In Hiding
Encyclopedia
"In Hiding" is a song by the American rock
band Pearl Jam
. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder
and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard
, "In Hiding" is the eleventh track on the band's fifth studio album, Yield
(1998). Despite the lack of a commercial single release, the song managed to reach number 13 on the Billboard
Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 14 on their Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard
. As shown on the DVD, Single Video Theory
, Gossard brought the guitar riff for the song to the band after recording it on a microcassette
recorder, while Vedder held off on writing lyrics for the song until late in the album's recording sessions. Drummer Jack Irons
said, "I like "In Hiding" a lot...It's like a band track. It sounds like five guys just played a track together and I think that's pretty much what happened." Guitarist Mike McCready
said, "Just something about it that strikes me. Even in the earlier demo stages when I heard it I knew it was something that had to happen."
. The writer was known to stay in a room for days at a time without coming out. The lyric page for the song in the album's liner notes features a quote by Bukowski attributed to "Buk" in place of the lyrics for the song. Vedder on the origins of the song:
When asked about the song in an interview, Vedder stated it was about "a life fast." Vedder about "In Hiding":
, "In Hiding" charted on the Alternative Top 30 chart where it peaked at number six and stayed there for two weeks.
"In Hiding" was featured in the Cold Case episode "The Long Blue Line" in 2009.
, Hawaii
at the Alexander M. Baldwin Amphitheatre. Live performances of "In Hiding" can be found on various official bootlegs
and the Live at the Gorge 05/06
box set. A performance of the song is also included on the DVD Single Video Theory
. "In Hiding" is also featured on the 2011 official live release Live on Ten Legs
.
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...
. Featuring lyrics written by 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...
and music written by guitarist 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...
, "In Hiding" is the eleventh track on the band's fifth studio album, Yield
Yield (album)
Yield is the fifth studio album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on February 3, 1998. Following a short tour for its previous album, No Code , Pearl Jam went into the studio in 1997 to record its follow-up...
(1998). Despite the lack of a commercial single release, the song managed to reach number 13 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...
Modern Rock Tracks chart and number 14 on their Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Origin and recording
"In Hiding" features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie VedderEddie 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...
and music written by guitarist 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...
. As shown on the DVD, Single Video Theory
Single Video Theory
Single Video Theory is a music documentary directed by Mark Pellington that follows the making of Yield, the fifth album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam. It was released first on VHS on August 4, 1998, and then on DVD on November 24, 1998.-Overview:The film was shot in 16mm film...
, Gossard brought the guitar riff for the song to the band after recording it on a microcassette
Microcassette
A Microcassette is an audio storage medium introduced by Olympus in 1969. It uses the same width of magnetic tape as the Compact Cassette but in a much smaller container. By using thinner tape and half or a quarter the tape speed, microcassettes can offer comparable recording time to the compact...
recorder, while Vedder held off on writing lyrics for the song until late in the album's recording sessions. Drummer Jack Irons
Jack Irons
Jack Steven Irons is an American musician who is best known as the original drummer of the American rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as the former drummer for Eleven and Pearl Jam. He has also worked with Joe Strummer and The Latino Rockabilly War, Redd Kross, Raging Slab, Spinnerette...
said, "I like "In Hiding" a lot...It's like a band track. It sounds like five guys just played a track together and I think that's pretty much what happened." Guitarist 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...
said, "Just something about it that strikes me. Even in the earlier demo stages when I heard it I knew it was something that had to happen."
Lyrics
Vedder's lyrics for "In Hiding" were inspired by the writings of Charles BukowskiCharles Bukowski
Henry Charles Bukowski was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural and economic ambience of his home city of Los Angeles...
. The writer was known to stay in a room for days at a time without coming out. The lyric page for the song in the album's liner notes features a quote by Bukowski attributed to "Buk" in place of the lyrics for the song. Vedder on the origins of the song:
"In Hiding" is actually written about Bukowski. Sean PennSean PennSean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
gave me a quote that Bukowski had said to him once, and it was written directly from that. He told Sean that sometimes he just has to check out for a few days—no people, no nothing. So he goes in hiding, then he gets back and has the will to live once again. Maybe because society takes you down. For all the good things we offer each other, sometimes we beat each other down.
When asked about the song in an interview, Vedder stated it was about "a life fast." Vedder about "In Hiding":
The song was about taking a fast from life, doing anything to get yourself back in touch with something real. Abstinence from anything is cool, because the normalcy of life is deceptive: It's enjoyable for a while, and there are good moments, but sometimes that's not enough. You start questioning what's the point. By not opening my mouth I was able to get into that state. Jack called me at the end of it; he couldn't understand what I was saying. It took a minute to get my speech back.
Reception
Without being released as a single, "In Hiding" peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 13 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1998. In CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, "In Hiding" charted on the Alternative Top 30 chart where it peaked at number six and stayed there for two weeks.
"In Hiding" was featured in the Cold Case episode "The Long Blue Line" in 2009.
Live performances
"In Hiding" was first performed live at the band's February 20, 1998 concert in MauiMaui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
at the Alexander M. Baldwin Amphitheatre. Live performances of "In Hiding" can be found on 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 Single Video Theory
Single Video Theory
Single Video Theory is a music documentary directed by Mark Pellington that follows the making of Yield, the fifth album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam. It was released first on VHS on August 4, 1998, and then on DVD on November 24, 1998.-Overview:The film was shot in 16mm film...
. "In Hiding" is also featured on the 2011 official live release Live on Ten Legs
Live on Ten Legs
-Charts:...
.
Chart positions
| Chart (1998) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Modern Rock Tracks | 13 |
| US Mainstream Rock Tracks | 14 |
| Canadian RPM Alternative 30 RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
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