Jeremy spoke in class today…

“Jeremy” is Pearl Jam’s big hit from their album “Ten”. The song was written by lead singer Eddie Vedder. It was inspired by a newspaper article about a 15-year-old student who shot himself in front of his classmates in Texas.

“Jeremy” is a powerful commentary on youth culture and the pressures faced by teens. Jeremy is a misunderstood individual who struggles with bullying, isolation, and mental health issues. Through haunting lyrics and an intense musical arrangement, the song conveys a message of empathy and understanding for those who may feel marginalized.

Musically, “Jeremy” is characterized by its use of pounding drums, distorted guitars and Vedder’s vocals. The song’s introspective lyrics are accompanied by an evocative soundscape that builds to a climax, with the refrain “Jeremy spoke in class today”.

“Jeremy” is regarded as one of the most memorable and powerful songs of the 1990s. It was a commercial success for Pearl Jam, reaching the top five and solidified them as superstars to a wider audience. This song  and Pearl Jam’s fashion was when the term “grunge music” started to  make it’s way into the vernacular (along with Nirvana and Green Day).

Jeremy Lyrics

At home drawing pictures
Of mountain tops
With him on top
Lemon yellow sun
Arms raised in a V
And the dead lay in pools of maroon below

Daddy didn’t give attention
Oh, to the fact that mommy didn’t care
King Jeremy the wicked
Oh, ruled his world

Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today

Clearly I remember
Pickin’ on the boy
Seemed a harmless little fuck
But we unleashed the lion
Gnashed his teeth and bit the recess lady’s breast

How could I forget
And he hit me with a surprise left
My jaw left hurting
Dropped wide open
Just like the day
Oh, like the day I heard

Daddy didn’t give affection, no
And the boy was something that mommy wouldn’t wear
King Jeremy the wicked
Oh ruled his world

Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today

Try to forget this (try to forget this)
Try to erase this (try to erase this)
From the blackboard

Jeremy spoke in class today
Jeremy spoke in class today

Jeremy spoke in
Spoke in
Jeremy spoke in
Spoke in
Jeremy spoke in class today
Source: Thegreatestsongs.com
Songwriters: Eddie Vedder / Jeffrey Ament

I’m so afraid of the way I feel…

In “I’m So Afraid”, Lindsey Buckingham is featured almost exclusively, so we really get to see his music ability. His most obvious skill is his guitar playing. He uses a very unique finger-style with his right hand. I’m So Afraid might be confused as a “jam song”. It is not. Though it does have several memorable guitar solos, they are all rehearsed; he is not improvising over a set of chords. Lindsey has this all mapped out. He fits so many motifs into one solo.

The fact that he can sing over that complicated guitar playing is amazing too. Singing complicated vocals on top of complicated guitar parts is just silly. And he has a great voice. We always know what he was feeling when he wrote a song, because he delivers his performances with emotion and energy.

Christine McVie’s organ is the perfect accompanying instrument. It gives off the vibe of a haunted house. It is like we are looking inside Lindsey’s haunted soul and we see he is just an angry, frightened young man.

The original album-release was slightly overproduced and it sounds too slick. His live performances are where we truly capture the greatness of this work. That would happen to him again with what is perhaps his best performance of all-time.  As such, this is a deeper cut of Fleetwood Mac, but a great song nonetheless.

Everyone knows about Fleetwood Mac’s inter-band problems and relationship dramas. That is part of the reason their music is so interesting and fun. A small part. One of my favorite squabbles was when they fired Lindsey Buckingham.  Lindsey Buckingham is Fleetwood Mac. That would be like the Police firing Sting or CSR firing John Fogerty. (They had to hire two guitarists to replace Lindsey).

The casual Fleetwood mac fan might think I am crazy– clearly Stevie Nicks is the draw. She’s fantastic but this is Lindsey’s band. He produced the sound, played guitar like a god and could sing and write…and was one of Stevie’s favorites muses. And for those who still doubt…it was Christine McVie who called it Lindsey’s band.

I’m So Afraid Lyrics

I been alone
All the years
So many ways to count the tears

I never change
I never will
I’m so afraid the way I feel

Days when the rain and the sun are gone
Black as night
Agony’s torn at my heart too long
So afraid
Slip and I fall and I die

I been alone
Always down
No one cared to stay around

I never change
I never will
I’m so afraid the way I feel

Days when the rain and the sun are gone
Black as night
Agony’s torn at my heart too long
So afraid
Slip and I fall and I die

How I feel
Days when the rain and the sun are gone
Black as night
Agony’s torn at my heart too long
So afraid
Slip and I fall and I die

Written by Lindsey Buckingham

isn’t it a shame?
How we break each other’s hearts/
And cause each other pain?

Coming out of the breakup of The Beatles, George Harrison was on fire. His songs were often left off Beatles albums because he just happened to be in a band with the best song writing duo of all-time. By 1970, Harrison had a lot to say.

“Isn’t it a Pity” is an outstanding song, though it never received much commercial success. He couldn’t find a mix he loved, and the song is rather somber and long. But the song is insightful and shows a tender side of Harrison that we have all come to love.

There are a couple of ways to interpret this song. Is this song about a love gone sour? Or is it about how people in general treat each other poorly? Each reading makes sense and both are familiar themes in Harrison’s work.

I am inclined to lean toward the former reading. It is tragic that people can love each other for some time and then turn into the worst of enemies—or at least people who hurt each other. It seems we are hurt much more often by people we love than by people we hate or people we are indifferent to. It’s tragic. It’s a pity.

Is this just how life must be, or could we do better? We can hear Harrison’s disillusionment. He doesn’t have the answer any more than we do. Note he isn’t blaming other people for their shortcomings. He recognizes that he lets down others just as others do to him.

There are two versions: the 4 minute and the 7-minute version. Both are good, but the 7 minute is superior. It is produced by Phil Spector. The best aspect of the recording is the choir. It adds a weightiness to the sound that would otherwise be missing. The orchestration and lead guitar by Eric Clapton are also highlights.

Isn’t It A Pity Lyrics

Isn’t it a pity
Now, isn’t it a shame
How we break each other’s hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other’s love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn’t it a pity

Some things take so long
But how do I explain
When not too many people
Can see we’re all the same
And because of all their tears
Their eyes can’t hope to see
The beauty that surrounds them
Isn’t it a pity

Isn’t it a pity
Isn’t is a shame
How we break each other’s hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other’s love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn’t it a pity

Forgetting to give back
Isn’t it a pity
Forgetting to give back
Now, isn’t it a pity

What a pity
What a pity, pity, pity
What a pity
What a pity, pity, pity

written by George Harrison