesn’t have an effect in the culture of new generaciones?” Sorry if I made mistake translating, but I think it’s understandable

[@rangerdeep7641]

I could say a lot of things about “Jeremy”, but it’s amazing how this song just finds a way to punch you in the gut over nearly 30 years. When I first heard it, I was in school and like a lot of people, I just thought it was “cool”, but scary and sad…because I understood that it could be anyone I knew. Fast forward to 1999, and I was a first year police officer in the Denver metro area, on-duty the day of the Columbine shooting. Then today…I have a 17 year-old son in high school who has struggled with the things young people struggle with today in a large, metropolitan school. I would be hard pressed to think of many other songs that could bring a tear to my eye over 3 decades.

[@guytansbariva2295]

Thank you for your service first of all Sir. I was in high school, and at the time, everyone was debating Nirvana vs Pearl Jam mumbo jumbo, but to me PJ and especially Jeremy sealed the deal for me. I hate to hear your son has to face things like that so young. No chance of moving away to nice rural Iowa I'm guessing? 🤔

[@Rooster1997]

Thank you for your service. Born and raised in CO.

[@HistoritorJimaldus]

Insane that Americans still have such easy access to firearms - it’s like the parties don’t care about the dead kids at all (particularly the republicans, the worst of whom spread propaganda/conspiracy theories about ‘paid actors’)

[@carlmarks8170]

I was triggered the moment I saw this was a reaction video to Pearl Jam. I can't stand them. Terrible overrated band.

[@magpieMOB]

@@carlmarks8170 Then why engage? Why not do something else?

[@Catch3318]

That guitar outro is one of the most chilling and haunting pieces of melody ever created in music. Gets me everytime.

[@trashpanda9542]

Mike mccready is an animal at guitar

[@potownrob]

I thought that was Jeff Ament playing a 12-string bass guitar, not one of the guitar parts

[@camannwordsmith]

@@potownrobit is indeed the 12-string bass that plays the ending, just as it did the intro

[@BenCDaugherty]

Yeah it’s a 12 string bass. He still owns and plays the same one today!

[@hibhibb5429]

The kid who played Jeremy in this video, Trevor Wilson, sadly passed away in 2016. He was 36. He was in Puerto Rico. He went swimming and was caught in a riptide and drowned. So sad, so young. RIP Trevor.

[@shindrithargriethrat8408]

I was literally going to try to look him up. Crazy. RIP.

[@debbiewilby]

Damn!!! 😢

[@FreeSpeech4All]

My younger brother, Jeremy, grew up with parents similar to those in this video. He turned to alcohol, drugs and other areas of self harm. We lost him when his drunk girlfriend in her SUV accidentally ran over his drunk self on his motorcycle... just before his 21st birthday. This song always strikes a very personal chord in me. 😥

[@adrianr5318]

Man… I’m so sorry for your loss.

[@dvdhrkr]

Sorry for your family's loss. Life can be so tragic.

[@Nro52]

"Sometimes you can't express it with lyrics anymore, you just have to let out the sound" You said it! Enter grunge, enter Pearl Jam... This might sound weird, but as good as a vocal coach you are, italways amazes me the way you connect with the feels, rather tan just the techniques. Love your videos! Both educational and emotional... Thanks for sharing!

[@johnepavek]

I hope the way Jeremy’s rage is expressed in this video doesn’t take away from the lead up to it. I saw this video when it premiered and, while gun violence was mentioned, the main thrust of the message the band was promoting was more the root cause of violence and how it affects people. The solution for gun violence is also the solution for all violence, and it starts at home.

[@rccola5167]

One of the most powerful and emotional songs I've ever heard. Your reaction was powerful as well.

[@kirbys1370]

Hi Elizabeth, I remember hearing this song in the early '90s, and 30 years later, I can finally see Eddie Vedder's facial expressions in this MV, showing the aggression, pain, and frustration throughout the song. I also want to commend Pearl Jam for their continued activism to reduce gun violence. Thank you, Elizabeth!!! 💙

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

Thank you, Kirby. And I commend them as well for talking about mental health. Songs like this really do make me emotional, and they're tough topics that should be talked about.

[@Easy_Skanking]

The only way to reduce gun violence is proper education about gun safety and actual mental health care while reducing the tremendous economic disparity in today's society.

[@michaelfox933]

The way she enjoys music and singing, and the looks and expressions she gives! It's special!

