Eddie Vedder

Eddie Vedder is the lead singer for the band Pearl Jam.

Sourced

• Eddie Vedder on suicide (and relatedly the song "Jeremy"): You kill yourself and you make a big old sacrifice and try to get your revenge. That all you're gonna end up with is a paragraph in a newspaper. In the end, it does nothing. Nothing changes. The world goes on and you're gone. The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself. - This quote was taken from the Synergy's Echoes page ( December, 1991 Houston, Texas, KLOL FM Echoes of Exposure with David Sadoff )

• Eddie Vedder about his reality: "Well, maybe it was just that I wasn't going to like anybody because I had to work and I had to explain to my teachers why I wasn't keeping up. I'd fall asleep and things in class and they'd lecture me about the reality of their classroom. I said, 'You want to see my reality?' I opened up my backpack to where you usually keep your pencils. That's where I kept my bills... electric bills, rent... That was my reality." - Eddie Vedder; L.A. Times 5/1/94, "He Didn't Ask for All This"

• "There is a thing that happens when you are not as privileged and you start hanging out with a seedier crowd because you can afford to do the same things," he says. "And all of a sudden the big night out is sitting in somebody's trailer, smoking something or getting hold of something to put up to your nose.” - Eddie Vedder; L.A. Times 5/1/94, "He Didn't Ask for All This"

• "I am not a good enough writer to have an agenda or come up with a message and try to put it into a song," he says. "It's more like you write what comes to you... You try to reflect the mood of the songs. Take 'Rearviewmirror', we start off with the music and it kinds of propels the lyrics. It made me feel like I was in a car, leaving something, a bad situation. There's an emotion there. I remembered all the times I wanted to leave..." -Eddie Vedder; L.A. Times 5/1/94, "He Didn't Ask for All This"

• Eddie Vedder about Kurt Cobain’s death -"You know", Eddie says, his voice trembling, hoarse, no more than a whisper, "I always thought I'd go first" – May 21, 1994, Melody Maker

• Eddie Vedder about Kurt Cobain and their relationship; "This," he suddenly remembers, "was at the MTV Awards. 'Tears in Heaven' was playing in the background, we were slow dancing. I remember going out surfing the next morning and remembering how good that moment felt and thinking, 'Fuck, man, if only we hadn't been so afraid of each other...' Because we were going through so much of the same shit. If only we'd talked, maybe we could have helped each other." – May 21, 1994, Melody Maker

• "Let me be as weird as I fuckin' like. It's my fuckin' life."; May 21, 1994, Melody Maker

Stage Banter

• “On behalf of the group and our crew… Our crew works very hard to get here and set this up… and they worked very hard on this… tour.” (The crowd starts applauding and Edd continues) “And you know, we’ve worked hard too, and we only have one more show after tonight before we go home (after that, some guys at the crowd start shouting ‘Why go home, Why go home?’ [they were making an allusion to the lyric of PJ-s song ‘Why Go’] and after he heard that, Edd begins to laugh and then continues) and… The last show is never the best, it’s always the one right before the last… Every time. (the crowd went crazy) And we just wanna say that you deserve so much of the credit, so thank you so much!” (Pearl Jam in Zagreb, Croatia – 26.09.2006.)

• “Your singing is very good. Much better than my language”; (Pearl Jam in Zagreb, Croatia – 26.09.2006.)

• "If he was trying to wind me up, it didn't work, maybe he was just a big Gavin Rossdale fan?" - After someone screamed "Bush 2008! Bush 2008! Bush 2008! Jeb's running!"

• "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall through anything." - Eddie in Raleigh, 4/15/03

• "Goodnight, Finally" (His first words he said in Belgium at the Sportpaleis (30/08/2007)

• "This next song is called I Got Shit. But I guess most of you are saying, 'I got shit tickets.'" - During their May 13, 2006 visit to Hartford, CT in the cold rain

• "Hey, listen asshole, one more fucker throws a fucking quarter out here and we're outta here, I'm tellin' ya, FUCKER! What the fuck? You're blowin' it for fucking everybody! Hit me with a fucking quarter again, and fuck it, I'm outta here! We're all outta here! Fuck you! And if anyone sees someone throw fucking change right next to 'em, you have my permission to personally beat the fucking holy shit out of 'em! Thank you very much! Fucking idiot! Ahhhhhh... That felt good!" - Greatwoods For The Performing Arts, Mansfield MA Summer September 16, 1998

• "So how many of you guys came out in limos? It's really great when you're in a limo and you can put your head to the window and look out at all the homeless people... Next time you're in your limo just look out at all the people sleeping in the alleys, I just dare ya to take a drink of that free alcohol [pause] This song is called Evenflow..."

