When They Were the #1 Band in the WORLD…They REFUSED to Release Their BEST Song! | Professor of Rock
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- Опубликовано: 26 июл 2024
- Coming up... Pearl Jam came out of nowhere to sell almost 16 million albums in 1992, of their classic TEN but at the peak of their fame, they completely sabotaged their greatest song: Black. After their album Ten blew up, they hadn’t even released the best song from the record… With most everyone agrees is Black, Because of this the label was psyched knowing Black would push Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam further up the charts. But the band wanted nothing to do with this song being a hit. In fact, they did everything in their power to prevent it. Problem is it didn’t work. Find out the crazy story next on Professor of Rock.
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#classicrock #90smusic #vinylstory #pearljam
Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you ever waited in line to get tickets to your favorite band in the day before the internet You’ll dig this channel. Make sure to subscribe below right now to be a part of our music history daily, and get the stories straight from the artists. Also, hit us up on Patreon, your support there really helps us make more videos and do more interviews. Plus, you’ll get access to an additional catalog of exclusive content that gonna take you even farther down the rock-era rabbit hole. I think you’ll really like it.
So, it’s time for another edition of our series The New Standards. In this show, we take an in-depth look at songs that have risen above genre, decade, and fads... songs that have become essential entries in the great world songbook. On previous episodes, we have covered Ordinary World by Duran Duran, Hotel California by The Eagles, and Pictures of You by The Cure. Today we’re taking a deep dive into one of the most powerful and heart-wrenching anthems of the 1990s, Black by Pearl Jam.
So, the story of Black is tightly interwoven with the origins and initial rise of Pearl Jam. After the dissolution of Seattle grunge pioneers Mother Love Bone in 1990, guitarist Stone Gossard teamed up with childhood friend Mike McCready and former bandmate Jeff Ament to start a new project. The result of their efforts was a five-song collection they called the Stone Gossard Demos. This now legendary tape of instrumental tracks found its way into the hands of San Diego singer Eddie Vedder. The music spoke to Vedder, so he wrote lyrics and recorded vocals for three of the tracks…
Alive, Once, and Footsteps. He dubbed these the Momma-Son trilogy and sent them off to Jeff Ament in Seattle. When Ament and Gossard heard Vedder’s interpretation, they were transfixed and immediately arranged an audition. Eddie arrived in Seattle on October 8, 1990, with the lyrics to a fourth track in hand... Black. Once there, he and the band, who had also added drummer Dave Krusen, went straight to work.
Kicking off one of the most grueling weeklong jam sessions in rock history, the heretofore nameless band laid down the musical foundations for their future album Ten. Just into this music writing clinic, the band recorded Black and nine other songs.
However, these were all preliminary cuts. Pearl Jam wouldn’t record Ten as we know it until the following spring. Under the direction of producer Rick Parashar, Ten was recorded at London Bridge Studios in Seattle. It was mixed at Ridge Farm studios in Surrey, England and then finally released on... 
Развлечения
Poll: What is your pick for the GREATEST ALBUM since 1990?
Ceremony. The Cult
Automatic For the People, REM
Soul Cages, Sting
"Facelift" Alice in Chains, it's phenomenal.
Mariah Carey "Music Box" and Janet Jackson "Janet."
Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
I was homeless in Boston when Ten came out, and certain I would take my own life. A friend had the CD, and when I heard Even Flow, I felt like someone heard us, noticed the homeless, acknowledged our humanity I was instantly in love with Pearl Jam. And that feeling of being seen, being heard, it saved my life. Today I've got a home and a family, and I credit Pearl Jam in part with keeping me alive during that time.
Glad you came through the darkness and found happiness,keep well
You're lucky I'm not going into the worthless homeless idiots of today
Thanks for sharing this. It's really powerful.
So glad you're OK ❤
Your story is inspiring, a lesson in perseverance and love. Thank you for sharing, keep on rocking!
"I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky but why can't it be mine?"
Sweet merciful baby Jeebus, that gets me every single time. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
If that was all he sang, it just kills. But the ways he stretches out the "why can't it be mine?" in such an agonizingly, painful way of intense pleading? Pure art.
It's such a great lyric.
You don’t just hear that line, you FEEL it.
Quite possibly the best lyric I’ve ever heard. Nothing sums up the feeling of this type of heartbreak any better. I’ve watched so many reaction videos to this and it makes me angry when people miss the impact of this lyric.
This song hit me incredibly hard after I broke off a relationship after several years. Really loved the girl but recognized that it was never going to work. I had heard the song forever, but it wasn’t until I was in the right emotional space in 2019 that it reached straight into my heart and wrenched it- 💔🖤☮️
@@randalrides At it's best, music heals. Thanks for sharing.
When this song was at its biggest on the radio, I was living in SoCal. I was 18 and living with my best friend. We were very tight. One day, a no nothing rainy day, we were bored and went to Hollywood in the middle of the day, walking around etc... in the car, Black was playing and I loved Pearl Jam (still do) started singing. By the end of the song, we were both singing loudly and happily.
My friend passed from breast cancer years ago. I miss her so much. Everytime I hear this song I think of her and that beautiful, perfect rainy day. It never fails to make me cry. I sing it loud, it makes me feel closer to her, just for a few minutes.