[@barkermjb]

I remember when this came out. The video received substantial play on MTV (back when they were about music). There were no banners or warnings…. This song was the defining song that established Pearl Jam as the leader of its genre…

[@stephanhamilton2083]

Eddie is so adeptly able to express the pain felt by Jeremy. Brings tears to my eyes every time. 😢

[@kat3871]

This song was a musical masterpiece. Even the end when Jeremy put the gun in his mouth, the guitar note rose in a suspenseful but subtle crescendo. The visual elements that stood out for me were the empty clothes of his parents, displayed so large, and on what could be considered a classroom whiteboard. They're absent. He can't access them. The father's suit is turned back-to. The implication is, his back is turned on both Jeremy and mom. Mother is facing forward but in a horizontal position; submissive to her husband but indifferent to her son. Her dress facing forward is a subtle common accepted misconception that all women are maternal. In Jeremy's case, that's not true. The mother is aware but doesn't care. She's represented as passive-aggressive. The child crouched in the mouth of the wolf picture is another visual that stood out. He feels thrown to the wolves and at their mercy. Then the huge open eye while Jeremy is trying to get his parents to notice and acknowledge him. When he gives up in resignation, the eye is closed. As if to say, God saw, but turned a blind eye. The darkness indicates both his mood of depression as well as the time that's elapsed since he first started trying to get their attention til the time he gave up. The child draped in an American flag and "90210" along with words like " affluent" and "suburb" signify that, under the noses of the privileged, a child is deprived of love, security, comfort, stability, belonging. All of the things wealth provides. With all the unrest in third world countries, and our country having the "American Dream" reputation, we have children who seem to have it all killing themselves in such violent and shocking ways. This imagery indicates a sarcastic incredulity at such a notion. This is becoming an essay so I'll stop. I just wanted to get my thoughts out. Thanks to whoever took the time to read this.

[@Dooklawz]

hey I appreciated your essay, very well said and I'd agree with your description/analysis, spot on Kat.

[@Aprlmoore]

I think you nailed the symbolism. Thanks for posting.

[@bjbonin624]

A very good essay at that. Thank you. One thing that has always struck me about this song is how the tension builds throughout the song but never releases. The ending slows down without resolving musically, ending on what I think is a 2nd and a 6th (I'm too lazy to check). The next song on the record (Oceans) is in a different key, so there isn't resolution there either, so the emotion invoked by this song just hangs there. It's like PTSD set to music. A brilliant piece of work.

[@jamesyoung8360]

Wow

[@ridesq]

@@bjbonin624 wow, never put that together. Thanks for pointing it out!

[@fallensdmf]

Two thoughts from this: 1.) I remember the version of the video that they actually played on MTV being slightly confusing because they altered it so you don't see him put the gun in his mouth. I was 5 at the time, but I initially thought he killed the classmates because it just cut from him pulling out a gun (they didn't even show the gun) to the classmates covered in blood. 2.) My favorite artists as a child: Chris Cornell: Suicide Eddie Vedder: Most prominent hit is about suicide Layne Staley: Drug overdose (slow suicide) Kurt Cobain: Suicide Scott Weiland: Drug overdose (slow suicide) I wonder if it's the chicken or the egg lol Did I have an unavoidable darkness that drew me to them, or did they influence it. I believe the former. Their music would eventually get me through the hardest times of my life, which were caused by random circumstance. But it's still weird that all my childhood idols were so tortured. At least I was raised on the best music.

[@matthewhamilton3496]

I used to think that when I was a kid too. In fact, I didn't realize there were at edits and watching it right now, seeing him put the barrel between his lips, I'd never seen that before. That really made me go, "holy crap!" 30 years later.

[@keithferris9574]

I think it's just that they're all historically amazing rock vocalists. I love them all too.

[@jillallen6752]

No..they had a sad darkness..not you. You just had excellent taste in tunes 🤟

[@TheNamesFarquaad]

“Kurt Cobain: Suicide” ok buddy…

[@amandajean7738]

You forgot lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots: Overdose.

[@nightmusic8]

Congrats on 750K. Never thought of this song as graphic or explicit, time for me to really listen with you to this song. Thank you so much for just being nerdy and wonderful you. ❤️

[@joergojschaefer3521]

Hmmm... 750K + 10 reached 😀 I'm curious when the 1M mark will fall... Wooot Wooot

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

Thank you, Night Music! It was graphic for me, and I was warned about the subject and content. It's a trigger for me, so I wanted to warn others that may have the same triggers.

[@joergojschaefer3521]

@@TheCharismaticVoice Oh I guess my 750K comment wasn't quite appropriate... My apologies! 😟

[@nightmusic8]

@@TheCharismaticVoice I really appreciate your honesty, and of course if there is any chance of this song being a trigger a warning ⚠️ is the way to go. Myself as a non-native speaker never made that connection before. (I might just have skipped over the lyrics) I will have a good listen this Friday. Mental health is a beast not easily tamed. The past decade hasn’t always blessed me with joy and happiness, I too have taken rides on these dark creatures. Music has been my guardian, and a way to find and express emotions hidden deep inside my walls.

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

You've no need to apologize!

[@rogersjgregory]

The lyrics are incredible, they conjure such imagery that the intent and purpose of the song hits hard. Genius.

[@krisprepolec5616]

I loved how the band brought the young man from the video up on stage when they accepted an award to show that he was ok.