• "Japan is awesome... The fans there knew all the words to all the songs... At least phonetically."

• "There is this thing called a curfew and sometimes the fine can be a lot of money [crowd boos]... but we talked about it in the back... and the reason I am able to come out here and take my time is because Mike McCready agreed to pay the fine tonight. [crowd cheers]" - Eddie, Buffalo 5/2/03

• "Is it okay if I speak in English?... It's hard for me to speak in Spanish when I'm drunk." - Eddie in Monterrey, Mexico, 12/07/05

• "Come into Madison Square Garden and fuck up a song big time - I think John Lennon would've been proud!"

• "Miller Lite... Now there's a beer. I'll tell you what, I could piss in a cup and give it to this guy here and he'd like it better than a Miller Lite." - Detroit, 6/25/03

• "Hey, there's a thing called date rape. Don't go fuckin' party on other people's pussy unless they're invited!" - Ed 12/31/91

• "Music is a weapon of mass construction... Protests are a weapon of mass construction..." - 6/1/03 Shoreline

• "I dunno if you're actually saying anything we're meant to hear, but from up here it just sounds like 'I wanna fuck you Eddie'." - March 3, 1998 in Melbourne

• Before playing Glorified G "We would like to dedicate this next song to our good friend and mentor... Dick Cheney!" - May 28, 2006 Camden, NJ

• "Me and the band... we'd like to say something we've never had the chance to do before... Live From St.John's, Its Saturday Night, Lets Rock This Fucking Place!" - St. John's September 24th

• "You know... If I can say it in English... We pay to see you sing, we should pay you... Thank you from deep down... corazon... gracias." - Buenos Aires, Argentina November 25th 2005

• "You're too good to us... I don't know if we deserve it, just thank you so much... We were talking -may I speak English for a-... We were talking in the back, this has to be, as far as your voices and energy... I... of all the years I think this is the greatest audience we've ever played for... espera... I mean no one sings the guitar parts, for Christ's sake...' - Buenos Aires/Argentina (11/25/05)

• "There are five things I love in life![holds up hand and counts them off with fingers] And that's my girlfriend [counts one] my daughter [counts two and laughs] the band, making music with the band [three] surfing [four] and Antonio Gaudì [five]" - Pavellon Olimpic Badalona, Barcelona, September 1st 2006 (from the official 2006 European Tour bootleg mp3 - danleri)

• Crowd: OLE OLE OLE OLE [Eddie on stage waiting for the crowd to settle down]"Alright...Haha.....OK....OK."[laughs and shakes his head] "They just won't stop..............[Eddie gets on guitar and starts singing Ole Ole Ole Ole]" Pavellon Olimpic Badalona, BCN September 1st 2006

• "Fuck you! Bring your own goddamn wine!" - Jones Beach, NY (8/25/00)

• I'd like to thank God, but I don't believe in it, for all of his love and support." -- June 24, 2008, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Liner Notes

"If you love someone set them free ... if someone loves you don´t fuck up" Lost Dogs

• Bruce asked me to sing this song, and since he's the boss, and I'm the employee here it is.

(Vedder at Vote for Change concert in New Jersey before playing "Better Man" with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band)

• I don't need drugs to make my life tragic.

• The love received is the love that is saved.

• I think celebrities suck.

• Caffeine. The gateway drug.

• I just think that all of us in this room should have a voice in how the USA is represented. And he don't allow us our voice, that's all I'm saying.

• It's an art to live with pain... mix the light into gray.

• You know something? I've never dated. I never had time for that stuff. I really had an ongoing affair with my Telecaster, and that was pretty much it.

• A very drunk Vedder in Australia 2003 before the band starts playing Last Kiss: "This next song is [long pause] is a song."

• It's never good to be undecided. I'll give you a perfect example: the mullet. Do I want it short? Do I want it long? I just can't take a stand. I guess that explains why there are so many indecisive people in Canada. That's the only thing that looks bad about Canada these days.

• We have to live up to the expectations of a million people. And we can't do that. [pause] And then, there's a cynical fucking media on top of that. Fuck them. Fuck that. They question your fucking honesty. They think it's all a fucking game. They don't know what's real. [pause] And when someone comes along who's trying to be real, they don't know the fucking difference.

• In rock & roll, I should be able to do whatever I want -- run around with a dildo on my head.

• It's so important - Every day we wake up, we're creating our memory. We have to create the best ones we can, even if for one day. Find your goals and take them one step at time. Your happiness and control form responsibility. It takes work and you MUST do things yourself. Don't expect anyone else to do it for you. Don't feel sorry for yourself. I've learned that about myself. I once thought I was under the lion's paw but when I decided to take on responsibility, I became much more free.

