Once - the next track in the trilogy - sees the man go on a killing spree, while Footsteps (the third) sees him await execution from his prison cell. The fictional element of the song sees the mother then have an incestuous relationship with the son, who resembles his biological father. It tells the story of a man who finds out his father is actually his stepfather and that his biological dad is actually dead- an event which occurred in Eddie Vedder's own life when he was a teenager. The latter didn't make the record, but went on to feature as the B-side of their Jeremy single. Pearl Jam at Pinkpop Festival in June 1992: Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Dave Abbruzzese.Īlive is the first part of a trilogy of songs, followed by Once, which also featured on Pearl Jam's debut album and Footsteps. The rest, as they say is history.īut what about the song's lyrics and meaning? The band - then called Mookie Blaylock after US basketball player Daron Oshay 'Mookie' Blaylock - recorded the track during a demo session in January 1991. After hearing it, they invited him to come to Seattle and asked him to join them soon after. He recorded his vocals to the music before mailing it back to the band.

Pearl jam even flow studio version