After over 25 and a half years, A never before heard demo of Pearl Jam’s cover of Victoria Williams’ “Crazy Mary” from the Vs. era in 1993 has finally leaked.
Vedder is heard at the start of the recording saying he ‘doesn’t think’ he can overdub, and he then does a countdown to start the song. This version of “Crazy Mary” is more stripped down, driven by an acoustic guitar. There are electric guitar parts, but they are toned down compared to the studio version that appeared on the 1993 tribute album, Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams.
Victoria Williams discussed the meaning behind “Crazy Mary” in a Songfacts interview.
Songfacts: Lastly, the question that I am certain you’ve been asked countless times over the past couple of decades: who was the real “Crazy Mary”?
Victoria: She is a fantasy I suppose I made up out of some facts… a very old black lady, she used to walk into Shreveport but would never get inside a moving automobile. One day, she met her demise when a car went out of control and slammed into her shack.
Eddie Vedder is currently on tour in Europe, and while Pearl Jam are rumored to be working on a new album, the band unfortunately have no announced plans for 2019.
If you're a Pearl Jam fan, you need to listen to this before it goes away.https://t.co/bIn9aIcOem
— Alan Cross (@alancross) June 10, 2019
