Daughter - Pearl Jam

Artist: Pearl Jam
Song: Daughter
Year: 1993
Album: Vs.

This is the first song in a series of songs that would test the true fans of Pearl Jam. I know many people who stopped listening to Pearl Jam because of "Daughter". Each album would alienate more of the fan base until only the diehards were left.

The music is as solid as ever, but most fans want the same music repackaged a thousand times. Pearl Jam refused to pander to the masses and made music on their own terms. Dealing with social issues since their first album, Pearl Jam became less and less obtuse about it.

Ten dealt with the extreme punishments of children ("Why Go") and the effect that abuse has on them ("Jeremy"). When presented with a more straightforward storyline, and no video, "Daughter" went too far in some fans' opinions. Little did they know that Pearl Jam would be on a path to expose other dark underbellies of society in their following albums.

I can listen to Vs. all the way through much more than Ten. I think that these songs were not played as much as the ones on Ten. No videos helped this album in the long run. While it was very frustrating not having this album all over MTV in 1993, it was the best decision the band could have ever made. The songs have a strong interpretation made stronger by your own imagination.

Lyrics:
alone..
listless..
breakfast table in an otherwise empty room.
a young girl..
violens..
center of her own attention.
mother reads aloud, child
tries to understand it
tries to make her proud.

the shades go down
its in her head
painted room
can't deny theres something wrong.

don't call me daughter
not fit to
the picture kept will remind me
don't call me daughter
not fit to
the picture kept will remind me

don't call me

she holds the hand.. that holds her down
she will... rise above

don't call me daughter
not fit to
the picture kept will remind me
don't call me daughter
not fit to be
the picture kept will remind me

don't call me daughter
not fit to
the picture kept will remind me
don't call me daughter
not fit to be
the picture kept will remind me

don't call me

Rearviewmirror - Pearl Jam

Artist: Pearl Jam
Song: Rearviewmirror
Year: 1993
Album: Vs.

This song is one of my all-time favorites. It just captured my mood perfectly when I first heard it. The overlying themes of the "Rearviewmirror" have nothing to do with me, but a few select lines and the music is what sold me on the song. It elevated its status from favorite to all-time favorite with one moment.

I was working an overnight job stocking at K-Mart in 1994. On Friday evenings, the K-Mart Radio Network would actually have a live DJ play music. They took requests from the different stores. No one at our store could ever find the number, so we were stuck with whatever was requested. That was fine with us because it meant that we wouldn't have to listen to the same 50 songs played over and over and over again. It took me years to appreciate "When My Guitar Gently Weeps" again because it looped so much.

K-Mart stopped doing this service for their employees sometime in 1995. I was among the last employees to actually hear it. One night, a coworker and I were shooting the breeze and talking about music, when "Rearviewmirror" came on. We were both ecstatic! We never dreamed this song would ever be played over the air. We listened carefully and they actually left the word fuck in the song. No bleeping. No muting. Everything was left in.

We were impressed. It didn't take much to make us happy back then. The work was so monotonous, that any ray of sunshine was magnified greatly. I never forgot that night and I will always love this song.

Lyrics:
I took a drive today
Time to emancipate
I guess it was the beatings made me wise
But I'm not about to give thanks or apologize
I couldn't breathe holdin' me down
Hand on my face kissin' the ground
Enmity gauged united by fear
'Posed to endure what I could not forgive...

I seem to look away
Wounds in the mirror waved
It wasn't my surface most defiled
Head at your feet fool to your crown
Fist on my plate, swallowed it down
Enmity gauged, united by fear
Tried to endure what I could not forgive

Saw things
Clearer
Once you, were in my...Rearview mirror...

I gather speed from you fucking with me
Once and for all I'm far away
I hardly believe, finally the shades...are raised...hey...

Saw things so much clearer
Once you, once you...
Rearview mirror

Saw things so much clearer
Once you...oh yeah...