[@steve_m2473]

Eddie is just as great in the MTV Unplugged version. The entire album "Ten" is truly up there with legendary albums like Sgt Pepper's. Its that good.

[@MotownGuitarJoe]

The Beatles are my favorite band, and it's not even close, but, I have always felt that this album is Beatle-esque, not in its music, but in its greatness. I totally get what you're saying.

[@larryinhb]

I’ve been listening to this song for 30 years and still get tears when I hear it. Just pure, raw emotion Eddie Vedder style.

[@olegoat6612]

Hearing his voice on Release live in concert is an emotional experience as well

[@lisagd22]

IMO, the best version is the video called "PearL Jam - Release (Live Holland 1992)"

[@karenlackner192]

Eddie is ….. truly magnificent. His voice is a gift to us all.

[@anthonyduncan4877]

The symbolism in having a harmony on the "King Jeremy the Wicked" indicating the duality of Jeremy's thoughts and the "lion" they unleashed. Excellent song structure.

[@n0madtv]

I think this is also where that one particular 'disturbing image' of the class standing up comes from in the story. It basically expresses Jeremy's vision of everyone finally submitting to his will. It's a very strong image to describe such a psychological subtlety.

[@Dixie096]

You’re fortunate enough to have the original unedited version of the Jeremy video. Certain parts that you had the strongest reaction to were edited out and were not available for 2 decades. Truly a masterpiece video for a legendary song.

[@kryslow]

The insane thing about Vedders voice is they are still putting on insane 3 hour shows, I’ve seen them a but over 100 times and no set list has been repeated and his voice never sounds strained.

[@raiderwarrior2725]

Eddie isn’t just singing here. He became one with the song

[@jtmichaelson]

The Nazi salute was Jeremy's psychological vision of his classmates seeing him as a leader once the power of "speaking" was instilled in his mind. It being a Nazi salute is symbolic of just how deep his cuts were and messed up his head was. Not sure Eddie Vedder got that part of it from the story or added it himself and the director, Mark Pellington. My source for this was Eddie Vedder on a syndicated radio interview for the Vitology album in 1996. If I can ever find the actual source, I will add it here in place of this paragraph.

[@o.b.7217]

How can anybody not understand the nazi salute in that given context (the students pledging allegiance)? The pledge of allegiance is not much different from the fuehrer oath in nazi Germany. The brainwash behind both oaths/pledges is exactly the same. And have you never heard of the Bellamy salute? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bellamy_salute

[@danielcrockett8398]

@@o.b.7217 Yes, like the black power racist salute and the communist salute. Identical.

[@dragonballbw3]

Also note that the American flag in the background was hung "stars down". That is a common way to signal a call for help or someone is in distress. (which obviously he was)

[@o.b.7217]

@@danielcrockett8398 "Yes, like the black power *racist* salute and the communist salute. Identical. " --- You mean identical to the black panther salute that is done with a balled fist? And identical to the communist salute that is also done with a balled fist _(and the left arm, depending on your beliefs)?_ You know: a balled fist is practically the exact opposite to a hand outstretched _(like it's used in the nazi (and Bellamy) salute)._ So, yeah, m@r@n...totally identical. Thanks for showing off your "intelligence"...I'd even go as far as to say, your intelligence is identical to that of a very *thick* brick. PS: thanks also for _(once again)_ showing off your own racism against black people.

[@BilboCameron]

@@o.b.7217 Excellent reply. More eloquent than I would have been. Let me add, that the tired link between fascism and communism is getting, well, tired. The raised fist of communism represents unity, strength, or resistance.

[@christolupo7909]

This song was the inspiration for a short story that I wrote in high school. My parents accused me of plagiarism, they didn’t believe I could write. This song means something to me. Thank you 🙏

[@veru6907]

A lot of people called Eddie out for writing this stating it was wrong to do so because Jeremy's mother and friends, or any number of other people were still in grief. Eddie didn't base the whole song on THE Jeremy. He knew someone in his school who did the same thing, the article just reminded him of this. He probably used the name "Jeremy" as a title to reach more people and spread the message. The song isn't about THE Jeremy, it's about all the Jeremy's in the world who may struggle with similar issues. I would never think Ed didn't care about other's reactions to this song, I think he did it anyway, and he did it in this controversial way, because he knew it would reach more people and actually help them. Which it did I'm sure, I'm one of those people and I know a few others. EDIT: The strong image you asked about is the kids heiling probably at the US flag; Eddie basically hates the government, and was probably shitting on it with this image. In Binaural from 2000 there's a song called "Grievance" where there's a line "I pledge my grievance to the flag", which is another example of Eddie criticizing the government and "the flag".

[@vaettra1589]

That would explain the bullying in the video, I read up about the real Jeremy case and there wasn't much info about him being bullied in the schools he attended. He had recently moved to this new school before the suicide.

