"Dissident" is a song by the American rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band Pearl Jam

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...

, released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's second studio album, Vs. (1993). The song peaked at number three on the Billboard

Billboard (magazine)

Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...

Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).

Origin and recording

An early primitive jam version of "Dissident" can be found in the commercial breaks of the band's 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:...

performance. After "Black", during the commercial break, the band jammed

Jam session

Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...

 into a short progression that would become the basic "Dissident" guitar riff. This is clearly evident in bootlegs and video.

Lyrics

Vocalist 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...

 about "Dissident":

In "Dissident", I'm actually talking about a woman who takes in someone who's being sought after by the authorities for political reasons. He's on the run, and she offers him a refuge. But she just can't handle the responsibility. She turns him in, then she has to live with the guilt and the realization that she's betrayed the one thing that gave her life meaning. It made her life difficult. It made her life hell. But it gave her a reason to be. But she couldn't hold on. She folded. That's the tragedy of the song.

At Pearl Jam's March 17, 1994 concert in West Lafayette

West Lafayette, Indiana

As of the census of 2010, there were 29,596 people, 12,591 households, and 3,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,381.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 74.3% White, 17.3% Asian, 2.7% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.03% Pacific...

, Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

 at Purdue University

Purdue University

Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...

's Elliot Hall

Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music

The Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music is located on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. With a seating capacity of 6,025, it is one of the largest proscenium theaters in the world, and is about 100 seats larger than Radio City Music Hall. The facility is named after Edward...

, Vedder said that the "holy no" in the song refers to date rape

Date rape

"Date rape", often referred to as acquaintance rape, is an assault or attempted assault usually committed by a new acquaintance involving sexual intercourse without mutual consent....

, explaining that "a woman's word is sacred and the no means no and that's what a 'holy no' is."

Release and reception

While the "Dissident" single was released commercially to international markets in 1994, the commercial single was not released in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 until June 27, 1995 and was only available as a more expensive import version beforehand. "Dissident" peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, and the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. "Dissident" reached the UK Top 20. "Dissident" peaked at number 97 in Germany, reached the top 30 in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, and was a top ten success in Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 and Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

. It was a moderate top 20 success in the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. "Dissident" is one of the band's most enduring singles as it has remained a popular song on many rock stations.

Live performances

"Dissident" was first performed live at the band's May 13, 1993 concert in San Francisco, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 at Slim's Café. Live performances of "Dissident" can be found on the "Dissident" single, various official bootlegs

Pearl Jam Official Bootlegs

The Pearl Jam "Official" Bootlegs are a large, continually growing series of live albums by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam noted the desire of fans to own a copy of the shows they attended and the popularity of bootleg recordings...

, and the 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....

box set. A performance of the song is also included on the DVD Touring Band 2000

Touring Band 2000

Touring Band 2000 is the second DVD release by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, culled from performances from the North American legs of the band's 2000 Binaural Tour...

.

Track listing

All songs written by Dave Abbruzzese

Dave Abbruzzese

David James Abbruzzese is an American musician who was the drummer for the American rock band Pearl Jam from 1991 to 1994. He replaced drummer Matt Chamberlain in 1991, shortly before the release of the band's debut album, Ten...

, Jeff Ament

Jeff Ament

Jeffrey Allen Ament is an American musician who serves as the bassist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...

, Stone Gossard

Stone Gossard

Stone Carpenter Gossard is an American musician who serves as the rhythm and lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...

, Mike McCready

Mike McCready

Michael David McCready is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Dave Krusen, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...

, and 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...

, except where noted:
CD (US, Austria, Germany, Japan, and South Africa)

1. "Dissident" – 3:35
2. "Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard, Dave Krusen
   Dave Krusen
   Dave Krusen is an American musician who is best known for being the original drummer for the American rock band Pearl Jam and for his work on the band's debut album, Ten...
   
   , McCready, Vedder) – 4:54
3. "Rearviewmirror
   Rearviewmirror (song)
   "Rearviewmirror" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. The song is the eighth track on the band's second studio album, Vs. . Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it was primarily written by vocalist Eddie Vedder...
   
   " (live) – 5:30
4. "Even Flow
   Even Flow
   "Even Flow" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "Even Flow" was released in 1992 as the second single from the band's debut album, Ten . The song peaked at number three on the Billboard...
   
   " (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:04
5. "Dissident" (live) – 3:24
6. "Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:49
7. "Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 4:44
   • Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia
     Georgia (U.S. state)
     Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
     
     .

CD (UK) (Part 1)

1. "Dissident" – 3:32
2. "Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) – 4:54
3. "Rearviewmirror" (live) – 5:30
4. "Even Flow" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:04
   • Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

CD (UK) (Part 2)

1. "Dissident" – 3:32
2. "Dissident" (live) – 3:24
3. "Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:49
4. "Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 4:44
   • Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

CD (Austria and The Netherlands)

1. "Dissident" – 3:35
2. "Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) – 4:54
   • Recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

7" Vinyl (The Netherlands and UK) and Cassette (UK)

1. "Dissident" – 3:32
2. "Rearviewmirror" (live) – 5:08
   • Recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

Alternate versions

Two alternate versions of the "Dissident" single were released that do not contain the song "Dissident" at all. The track listings of the alternate versions are as follows:

"Dissident" #2 CD (Europe and Germany)

1. "Jeremy
   Jeremy (song)
   "Jeremy" is a song by the American grunge band Pearl Jam that features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by bassist Jeff Ament. "Jeremy" was released in 1992 as the third single from Pearl Jam's debut album, Ten . The song reached the number five spot on both the Mainstream...
   
