Eddie Vedder discussed writing the Pearl Jam song “Rearviewmirror” on the new Vs. 25th anniversary special on SiriusXM on Pearl Jam Radio. Alternative Nation transcribed his comments. Vedder said his life had changed a lot over the last few years leading up to 1993, which helped inspire the lyrics. He also described his trauma.
“It seemed really far away, a lot of changes in a year or two. I felt like I had moved beyond some of the trauma that had felt like quicksand forever and ever. I reckon that’s where the words come from, but those little guitar bits, that’s just a meditation.
To this day when we play it, it still sends me into that meditative state, although there is a lot of momentum to it. When I was in my apartment playing it, it felt like a meditation, now it feels, playing it loud in front of people with Matt Cameron behind you, and everybody in the group backing you up, now it feels more like a celebration.”
Stone Gossard said, “‘Rearviewmirror’ is I would say one of the most important songs that Ed had written within the band as a songwriter. To this day, that lyric, and the emotion of that song is so compelling. I think it sums up a point of view that he’s sort of approached from a lot of different angles in terms of understanding how he moves through conflict, how he moves through personal relationships, what things are touching him, what things does he identify as part of human nature and the human condition. A great song, and a big moment for Eddie as a songwriter.”
