Alive (Pearl Jam song)

Guitarist Stone Gossard wrote the music for the song, which he titled "Dollar Short", in 1990 when he was still a member of Mother Love Bone. According to Gossard in an interview for Pearl Jam's VH1 Storytellers special, Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood had even sung on it. After Wood died of a heroin overdose, Gossard and his bandmate Jeff Ament started playing with guitarist Mike McCready with the hope of starting a new band. "Dollar Short" was one of five tracks compiled onto a tape called Stone Gossard Demos '91 that Gossard, Ament, and McCready circulated in the hopes of finding a singer and drummer for the group.Pearlman, Nina. "Black Days". Guitar World. December 2002.

The tape made its way into the hands of vocalist Eddie Vedder, who was working as a security guard for a petroleum company in San Diego, California, at the time. He listened to the tape shortly before going surfing, where lyrics came to him.{{cite magazine | last = Crowe | first = Cameron | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10560431/five_against_the_world | title = Five Against the World | magazine = Rolling Stone | date = October 28, 1993 | access-date = June 23, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070619084803/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10560431/five_against_the_world | archive-date = June 19, 2007 | url-status = dead }} Vedder mailed the tape back to Seattle. Upon hearing the tape, the band invited Vedder to come to Seattle and he was asked to join the band.

The band, then called Mookie Blaylock, recorded "Alive" during a demo session at London Bridge studio in January 1991. The version recorded during this session would later appear on the group's debut album, Ten, and on the promotional "Alive" EP. During album mixing sessions in England in June 1991, mixer Tim Palmer had McCready add to the song's outro solo. McCready recorded a number of attempts at the solo, and Palmer edited them into a composite version. The guitarist was unsatisfied with the result, so he made another attempt at the solo, this time using a Uni-Vibe while recording. "He had another go at it", Palmer recalled, "and got it right away. There was no piecing together to do; it was one take."

"Alive" is in the key of A major and features an extended guitar solo after its third chorus (3:38). The solo for "Alive", performed by McCready, was ranked number 44 on Guitar World's list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos",{{cite web|url=http://guitar.about.com/library/bl100greatest.htm|title=100 Greatest Guitar Solos|work=Guitar World|publisher=About.com|last=Cross|first=Dan|year=2007|access-date=January 28, 2007|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://archive.today/20160305022334/http://guitar.about.com/od/guitaristsatoz/tp/100-Greatest-Guitar-Solos.htm|url-status=dead}} and number 26 on Total Guitar's list of the "100 Hottest Guitar Solos"."100 Hottest Guitar Solos". Total Guitar. May 2006. When interviewed about his famous solo, McCready was quick to disclaim creative credit for it, saying he basically "copied Ace Frehley's solo from 'She', which was copied from Robby Krieger's solo in The Doors' 'Five to One'."Gilbert, Jeff. "Prime Cuts: Mike McCready - The Best of Pearl Jam!". Guitar School. May 1995. Aside from that influence, it strongly highlights the influences of Jimi Hendrix on McCready's playing, including extensive wah pedal use, frequent whammy bar dips and vibrato, as well as the use of a battered Stratocaster guitar. During many live shows he has been known to break into the outro lead solo for Black Sabbath's "War Pigs".

The song is the first piece in a trilogy of songs in what Vedder later described as a "mini-opera" entitled Mamasan, which is composed of the songs "Alive", "Once", and "Footsteps". "Alive" tells the story of a young man discovering that the man he thought was his father is actually his stepfather, while his mother's grief leads to an intimate relationship with the son, who strongly resembles the biological father. This leads to "Once" in which the man descends into madness and goes on a killing spree, and "Footsteps" in which the man is eventually looking back from a prison cell awaiting his execution.

"Alive" is partly autobiographical and partly fictional. When Vedder was a teenager, his mother told him that his father was actually his stepfather, and that his biological father was dead. The first and last verses detail those actual events, but the second verse is storytelling on Vedder's part. The lyrics of the second verse read, "Oh, she walks slowly, across a young man's room/She said I'm ready...for you/I can't remember anything to this very day/'Cept the look, the look.../Oh, you know where, now I can't see, I just stare..." Vedder revealed that "she" was the mother, and "the look" referred to was not the look on her face, but "the look is between her legs. Where do you go with that? That's where you came from."

Rather than being the inspirational song most interpret it as, Vedder had quite a different meaning in mind, stating with regard to the song's protagonist, "He's still dealing, he's still growing up. He's still dealing with love, he's still dealing with the death of his father. All he knows is 'I'm still alive' -- those three words, that's totally out of burden." Vedder stated at Pearl Jam's 2006 VH1 Storytellers appearance that over the years the meaning has changed for him. He said, "In the original story, a teenager is being made aware of a shocking truth that leaves him plenty confused...It was a curse—'I'm still alive.'" The audience's response to the song is what has brought about the change in meaning for Vedder. He added, "They lifted the curse. The audience changed the meaning for me."Cohen, Jonathan. [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/58253/pearl-jam-tells-its-story-at-vh1-taping "Pearl Jam Tells Its 'Story' At VH1 Taping"]. Billboard. June 2, 2006.