Heartbreaking. So sorry for your loss. Keep singing brother
That knocked the wind out of me after reading that.
❤
That’s a beautiful story, and to think it was a shared moment that belongs to just you and her.. no one else, that’s so special.
@@MacDeezie Years ago I had a NDE. I KNEW where I was and couldn't do anything about it apparently when we die and cross over, our love for the things of this world like songs other things die, along with our physical bodies. I know this sounds weird but it is true because it happened to me. I love music and to think we cross over and lose the memories of some our favorite songs terrifies me, it has defined who I am, but think about it, would God want you to sing black hole sun or NIN in heaven? And Black and Plowed by Sponge are important songs to me and and to be somewhere where it's like I've never heard them before makes me nervous, alzheimers would terrify me.
I'm a Boomer and Black completely amazes me. So glad they protected it so well. It's delicate and precious, rough and honest. When the album came out I raved to all my friends! This is possibly the greatest love song I've ever heard! I can't see how anybody could hear Black and not be changed! You hear these lyrics with your entire body. The anguish is so real and true, it's cathartic! It always uplifts. I do not know why. Great art does these things. It's a singular Masterpiece!
I agree. So beautiful and eloquently sung.
Boomer here too and you put it perfectly 😊
nothing I would admit to anyone that knows me but this song will put me down on my knees crying every time over a women that left me many years ago , its just to much, damn I miss that women .
Well said!
@@danielhall-wl4qloh, I can see how that could be what happens with Black for real. I for some reason cry when I listen to Nothingman by Pearl Jam also
Recently Eddie Vedder walked into my friend’s music store in Hawaii and bought guitars for three kids. Just like that. Respect.
I love this story right here^^^
Any chance it was Hanalei Strings?
Coconut Grove in Kailua.
Thank god he feels like I do where kids need to start playing music again. I'm sure he thinks like many do today...all the kids stopped listening to and playing music.
Mahalo for that and the kids. We need more people who know how to play instruments to express themselves without a computer in the world, always.
It's impossible for me to hear Black and not tear up. Eddie along with Layne Staley had the greatest voices of the 90's imo
I COMPLETELY agree!!!!
Yall don't leave out Chris Cornell! Layne and Eddie would agree. Best voices of our time!
Layne, Eddie & Cornell.. best voices of 90s
and Chris!
And Jeff Buckley
I have been a long time listener. My brother and I were brought up in a home filled with books and music and not a lot of love. My brother passed away in January after a battle with Huntington’s disease. We grew up listening to our parent’s record collection. My brother Aaron was musically gifted as was every other member of our family except for me. We would go into the living room and pick out our favorite records and listen to them endlessly. He was the only one who would ask me to sing with him. I could not carry a tune to save my life, but that didn’t matter to him. We would listen to everything from Cat Stevens (he called him La-La as a child) to John Denver to the Beatles. Our musical tastes changed in the 80s. Me going towards Duran Duran and him going towards Ozzie Osbourne. I can remember him forming a band and the endless beats of “Smoke on water the water “ coming from the basement. He played in a few bands throughout his life. Our father had been a musician that gave it all up when we born, but Aaron kept on rocking until the end. We had fallen out of contact with each other for many years. Too many now that he is gone. I would watch your videos and say to myself that Aaron would love this. By the time I found my way back to him he could no longer talk. I told him about your videos and he showed me his phone and he was a fan of yours too. So thank you for bringing him comfort in his final days. Your work meant a lot to him and I wanted to let you know you made a difference to his world. I miss him, but am reminded of him with almost every video you produce. Thank you.
This may be the very best comment I've ever read on RUclips video. I know it's not directed at me, but thank you for sharing.
Wow so moving
Thank you
Beautiful tribute ❤
🙏
I hear you. I also lost my brother (to cancer) and those moments when we shared songs and listened to music together, singing along each other, are some of the best memories of my life
The video for Jeremy literally stopped me from unaliving myself at 11 years old. That's when I decided to dedicate myself to rock and roll. 90's rock is what kept me alive into adulthood, if it wasn't for those bands, and a small group of musician friends, I wouldn't be here today.
Thanks for sharing that. Very pivotal album!
A powerful video for sure.
I'm happy you're still here, friend. Jeremy was pivotal for me too during a dark time of my life.
I'm happy with your decision ☺️...I wish it was the one my brother made. RIP Donnie 47.
I'm happy you're doing better ☺️ I'm sorry my brother made the decision to take his life @ 47.
I was born in 1957....the music produced in late 60s to the mid 70s impacted me profoundly....I never thought there would be another decade that would be like that...until the 90s.
?
the 90s were very special.
Born the same year, and well said friend.
Saw Pearl Jam Live yesterday.
It didn't look like I was the only old(er) person there, either.
@@sv-yh3mq Old Rockers never die....we just roll. 💪🏽✌🏽
@@jonathanfloming1045 Lol!
I lived Black for many years, anxiety and depression ruled my life. It took me a very long time to let go. Finally now I am happy.
So happy to hear!
Same here! 😊
So glad to hear you’re okay now. Hang in there!
wish I could, been 5 years and not one day goes by she isn't on my mind, sad thing is we still friends somewhat and im more than welcome come by her place whenever I want , just cant do it, just to much .
afraid ill flip and hurt her to be honest , nothing but love for her but love can turn into rage in a heartbeat.
