Man of the Hour
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| “Man of the Hour” | ||||||||||||||
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| Single by Pearl Jam from the album Big Fish: Music from the Motion Picture |
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| B-side | "Man of the Hour" (demo) | |||||||||||||
| Released | November 26, 2003 | |||||||||||||
| Format | CD single | |||||||||||||
| Recorded | October 2003 at Studio X, Seattle, Washington | |||||||||||||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||||||||||||
| Length | 3:46 | |||||||||||||
| Label | Self-released | |||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Eddie Vedder | |||||||||||||
| Producer | Adam Kasper | |||||||||||||
| Pearl Jam singles chronology | ||||||||||||||
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"Man of the Hour" is a song by Pearl Jam written by lead singer Eddie Vedder for the film Big Fish. The song accompanies the closing credits of the movie, and is the first track on the film's soundtrack album. The song can also be found on the band's greatest hits album, rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991–2003.
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[edit] Origin and recording
Director Tim Burton 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 frontman Eddie Vedder went home, wrote the song, and had a demo ready by the next day. It was recorded by the band four days later.[1] 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."[1]
[edit] Release and reception
It 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. The single was made available for purchase through the band's website as well as through Amazon.com. It was Pearl Jam's first release without a label,[2] in partnership with Amazon.com.[3]
Eddie Vedder was nominated for the 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.
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.
[edit] Lyrical meaning
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."[4] According to Billboard 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."[2]
According to Eddie Vedder at a June 1, 2006 concert in East Rutherford, New Jersey, "Come Back" off of the band's recent self-titled album is set with the same young man from "Man of the Hour" talking to the departed two months later.[5]
[edit] Live performances
The song was first performed publicly at the band's October 22, 2003 concert at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington.[2][4] This same performance can be found on the live album Live at Benaroya Hall. A live performance of "Man of the Hour" can also be found on the Live at the Gorge 05/06 box set. Since the death of Johnny Ramone, Vedder has dedicated live performances of the song to him.[6]
[edit] Formats and track listing
Information taken from various sources.[7][2]
- Compact Disc Single (US)
- "Man of the Hour" (Eddie Vedder) – 3:46
- "Man of the Hour" (demo) (Vedder) – 3:53
[edit] References
- ^ a b Lammers, Tim. ""Man Of The Hour" Up For BFCA, Golden Globe Awards". WDIV. January 8, 2004.
- ^ a b c d Pearl Jam Reels In 'Exclusive' Fish, a November 6, 2003 article from Billboard magazine
- ^ "Pearl Jam Joins Amazon.com's Advantage Program to Sell Music Directly to Fans". Amazon.com. December 17, 2003.
- ^ a b Lyrics and performance trivia from the website of the band's official fan club
- ^ Vedder, Eddie. (Speaker). (2006). 6/1/06, Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey [Audio Recording]. Ten Club.
- ^ "Pearl Jam Concert Chronology: 2005". TwoFeetThick.com.
- ^ pjcollectors.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