While the "Alive" single was released commercially to international markets in 1992, an early version of the track was released on the Coca-Cola Pop Music Sampler in 1991.{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Vol-Music-Sampler-cassette/dp/B009VX1FH4 |title=Archived copy |website=Amazon |access-date=June 19, 2018 |archive-date=November 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103153733/https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Vol-Music-Sampler-cassette/dp/B009VX1FH4 |url-status=dead }} The album version was released as a single in the United States on June 27, 1995, and was only available as a more expensive import version beforehand. Prior to its commercial release, "Alive" was released as a promotional CD and cassette featuring different artwork and B-sides. While "Wash" was also a B-side to the commercial singles, "I've Got a Feeling" was only on this version of the single. The guitar solo at the end of "Alive" was also different from the Ten version, and there are a few other noticeable differences between the two. The B-side "Wash" can also be found as an extra track on European releases of Ten and as an alternate version on the compilation album, Lost Dogs (2003).

Gossard said that "not a lot of people thought ["Alive"] was a great single when we released it ... I don't think that the record company thought it was a slam-dunk. They went, 'Oh! This seems like the best one so far.'"Kaufman, Gil. [http://www.freewebs.com/pearljamstudy/0500sonicnetinterview.htm "Pearl Jam's Anti-Career"]. Sonicnet. May 15, 2000. The song peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 18 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Although the album's follow-up singles would find more success on the rock charts, "Alive" was nevertheless important in bringing attention to the band.Huey, Steve. [{{AllMusic|class=song|id=t2403283|pure_url=yes}} "Alive > Review"]. Allmusic. Retrieved on May 16, 2008. The single also spent a record-breaking 61 weeks on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.{{cite magazine|last1=Trust|first1=Gary|title=Ask Billboard: Madonna Vs. Lady Gaga|magazine=Billboard|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/957513/ask-billboard-madonna-vs-lady-gaga|date=July 2, 2010|access-date=January 28, 2016}}

Steve Huey of Allmusic said that while "Alive" has a "big, stadium-ready chorus," it also is "subtler, less macho, and less grandiose than true arena rock." Regarding the song's guitar solo, Huey said, "It adds a final epic touch to the song, as though the lyric-centered part of the song simply wasn't enough to achieve complete catharsis." Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media said that "'Alive' remains potent not only because Vedder touches on some seriously transgressive shit here (dead fathers, hints at incest, survivor guilt), but mostly because the band rock the hell out of that coda."Deusner, Stephen M. [http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12873-ten-deluxe-edition/ "Pearl Jam: Ten"]. Pitchfork Media. April 3, 2009. In 2021, American Songwriter and Kerrang each ranked the song number two on their lists of the greatest Pearl Jam songs.{{cite web|url=https://americansongwriter.com/top-10-pearl-jam-songs/|title=Top 10 Pearl Jam Songs|first=Jacob|last=Uitti|work=American Songwriter|date=December 30, 2021|accessdate=March 8, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.kerrang.com/the-20-greatest-pearl-jam-songs-ranked|title=The 20 greatest Pearl Jam songs – ranked|first=Sam|last=Law|work=Kerrang|date=January 19, 2021|accessdate=March 8, 2022}}

"Alive" is featured in the 2007 video game, SingStar Amped, for the PlayStation 2.Miller, Greg. [http://ps2.ign.com/articles/803/803987p1.html "E3 2007: SingStar Amped Hands-on"]. IGN. July 11, 2007. The song is also featured in the 2008 video game, Rock Band 2.{{cite web | url = http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53595 | title = New Rock Band 2 Bands, Details Announced | first = Maarten | last = Goldstein | date = July 14, 2008 | access-date =July 14, 2008 | publisher = Shacknews| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080715143011/http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53595| archive-date=July 15, 2008 | url-status= live}} In March 2009, the rest of the album Ten was also made available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series.{{cite web | url = http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/56366 | title = Rock Band Getting Full Pearl Jam Album | publisher = Shacknews | first = Chris | last = Faylor | date = December 14, 2008 | access-date = December 14, 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081215103115/http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/56366| archive-date=December 15, 2008 | url-status= live}} A live version of "Alive" taken from the band's September 20, 1992, concert was made available as a downloadable bonus track for the Rock Band series for those who purchased the Ten re-release through Best Buy.

In July 2009, Australian radio station Triple J polls the Hottest 100 of All Time which "Alive" was voted #25 on the list,{{cite web | url = http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100_alltime/countdown/cd_list.htm | title = Hottest 100 of All Time, 2009 | date = January 2009 | publisher = ABC.net}} although the song was voted higher in the 1998 hottest 100 of all-time list at #3.{{cite web | url = http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/hottest100_08/history/1998.htm#h100-all-time | title = Hottest 100 of All Time, 1998 | date = December 26, 2008 | publisher = ABC.net}} In 2021, it was ranked number 416 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".{{Cite magazine |date=September 15, 2021 |title=The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/ |access-date=July 4, 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}

