Man of the Hour
Encyclopedia
"Man of the Hour" is a song by the American rock
band Pearl Jam
. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder
, "Man of the Hour" accompanies the closing credits
of the 2003 film Big Fish
, and is the first track on the film's soundtrack album
. It was released as a single on November 26, 2003. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).
approached Pearl Jam in 2003 to request an original song for the soundtrack of his new film, Big Fish
. After screening an early print of the film, Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder
went home, wrote "Man of the Hour", and had a demo ready by the next day. It was recorded by the band four days later. Guitarist Mike McCready
stated, "We were so blown away by the movie...Eddie and I were standing around talking about it afterwards and were teary-eyed. We were so emotionally charged and moved by the imagination and humanity that we felt because of the movie."
magazine, the "acoustic-tinged track is accented by wistful slide guitar work, with lyrics reflecting how the father/son bond can be rocked by what seem like insurmountable obstacles."
According to Vedder at a June 1, 2006 concert in East Rutherford
, New Jersey
at Continental Airlines Arena, "Come Back" from the band's 2006 album, Pearl Jam
, is set with the same young man from "Man of the Hour" talking to the departed two months later.
. The single was made available for purchase through the band's official website as well as through Amazon.com
. It was Pearl Jam's first release without a label
, in partnership with Amazon.com.
"Man of the Hour" was nominated for the 2004
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
, but lost to Annie Lennox
's "Into the West
" from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
. It was also nominated for a 2003 Broadcast Film Critics Association Award
, and a 2004 World Soundtrack Award
.
Heather Phares of Allmusic said, "Though Burton's quirky, eerie aesthetic would normally be at odds with Pearl Jam's earnestness, the two work well together here, with the song touching on the film's warmth and adding a bit of earthiness to its daydreamy nature." Barry Walters of Rolling Stone
said that "the star is the film's end-titles' closer, Pearl Jam's "Man of the Hour", which captures the darkness of Big Fishs central Oedipal conflict." In the director's commentary
for the DVD release of Big Fish, director Tim Burton raves about the song, calling it "beautiful" and "so right" and noting how well it "matched and mirrored" the film.
"Man of the Hour" was featured in the Cold Case episode "Into the Blue" in 2009.
concert in Seattle, Washington at Benaroya Hall
. Since the death of Ramones
guitarist Johnny Ramone
, Vedder has dedicated live performances of the song to him. Live performances of "Man of the Hour" can be found on the live album Live at Benaroya Hall
, various official bootlegs
, the Live at the Gorge 05/06
box set and the upcoming Eddie Vedder
DVD Water on the Road
.
.
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...
. 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...
, "Man of the Hour" accompanies the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
of the 2003 film Big Fish
Big Fish
Big Fish is a 2003 American fantasy adventure film based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange and Marion Cotillard. Finney plays Edward Bloom, a former traveling salesman from...
, and is the first track on the film's soundtrack album
Big Fish (soundtrack)
Big Fish is the soundtrack, on the Sony Classical label, of the 2003 film Big Fish. The original score and songs were composed by Danny Elfman.The album was nominated for the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score....
. It was released as a single on November 26, 2003. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).
Origin and recording
Director Tim BurtonTim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
approached Pearl Jam in 2003 to request an original song for the soundtrack of his new film, Big Fish
Big Fish
Big Fish is a 2003 American fantasy adventure film based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Daniel Wallace. The film was directed by Tim Burton and stars Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange and Marion Cotillard. Finney plays Edward Bloom, a former traveling salesman from...
. After screening an early print of the film, Pearl Jam 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...
went home, wrote "Man of the Hour", and had a demo ready by the next day. It was recorded by the band four days later. 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...
stated, "We were so blown away by the movie...Eddie and I were standing around talking about it afterwards and were teary-eyed. We were so emotionally charged and moved by the imagination and humanity that we felt because of the movie."
Lyrics
The wistful song is a young man saying farewell to his father: "The man of the hour has taken his final bow/Goodbye for now." According to BillboardBillboard (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...
magazine, the "acoustic-tinged track is accented by wistful slide guitar work, with lyrics reflecting how the father/son bond can be rocked by what seem like insurmountable obstacles."