One of my guilty pleasures is finding reaction videos to people that haven't heard Black and then watching them play it on Unplugged. "We belong together! Together!!"
Chills.
Me too
Me, too
Same here, at least they look they're feeling it and it's nice to share it with someone else that does. I will play it for someone I know and they look at me like What? Which astonishes me but such is life.
Eddie sings the pain of loss and of love that didn't work out. Even though the song is full of anguish, it also supplies hope and connection. Listening to Black, you know that you're not the only one who's ever suffered a broken heart. Eddie's voice reached out, squeezes your hand and says "I've been there, too--and I made art out of it. Let's see what beautiful thing you can create with your pain."
Black is a just a snapshot of Vedder's early work. A breadcrumb on the pathway of his incredible lyrical talent. The way this song, can resonate, or really reverberate with a generation is undeniable. This band have written the soundtrack to so many lives and their body of work is absolutely saturated with exceptional musical talent, but often, the words that Vedder puts to the music are nothing short of poetic genius. He can both lift your spirit, or absolutely break you emotionally. Pearl Jam... are completely underrated.
❤
This song came out right when my first relationship ended. We were talking marriage, kids, the whole nine yards, then she left me for someone else. I heard Black and it broke me. It was so spot on to what I was going through and feeling! I love the song, especially the unplugged version. It is one of my all time favorites, despite the fact I still tear up anytime I hear it all these years later! I am very happily married now, but the song can immediately transport me back to that time, the emotions just as strong and overwhelming as they were then. It rips my heart out every time! I think it is a strong contender for one of the best songs ever written!
The lyrics are deep! I hope you’re in a better place now.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 I am, thanks. As I said, I am very happily married now. I am also friends with my ex from that relationship. Man, that song just really takes me back!
I hear ya man , id say a lot of heartbroken folks let the hammer drop after hearing this one. this song will put this 6'6 250 lb man to his knees every time in tears. sad but fact
I know its cliche, but this album saved by life. Ten came out when I was 10 or 11, my mother had just died after fighting cancer for most of my life and I was an angry, confused, kid. Pearl Jam was the first band that spoke to me, I learned that I wasn't the only person out there who was angry and confused at the world around me. I played that tape so much it wore out and I had to get a new one.
I remember buying Pearl Jam “Ten”, and listening to it.
The one song I listened to over and over again was “Black”.
Same here. Prefect song.
Jeremy is still the best song on the album. Though the whole record is greatness.
@@iamza.agreed, that whole album is one of the rare ones where you hit play and never skip any songs because they’re ALL good 🤘😎🤘
I used to listen to it on my discman walking to and from school for a month straight 😁
It’s a masterpiece!
That whole album is great. Black is so intense. Once is and Why Go are two of my favorites.
College Freshman Years, leaving all behind to move to the city with hopes and dreams, walking through bitter roads and disappointments. As any college student (that drinks) there was the small Pub where all friends got together. Pearl Jam was there with "Black" and "Alive", at the Jukebox, telling us that for whichever reason we felt defeated, it would pass, and that we needed to get up and keep walking. Thank you man for those memories almost forgotten!
Thanks!
Well said ..
Black hit me like a hammer back then, because I was left alone. But it also helped me. First crying, then calming and in the end helping getting up on my feet again. A wonderfull song.
In January 1993 my grandmother lost her battle with cancer... I had just turned 12 years old and this song was the only thing that made anything feel okay. I played it on a loop and it brings a tear to my eye to this day.
Back in Oct of 91 in my radio days, a show came to town we were help promoting in Omaha, RHCP, Smashing Pumpkins, and Pearl Jam. We were told, we were the third station to ever play Alive. On a Sunday, the guys from Pearl Jam were so happy we were playing their music, they asked to spend the day at the station until they had to go to the show (we brought Billy Corgan to the station as well for an interview but that is another story). To say they were great guest DJ's is an understatement. It is a really long story I won't bore you all with, but I met a lot of people in alternative music from 89-94 and these were just the greatest guys. Eddie was introverted, just wanted to write poetry and he couldn't have been nicer. We were playing Alive at the time but all the guys were curious to the other songs we liked on the record.
Long story short, I could not be happier for any band to make it and share their music with everyone. Great job as usual @ProfessorofRock!
Yeah Eddie don't wanna be bothered by fans. Fans are garbage human beings to the great poet. Pfffft!!!!
Thanx for sharing. I wouldn't mind hearing more stories. The longer the better. 😀
@@LaManteca76My thoughts exactly.
@@LaManteca76 Thanks, but it is @ProfessorofRock channel not mine. I want to be respectful.
Never met Billy but he just always came off to me as a strait up dick , not a hater like his tunes just was my gut feeling I guess , How was he ?
Adam your quote "My Air Supply version of love quickly turn into The Smiths and The Cure" is priceless.
Who else hits “LIKE” immediately? The professor has made the tapestry of musical memories so much richer and colorful - even with bands I may not have appreciated then but do today thanks to Adam!
Exactly!
I hit like even though I cannot stand Pearl Jam.
Always.
