Songfacts Given To Fly by Pearl Jam

Album: Yield (1998) | Released: December 22, 1997

“Given to Fly” is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Mike McCready, “Given to Fly” was released to radio on December 22, 1997, as the first single from the band’s fifth studio album, Yield (1998).

“Given to Fly” proved to be the album’s most popular single. The song topped the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and eventually peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Worldwide, the single charted well, reaching number five in Finland, number six in Norway and Spain, and the top 20 in Australia, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The song was included on Pearl Jam’s 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).

Read more about Eddie Vedder's Biography

Songfacts (Analysis)

One of Pearl Jam's most popular songs of the late '90s, "Given To Fly" was written by Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and lead singer Eddie Vedder. In Pearl Jam's compendium Twenty, McCready explained: "'Given To Fly' came out of a period of time when I was finally getting my life together after going through some dark stuff prior to that. Musically, it represents kind of an awakening for me, and it represents a period of renewal, a period of just kind of learning how to relive my life. I was more clear headed, and I was coming up with these ideas that were kind of celebratory. 'Given to Fly' musically was kind of that statement. That's why there's all the peaks and valleys in it. It starts off slow and then kind of builds."

McCready battled alcoholism for much of his life, which was exasperated by Pearl Jam's success. He went through rehab in 1994 with full support from his bandmates.

The song seems to have some religious imagery, with lines like "The love he receives is the love that is saved." But Eddie Vedder says it has nothing to do with Jesus.

When he wrote the lyric, Vedder imagined a children's book, with each line of the song on a separate page. "It's a fable, that's all," he told the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1998. "The music almost gives you this feeling of flight, and I really love singing the part at the end, which is all about rising above anybody's comments about what you do and still giving your love away. You know? Not becoming bitter and reclusive, not condemning the whole world because of the actions of a few."

"Given To Fly" borrows its structure from Led Zeppelin's "Going To California." During a Hurricane Katrina Benefit concert, Pearl Jam played some songs together with Robert Plant, and while playing this one they segued over to "Going to California," acknowledging the homage.

This was the first single from Pearl Jam's fifth album, Yield. Just getting to five albums was quite an accomplishment considering the crush of publicity generated from their 1991 debut, Ten. Their Seattle contemporaries Soundgarden, Nirvana and Alice In Chains had all fallen apart by this time, but with McCready sober, Pearl Jam stayed healthy and were on the same page when it came to side projects, which were encouraged. Every band member had something else going on (like McCready's band Mad Season and Stone Gossard's band Brad), which offered a separate creative outlet and some time away from the group. Bass player Jeff Ament, whose side projects include Deaf Charlie and Three Fish, explained it to Songfacts this way: "It's been really important for us in between albums to go off and find new ways to write. Being in a room with other artists, you pick up new tricks, and every once in a while you'll come upon something and you'll be like, 'Oh, Pearl Jam would crush this.' I think everybody does that, and I think that's been beneficial."

The first time Pearl Jam played "Given To Fly" was on November 12, 1997 to about 800 people at a secret show at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz. They next time was two days later when they played it while opening for The Rolling Stones at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Stadium. The song has remained one of their most popular to play live.

By the time this song was released, Pearl Jam was no longer the big story, and that suited them just fine. They started doing press again and gave up their fight with Ticketmaster - a battle that took a lot out of them. This coincided with the rise of internet use, which allowed them to manage their business operations more effectively, particularly their fan club, and communicate directly with fans.

After the album was released, they went through yet another drummer change, but this one stuck. With Matt Cameron replacing Jack Irons, they had a lineup the remained stable for decades.

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