Thumbing My Way

Last updated

"Thumbing My Way"
Song by Pearl Jam
from the album Riot Act
ReleasedNovember 12, 2002
RecordedFebruary–May 2002 at Studio X, Seattle
Genre Folk rock
Length4:10
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) Eddie Vedder
Producer(s) Adam Kasper, Pearl Jam

"Thumbing My Way" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "Thumbing My Way" is the seventh track on the band's seventh studio album, Riot Act (2002).

Contents

Origin and recording

"Thumbing My Way" was written by vocalist Eddie Vedder. Drummer Matt Cameron revealed to Vedder that he considers it the nicest chord progression Vedder has come up with. [1] Vedder on the song:

"Thumbing My Way" was written real quick. There's something about writing real quickly that keeps the music in a nice pure state. You don't think of it as homework. You think, "Wow, that was a good half hour spent." There is a tangible joy about creating something that wasn't there before. [2]

Bassist Jeff Ament on the song:

We were out in the room playing the song and learning it. In the process, [producer Adam Kasper] went and re-miked everything very covertly. So all of the sudden when we were ready to play it, it was up and he captured it. Nailed it. That to me was really critical and kind of how the record sounds. A lot of times, there's that cool thing when you don't quite know the song and everybody is really concentrating. It lasts for four or five takes and then it's gone. After that, it's all cerebral. [3]

Guitarist Stone Gossard about the song:

That's a real live performance with lots of room ambience. It's us trying to keep up with the chord changes! There are some nice drums and bass. The sentiment of the song is amazing. [3]

Lyrics

The lyrics for "Thumbing My Way" are about a person in turmoil. [4] In an interview, Vedder stated that the song is not about himself. He elaborated by saying, "I'm pretty good at removing myself from most of the songs. One thing about writing songs is, they don't always have to be about you. When they are always about someone, I lose interest after a while." [4] The song includes several references to hitchhiking. At the band's February 14, 2003 concert in Sydney, Australia at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Vedder said, "This song's about hitchhiking your way through a broken heart." [5]

Reception

In its review of Riot Act, The Guardian stated that "Thumbing My Way" "resembles an acoustic 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'" and called it one of the album's "best moments." [6] Brett Hickman of Stylus said, "Never a band to make their quieter forays really work, the band deliver their best one with "Thumbing My Way". Through its muted organ, acoustic guitars, brushed drums and Vedder's semi-coherent line readings, the band matches intent with mood perfectly." [7]

Music video

The music video for "Thumbing My Way" was directed by James Frost. [8] The video was filmed at Seattle's Chop Suey club in September 2002. [9] The video consists of a filmed live performance of the band rather than a conceptual video. It was one of five videos shot at the club to promote Riot Act (including "I Am Mine", "Save You", "Love Boat Captain", and "1/2 Full"). Up to that point the band had not made any music videos since 1998's "Do the Evolution". The video was released in late 2002.

Live performances

"Thumbing My Way" was first performed live by Vedder during a solo performance at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on February 26, 2002. [9] The first performance of the song with the full band took place at the band's December 6, 2002 concert in Seattle at The Showbox. [10] Live performances of "Thumbing My Way" can be found on various official bootlegs and the live album Live at Benaroya Hall . Performances of the song are also included on the DVDs Live at the Showbox and Live at the Garden .

Related Research Articles

<i>Riot Act</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Pearl Jam

Riot Act is the seventh studio album by American rock band Pearl Jam, released November 12, 2002 through Epic Records. Following a full-scale tour in support of their previous album, Binaural (2000), Pearl Jam took a year-long break. The band reconvened in the beginning of 2002 and commenced work on a new album. The music on the album was diverse, including songs influenced by folk, art rock and experimental rock. The lyrics deal with mortality and existentialism, with influence from both the political climate after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the accidental death of nine fans during Pearl Jam's performance at the 2000 Roskilde Festival.

"Black" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. The song is the fifth track on the band's debut album, Ten (1991). Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard.

Even Flow 1992 single by Pearl Jam

"Even Flow" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "Even Flow" was released in 1992 as the second single from the band's debut album, Ten (1991). The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror . A remixed version of the song was included on the 2009 Ten reissue.

"Better Man" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. It is the eleventh track on the band's third studio album, Vitalogy (1994). The song was written by vocalist Eddie Vedder. Despite the lack of a commercial single release, "Better Man" reached the top of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and spent a total of eight weeks at number one. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror .

"Yellow Ledbetter" is a song by the American grunge band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Mike McCready, "Yellow Ledbetter" was an outtake from the band's debut album, Ten (1991). "Yellow Ledbetter" was selected by the band to be on the B-side of the 1992 single "Jeremy", where it was first released. The song eventually found its way onto radio, peaking at number 21 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was also included on Pearl Jam's 2003 B-sides and rarities album Lost Dogs, and on their 2004 greatest hits album Rearviewmirror .

