Light Years (song)
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| “Light Years” | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Pearl Jam from the album Binaural |
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| B-side | "Grievance" (live) / "Soon Forget" (live) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | July 18, 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Format | CD single, Vinyl | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | September 1999–January 2000 at Studio Litho, Seattle, Washington | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Alternative rock | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 5:06 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Label | Epic | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Tchad Blake, Pearl Jam | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pearl Jam singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||||
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"Light Years" is the second single from Pearl Jam's sixth studio album, Binaural (2000). It was released as a single on July 18, 2000. "Light Years" peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song also appears on rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991–2003.
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[edit] Origin and recording
The song features lyrics written by frontman Eddie Vedder and music co-written by Vedder, guitarist Mike McCready, and guitarist Stone Gossard. The song was re-worked from its original demo version as the band felt the original version was too similar to the song "Given to Fly".[1] Eddie Vedder on the song:
With "Light Years", Mike McCready had written some music. We were excited about it for a while, but when we got down to recording it, it was too nice, too right there - it was a little too close to "Given to Fly". We changed the tempos, and then one night Mike and I, after working on it all day and getting frustrated, just flipped it backwards, and in about 35 minutes it became "Light Years", with words and everything. It still has a fairly contagious chorus and melody, but it's just sideways enough to make me happy.[1]
[edit] Release and reception
The song peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 26 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In Allmusic's review of the "Light Years" single, it was stated that "with [Pearl Jam's] more enduring and darker tones set in place, fans of Pearl Jam receive a raw and sincere taste of the band's new musical and melodic direction, perhaps ignited with the additional presence of newcomer Matt Cameron on drums."[2] NME called the song "painfully beautiful"[3] in its review of Binaural, while Christopher John Farley of Time described the song as "muted but passionate."[4]
[edit] Lyrical Meaning
At the Pinkpop Festival in 2000, Eddie Vedder dedicated the song to Diane Muus from Sony Music, a friend of the band who passed away at the age of 33 in 1997.[5] He said there are "times you have got friends that don't fuck up at all and are great people. And then you just lose them for some reason. They are off the planet and you never had a chance to say goodbye. I only mention this because there was a person we used to know here and that was Diane and ah, we never got a chance to say goodbye. This is goodbye. And if you've got good friends, love them while they're here."
[edit] Live performances
The song was premiered live at the band's May 10, 2000 concert in Bellingham, Washington.[6]
[edit] Formats and track listing
Information taken from various sources.[2][7][8][9]
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[edit] Chart positions
Information taken from various sources.[10][11][12]
| Year | Chart | Position |
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| 2000 | Canadian Singles Chart | 13 |
| US Mainstream Rock Tracks | 17 | |
| Italian Singles Chart | 25 | |
| US Modern Rock Tracks | 26 | |
| UK Singles Chart | 52 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b DeCurtis, Anthony. "Do The Evolution". Revolver. May 13, 2000.
- ^ a b Haney, Shawn. Light Years/Greivance/Soon Forget [US CD]. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ "Binaural burns with the intensity and desperation of a last stand...". NME. May 11, 2000.
- ^ Farley, Christopher John. "Binaural Pearl Jam; Lifehouse: Elements Pete Townshend". Time. June 12, 2000.
- ^ "Pearl Jam Concert Chronology: 2000". TwoFeetThick.com.
- ^ "Pearl Jam Songs: "Light Years"". pearljam.com.
- ^ Light Years [Australia CD]. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ Light Years Single. Lukin.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ pjcollectors.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ Pearl Jam Artist Chart History. Billboard. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ Pearl Jam – Billboard Singles. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ Chart Log: 1994-2006. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