[@rockstar212121]

@@vaettra1589 or the painting of his parents as uncaring, I know I've seen a couple things with his parents being really upset with the song in part because of that

[@vaettra1589]

@@rockstar212121 I would be too. The creative freedom of artists, at work.

[@dcbbot]

As someone who isn't American but whos partner is, I find the whole pledging allegiance thing in the classroom as creepy as F. That's as nice a way as I can put it. If you took the black kids out of class, turned the volume down and played Wagner in the background it'd be indistiguishable from the same subservient schtick that lead to children turning their own parents in to authrotiies in Germany in the 30s and 40s.

[@vaettra1589]

@@dcbbot I'm not sure how I feel about patriotism/nationalism. I think it can be a healthy thing to gather around, to get behind a story that it greater than the colour of your skin or other differencies.

[@thomasvlach4610]

Thank you for including this song, as a person that was bullied and mercilessly picked on as a child i really appreciate this song and feel that this song should be required listening in all programs that rehabilitate violent offenders. Fortunately, i had loving parents to help me through. Not to mention programs outside of grade school. Thank you again.

[@bongisland2762]

ouch. i had to leave the SUPER-VIOLENCE of school every day (i was the only long haired male and artsy misfit) (meaning the teachers and brass ENCOURAGED all kinds of violence galore)........to go "home" to a super-violent mom who was totally insane. (ex: she smashed my bedroom door off it's hinges 5 different times, when I locked my door to escape her.) My life in 2022....is essentially the same now that I'm an adult. The POLICE tell everyone "rob him or hurt him and we got your back" and the press says "we got the kkkops back" and ALL my "friends' say "we got the kkkops back". Even my BANDMATES in every case said "we'll help KKKops steal all your musical gear"!!! I've wanted to die EVERY MOMENT since age 5. The human race is the root of all evil.

[@treetopjones737]

Violence - plenty of people were bullied that did not go on to commit violence.

[@bradleyhymen9687]

It's definitely true that it takes courage to even consider writing a song like this. The way you break a song down and examine it is very interesting and professional. Especially older songs like this. You remind me of why I liked these songs to begin with. Thank you for that.

[@gigantor56]

In reading some of the family's responses to media coverage I got the impression they felt Pearl Jam did this just to make money off their son and his suicide.

[@oldschoolbudgetracing1458]

I have a big connection to this song. I was driving by the school as they were bringing the body out and putting him in the back of the ambulance. And later I found out that I knew 1 person that was in the class when it happened and another that was across the hall and watched it happen as well. Both of them were seriously effected by this as well as all the other kids in the class. A song will always hit when it is sung with real emotion. Which is how Eddie sang this song. He did an amazing job getting the emotion across.

[@fernandolopes2544]

The production in this song is just insane. How powerful the guitar sounds at the bridge (daddy didn’t give..) and how Eddie adds grit and power to the vocals, then later goes clean again. PJ is fantastic in so many ways, so nice to see this reaction making this song the justice it deserves. Btw this is a constant from you Elizabeth, this channel is the best!

[@tarynashley445]

Thank you for this video. I was an angst ridden, depressed teenager in the 90s when Pearl Jam came out. Their music saved my life! I loved Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Nirvana as well, but Eddie Vedder's raw emotions, sensitivity and vocal style connected with me the most. Also this video was so groundbreaking and still, unfortunately ,is relevant today. "Try to erase this..from the blackboard" Wow so powerful

[@exintrovert1337]

This is the first time it hit me, when he sings “try to erase this from the blackboard” and I realized this was Jeremy saying this about the blood he was about to spray. Holy shit.

[@hinjurock70]

I think it was meant more in a psychological way, as in try to erase the lingering emotional scars his classmates would surely feel for years or even decades after the horrific incident.

[@chrystalll1011]

I interpreted these lines the same way... as Jeremy's last "F you" to everyone, and particularly, to the teachers, since they are the ones who erase the boards. It was like Jeremy was forcing them to come to terms with the fact that they "erased" (ignored) the bullying they saw right in front of them... by giving them something they cannot erase, both physically on the actual board itself, and mentally with the lasting images they will forever see in their minds. Fascinating how people can hear the same lyrics/songs, yet envision completely different scenarios.

[@hinjurock70]

@@chrystalll1011 That's a good analysis.

[@TylerSampson51]

@@hinjurock70 it’s a double entendres. It means both

[@hinjurock70]

@@TylerSampson51 I won't argue that.

[@Shade_Tree_Mechanic]

The "N@zi Salute" was originally known as the "Bellamy salute" or "Flag Salute" and was named after the Pledge of Allegiance writer, Francis Bellamy. It dates back to 1892, when the pledge of allegiance was created. The Bellamy Salute is also related to the Roman Salute

[@vaska1999]

Thank you. I didn't know that.

