By the time Pearl Jam's "Vitalogy" came out, they were a few years removed from the world-wide explosion that accompanied their first two releases. They were beginning to get mired in their political statements. Their opposition to MTV, the Grammys, and Ticketmaster began to overshadow everything else about them. They were still explosive both on record and in concert, but they seemed to be moving in a different direction. This inward journey, similar to the one that instant fame thrust upon and ultimatley killed Kurt Cobain, also sent Pearl Jam into themselves. They seem to have endured those years in the wilderness with their integrity intact, but I remember that it wasn't too long after "Vitalogy" that Pearl Jam kind of disappeared."Corduroy" is lyrically masked in metaphors and other intricate word play. I'm not going to begin to interpret what the lines "I don't want to take what you can give. I would rather starve than eat your bread" actually mean. I've heard that some believe that this song is a response to Kurt Cobain's suicide from a few months earlier... that when Eddie Vedder sings "I don't want to be held in your debt" it's a reference to not wanting to inherit the Grunge Crown that Nirvana was forced to part with after being basically destroyed by it. I don't really know. I just enjoy the emotion that Vedder's angst and howl bring to nearly every performance. The melody is great too. When I first heard the song, I actually thought it was Pearl Jam's most sing-along-able tune to date. Sometimes, you can't really put your finger on why something is great. You just listen to it and enjoy.
"Corduroy" is from the album "Vitalogy." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox on the side of the blog.
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