@@Bonzi_BuddyI was the same about Pearl Jam and STILL love the video. Pearl Jam’s music came during a particularly weird time in my life that didn’t help. It’s different now that I’m old. 😅
Me
This song even hit India. I recently watched a video with three Indian gurus dissecting the song Black. They admitted they didn’t know the words but they were blown away with the feeling of utter amazement. The three of them talked about how poetic this man (Eddie Vedder) is. How he portrayed so much hurt and emotion. So I see how it can be true that in this song, it’s all about the feeling. I have loved Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder from the very beginning so thank you very much for this video. I’ve always known in my heart that Pearl Jam is Rockin poetic art. I am so happy they are continuing. ❤ They make soul penetrating music! 💞🤘
If u are referring to ‘Trybals,’ i saw that episode, too! It was very cool to see these stoic, weathered tribesmen all relate to the 💔 & praise Eddie’s passion.. even if they thought “he looks like a woman! The hair- they all resemble women!” LOL
I got two son's in their 40s... this channel has been fun for remembering my childhood in the 60s, and theirs in the 90s... and getting what my kids were up to
Clear to see I’m older than many of the others commenting. On my daughter’s 13th birthday I asked her what she wanted and she said the new Pearl Jam album. I told my wife and she had no idea who Pearl Jam was. As for how I felt. I nearly cried “that’s MY daughter”
the “I know some day you’ll have a beautiful life . . .” verse is among the best lyrics ever!!! & got me through a high school break up in the 90s as well
Thanks for sharing!
I'd have to go with "Gnashed his teeth and bit the recess lady's breast."
That verse is devastating. So raw and sincere.
@@brettkoranda3922 damn right bro!!🍻
Yes, it shows that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!
Ten is THE BEST album of MY time. I’m currently 52 and graduated HS in 1990. Every song on THAT album means something personal TO ME! Nuff said!
Thanks!
1990 grad as well. I bought the album the first time I heard Alive and they became my favorite band. Almost 35 years and 20 live shows later, they still are.
1990 grad as well. I bought the album the first time I heard Alive and they became my favorite band. Almost 35 years and 20 live shows later, they still are.
I had to go to London on vacation to get the original version of the album because the label had released a Reissue in 1992 in Europe with three bonus tracks (Alive live, Wash, Dirty Frank) that absolutely destroyed the magic of listening to the album on repeat and hearing the ending and the beginning blend into each other. Still have that copy.
My daughter and I were listening to Black the other day and just like always when he gets to the line "I know someday you'll have a beautiful life", I got goosebumps. The end of the song tears me up every single time I hear it yet it's one of my Pearl Jam favorites!
Favorite song on my favorite album. Lost love, friends, family...it all hits home when I listen to this song. The imagery fits the 90's so well. Photographs were real and precious objects, tattoos hadn't become passé. The internet wasnt really a thing yet and everyone's circle was much smaller but deeper. You made art for yourself not to share on instagram. Glad I got to experience that reality even though it was very difficult at times. Thank you for your excellent tribute to this masterpiece!
I have a VHS tape I recorded in high school. It is the Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Aerosmith Unplugged shows. I pull that out often and watch it…commercials and all. It was an amazing time to be a teen.
Please make a copy of it for safe keeping
Alice and Chains unplugged is dope also. If you haven’t seen it look it up.
Same! Never knowing how precious it would be so many years later 💗
Hell yeah, I still got my vhs of it….
I am a Gen Xer who was absolutely affected by this Unplugged performance. I saw it initially when it came out on MTV and was blown away. I watched religiously until I knew it would be rebroadcast and then recorded it on VHS. I watched it dozens of times over the following years until the tape was so old the image was too bad to watch. Eddie's performance of Black is the highlight of that performance. Honestly, I never even really listened to the words too closely back then. I hadn't been hurt like that so I guess I never really "heard" it. I came to hear it over time as I aged, but not hearing the meaning of the lyrics didn't diminish the impact of that original Unplugged performance. Like the professor said, it was more about Eddie's gut wrenching performance versus what he was saying. I was and still am affected by his raw emotions. That is true art. It's just a bonus that the lyrics have a deeper meaning. The point is that the song could have been in Spanish, and Eddie's performance would still have affected millions of others and me the way it did.
I graduated high school in 91 and went right into the Army. Due to no radio privileges in Basic and then access to only 1 American radio station which was government run in Korea, I didn’t get a chance to discover PJ until early 1993. But I truly didn’t “discover” them until I went to a concert in 1996 for their No Code album at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto with a buddy who had an extra ticket. I was just looking for a party and had no idea what I was about to hear. That concert changed the way I hear music. It changed my life. And it wasn’t Black, it was Release. Ten had some powerful songs on it.
I also think what makes Black so spectacular is its relatability. You truly feel the despair in it, and while feeling it you realize you aren’t alone in that feeling. Someone else understands and has been there too. We all need connection and sometimes that connection comes down to someone empathizing with how we feel. Eddie perfectly describes how we feel when suffering the loss of someone who is still alive.
Most powerful break up song ever written!
“I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life
I know you’ll be a star
in somebody else’s sky
But why
Why
Why can’t it be
Why can’t it be mine”
I still can’t watch their unplugged version without getting choked up - and it taking me right back to when this song was the story of my life.
I agree - and I can't even say I have direct personal experience with this emotion. But that shows JUST how much Eddie pours his heart into this song. That one lyric is, to me, the most emotional and real lyric I've ever heard in music.