World Wide Suicide Pearl Jam song

"World Wide Suicide" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "World Wide Suicide" was released through digital music stores on March 14, 2006 as the first single from the band's eighth studio album, Pearl Jam (2006). The song topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart, where it spent a total of three weeks at number one.

Pearl Jam American rock band

Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, as well as Matt Cameron (drums), who joined in 1998. Keyboardist Boom Gaspar has also been a touring/session member with the band since 2002. Drummers Jack Irons, Dave Krusen, Matt Chamberlain, and Dave Abbruzzese are former members of the band. Pearl Jam outsold many of its contemporary alternative rock bands from the early 1990s, and is considered one of the most influential bands of the decade, being dubbed as "the most popular American rock & roll band of the '90s".

Oceans (Pearl Jam song) 1992 single by Pearl Jam

"Oceans" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by Vedder, guitarist Stone Gossard, and bassist Jeff Ament, "Oceans" was released in 1992 as the fourth single from the band's debut album, Ten (1991). Remixed versions of the song can be found on the "Even Flow" single and the 2009 Ten reissue.

Who You Are (Pearl Jam song) 1996 single by Pearl Jam

"Who You Are" is a song by American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by drummer Jack Irons and guitarist Stone Gossard, "Who You Are" was released on July 30, 1996 as the first single from the band's fourth studio album, No Code (1996). The song topped the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and the Canadian Alternative 30 chart. It also peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, number two on the UK Rock Chart, and reached the top 10 in Australia, Canada, Norway, and Finland—where the song reached number two and became the band's highest-charting single.

Off He Goes 1996 single by Pearl Jam

"Off He Goes" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "Off He Goes" was released in 1996 as the third single from the band's fourth studio album, No Code (1996). The song peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror .

<i>Live at the Showbox</i> 2003 video by Pearl Jam

Live at the Showbox is the third DVD release by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, and the first DVD of a complete show. It was released on May 7, 2003.

The Riot Act Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its seventh album, Riot Act.

I Am Mine 2002 single by Pearl Jam

"I Am Mine" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "I Am Mine" was released on October 8, 2002 as the first single from the band's seventh studio album, Riot Act (2002). The song peaked at number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror .

Save You (Pearl Jam song) 2003 single by Pearl Jam

"Save You" is a song by American rock band Pearl Jam, released on Feb. 11, 2003 as the second single from the band's seventh studio album, Riot Act (2002). Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music primarily written by guitarist Mike McCready. The song peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror .

"Corduroy" is a song by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam. The song is the eighth track on the band's third studio album, Vitalogy (1994). Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it was primarily written by vocalist Eddie Vedder. Despite the lack of a commercial single release, the song managed to reach number 13 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror .

Love Boat Captain 2003 single by Pearl Jam

"Love Boat Captain" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by Vedder and keyboardist Boom Gaspar, "Love Boat Captain" was released on February 18, 2003, as a single from the band's seventh studio album, Riot Act (2002). It became a top-20 hit in Canada and Portugal.

"In Hiding" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "In Hiding" is the eleventh track on the band's fifth studio album, Yield (1998). Despite the lack of a commercial single release, the song managed to reach number 13 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 14 on their Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

"Once" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "Once" is the first track on the band's debut album, Ten (1991). On Ten, it is preceded by a brief interlude of the album's closing hidden track, "Master/Slave". Besides Ten, the song was also featured as a B-side on the single for "Alive". Remixed versions of the song were included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, Rearviewmirror , and the 2009 Ten reissue. The song is one of the band's heaviest compositions to date.

"Rearviewmirror" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. The song is the eighth track on the band's second studio album, Vs. (1993). Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it was primarily written by vocalist Eddie Vedder. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror .

"​1⁄2 Full" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by bassist Jeff Ament, "​1⁄2 Full" is the thirteenth track on the band's seventh studio album, Riot Act (2002).

References

  1. ↑ Scaggs, Austin. "Eddie Vedder: Addicted to Rock". Rolling Stone . April 21, 2006.
  2. ↑ Fricke, David. "Eddie Unabridged". Rolling Stone . May 29, 2003.
  3. 1 2 Cohen, Jonathan. ""Inciting a 'Riot': Pearl Jam's New Album"". Archived from the original on October 30, 2002. Retrieved April 8, 2017.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Billboard . November 2002.
  4. 1 2 Kaufman, Gil. "Pearl Jam: Readin' The Riot Act". VH1.com. November 7, 2002.
  5. ↑ Vedder, Eddie. (Speaker). (2003). 2/14/03, Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia . [Audio Recording]. Epic.
  6. ↑ Sweeting, Adam. "Pearl Jam: Riot Act". The Guardian . November 8, 2002.
  7. ↑ Hickman, Brett. Pearl Jam: Riot Act. Stylus . September 1, 2003.
  8. ↑ Mills, Fred. "Yield Not". Seattle Weekly . November 6, 2002.
  9. 1 2 Pearl Jam: 2002 Concert Chronology. fivehorizons.com.
  10. ↑ "Pearl Jam Songs: "Thumbing My Way"" Archived May 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine . pearljam.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.