[@greestali1284]

хор Сретенского монастыря - Конь (HD качество)

[@garyjameslittle]

Thank you for the respect you give to this story, this song, this band, to Eddie and Grunge music in general. It has been difficult getting older and having the intensity that these bands had slowly forgotten by so many, and somehow remain undiscovered by so many more since. And to be honest, I had not even understood it at this level myself until watching your clip despite this band being my favourite since the age of thirteen. I really appreciate you giving me a chance to feel the way I have today about these guys. Keep doing what your doing and thankyou, for being you.

[@benhatcher9396]

Mate, the only way I can describe 90's music, is that it "hits different".. Not better or worse (I don't like elitism), but the most undeniably "signature" music of the era had to be grunge.. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins.. even RHCP had a phase. Music that defined our generation, and was more raw, emotional, and honest, than many I've heard prior or since.. In an era today, where even "3 chords and the truth" has been lost, I miss the days where primal emotion was the driving force of music..

[@josephgillmer10]

Ten is a top to bottom masterpiece. Very few albums in the history of recorded music can stake that claim. Other examples, just at a moment's thought: Boston's debut; Fleetwood Mac's Rumours; George Michael's Faith; Pink Floyd's The Wall

[@jpl1107]

Agree. Add to that list So by Peter Gabriel

[@matthewgarrison-perkins5377]

I've always felt that the image of Jeremy and the class giving the upraised arm salute in front of the upside down US flag had a double meaning. One, it's shows that classroom indoctrination puts the future generation of Americans in distress. The upside-down flag is the symbol for danger or distress. and two, often when a person is completely alienated, they will lash out for attention, and sometimes adopt radical ideologies. Great breakdown, btw. As usual, this song had me in tears and I needed a good cry this morning. Peace be with you all.

[@bErMeNtAl]

I feel like it's comparing the way US schools make kids say the pledge of alligience to brainwash kids to be in love with the nation like the Nazis did.

[@TheReKinn]

@@bErMeNtAl I can see how that could be the message, and it was my first thought as well, but it doesn't really make sense in the context of the song to me.

[@311freek]

I cried the day this song was released, and I still cry when I listen to it now. I love watching people's reactions when they hear/see it for the first time and understand what it means. I remember staying up late to catch the uncensored video on MTV. Jeremy's story is so sad, and Eddie tells it so beautifully

[@dbstrozier]

We need more Pearl Jam on this channel. They have over 3 decades of brilliant passionate music to explore.

[@Oleoay]

Eddie’s ukulele songs were very popular too

[@Nanno00]

Whenever someone says they haven’t heard this song, I always say they need to hear it. It changes your entire outlook on life.

[@MarkMcKee1963]

I love watching your reactions to the grunge songs that you’ve been covering. Not just your insight on the musical side, but seeing your physical reactions to the subject matter. I consider the early to mid 90s the greatest 5 to 6 years in rock music history. So many great bands and songs during that time. Revisiting these songs and seeing new experiences from others is so good. Thanks for reminding me to always visit this era.

[@davidpaz9389]

The Seattle sound was a revelation. It was a rebirth of genuine substance in popular music and the perfect soundtrack to transition to adulthood with.

[@brookeperezhuston]

I've heard this song more times than I can count and I still get chills every time I hear his voice. It's powerful but velvet. It's just beautiful with so much emotion behind it. Ugh.

[@dumpsterfyre278]

This album came out my junior year of high school. It STILL makes me tear up watching this video! The whole "Try to erase this from the blackboard" gets me every time!

[@PChamileon97]

one thing that I love about the music video, like you pointed out, is Eddie’s face. You see bits of confusion such as “What?...Why would this happen?...” but you also see this dark, evil type grin which can be safely assumed to be about the depression and pain creeping in, slowly taking over like “Yes, feel the pain. Get used to it because it’ll be all you will ever know” and on the exact same coin we see aspects of sorrow, sadness, and overall pain. Like “I can’t do this anymore. I can’t. Nobody is there for me, I have no one...” Confusion, Evilness, Sadness able to produce multiple aspects all at the same time which can be hard to do at times, but Eddie really nailed it perfectly given the inspiration of the song.

[@renemrt]

Jeremy spoke in class today over and over looks like his classmates repeating what happened, they were in shock at that moment.

[@hfortenberry]

Thank you for your heartfelt analysis Elizabeth. This subject is so important and too many times they are overlooked. I love the way you weave the emotional elements into your analyses. And I'm sorry you had the experience you had. You said you know from experience the suicide hotline. Whether that was from possibly losing someone close to you or being in that dark place yourself, I know so many of us are very grateful you're here today. You and your channel are a gift to the world. *HUGS*

[@1968cbell]

This song still has so much relevance today. Thank you, Elizabeth for taking a deeper dive into this song. My daughter lost three friends to suicide in high school. I was 25 in 1993 and this song still resonates and continues to be a favorite.