I know you’ll be a sun…not star. Most people miss this, she’s the sun, his everything referencing back to the beginning of the song. Without the brightness of the sun you have "black".
@@TheScottThomas thankyou!
@@TheScottThomas stars are suns. Yeah, we get it.
My brother just passed away 3 days ago and I must have missed this video. But this song really hits home right now. I've been struggling trying to hold my emotions in and being strong for everyone else. But this song really brought the tears and my emotions out as I listened to its entirety tonight. Thank you for sharing this song from Pearl Jam Professor.
Sorry for your loss. Hang in there and remember the good times together.
@@alwayshopeful70 thank you very much.
@@darrenangle4493 I'M SO SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. 😢🩷🤘✌️
My condolences to you and your family on your loss.
@@darrenangle4493sorry for your loss, it's brutal losing a sibling
"Well, my Air Supply version of love quickly turned into the Smiths and the Cure..." I laughed out loud at this. Three chords and the truth, my fellow GenX'er. Great vid.
Thanks!
My little junior high depressed heart was obsessed with this song when it first came out. Pearl Jam’s Ten, RHCP’s Blood Sugar Sex Magic and the Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dreams lived in my Walkman and played so many times that I wore out the tapes and had to get new ones. Eddie Veddar’s voice was hypnotic and the ending lyrics to Black to this day rips my soul out of my chest when I hear it. I listened to this song in the dark a lot lol. Thanks for doing an episode on this song. The fact that Pearl Jam fought so hard to protect that song shows how much went into it.
Those three albums ❤… Had a wonderful moment in 1996 when the Smashing Pumpkins were playing Mayonnaise after the more loud material from Mellon Collie…
THISSSS!!
I was a hs sophomore when those 3 albums (tapes, then cds when those busted lol) started playing on repeat! Tbh they have not stopped ♥️🤘🎶
I heard this song two years after I broke up with my ex-boyfriend of five and a half years. I started dating him senior year of high school and we’d had a tumultuous relationship, but I always thought I’d marry him. I’d broken up with him over a relationship he wanted to pursue with someone else. Two years later, I was with a man who would become the person I’m married to today, and I heard “Black”. I listened to the words and how well they described my heartbreak over that past relationship. I felt the wind knocked out of me. The man from that relationship has since passed, but I will always associate “Black” with him, even though years passed between our breakup and the birth of that song. He and that song will always hold a special place in my heart. ♥️
Pearl Jam unplugged literally changed my whole life. They connected right to my soul. To this day, they are a constant.
We X'ers were the absolute luckiest generation in music and film history. I'm so glad I was born in 73. It was the best run I could imagine.
I got to see PJ for the first time in Miami at Bayside Amphitheater.
I made it to the stage at that show, with a magical light rain, and I'd just gotten this cheap silver ring from a mall pagoda that said Carpe Deim etched on it, Eddie came to the front and I could physically reach him. I actually handed him that ring, I palmed it and he kept it.
That's one of the single greatest moments out of hundreds of concerts.
I absolutely love Pearl Jam, and I'm so happy that you made this video.
I really love your work Adam, you're appreciated.
What a great take man! Been a lifelong fan since Ten came out. Saw my first show in 1995. I'm about to watch them in my city of Missoula, Montana next month. Can't tell you how much Black has meant to me over the years, decades. My friend, Jeff Ament, and the whole band has done so much for our community and I'll forever be grateful for their music, generosity, and love.
This one was a long time coming. Glad you covered it in great detail, Prof.!
I loved every single song on this album. I never fast forwarded this tape! I rewound it a hell of a lot, to relisten to my top favs, but I never skipped a song. I absolutely fell in love w/ Vedder's voice. The sound, the emotion, the way he sang, ALL of it. I had the same reaction w/ Chris Cornell's voice which was funny since they were both friends & even sang together. You can imagine how in love my ears were w/ Temple of the Dog! Ten was one of those rare perfect albums for me. The music, the lyrics, the voice, the emotion hit me just right. It was cathartic for my teen heart! It didn't hurt that Vedder was hot too, but it wouldn't have mattered if he wasn't. It never matters w/ great talent, it's just a lovely bonus. Black was a devastatingly sad love song to me. Being a girl who grew up w/ 2 parents (though they split & divorced when I was young) who both LOVED music of all genres- especially love songs, sad or otherwise, this song wasn't even the saddest one I'd heard. Listen to some old blues or country or even some old folk songs & you'll know what I mean. Black holds its own against those songs but didn't stand out from them to me. It was another sad love song to add to my list of favorites. I grew up seeing the devastation love can cause but I also grew up seeing the beauty & happiness it brings. The hope.
I'm living this song right now, and it's the worst feeling I could ever imagine. A 14 year marriage lost. I left the lyrics to this song on her laptop. "I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky
But why, why, why can't it be
Oh, can't it be mine?
Recognized EV from the thumbnail and wondered what song it would be, because they have SO MANY that could fit the bill but this couldn't have been a better pick 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 SG will always be my favorite of the 90s grunge era, but the love I have for all these bands I grew up hearing is indelible and far from just being a trend, it will always be my favorite style and genre of music 💖 Ty for always being a great guide to the best of times thru music we all love, proff! 🙏🏽
This upload was one of the best I have seen you do, Adam. Way above and beyond , and you always do a good job....This bring back a ton a memories for me.
