Pearl Jam

Released: February 27, 2001

Songwriter: Victoria Williams

Producer: John Burton Brett Eliason

She lived on the curve in the road
In an old tar paper shack
On the south side of the town
On the wrong side of the tracks
Sometimes on the way into town
We'd say, "Mama can we stop and give her a ride?"
Yeah, sometimes we did
But her hands flew from her side
Wild eyed crazy Mary

Down the long dirt road
Past the Parson's place
That old blue car
We used to race
A little country store with a sign tacked to the side
Said 'NO L-O-I-T-E-R-I-N-G ALLOWED.'
Underneath that sign always congregated quite a crowd

Take a bottle, drink it down
Pass it around
Take a bottle, drink it down
Pass it a-
Pass it around

One night thunder cracked
Mercy backed outside my windowsill
Dreamed I was flying
High above the trees, over the hills
Looked down into the house of Mary, mm-mm
Bare bulb hung, newspaper covered walls
And Mary rising up above it all

Oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh
Yeah, yeah
Mm, oh

Next morning on the way into town
Saw some skid marks and followed them around
Over the curve
Through the fields
Into the house of Mary

That what you fear the most could meet you halfway
That what you fear the most could meet you halfway

Take a bottle, drink it down
Pass it around
Take a bottle, drink it down
Pass it around, pass it a-
Take a bottle, drink it down
Pass it a- pass it a-, oh pass it around
Pass it a- pass it a-, 'round, 'round

Founded in 1990 in Seattle, Pearl Jam is one of the most successful bands out of the grunge movement, if not of the whole alternative rock scene from the early 90s. The group started with Stone Gossard (guitar) and Jeff Ament (bass), veterans of the proto-grunge scene, recording a demo along with local guitarist Mike McCready. Once the tape passed along, it attracted a San Diego-based singer, Eddie Vedder. Along with drummer Dave Krusen, they signed with Epic Records and released Ten in 1991, which by the following year was becoming one of the most successful debut albums ever.

Growing uncomfortable with success, the following albums went for a more anguished and experimental sound, and the band’s notorious activism had its most prominent case once they boycotted Ticketmaster, accusing them of price-gouging fans. In the meantime, various drummers passed through the band, with percussion only settling once Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron joined them in the tour for 1998’s Yield.

With 10 studio albums and various live recordings (including “Official Bootlegs” of basically every concert the band performed since 2000), Pearl Jam has sold nearly 32 million records in the U.S. and an estimated 60 million worldwide.

more tracks from the album

Boston, MA 29-August-2000 (Live)

From the album

Boston, MA 29-August-2000 (Live) (2001)

Pearl Jam popular songs

Crazy Mary - Live in Boston, Massachusetts, 29-August-2000Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam

Boston, MA 29-August-2000 (Live)