"Nothingman" is a song by the American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, ...

. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist

Eddie Vedder Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and one of four guitarists of the Rock music, rock band Pearl Jam. He also appeared as a guest ...

and music by bassist

Jeff Ament Jeffrey Allen Ament (born March 10, 1963) is an American musician and songwriter who is best known as the bassist of the American rock band Pearl Jam, which he co-founded alongside Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder. Prior to his w ...

, "Nothingman" is the fifth track on the band's third studio album, ''

Vitalogy ''Vitalogy'' is the third studio album by American rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 22, 1994, on Epic Records. Pearl Jam wrote and recorded ''Vitalogy'' while touring behind its previous album '' Vs.'' (1993). The music on the record is ...

'' (1994). The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, ''

Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003) ''Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003)'' is a two-disc compilation album by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 16, 2004 through Epic Records. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA in the United States. It ...

''.

Origin and recording

Guitarist

Stone Gossard Stone Carpenter Gossard (born July 20, 1966) is an American musician who serves as a guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of the band. G ...

said "

Tremor Christ "Tremor Christ" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. The song is the fourth track on the band's third studio album, ''Vitalogy'' (1994). Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder a ...

" and "Nothingman", which Jeff wrote, were recorded a day apart. They were very spontaneous, but with a simple yet indescribably beautiful vibe to them." In another interview, Gossard elaborated further:

Jeff Ament wrote it, Dave Abbruzzese plays great drums on it. Jeff had the chord changes; him and Ed maybe worked it out before. Real Jeff Ament style, his approach to strumming. It has his character trademarks but at the same time really super simple, Ed connects so well with it that anyone who hears it will wanna sing along.

Vedder on the song:

"Nothingman" was written in an hour, and so I like listening to that 'cause it just happened and somehow captured a mood there, at least for me in the vocal. Any time I can nail down a song, a thought, in a half hour, that feels really good.

Lyrics

When asked about "Nothingman" in an interview, Vedder stated, "The idea is about if you love someone and they love you, don't fuck up...'cause you are left with less than nothing." Discussing his attitude toward his first wife, Vedder commented, "But I just know that without her, I'd be a kite without a string, a nothing man."

Reception

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

, "Nothingman" charted on the Alternative Top 30 chart where it peaked at number 19. "Nothingman" was featured in the ''

Californication Californication may refer to: *Californication (word) ''Californication'' is a portmanteau of California and fornication, appearing in '' Time'' on May 6, 1966 and written about on August 21, 1972, additionally seen on bumper stickers in the U ...

'' episode "In Utero" in 2008. The song was also featured in the ''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...

'' episode "Into the Blue" in 2009.

Live performances

"Nothingman" was first performed live at the band's March 20, 1994 concert in

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

Crisler Arena Crisler Center (formerly known as the University Events Building and Crisler Arena) is an indoor arena located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the home arena for the University of Michigan's men's and women's basketball teams as well as its women's ...

."Pearl Jam Songs: "Nothingman""
pearljam.com. The song is also a part of the so-called "Man" trio (" Better Man", "Nothingman", "Leatherman") played occasionally at concerts. There is no connection between the three songs beyond the word "man" being in each of their titles. Live performances of "Nothingman" can be found on the compilation album ''The Bridge School Concerts, Vol. 1'', the live album ''

Live on Two Legs ''Live on Two Legs'' is the first major live album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 24, 1998 through Epic Records. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA in the United States. Overview ''Live on ...

'', and various official bootlegs. A performance of the song is also included on the DVD ''

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. It was released on VHS and DVD on May 1, 2001. Overview DVD ...

''. The version of the song on ''The Bridge School Concerts, Vol. 1'' is an acoustic performance recorded live at the

Bridge School Benefit The Bridge School Benefit was an annual charity concert usually held in Mountain View, California, every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre from 1986 until 2016 with the exception of 1987. The concerts lasted the entire weekend and were org ...

. Nothingman is usually performed at a slightly, though perceptibly, faster tempo in concert compared to the studio version, as is Pearl Jam tradition with many live songs.

Chart positions

References

External links

Lyrics at pearljam.com
{{authority control 1994 songs Pearl Jam songs Songs written by Eddie Vedder Songs written by Jeff Ament Song recordings produced by Eddie Vedder Song recordings produced by Stone Gossard Song recordings produced by Jeff Ament Song recordings produced by Mike McCready Song recordings produced by Dave Abbruzzese Song recordings produced by Brendan O'Brien (record producer)