Porch (Pearl Jam song)
Encyclopedia
"Porch" is the eighth track off of Pearl Jam
's debut album Ten
(1991). The song was written by lead singer Eddie Vedder
.
, Washington, Vedder stated, "This song is about if you love someone, tell him."
, Washington. The song was performed on Saturday Night Live
in April 1992 in support of Ten.
The song features an instrumental break that is lengthened when performed live. During the band's first few years Eddie Vedder would use this time to climb the stage scaffolding or dive into the crowd. When the band performed the song at the 1992 Pinkpop Festival Vedder jumped from a TV-camera-mast right into the crowd. During the 1992 Lollapalooza
tour at the Jones Beach Amphitheatre in Wantagh, New York, Vedder climbed the scaffolding to the top of the entire stage structure during the instrumental break; the stage is over 40 feet high at Jones Beach. When the song was performed on MTV Unplugged
in 1992 Vedder used the instrumental break to climb on his stool and write "Pro-choice
" on his arm with a magic marker.
Live performances of "Porch" can be found on the "Dissident
"/Live in Atlanta box set and on the live albums Live at Easy Street
and Live at the Gorge 05/06
. A performance of the song is also included on the DVD Immagine In Cornice
.
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
's debut album Ten
Ten (Pearl Jam album)
Ten is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1991 through Epic Records. Following the disbanding of bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard's previous group Mother Love Bone, the two recruited vocalist Eddie Vedder, guitarist Mike McCready, and...
(1991). The song was written by lead singer Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
.
Lyrics
When introducing the song at Pearl Jam's August 23, 1991 concert in SeattleSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington, Vedder stated, "This song is about if you love someone, tell him."
Live performances
The song was premiered live at the band's December 22, 1990 concert in SeattleSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington. The song was performed on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in April 1992 in support of Ten.
The song features an instrumental break that is lengthened when performed live. During the band's first few years Eddie Vedder would use this time to climb the stage scaffolding or dive into the crowd. When the band performed the song at the 1992 Pinkpop Festival Vedder jumped from a TV-camera-mast right into the crowd. During the 1992 Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
tour at the Jones Beach Amphitheatre in Wantagh, New York, Vedder climbed the scaffolding to the top of the entire stage structure during the instrumental break; the stage is over 40 feet high at Jones Beach. When the song was performed on MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
in 1992 Vedder used the instrumental break to climb on his stool and write "Pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
" on his arm with a magic marker.
Live performances of "Porch" can be found on the "Dissident
Dissident (song)
"Dissident" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's second studio album, Vs. . The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart...
"/Live in Atlanta box set and on the live albums Live at Easy Street
Live At Easy Street
Live at Easy Street is a live EP by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam that includes songs taken from a surprise in-store performance at Easy Street Records in West Seattle on April 29, 2005.-Overview:...
and Live at the Gorge 05/06
Live at the Gorge 05/06
Live at the Gorge 05/06 is a seven-disc live box set by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on June 26, 2007 through Rhino/WEA. The box set documents the band's 2005 and 2006 shows at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington....
. A performance of the song is also included on the DVD Immagine In Cornice
Immagine in Cornice
Immagine in Cornice, Italian for "picture in a frame," is a live concert film documenting the 2006 five-concert tour of Italy by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam. It was released on September 25, 2007.-Overview:...
.