English

Pronunciation

Noun

footsteps

1. Plural of footstep

"Footsteps" is a Pearl Jam song which originally appeared as a B-side on the "Jeremy" single. The song features lyrics written by frontman Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard. The music for the song is the same as Temple of the Dog's "Times of Trouble".

Origin and recording

The song originated as an instrumental demo that was written by guitarist Stone Gossard in 1990. The music from the instrumental was first used for the Temple of the Dog song "Times of Trouble", which vocalist Chris Cornell wrote the lyrics for. Around the same time the Temple of the Dog album was being made the demo tape made its way into the hands of vocalist Eddie Vedder, who was working as a San Diego gas station attendant at the time. He listened to the tape shortly before going surfing, where lyrics came to him. Vedder recorded vocals for three of the songs on the demo tape, one of which was "Footsteps", and mailed the tape back to Seattle. Upon hearing the tape, the band invited Vedder to come to Seattle and he was asked to join the band.

The version of "Footsteps" that appears on the "Jeremy" single dates back to a May 11, 1992 appearance by Stone Gossard and Eddie Vedder on the radio show Rockline. "Footsteps" also appears on the B-sides and rarities compilation Lost Dogs, however a harmonica has been added to the original recording.

Reception

In Allmusic's review of the "Jeremy" single, it was stated that "'Footsteps' is a pretty song about relationships and the pain of breaking up."

Lyrical meaning

The song is the final chapter of what has become known as the "Mamasan trilogy," with it being preceded by "Alive" and "Once". The song takes the point of view of a man looking back from a prison cell after being sentenced to death for a killing spree. Live performances of "Footsteps" can be found on international versions of the "Nothing As It Seems" single and on the Live at the Gorge 05/06 box set.

References

External links

• Lyrics