According to Vedder at a June 1, 2006 concert in East Rutherford
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
at Continental Airlines Arena, "Come Back" from the band's 2006 album, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam (album)
Pearl Jam is the eighth studio album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam and its debut and only release for J Records...
, is set with the same young man from "Man of the Hour" talking to the departed two months later.
Release and reception
"Man of the Hour" was released as a single on November 26, 2003, just prior to the release of the film. The single of this song features a demo version of Vedder alone on vocals and guitar as a B-sideA-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
. The single was made available for purchase through the band's official website as well as through Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
. It was Pearl Jam's first release without a label
Self-publishing
Self-publishing is the publication of any book or other media by the author of the work, without the involvement of an established third-party publisher. The author is responsible and in control of entire process including design , formats, price, distribution, marketing & PR...
, in partnership with Amazon.com.
"Man of the Hour" was nominated for the 2004
61st Golden Globe Awards
The 61st Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 2003, were held on January 25, 2004 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California...
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
, but lost to Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
's "Into the West
Into the West (song)
"Into the West" is an Oscar winning song, written by Fran Walsh, Howard Shore, and Annie Lennox, and performed by Lennox. The song plays during the closing credits of the film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King...
" from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
. It was also nominated for a 2003 Broadcast Film Critics Association Award
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2003
The 9th Critics' Choice Awards, honoring the best in film for 2003, were given on 10 January 2004.-Top 10 Films:#Big Fish#Cold Mountain#Finding Nemo#In America#The Last Samurai...
, and a 2004 World Soundtrack Award
World Soundtrack Awards 2004
The 4th World Soundtrack Awards were awarded on 9 October 2004 in Ghent, Belgium.- Winners :* Soundtrack Composer of the Year:** Gabriel Yared - Cold Mountain* Best Original Soundtrack of the Year:** Cold Mountain - Gabriel Yared...
.
Heather Phares of Allmusic said, "Though Burton's quirky, eerie aesthetic would normally be at odds with Pearl Jam's earnestness, the two work well together here, with the song touching on the film's warmth and adding a bit of earthiness to its daydreamy nature." Barry Walters of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
said that "the star is the film's end-titles' closer, Pearl Jam's "Man of the Hour", which captures the darkness of Big Fishs central Oedipal conflict." In the director's commentary
Audio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
for the DVD release of Big Fish, director Tim Burton raves about the song, calling it "beautiful" and "so right" and noting how well it "matched and mirrored" the film.
"Man of the Hour" was featured in the Cold Case episode "Into the Blue" in 2009.
Live performances
"Man of the Hour" was first performed live at the band's October 22, 2003Live at Benaroya Hall
Live at Benaroya Hall is a two-disc live album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, recorded on October 22, 2003 at Benaroya Hall, Seattle, Washington and released on July 27, 2004 through BMG.-Overview:...
concert in Seattle, Washington at Benaroya Hall
Benaroya Hall
Benaroya Hall is the home of the Seattle Symphony in Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. It features two auditoria, the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium, a 2500-seat performance venue, as well as the Nordstrom Recital Hall, which seats roughly 500...
. Since the death of Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
guitarist Johnny Ramone
Johnny Ramone
John William Cummings , better known by his stage name Johnny Ramone, was an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for being the guitarist for the punk rock band the Ramones. He was a founding member of the band, and remained a member throughout the band's entire career...
, Vedder has dedicated live performances of the song to him. Live performances of "Man of the Hour" can be found on the live album Live at Benaroya Hall
Live at Benaroya Hall
Live at Benaroya Hall is a two-disc live album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, recorded on October 22, 2003 at Benaroya Hall, Seattle, Washington and released on July 27, 2004 through BMG.-Overview:...
, 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...
, 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 and the upcoming 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...
DVD Water on the Road
Water on the Road
Water on the Road is a film released on DVD and Blu-ray by American singer and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. It documents Vedder's 2008 solo tour, during which he performed Pearl Jam songs, numerous covers, and solo works including songs from the Into the Wild Soundtrack...
.
Track listing
All songs written by 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...
.
- "Man of the Hour" – 3:46
- "Man of the Hour" (demo) – 3:53