Jeremy (song)
"Jeremy" is a song by American rock band Pearl Jam, with lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music composed by bassist Jeff Ament. "Jeremy" was released in August 1992 as the third single from Pearl Jam's debut album, Ten (1991). The song was inspired by a newspaper article Vedder read about Jeremy Wade Delle, a high school student who shot himself in front of his English class on January 8, 1991.[3] It reached the number 5 spot on both the Album[4][5] and Modern Rock Billboard charts.[6][5] It did not originally chart on the regular Billboard Hot 100 singles chart since it was not released as a commercial single in the US at the time, but a re-release in July 1995 brought it up to number 79.[7]
"Jeremy"
- "Footsteps"
- "Yellow Ledbetter"
August 17, 1992[1]
March 27 – April 26, 1991
London Bridge (Seattle, WA)
- 5:18 (album version)
- 4:46 (single edit)
- 5:21 (promo version)
- Rick Parashar
- Pearl Jam
The song gained popularity for its music video, directed by Mark Pellington and released in 1992, which received heavy rotation by MTV and became a hit. The original music video for "Jeremy" was directed and produced by Chris Cuffaro. Epic Records and MTV later rejected the music video, and released the version directed by Pellington instead. In 1993, the "Jeremy" video was awarded four MTV Video Music Awards, including Best Video of the Year.[8]
Artwork[edit]
The picture used for the cover was taken by Lance Mercer and the little girl who appears on it is Jessica Curtis, daughter of Kelly Curtis, the group's long-time manager.
Release and reception[edit]
On August 17, 1992, "Jeremy" was released as a single in Europe.[1] The following month, on September 14, it was issued in the United Kingdom.[15] The B-sides were the previously unreleased "Footsteps" and "Yellow Ledbetter". Both of these were later included on the compilation album Lost Dogs (2003), "Footsteps" as an alternate version. "Yellow Ledbetter" can also be found on the band's rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003). In the United States, "Jeremy" was not released as a single until June 27, 1995; before that date, the single was only available as a more expensive import version.[16]
"Jeremy" became the most successful song from Ten on the American rock charts. It peaked at number five on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks[4][5] and Billboard Modern Rock Tracks charts.[6][5] The single has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[17] "Jeremy" reached the top 40 on the Canadian Singles Chart. It also reached the UK top 20, peaked at number 93 in Germany, reached the top 40 in New Zealand, and was a top-10 success in Ireland. At the 1993 Grammy Awards, "Jeremy" received nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Hard Rock Performance.[18]
Chris True of AllMusic said that "Jeremy" "is where Pearl Jam mania galvanized and propelled the band past the 'Seattle sound' and into rock royalty." He described it as a "classic buildup tune" and proclaimed it as "arguably Pearl Jam's most earnest work and one of their most successful singles."[19] Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork said, "'Jeremy' is the most pat Freudian psychodrama on an album full of them."[20]
Music video[edit]
Original video[edit]
In July 1991, Vedder became acquainted with photographer Chris Cuffaro. Vedder suggested Cuffaro film a music video for the band. On Vedder's insistence, Epic gave Cuffaro permission to use any song off Ten. He chose "Jeremy", which was not intended to be released as a single at the time.[21] Epic refused to fund the clip, forcing Cuffaro to finance it himself.[22]
Cuffaro raised the money by taking out a loan and selling all of his furniture and half his guitar collection.[23] Cuffaro and his crew spent a day filming several scenes of a young actor, Eric Schubert, playing the part of Jeremy. The scenes with Pearl Jam were filmed in a warehouse on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. A revolving platform was rigged at the center of the set, and the members of the band climbed on it individually to give the illusion of the song being performed as a crew member spun the giant turntable by hand. Vedder appeared with black gaffer's tape around his biceps as a mourning band for the real Jeremy.
Official video[edit]
By the time Cuffaro finished his music video, Epic had warmed up to the idea of releasing "Jeremy" as a single. Music video director Mark Pellington was brought in to handle the project.[24] Pellington said that he "wasn't a huge fan of the band, but the lyrics intrigued me—I spoke to Eddie, and I really got connected to his passion."[25] Pellington and Pearl Jam convened in Kings Cross, London, England, in June 1992 to film a new version of the "Jeremy" music video.[26]
Working with veteran editor Bruce Ashley, Pellington's high-budget video incorporated rapid-fire editing and juxtaposition of sound, still images, graphics and text elements with live action sequences to create a collage effect. The classroom scenes were filmed at Bayonne High School in New Jersey.[27] The video also featured many close-ups of Vedder performing the song, with the other members of Pearl Jam shown only briefly. Some of the stock imagery was similar to the original video, but when it came to the band Pellington focused on Vedder. Vedder thus serves as the video's narrator. Ament said, "It was mostly Mark and Ed's vision. In fact, I think it would have been a better video if the rest of the band wasn't in it. I know some of us were having a hard time with the movie-type video that Mark made, because our two previous videos were made live."[14] Jeremy was played by 12-year-old Trevor Wilson, in his only acting role. Wilson would drown in 2016, at age 36, while swimming in Puerto Rico.[28]
The video premiered on August 1, 1992,[24] and quickly found its way into heavy rotation on MTV. Michele Romero of Entertainment Weekly described the music video as "an Afterschool Special from hell." She stated that "when Eddie Vedder yowls the lyric 'Jeremy spoke in class today,' a chill frosts your cranium to the point of queasy enjoyment."[29] The success of the "Jeremy" video helped catapult Pearl Jam to fame. Pellington stated, "I think that video tapped into something that has always been around and will always be around. You're always going to have peer pressure, you're always going to have adolescent rage, you're always going to have dysfunctional families."[30]
The video won four MTV Video Music Awards in 1993, including Best Video of the Year, Best Group Video, Best Metal/Hard Rock Video, and Best Direction.[8] Wilson appeared with Pearl Jam onstage when they won Best Video of the Year. In the entirety of Vedder's acceptance speech, he introduced Wilson to the crowd, saying, "This is Trevor. He lives." as he and Wilson raised clasped hands, Vedder patted him on the head, and the audience cheered. Vedder goes on to say "No, um... I mean, I guess you gotta say thanks... No, the real shit is... If it weren't for music, I think I would have shot myself in the front of the classroom, you know. It really is what kept me alive, so this is kind of full circle. So to the power of music, thanks." He then hands the award to Wilson.[28][31]
Live performances[edit]
"Jeremy" was first performed live by Pearl Jam on May 17, 1991, at the Off Ramp Café in Seattle, Washington.[39] The band's 1992 appearance on MTV Unplugged included a performance of the song. At the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, the band had intended to play the Dead Boys song "Sonic Reducer", but MTV insisted on "Jeremy", since the video was in heavy rotation (although it had been released after the deadline for that year's awards). At the end of the intense performance, however, Vedder managed to sneak in a reference to "Sonic Reducer" by singing that song's first line: "I don't need no ... I don't need no mom and dad."[40]
Live performances of "Jeremy" can be found on the "Animal" single, the "Dissident"/Live in Atlanta box set, various official bootlegs, the Live at the Gorge 05/06 box set, 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 Touring Band 2000 and the MTV Unplugged DVD included in the Ten reissue.
Pearl Jam
Additional musicians