[@johnnygrind77]

As someone who was bullied since the first grade, this song really hit me when it came out. It still brings me back to those hard times and it also doesn't help that it came out shortly before my dad lost his battle to cancer. Now as an adult, I'm the one who sticks up for coworkers who get pushed around verbally or the one that reaches out to parents whose kids are being picked on. In the words of Morrissey in the song "I Know it's Over" by The Smiths: "It takes guts to be gentle and kind."

[@adnap]

You have so much heart Elizabeth. Bless you, and thank you for this. I believe that anyone that has met you is a better person for having done so.

[@melodyyoung9640]

Eddie himself was also terribly abused as a child. Our generation was much less open, he had a creative outlet, not everyone did. For our generation this was an important social outlet.

[@matthewgriffin5155]

I've never been a Pearl Jam fan so I rarely revisit their music catalog. I've heard this song a thousand times and haven't thought much of it. Man, having kids of your own changes your perspective so much. I couldn't imagine any of my kids going through something like this. My hope is they trust me enough to confide in me the difficult things to talk about. I'll never listen to this song the same way again. Thank you for this.

[@exnihilogg5420]

My grade 10 english teacher made my class watch this video and we did a deep dive into the lyrics, and the imagery in the video. This had THE single biggest impact on me throughout my entire education. I (27M) have never been so moved by anything in my life. This song is damn near perfection. edit: the original music video when jeremy was standing in front of the fire, they had him wearing a Nazi flag (which my english teacher showed) but was later removed to be able to be shown anywhere

[@aliwilson6046]

Didn’t MTV remove him putting the gun in his mouth as well?

[@libbaz]

This song always pulls at my emotions whenever I hear it. To stop, rewind, and analyse so much of it... Almost brought me to tears. Such a well written piece. Jeremy and Black are such perfectly composed examples of rock and grunge.

[@shermanmi]

The words "agonized growl" are my favorite descriptors of Eddie Vedder's voice.

[@skyzefawlun]

As somebody who was a teenager battling depression and feelings of alienation and isolation when this album and song came out, it hit me really hard at the time and still resonates today. Thank you for choosing to dive into this incredibly heavy and powerful song. I know this had to be hard for you to sit through, as the subject is still as poignant today as it was back in the early 90s, but we can never hide from the hard conversations, as pretending that pain isn't there is part of the problem. Much love from a tear filled pair of eyes and a wounded but willing heart

[@inkscars6380]

Great breakdown. Eddie Vedder has one of the best voices ever, anything he does is blessed with talent. Please do Eddie Vedder - Hard Sun You already did Black live which gives me chills every time I hear it!

[@JeffreyBezeau]

Still today this song brings me to tears. I've been that kid, shown like in the clip and i'm glad i didn't take this road as it could have been easy to do so. But i think the clip and the lyrics pictures it well. The turmoil you feel when nothing happy is happening home, nothing happy is happening at school, and more often than anything, how you're left with that anger stirring insidr and poisoning everything you do or say, as it's the only thing you know. Yeah there are happy moments too, and you get to catch a glimpse of joy here and there, but it's just so easily burrowed under all that negativity, emptyness, solitude and lack of warmth and attention. To all the kids (and young adults) suffering from this, be your own friend, and focus on what you like, what you love to do and the little things you know that you like about yourself. Life isn't meaningless, as you can find purpose in it by yourself, by doing what you like, and being patient with yourself. It's ok, you'll get somewhere, someday, somehow, be patient.

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

You and my husband have a lot in common. I am glad you and him didn't take that path. Thank you for sharing. :-)

[@JeffreyBezeau]

@@TheCharismaticVoice =) i'd rather open up about it and maybe reach a kindred spirit in need of help than shutting all doors and windows, not letting the light shine in, or worse, not being able to let someone else sees that they're not alone. Have a great day to you and your husband.

[@Asheso80]

Watching this with you was such an emotional roller coaster. This song means so much to me. Thank you.

[@terakahn]

I can't imagine the thought process behind reading a story like this, and being like "I need to write a song about this". But I'm glad he did.

[@jimsladeck9364]

I never knew the backstory. Thanks Elizabeth for your great review and informative summation of this great song. Your take on music and "singers" is so amazing and refreshing in a way that we have never seen before. Thank you

[@sonyamastick]

Incredibly kind, thoughtful and humane of you to be so sensitive about the subject matter and go a step further to direct people to help. You are always a class act! Thanks for this channel.