Awesome content. I’m 57 and this song saved my life. I had a pretty bad situation going on and putting on my headphones and going deep took my mind away. I will always love and support ‘Pearl Jam’! I will support you also sir! Excellent content!! Salute!!
Anyone else notice that in the MTV Unplugged version, Eddie messes up the lyrics in the first chorus (although perhaps its intentional). In the first chorus it should be "And now my bitter hands chafe beneath the clouds" but he says "And now my bitter hands cradle broken glass", which is only sung the second time in the studio recording.
I'M PRETTY SURE EVERY PEARL JAM FAN KNOWS HE MESSED UP THE LYRICS OF BLACK. 😊🩷🤘✌️
he does that often actually , noticed that myself , he still does it
He doesn't mess up. He changes the lyrics to how he's feeling. For instance yellowleadbetter, (I don't know if it was a box or a bag) and the change. (I don't know whether I'm the boxer or the the bag)...
@@nateverrill3921yellow Ledbetter has no set lyrics so yes he changes them pretty much every time.
Otherwise he’s notorious for messing up the lyrics to his songs. We don’t mind.
Xennial here. I was 11/12 when this came out, and Pearl Jam quickly became my first grunge "love." I played that "TEN" cassette until it broke. Black and Oceans were my 2 faves from the album. Will always love these guys.
I hated it at first , just the song not the band, another cheesy love song, fast forward 15 years after bad breakup it took whole new meaning , still cant listen to it without dehydrating myself. damn I miss that Girl.
I have performed this song so many times and I have never heard anyone explain what drives the physical,mental and emotional experience so well. Hitting the nail square on the head. Sometimes the effort would leave me drained. But I am always grateful to this song because it drew an honest and authentic performance out of me, consistently, to determine the very characteristics that set me apart and bolstered a reputation that lasted many many good years
Your commentary and musings did this song justice...
Beautiful Sir.
THANK YOU!!!
Unplugged was genius. The chains, the jam, the nirvana, so many sick performances. Best series ever.
Unplugged Incubus....... Wow!!!!!
@@dabunnisher29did you catch the unplugged ll cool j?
Best show for raw talent.
yeh was telling other viewer sunday alt rock retro show chains we pay our debts on time nirvana with the cello player in the pines unique show in 90s
@@marktait2371 The cello player from Nirvana Unplugged ended up founding the band Rasputina. They're sort of gothy alt cello rock, with a sense of humour. They put on a great live show, too!
I knew you were going to Black. The band’s performance on unplugged is the best ever. It touches my soul. That was before I read the lyrics. Back in the day, you know we had to listen and figure out what the band is saying. Now we get lyrics on line. His voice is so raw and real in Black. It’s beautiful. I love anything Eddie sings on. Recently I saw the Keep on Rockin in a Free World from 2017s Rock Hall ceremony. The big jam was awesome. Lord he sang with the Doors in 92. He got to sing with Tom Petty!! He was just at the concert!! Neil Young was awesome too. As I said, anything he sings I love. Thank you for this. I didn’t know they didn’t want to release it.
Huge Pearl Jam fan since I first heard the song Alive. Love that you're bringing attention to the band and Black in particular. I think it would make an interesting episode to highlight how many albums the members of Pearl Jam simultaneously had in the charts (first with Singles, MLB, Ten, Temple and into the Vs/Vitalogy era) and then later when they first started releasing their bootlegs.
You hit the nail on the head with everything you’ve said in this video. Absolutely amazing!!! This is my absolute favorite song of all time, get emotional every time I listen to it. I’m 48 years old and have listened to it a lot!! You couldn’t have said it any better. Great job!!
Didn’t have to be a teen to get permanently marked by this tune. I was 26 when I lost a girlfriend. It was the hardest, yet most mature breakup I had ever suffered through. Black captured the feeling perfectly. The sun rose again, but I still think of Her every time I hear this tune.
This song still stays with me. The song starts playing in my head and I think how heartbreakingly beautiful this song is. ❤
How does this guy not even have 1 million subscribers? Best in the biz.
Yet again, right after watching your video I am searching and binge watching that artist. Fantastic video and background info as always! This was one of the few albums I purchased back in those days, and this song is unique. Its not often a song can make you feel such raw emotion, and yet not really be positive what he's saying... there's a lot of poetic imagery in this heart breaking song.
Outstanding job on explaining this GEM of a song. The intricacies thats make it special, the GRIT Eddie poured into those memorable lyrics, the raw emotion you still feel today when listening to ‘Black’.
I remember seeing Unplugged that day it aired in 92. Saw PJ live twice in 92 which change my trajectory in life. You, Good Sir are an awesome Gen Xer 🤟🏼💯🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 I subscribed and will watch more. Rock On!!
Great episode Adam…. Excellent episode.
thank you for profiling this song. it's truly special, as so many people figured out without it ever being released as a single. the lyrics are perfect, poetic, and emotional...and they don't lose their grip even after the hundredth listen. it's a very difficult song to sing, not because of the range but because of the weight of what's being sung.
Hey! Ive just found your channel (Had to click for PJ Black) and subscribed cos I loved the video.
