Long Road - Pearl Jam

Artist: Pearl Jam
Song: Long Road
Year: 1995
Album: B side of Merkinball single

I remember being anxious when this song came out. Pearl Jam just aborted most of it's touring plans because of Ticketmaster. They were going to alternate venues, usually in out of the way places. This made getting to a show difficult. Since there were so few dates (and sporadic at that), tickets sold out within minutes. I didn't see them until 1998.

I was hooked into the A side of the Merkinball single, which is "I Got Id". That was the radio song. At this point, Pearl Jam could release a single of cat screeches and random noises and it would go gold, but they left that type of experimenting to their deep album tracks.

This version of "Long Road" took me by surprise. Pearl Jam recorded it with Neil Young during the same sessions that produced Neil's Mirrorball album. This song gave a preview of what the next album would be like. It was soft and mellow and something you could either veg to or contemplate the meaning of life.

"Long Road" is beautifully crafted and is both downtrodden and optimistic at the same time. They have used this as a rotating set opener since 1995.

Lyrics:
And I wished for so long. Cannot stay.
All the precious moments. Cannot stay.
It's not like wings have fallen. Cannot stay.
But still something's missing. I cannot say, yeah.

Holding hands are daughters and sons.
And their faiths are falling down, down, down, down.
I have wished for so long.
How I wish for you today.

Will I walk the long road? (the long road) Cannot stay. (the long road)
There's no need to say goodbye. (to say goodbye)
All the friends and family.
All the memories going round, round, round, round.
I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today.

And the wind keeps roaring. And the sky keeps turning grey.
And the sun is set. The sun will rise another day.
I...
I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today.
I have wished for so long. How I wish for you today.

Will I walk the long road? We all walk the long road.
Will I walk the long road? We all walk the long road.
Will I walk the long road? Will I walk the long road?
We all walk the long road. Will I walk the long road?
We all walk the long road. Will I walk the long road?