The music video for "Alive" was directed by Josh Taft, a childhood friend of Gossard, who would later direct the music videos for "Even Flow" and "Oceans".{{cite web | url=http://www.pearljam.com/timeline/ | title=Pearl Jam: Timeline | access-date=June 27, 2007 | publisher=Pearljam.com |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080109033804/http://www.pearljam.com/timeline/ |archive-date = January 9, 2008}} The black-and-white video consists of a filmed live performance of the band filmed on August 3, 1991, during a Pearl Jam concert at RKCNDY in Seattle, Washington; thus, different from most music videos, the version of the song heard in the clip is actually being played in the concert rather than being a lip-sync from the record version. Drummer Matt Chamberlain can be seen drumming in the "Alive" video. Pearl Jam's future drummer Dave Abbruzzese was in the audience when the video was shot. It was his first encounter with the band as he had just arrived from Texas after being recommended for the band by Chamberlain and only knew the songs from the "Alive" single.[http://www.lukin.com/Information/dhabbruzzese.html "Dave Abbruzzese"]. Lukin.com. The video was released in September 1991.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mvdbase.com/artist.php?last=Pearl%20Jam&first=&sortord=1|title=Pearl Jam music videos|access-date=February 22, 2008|publisher=Music Video Database| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080314192028/http://mvdbase.com/artist.php?last=Pearl+Jam&first=&sortord=1| archive-date=March 14, 2008 | url-status= live}}

Regarding the live video, Ament said, "Initially, it was a problem in terms of talking the record company into taking it seriously...That people didn't think we could pull it off made us want to do it even more. We felt we could do a better version of it. Sonically, it's an inferior version of the song. But it's live.""The 100 Top Music Videos". Rolling Stone. October 14, 1993. The video was nominated for Best Alternative Video at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.{{cite web

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| access-date = September 5, 2007

| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070930215850/http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1992/mtvvmas.htm| archive-date=September 30, 2007 | url-status= live}}

"Alive" was first performed live at the band's October 22, 1990, concert in Seattle, Washington at the Off Ramp Café.[http://pearljam.com/music/lyrics/all/all/20801/alive "Pearl Jam Songs: "Alive""]. pearljam.com. Pearl Jam performed the song for its appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1992. The song was performed on Saturday Night Live in April 1992 in support of Ten. "Alive" has gone on to become the band's second most performed live song at over 880 performances, behind only "Even Flow" which has been played over 940 times. Following the June 2000 Roskilde Festival tragedy in which nine people died during Pearl Jam's set, the band purposely omitted "Alive" from all shows on its 2000 North American tour until the final night in Seattle. Pearl Jam performed the song for its appearance on VH1 Storytellers in 2006.

Live performances of "Alive" can be found on European releases of Ten, the compilation album Stanley, Son of Theodore: Yet Another Alternative Music Sampler, the "Oceans" single, the "Dissident"/Live in Atlanta box set, various official bootlegs, the live album Live in NYC 12/31/92, the Live at the Gorge 05/06 box set, the live album Live at Lollapalooza 2007, and the Drop in the Park LP included in the Super Deluxe edition of the Ten reissue. Performances of the song are also included on the DVD Immagine in Cornice and the MTV Unplugged DVD included in the Ten reissue.

All songs were written by Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard except where noted.

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European 7-inch single (EPC 657572 7)

1. "Alive" – 5:40
2. "Once" – 3:51

European 12-inch single and US CD single (EPC 657572 6/34K 77933)

1. "Alive" – 5:40
2. "Once" – 3:51
3. "Wash" (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) – 3:34

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Japanese CD single (SRCS 5884)

1. "Alive" (live) – 4:57
2. "Even Flow" (re-recorded) – 5:07
3. "Wash" (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) – 3:35
4. "Dirty Frank" (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 5:39

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• Eddie Vedder – vocals
• Mike McCready – lead guitar, acoustic-electric guitar
• Stone Gossard – rhythm guitar
• Jeff Ament – bass guitar
• Dave Krusen – drums

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{{Reflist}}

• {{YouTube|3MutXUvS37k|"Alive" (Official audio)}}
• {{YouTube|qM0zINtulhM|"Alive" (Official music video)}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20091006195313/http://www.pearljam.com/song/alive "Alive" lyrics] at [http://pearljam.com Pearl Jam's official web site]
• {{AllMusic|class=song|id=mt0004546924|label=Review of "Alive"}}
• [https://www.avclub.com/pearl-jam-s-stone-gossard-walks-through-his-band-s-big-1798241226 2013 Interview with Stone Gossard]

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Category:1991 songs

Category:1991 debut singles

Category:Black-and-white music videos

Category:Pearl Jam songs

Category:Songs written by Eddie Vedder

Category:Songs written by Stone Gossard

Category:Song recordings produced by Eddie Vedder

Category:Song recordings produced by Stone Gossard

Category:Song recordings produced by Jeff Ament

Category:Song recordings produced by Mike McCready

Category:Song recordings produced by Dave Krusen

Category:Song recordings produced by Rick Parashar

Category:Epic Records singles

Category:Fiction about incest

Category:Songs about child abuse

Category:Alternative rock ballads

Category:Music videos directed by Josh Taft