I think Black was written as his own way of redemption and grieving and then, he saved us all with it. And it has to do with the rawness of his interpretation in the unplugged, but honestly, all Ten was just his fiery and real passion when interpreting the songs. To me, he was not merely singing, like the power that Layne had... or Chris Cornell... artists that are pure soul and spirit... Idk how to explain it differently. You don't sing those songs... you have to feel them or there's nothing there.
That's why, still to this day, miss so much the music of that era, that real "grunge" scene of artists using the rebelry of rock and punk but adding up the feelings and the soul. I was born in 1979 and I have to say that there is nothing to equal the MTV unplugged's from that decade. Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Nirvana... darn... I miss those real artists
Great post as usual.
Love from Costa Rica brother!
Absolutely SPOT ON. Great commentary, excellent perspective. About an EPIC song. Cheers brother.
Wow...kinda surprised to see so many non PJ fans comments. 😅 I thought it was almost impossible to cut them up. Musically and lyrically such a talented group of men. Super happy you chose this song! It's so beautiful and emotional. Pure perfection from my generation. ❤❤❤
There is a die hard community of ppl that are music snobs and think it’s not cool to like PJ because they were so popular. They find every PJ video and make snarky comments. They live sad little lives.
Good video. Thank you.
Dude!!! how did I not know you were on here Professor! This video is spot on! So fun seeing you. ~One of the boys from '95-'97
I could write a thousand lines about this but I'll sum it up quickly. My friend, you nailed it. Thank you.
Your analysis of the song with personal insight added was incredible and very well said.
Man! Great episode!
You did it again! Most consistently great channel on RUclips.!!
Thanks Mr. Professor. I'm so sorry to hear what happened to you. Yea, I'm 57, fixin' to turn 58 soon. I was going thru an unwanted divorce in 1993. Great song. Peace, from Florida.
I see it wasn't for you but 93 was my best year in life, hardly day goes by that I don't wish it was 93 again , seamed the only year I was truly happy in life, let drugs ruin everything, all started in 94
Nutshell by AIC was also a great song that was never released as a single
That song is an absolute masterpiece and I always said that another artist covering it would be damn near sacrilegious if not done with the utmost care and respect for the original. You don’t remake The Godfather as a slapstick comedy, you don’t put a bumper sticker on a Ferrari, and you don’t cover Layne Staley unless you give it the reverence it deserves.
@@rse1113 staind did a good cover of it. Aaron is a big fan of laynes too
@@adamclark9004 I haven’t heard that, but I know he’s a huge PJ And AIC fan. I still get chills when I see the unplugged version when Layne comes out and everyone applauds him. Still gets me, even when I’m just listening to that version.
For me, I'm so glad they didn't make a video for it. The lyrics paint such a vivid picture in my head and I see my own video when I hear this song. I think that's part of what makes this song such a masterpiece - it's not some far off guy in some crystal palace I don't live, he's walking around watching kids play. We've all been there, feeling like the world is ending and yet nobody else seems to even notice. We could/can write ourselves into the video in our head. Now, looking back on it and remembering too the experience of this song coming on in the car in high school with a group of friends, we all just stopped and sang along, but not in a hokey way. We all felt this song in our own way and you either sang with every fiber of our beings or sat quietly staring out the window taking the words in. Some songs had unspoken rules that we didn't speak over when in a group and this was one of those songs. It's still on my playlist and one of those songs that you just don't skip when it comes across.
I don't often comment on videos but this one compelled me to. I was only 8-9 years old when I first heard Black, on a tape of the album that my brother had. I didn't fully understand it then but the music moved something in me that I had never felt move before. I was drawn in and hooked, and that song still brings out such strong emotions to this day.
Yes yes yes, Thank you professor for another 90's video. The grunge scene is still alive and well in my walkman, cd player and vinyl record player!
Damn right 🤘 Such an incredible era for music
I was in high school and my older brother bought a CD player with some really kick butt speakers. He bought the system at rent to own store. He joined Columbia House and Pearl Jam Ten was the first CD we played. Black was that song. This was our introduction to Pearl Jam, grunge era and the CD world.
Ah the good old days of Columbia House!
@@ProfessorofRockYa Columbia House was awesome. I always paid them... maybe if everyone else did they would still be here?!
Awesome! I bet you got lots of good CDs from Columbia House!
Black for me has always been one of those songs that sends chills down my spine. I don't relate any personal issues to it per say, but I've sure had my share of heartbreak, like all of us. I had some close friends in a rock and roll band and at one gig, they took a break, and the singer, Steve, stayed behind by himself and his acoustic guitar and belted out Black like I've never heard it before. Every time I see him I ask him to play that song but it has never been the same. For some reason, that night was magical, and I will never forget it. To this day, it is my favorite Pearl Jam song. Even flow is pretty good too though. Love your videos Professor.
Some time in the 1990s, I was with a friend sitting in a coffee shop in Amsterdam when a woman walked by with a sign that said, "Pearl Jam in the Presidio". My friend and I looked at each other and said, "HELL, YEA!!" We went straight to The Presidio and bought tickets for the show an hour or so later. The venue was only a few hundred people. We were maybe 15 feet from the stage. Awesome!! One of the great unexpected scores of my life.
It's a song that says I see you and I feel it too. It just gets you to the heart of being human.