[@downboys]

It’s actually 2 stories in one song. The other is about a kid Eddie went to school with (2nd verse). "Jeremy" is based on two different true stories. The song takes its main inspiration 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 second-period English class of 30 students on the morning of January 8, 1991. In a 2009 interview, Vedder said that he felt "the need to take that small article and make something of it-to give that action, to give it reaction, to give it more importance." Delle was described by schoolmates as "real quiet" and known for "acting sad". After coming into class late that morning, Delle was told to get an admittance slip from the school office. He left the classroom, and returned with a .357 Magnum revolver. Delle walked to the front of the classroom, announced "Miss, I got what I really went for", put the barrel of the firearm in his mouth, and pulled the trigger before his teacher or classmates could react. Lisa Moore, a schoolmate, knew Jeremy from the in-school suspension program: "He and I would pass notes back and forth and he would talk about life and stuff," she said. "He signed all of his notes, 'Write back.' But on Monday he wrote, 'Later days.' I didn't know what to make of it. But I never thought this would happen." When asked about the song, Vedder explained: It came from a small paragraph in a paper which means you kill yourself and you make a big old sacrifice and try to get your revenge. That all you're gonna end up with is a paragraph in a newspaper. Sixty-four degrees and cloudy in a suburban neighborhood. That's the beginning of the video and that's the same thing in the end; it does nothing ... nothing changes. The world goes on and you're gone. The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself. Be stronger than those people. And then you can come back. The second story the song is based on, involved a student that Vedder knew from his junior high school in San Diego, California, who committed a school shooting. He elaborated further in a 1991 interview: I actually knew somebody in junior high school, in San Diego, California, that did the same thing, just about, didn't take his life but ended up shooting up an oceanography room. I remember being in the halls and hearing it and I had actually had altercations with this kid in the past. I was kind of a rebellious fifth-grader and I think we got in fights and stuff. So it's a bit about this kid named Jeremy and it's also a bit about a kid named Brian that I knew and I don't know ... the song, I think it says a lot. I think it goes somewhere ... and a lot of people interpret it different ways and it's just been recently that I've been talking about the true meaning behind it and I hope no one's offended and believe me, I think of Jeremy when I sing it.

[@ogt92fromthe1step9]

Thanks for sharing I just read this article like 3 weeks ago and I was hoping someone else was going to shed some inside that it was more or less based on two separate individuals.

[@curtandoscar]

Thank you for doing this. This remains an incredible piece of art - both the song and the video - which in nearly 30 years has not lost its power. At least back then, there was usually a reason a band made it huge as Pearl Jam did. We are seeing why with this video. Eddie's presence and performance in the video, and of course his truly extraordinary singing - his explosion of emotion and pain - shows you how and why this band was so massive at the time.

[@EmeraldElements]

Eddie is a great mix of rock and poetry. Thanks for covering this 👍🏻

[@MrNguela]

I always come to tears with this song. Especially the unplugged one, with all the Eddie's body language coming out, it's beyond words... I'm 34, father of two boys. Knowing this story is real is heartbreaking, and you never know what you gonna get. I would never be able to support a loss of a son in this way. I try to stay connected with them with all my love, but still strugling to avoid some errors I do as the human I am. We all gotta take care of our children so there's less "Jeremies" in this world! Peace.

[@joshuawright9117]

I believe with all my heart that these songs/videos that deal with life’s hardest issues and battles are some of the most important music ever written. Among the truly emotional and difficult songs that I find myself listening to on repeat includes Jeremy and right up there with it, Cigarettes and Saints by The Wonder Years. An entire story of how pharmaceuticals have caused so much addiction and loss of life all in the name of profit.

[@treetopjones737]

Yep. Look up the cause of Del Shannon's suicide.

[@Gdog692]

I stumbled upon this analysis again today, after two years. It’s really sad how many kids go through hell, and feel the only way to get out is to end their lives. It’s really scary when you’re faced with the real thing. Watching someone attempt to take their life is something that sticks with you. It makes you appreciate life a little more, and makes you want to be a kinder person. At least, for me it did, when my best friend was struggling. I’m forever grateful she’s still here today. Thank you for your analysis of this song. It’s refreshing to see someone understand the meaning of the song, and to also have such a beautiful breakdown of Eddie’s voice. I love this so much, and I am very glad I stumbled upon this again today.

[@tomhartke4049]

Fabulous Art! One of the most evocative renderings of a moving life in the last 50 years!

[@paulriddle7818]

Jeremy was how "we" were introduced to Pearl Jam. The MV was pretty jaw dropping. The subject matter and the band....

[@anthonysvenforsic4760]

Even Flow.

[@ridingincircles]

@@anthonysvenforsic4760 was just thinking the same.

[@Douglas_I]

How things have changed, a music video about a kid shooting himself was controversial in those days. Now kids shoot other kids then themselves.

[@abrahamesparza01]

It was Alive

[@rekrn12345]

Nobody knew what the song was about. At most some people thought it was maybe about bullying or something.

[@chrismullaney9042]

Great job holding it together during this extremely charged song. I could see tears brewing but you were able to fight them back and analyze the song professionally for the most part. Kudos to you. I lose that battle every time.

