Save You
Encyclopedia
"Save You" is a song by the American rock
band Pearl Jam
, released on February 11, 2003 as the second single from the band's seventh studio album, Riot Act
(2002). Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder
and music primarily written by guitarist Mike McCready
. The song peaked at number 23 on the Billboard
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).
. McCready on the song:
In another interview, McCready stated:
During the recording of the song drummer Matt Cameron
lost his headphones. He was able to finish the recording of the song by watching bassist Jeff Ament
's fingers as he played the bass. Cameron on the song:
about the song:
When asked in an interview about the profanities in the song's lyrics, Vedder stated:
titled "Other Side", which can also be found on the compilation album, Lost Dogs
(2003). The song peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 29 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in Canada
. In Canada, the song reached the top 20 on the Canadian Singles Chart
.
Louis Pattison of NME
called the song "a magic carpet ride of bucking riffery and thrashing bead-shakers" and stated that it "[ranks] with Pearl Jam's best." Brett Hickman of Stylus
said, "What [Riot Act] also makes known is that the band still likes to crank it. This is especially clear on "Save You". The guitars screech and churn, while Cameron hammers home a crackling beat."
for "Save You" was directed by James Frost. The video was filmed at Seattle, Washington's Chop Suey club in September 2002. The video consists of a filmed live performance of the band rather than a conceptual video. It was one of five videos shot at the club to promote Riot Act (including "I Am Mine
", "Love Boat Captain
", "Thumbing My Way
", and "1/2 Full
"). Up to that point the band had not made any music videos since 1998's "Do the Evolution
". The video was released in late 2002.
in November 2002 in support of Riot Act. The song was first performed live in concert at the band's December 5, 2002 concert in Seattle, Washington at The Showbox. Live performances of "Save You" can be found on various official bootlegs
, the live album Live at Easy Street
, the Live at the Gorge 05/06
box set, and the live album Live at Lollapalooza 2007
. Performances of the song are also included on the DVDs Live at the Showbox
and Live at the Garden
.
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 on February 11, 2003 as the second single from the band's seventh studio album, Riot Act
Riot Act (album)
Riot Act is the seventh studio album by American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released November 12, 2002 through Epic Records. Following a full-scale tour in support of its previous album, Binaural , Pearl Jam took a year-long break. The band then reconvened in the beginning of 2002 and...
(2002). Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it features 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 primarily written by 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...
. The song peaked at number 23 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
The guitar riff for "Save You" was written by guitarist Mike McCreadyMike 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...
. McCready on the song:
Well, what happened with all that was, I was sitting down with Stone, and I had two ideas, and one idea I worked really hard on and thought it was totally great and then I played it for him, and he goes, "Well, that's not...well that's o.k. You got anything else?" And so, the other thing I had was the "Save You" riff, and he goes, "Oh, that's cool." Ya know, so it's...I was really built up to wanting to play this other song, and uh, nobody seemed to be very excited about it...but they were about the "Save You" riff. It's something I came up with, I live in California, I just came up with the riff down there, and then Stone and I kicked it around in the studio before we went in, and it just...it had good energy to it. And, uh, it was more his excitement about it that made it happen.
In another interview, McCready stated:
I came in with that riff and we just kind of started jamming on it. It was a blast to play. The track that actually ended up on there, halfway through the song, Matt lost his headphones. He was going off. That's my favorite part of that song, his crazy drum fills. I like the solo too, but the drum fills are insane how good they are. He's doing them without his headphones, just by watching the bass.
During the recording of the song drummer Matt Cameron
Matt Cameron
Matthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
lost his headphones. He was able to finish the recording of the song by watching bassist 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...
's fingers as he played the bass. Cameron on the song:
It was me watching Jeff's fingers and hoping I was in time, you know? There's a breakdown of just me and Jeff. I hit a cymbal, moved my head, and the headphones went flying. A little point of interest there for the listener!
Lyrics
The lyrics for "Save You" represent the anger felt by anyone who watches a close friend waste away his or her life. 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...
about the song:
One thing I've learned about addiction in the last few years is that having seen other folk go through it, and really not having done that, with heroin which can grip you that intensely. I didn't have a complete understanding and a lot of times it was easy to come to the conclusion that you place blame on the person or accuse them of weakness or ask, "Why couldn't Kurt [Cobain] keep it together?" There was always that in the back of your mind. So with all the sympathy and empathy you could muster you still felt like, "Wow, there was so much to live for." What I've learned is there really isn't any blame. It has happened to some folks I cared about so much and had it so together, so it really isn't blame thing. I think the song is expressing how badly you want to help.