   " (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:00
2. "Glorified G
   Glorified G
   "Glorified G" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. The song is the fourth track on the band's second studio album, Vs. . Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music primarily written by guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike...
   
   " (live) – 3:19
3. "Daughter
   Daughter (song)
   "Daughter" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1993 as the second single from the band's second studio album, Vs. . Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music primarily written by guitarist Stone Gossard. The...
   
   " (live) – 5:07
4. "Go" (live) – 2:57
5. "Animal
   Animal (Pearl Jam song)
   "Animal" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1994 as the third single from the band's second studio album, Vs. . Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music primarily written by guitarist Stone Gossard. The song...
   
   " (live) – 2:48
6. "Garden" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 6:52
7. "State of Love and Trust
   State of Love and Trust
   "State of Love and Trust" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by guitarist Mike McCready and bassist Jeff Ament, "State of Love and Trust" first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 film, Singles...
   
   " (live) (Vedder, McCready, Ament) – 3:58
8. "Black" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:45
   • Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

"Dissident" #3 CD (Europe and Germany)

1. "Alive" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:08
2. "Blood" (live) – 3:39
3. "W.M.A." (live) (with Doug Pinnick
   Doug Pinnick
   Doug Pinnick sometimes stylised as dUg Pinnick or simply dUg is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist, songwriter, and co-lead vocalist for the hard rock/progressive metal band King's X. He has fourteen albums with King's X, four solo albums, and numerous side projects and guest...
   
    and Jerry Gaskill
   Jerry Gaskill
   Jerry Gaskill is an American rock musician who is the drummer for the progressive metal band King's X.-History:...
   
    of King's X
   King's X
   King's X is an American hard rock band that combines progressive metal, funk and soul with vocal arrangements influenced by gospel, blues, and British Invasion rock groups. The band's lyrics are largely based on the members' struggles with religion and self-acceptance...
   
   ) – 6:24
4. "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
   Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
   "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. The song is the tenth track on the band's second studio album, Vs. . Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it was primarily written by vocalist Eddie Vedder...
   
   " (live) – 3:43
5. "Rats" (live) – 4:37
6. "Once" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 3:21
7. "Porch" (live) (Vedder) – 11:01
8. "Indifference" (live) – 5:00
   • Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

"Dissident"/Live in Atlanta

Altogether, the three "Dissident" singles compile the band's April 3, 1994 concert in Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

, with the only omissions being three songs from the yet-to-be-released Vitalogy

Vitalogy

Vitalogy is the third studio album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 22, 1994 through Epic Records. Pearl Jam wrote and recorded Vitalogy while touring behind its previous album Vs....

("Whipping", "Better Man

Better Man

"Better Man" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "Better Man" is the eleventh track on the band's third studio album, Vitalogy...

", and "Satan's Bed") and the Dead Boys

The Dead Boys

The Dead Boys were an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. Among the first wave of early punk bands, the Dead Boys were initially active from 1976 to 1979, briefly reuniting in 1987, 2004 and 2005.-Formation and 1970s punk rock era:...

 cover "Sonic Reducer

Sonic Reducer

"Sonic Reducer" is a punk rock song written by Gene O'Connor and David Thomas during their tenure in Rocket from the Tombs, which made its debut on the Dead Boys 1977 album Young, Loud and Snotty...

". All three singles were available as a box set entitled Live in Atlanta released in Europe.

CD Box Set (Europe)
Disc one

1. "Dissident" – 3:35
2. "Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) – 4:54
3. "Rearviewmirror" (live) – 5:30
4. "Even Flow" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:04
5. "Dissident" (live) – 3:24
6. "Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:49
7. "Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 4:44

Disc two

1. "Jeremy" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:00
2. "Glorified G" (live) – 3:19
3. "Daughter" (live) – 5:07
4. "Go" (live) – 2:57
5. "Animal" (live) – 2:48
6. "Garden" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 6:52
7. "State of Love and Trust" (live) (Vedder, McCready, Ament) – 3:58
8. "Black" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:45

Disc three

1. "Alive" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:08
2. "Blood" (live) – 3:39
3. "W.M.A." (live) (with Doug Pinnick and Jerry Gaskill of King's X) – 6:24
4. "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" (live) – 3:43
5. "Rats" (live) – 4:37
6. "Once" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 3:21
7. "Porch" (live) (Vedder) – 11:01
8. "Indifference" (live) – 5:00
   • Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

Chart positions

Chart (1994)	Position
Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...	2
US Mainstream Rock Tracks	3
Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...	7
Dutch Singles Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...	14
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	14
French Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...	24
German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...	97

Accolades

The information regarding accolades attributed to "Dissident" is adapted in part from AcclaimedMusic.net.

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
The Movement	New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...	"The 77 Best Singles of the 90s"	2004	31