[@bongisland2762]

amen to that. i can't watch ANY hollywood movie in a theater (not even comedies!) without breaking into tears a hundred times because of all kinds of things that trigger me. i cry at shit no one else cries at. ouch. then again, ALL movies are essentially tragedies, aren't they? I wrote a song called "In Hollywood, The Good Guys Always Win (Cuz In Real Life The Good Guys Always Lose) (Just Ask The Jews)"! THAT's the reason movies exist (and have HAPPY ENDINGS): to ESCAPE THE REAL WORLD. Which NEVER has happy endings. (Except I count death as a happy ending!) IN MOVIES, you see FRIENDS UNITING to DO GOOD. THat doesn't happen in REAL LIFE. Your friends BETRAY YOU in real life, that's WHY they unite in films, aka fantasy. CRAZY FACT: if not for Hitler, the "Super-Hero" genre might never have been invented! Superman and Capt AMerica were invented bc their jewish NYC writers IMAGINED someone STOPPING Hitler, cuz the allies weren't doin' shit for 15 years until 1939!! (PLOT TWIST: twas the allies who FUNDED AND CREATED the Nazi Party to go attack russian commie jews! The Allies LITERALLY backed Hitler until it was too late. They even told Austria "if you don't surrender to hitler, WE WILL BACK HIM AGAINST YOU!" Everyone LOVES to forget these minor facts! WALL ST funded Hitler. The NYTimes and NYPost and ALL of them praised Hitler for 15 YEARS!!!) It's insane how RANDOM most history is. EX: the ICONIC IMAGE of the shirtless rock star or Elvis or Robert Plant with their shirts OPEN, showing off their sweaty chests........was AN ACCIDENT like everything else! BACK THEN, stage lights were SUPER-HOT and so everyone was getting COOKED up there, especially ROCK musicians! (Sinatra wore a suit. But he wasn't exerting himself. He was crooning.) SO THEY HAD NO CHOICE but to take clothes off to not faint! THAT'S GONE FOREVER NOW, cuz stage lights are now LEDs (ha ha) and produce no heat!

[@garylagstrom3864]

I’ve got a cool story about Eddie Vedder. First I worked for an insurance company back in the day in the special lines field and remember actually speaking to Eddie about his boat policy! He said enjoyed calling instead of his agent! Very down to Earth and later we were able to meet at a Seattle Pearl Jam show so he was able to put a face to the voice on the phone 📱. ILL NEVER FORGET IT! RIP CHRIS CORNELL. The Seattle scene in the early 1990’s is unsurpassed by anything going on today!

[@robertcronin6603]

Your reactions are *the BEST* ...can't say enough about how you so delicately and respectfully breakdown a song...superb 👌

[@thomastaipliadis8533]

I was 19 when this came out. Brings tears to my eyes even after 30 years. An "onslaught of emotions" is the most precise definition for this video (and of PJ for that matter).

[@johngrenga664]

this is why i watch your videos, alot of times i just like a song for the melody or the way it sounds and this was just one of those songs, until watching your video where the words became clear. I could never hear the words to this song before today. An emotional song for sure. There is help out here so thanks for pointing that out!!!!!!

[@TheCharismaticVoice]

I am so glad. This song has such deep meaning, I am glad I was able to help bring that out for you, John. :-)

[@notsofast2539]

Eddie Vedder is without doubt one of the premier voices of the grunge movement. No analysis of Eddie's voice would be complete without taking a look at 'Even Flow'.... Another one of Eddie's amazing vocal adventures!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpitkKN_rLasbM0

[@STMARTIN009]

Damn straight. I was a young kid when Ten came out. It was a very popular album and band. Music was much better in the 80s and 90s in general.

[@nursebridgie]

Man I loved that album so much. This is making me remember.

[@nataszasuarez6243]

Chris, Layne, Kurt and Andrew are the Voices Of Grunge. Definitely not Vedder.

[@nataszasuarez6243]

Chris, Layne, Kurt and Andrew are the Voices Of Grunge. Definitely not Vedder.

[@notsofast2539]

@@nataszasuarez6243 - Born and raised in the Seattle area, I would have to disagree with you. I believe most would agree that Eddie Vedder would be rightfully grouped among the most unforgettable Grunge Voices, period. Let's not leave out Neil Young, the 'Father of Grunge'. Hey, Hey, My, My !!😁

[@rainstorm6230]

please react to хор Сретенского монастыря - Конь (HD качество)

[@kitsunelee007]

My son took his own life less then 3 months ago due to mental illness. I'm old enough to remember before this song first came out and now for some reason it gives me outlet for my grief that I cannot express my tears. My son's situation is so far removed from what happened to the real Jeremy but it still hits with the same impact that I felt when the first lump of Earth hit my son's coffin. How I wish no parent ever feels the way I do and outlives their child. I would give anything to take his place in the cold lonely ground.

[@anthtan]

My condolences. Do take care, and never give up.

[@kitsunelee007]

@@anthtan thank you

[@britishbluecatsonwheels]

I’m reading this one year on from when you posted. Firstly, my sincere condolences and secondly, although this will never leave yo, hoping this finds you able to move forward with life.

[@pablofr74]

His voice is pure emotion. Amazing artist.