When asked in an interview about the profanities in the song's lyrics, Vedder stated:
It is a term of endearment. Really, it is, especially when you're a little bit frustrated...It's just something I've experienced a number of times and...It came out quick. I couldn't figure out any other word besides [fucker] that had the same impact. Another potential radio hit. I did have it up pretty loud a few times in traffic and even I felt a little bashful. That and I had a [fucking] mohawk.
Release and reception
"Save You" was released as a single in 2003 with a previously unreleased 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...
titled "Other Side", which can also be found on the compilation album, Lost Dogs
Lost Dogs (album)
Lost Dogs is a two-disc compilation album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 11, 2003 through Epic Records. The album has been certified gold by the RIAA in the United States.-Overview:...
(2003). The song peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 29 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in Canada
Canada
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 Canada, the song reached the top 20 on the Canadian Singles Chart
Canadian Singles Chart
The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....
.
Louis Pattison of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
called the song "a magic carpet ride of bucking riffery and thrashing bead-shakers" and stated that it "[ranks] with Pearl Jam's best." Brett Hickman of Stylus
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
said, "What [Riot Act] also makes known is that the band still likes to crank it. This is especially clear on "Save You". The guitars screech and churn, while Cameron hammers home a crackling beat."
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Save You" was directed by James Frost. The video was filmed at Seattle, Washington's Chop Suey club in September 2002. The video consists of a filmed live performance of the band rather than a conceptual video. It was one of five videos shot at the club to promote Riot Act (including "I Am Mine
I Am Mine
"I Am Mine" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "I Am Mine" was released on October 8, 2002 as the first single from the band's seventh studio album, Riot Act . The song peaked at number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart...
", "Love Boat Captain
Love Boat Captain
"Love Boat Captain" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by Vedder and keyboardist Boom Gaspar, "Love Boat Captain" was released on February 18, 2003 as a single from the band's seventh studio album, Riot Act .-Origin...
", "Thumbing My Way
Thumbing My Way
"Thumbing My Way" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "Thumbing My Way" is the seventh track on the band's seventh studio album, Riot Act .-Origin and recording:...
", and "1/2 Full
1/2 Full
"½ Full" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by bassist Jeff Ament, "½ Full" is the thirteenth track on the band's seventh studio album, Riot Act .-Origin and recording:...
"). Up to that point the band had not made any music videos since 1998's "Do the Evolution
Do the Evolution
"Do the Evolution" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "Do the Evolution" is the seventh track on the band's fifth studio album, Yield . Despite the lack of a commercial single release, the...
". The video was released in late 2002.
Live performances
The band played "Save You" when it appeared on the Late Show with David LettermanLate Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
in November 2002 in support of Riot Act. The song was first performed live in concert at the band's December 5, 2002 concert in Seattle, Washington at The Showbox. Live performances of "Save You" 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...
, the live album 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:...
, 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 live album Live at Lollapalooza 2007
Live at Lollapalooza 2007
Live at Lollapalooza 2007 is a live album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam that was released as an iTunes exclusive on September 18, 2007.-Overview:...
. Performances of the song are also included on the DVDs Live at the Showbox
Live at the Showbox
Live at the Showbox is the third DVD release by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, the first of a complete show. It was released on May 7, 2003.-Overview:...
and Live at the Garden
Live at the Garden
Live at the Garden is the fourth DVD release by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, recorded on July 8, 2003 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was released on November 11, 2003.-Overview:...
.
Track listing
- "Save You" (Jeff AmentJeff AmentJeffrey 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...
, Matt CameronMatt CameronMatthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
, Stone GossardStone GossardStone 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 McCreadyMike McCreadyMichael 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...
, Eddie VedderEddie VedderEddie 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...
) – 3:51 - "Other Side" (Ament) – 4:02
Chart positions
| Chart (2003) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
17 |
| US Mainstream Rock Tracks | 23 |
| US Modern Rock Tracks | 29 |