Thank you, Adam! This song or whole album got me thru my early 20s!
This song and the entire album helped me get through a very dark time in my life. I still listen to it now at 50yrs old when I need to hear Eddie and feel that pain and remember that he got through and I got through it too. I can do it again.
I lived the same experience as you and so many others. Song came out right around the time my first real love broke up with me. When I heard, "I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky, but why can't it be mine" it hit me right in the gut and I had never felt a song the way I felt "Black." It still gives me goosebumps every time he sings that line, even all these years later.
Ten is a perfect album. There's not a single bad song on it. It's got to be second only to Soundgarden's Superunknown as the best album of the 90s, and Black is a huge reason for that.
I'd love it if you did a video about REM's "Everybody Hurts". That song got me through an extremely dark period in my life.
Best song on the album in my opinion. What do you think?
Everybody Hurts is so deep.
I think you need to extend this video about Black. You forgot to mention how over the years, the concert live version endings have changed. The "We Belong Together" ad lib during the concerts vary. Sometimes there is no We Belong Together" just McCready's awesome extended solo. The worst of broken hearts, nothing else to give - 1995-03-17 Melbourne, Australia. To this version as an older adult you come to terms with the broken heart. Black/We Belong Together/It's OK (Pittsburgh '06)
Great episode! Thanks for sharing… definitely changed my perspective on PJ
Yes, this song saved my life...no joke! I'm still here because Eddy showed me that I was not alone...I know where she is today and what she is doing through old mutual friends....she is a star in someone else's sky...and I do get taken back there when I here it...but I have my own star now..just couldn't see it then...and almost never did...thanks E.V. & PJ...hope you guys know how much you meant to others like me.
This album was definitely a "Ten" I can so relate to Jeremy. Seems like just yesterday
My real name is Jeremy 😁
Even now when I hear Black it tears my heart out again and again.
Almost 51 years old, in July.....You absolutely nailed it!
Great video. I graduated High School in 1994, so this album was a huge part of my growing up. If you know you know. It's so hard to explain to those who didn't live it
Ten was such a dark album, the kind you need to recover from after listening. But it's the perfect record to listen to when youre feeling alone in the world.
Recover is exactly right. Good call.
Yes! You just need to be in the right mood.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Yeah, definitely not something to play when you're cheerful. It'll drop your mood like a toilet seat.
In my opinion there are 2 songs that accurately encapsulate what real love feels like. One is Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers, and the other is Black.
This song is so sad yet so beautiful it get's me everytime I hear it I lost touch with my daughter years ago and this song like you say is cathartic great episode Professor.
A girl that I liked for years…she was single…finally got the courage to ask her out, only to find out she had just started dating. I had just missed my chance…heartbroken, I stumbled onto this song and kept replaying it and replaying it. Thanks Eddie.
Best 1990s - Pearl Jam 10 (1991), Sheryl Crow 1996 (self titled album), Alanis Morissette - Jagged Little Pill, Nirvana - Nevermind
Good call.
@@ProfessorofRock Thanks, Best Music Content Online or Offline
Not bad. Not bad. But where’s the STP -Core, RHCP -BSSM, L7 -Hungry for Stink, Pumpkins -Siamese Dream…
OK i get it. There’s just too many to name!
Great stuff as usual. Love the Singles record in the background. Such an amazing soundtrack.
Glad you enjoy it!
My favorite Pumpkins tune!
..and probably had Westerberg's biggest hit
@@theAxehound Drown has to be top 3 on my SP list too. Such a great song!
@@_LightLeak_, have you ever heard their pre-Gish songs? If you like the Cure and the Bunnymen then you'll love them!
Great to see you covering this in depth emotional tune.
When they were recording VS the band were supposed to play at Slims in SF under the alias “David Gun” who was gunned down because he performed abortions: the first to meet this fate. Anyway, word got out and the band “cancelled” the gig. Well my buddies and I were of course bummed but I knew where they were recording VS, So we called the studio asked for Stone, he got on the call and we asked whether they were going to through with gig THAT night…and he said Yes🤘. Matt and 6 of our friends got to the venue paid our $5 for a green wrist band.
During the show Eddie asked for requests and I yelled out Black! he looked right at me and “Man I can’t do that tune right now” so then I requested “Dirty Deeds” McCreedy ripped into it along with the band and Eddie said”Dude I can’t sing that song” I took as if he either didn’t want to and/or couldn’t sing those screechy notes. Anyways, someone else yelled out Baba o’Riley and they ripped into it.
Black hit me hard as it did you and many others so thank you for highlighting this very important tune.
*Note My buddy and I hid in the bathroom while all other patrons were led out of the venue prior to the gig that night(yes we snuck in and stayed) ate the clubs food with staff and the band and watched the Simpsons on the pull down screen above the stage. None were the wiser
Love this story. Slim's is a cool small venue. What an adventure!
Black is a classic song but I have to say that "Footsteps" is the standout song that didn't make it on the original pressing on the album. I think I got it as a Japanese export of a 2 song CD which included "Jeremy". If my memory serves, the album cover was the little girl playing with crayons used in your video. It said, "9 out of 10 children choose crayons over guns". It was powerful. Sadly, over the past 30 years, less and less children have chosen crayons.