• They call you guys Generation X [pause] That's bullshit. They should call you Generation Why... or maybe Generation ZZZ, 'cause you're falling asleep.

• If little George Dubya Bush wins [the 2000 election] the band is applying for Canadian Citizenship.

• You don't love me. You don't know me. You love who you think I am. If you knew me, you wouldn't love me. And don't try to pretend you know me, because I don't even know myself.

• It doesn't feel like the United States of America these days... it just doesn't.

• In America we like to have fun. Because we are an advanced culture... we live in a very advanced society and have a futuristic way of taking care of our population problem... we give each other guns and kill each other.

• Worship the music not the musician.

• You fuckin' cocksuckers... You fuckin' bitch... You fuckin'... You know we come up here as a collective band and we give and we give and you just fuckin' want more... And you know what - YOU DESERVE IT!... This is some kind of organized religion here... You see what's happening... You see... Be the third night in a row right?... Third night in a row this same thing's gone on... WELL FUCK YOU WE'RE GONNA PLAY IT! Oh tonight began with anything... How's that? shadows, light, a warm breath and a scream...

• I got a letter from a woman recently that said 'Until you have a uterus I wish you'd keep your mouth shut on this issue.' If I agreed with that woman and said, 'Okay until I have a uterus I surrender, I'll stay out of this' and all the men agreed with that, then we wouldn't have an issue. Because the people heading this kind of radical right...we're talking about middle-aged, upper-class, white men. So if they get out of it, I'll get out of it. Sure. No problem.

• I can remember vividly playing that song in a club in Hamburg on Jeff Ament's Birthday March 12, 1992. I think thats an interesting date because it's also the last time I took a shower. Keep grunge alive is my motto. Not the music, just the personal philosophy.

• My mind is in these songs, but the fact that so many people relate to these songs is kind of depressing. Actually, now I understand those religious channels more. Everybody needs something.

• Advice to the kids... Don't drink when you're sick... More advice: don't get sick when you drink.

• Some people say I have a death wish. That's not true. I have a whole life wish.

• "Eddie sucks!" said while the crowd was screaming his name.

• Do you want a message?... Do you want a message?... Kill your local rapist [long pause] but torture him first... Then serve him to one of your enemies for dinner... I'll cook.

• This is for all the fuck ups in the crowd. (Pinkpop, Holland, 2000 - before playing fuckin' up)

• We'd like to thank [pause] uh [pause] We don't- [pause] uh [pause] We don't have to thank any sponsors [pause] There were no fuckin' sponsors...

• So there's this big rumor around that we want to clear up right now... we're not from Seattle. I just had to say it because if someone else asks me about the 'Seattle scene' one more time, I think I'm gonna puke, piss and shit all at the same time.

• How many records you sell doesn't change how you look at the music. Getting a gold record was cool for about two and a half minutes.

• So, Mookie thinks there are a bunch of crazed white rock musicians following him around, making t-shirts and singing his praises (Stone)... He's frightened of us...he sits at home telling his wife 'why is this happening to me? What did I do?

• We are on the brink of forever.

• By the way... This isn't a 'fuck you' to the troops. One finger makes a big difference.

• Those who dance are called insane by those who don't hear the music.

• You can't save someone from drowning if you're treading water yourself.

• How is life treating you? Better yet, how are you treating life?

• It's the end of the world. It's happening right now... And I think we're okay with that.

• The only fuckin' reason you guys chant my name is 'cause I'm the only guy in the band whose name has two syllables. We call Stone 'Stoney.' You could chant that... 'Stoney, Stoney!'

• War doesn't determine who's right; it determines who's left.

• Our band is like an old car, and this record [Pearl Jam] is our new engine.

• If people don't like what I'm doing I really don't have time to hear it. I'm doing something good with my life and I challenge them to do the same.

• Every time I see the Spice Girls, it makes me want to try to fly by climbing my roof and strapping bricks to my shoes.

• These are the rich people, right?! They have all the luxuries, right?! Looks to me, they are the farthest from the stage, and they're behind a fuckin' window!

• Behave like rock stars, not like the President.

• In the middle of a song, Vedder gets interrupted and then says "There are these two girls flashing their tits, it's making it hard to concentrate."

• Over the years, we've always been impressed by the Brazilian flags at our shows... it's fantastic to finally play for all Brazilians.

• "We've got clouds and rain, just like in Seattle ... but Sao Paulo is better." - About the Brazilian city, São Paulo.

• In the next time that we´ll play in Brazil, the world will be a better place 'cause George Bush won't be the president - Eddie Vedder in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

• "Hello Brisbanians!!!" March 15, 1998, Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia