There’s no shortage of chaos and outrage taking place in this very moment all over the world. Art is a vital tool of social function, processing these wild times and reflecting truths in a kaleidoscope of interpretive subjectivity, outlining injustice and decay as a catalyst for that most precious fire of change, of growth. It’s evolution, baby.
Outspoken from their inception, Pearl Jam have written a damn fine run of protest songs of their own. From racist police in “W.M.A.” to the sneering anti-war bite of “Insignificance” to the roaring alarm of “Worldwide Suicide” and beyond, the band have always fought the good fight both onstage and off. They’ve also covered some enormously powerful protest songs from those who’ve come before, and recent accompanying anti-war commentary has set them in the crossfire of current geopolitical ideology warfare.
A Superfan’s List: 30 Best Pearl Jam Songs of All Time
On that momentum, we’ve put together a collection of the most powerful protest songs PJ has ever covered. Well familiar with their own, we now look to the impactful acts and tracks from years past through the lens of one of the best live acts in the history of rock music, Pearl Jam.
‘Know Your Rights’ by The Clash
We caught this version of the Clash classic at Madison Square Garden in 2003, and the jaggedly cynical reminder of the deadly reality vs. the printed rights we stand by was a righteous riot. These days the message rings more loudly and relevantly than ever before.
‘The New World’ by X
An upbeat heartstrummer tale of defiance that found Eddie literally hopping with excitement, we caught this jam at the band’s PJ20 anniversary festival in 2012, featuring X frontman John Doe. Lamenting that “the tears have been falling all over this country’s face,” X implores us not to forget the Motor City, because “this was supposed to be the New World”. That didn’t quite turn out as hoped.
‘I Am a Patriot’ by Little Steven
The words of aching frustration ring through loudly on this beautiful clarification of patriotism vs. nationalism, and the original is no slouch. But sometimes a song can bring back memories of a moment in time, of a perfect stretch of seconds where the weight of meaning in every molecule of our beings was almost too much to bear. The goosebumps ran deep, the eyes wide. That was me in 2003, watching the downtempo performance of a fan-cherished cover at this show, entirely enraptured.
‘Rockin In The Free World’ by Neil Young
This surprise at the ’93 MTV Video Music Awards was chosen for Vedder’s seething anger as he spat the lyrics to the second verse, barely containing a fit of fury just before the release of PJ’s sophomore record, Vs. Later, he rocks out and bashes a hole in the floor with his mic stand as Neil Young leads the rest of the band into an apocalyptic, gear-smashing finish. But it was a damn difficult choice between that and this unforgettably incredible version.
‘Masters of War’ by Bob Dylan
The definitive cover of this song took place at the Bob Dylan 30th anniversary celebration in New York way back in 1992. Flanked by PJ guitarist Mike McCready and SNL guitarist G.E. Smith, Vedder gave a soul-stirringly impassioned performance that dripped with resentment and determination.
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Photo: Johnny Firecloud
