The shocking death of Kurt Cobain in 1994 had a meaningful and long-lasting impact on many musicians and music lovers. During that time after his death, the music community saw several tributes dedicated to the iconic artist. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that certain honors, even those credited to well-known bands like Pearl Jam, had hidden purposes that were not instantly clear.
Pearl Jam launched ‘Immortality’ on June 6th, 1994, as the third single from their third studio album, Vitalogy. After Cobain’s death on April 5th, 1994, many musicians penned heartfelt tributes. When ‘Immortality’ appeared, its melody and lyrics created an undeniable connection with the late singer.
The lyrics, for example, suggest potential connections with substance misuse-specific phrases, like the description of an “artificial tear” that could represent the injection of substances. The reference to a “cigar box on the floor” is crucial, as a cigar box was discovered near Cobain’s body. Nevertheless, even though the song dropped various clues about its inspiration. Eddie Vedder composed “Rivers of You” before Kurt Cobain’s death.
Indeed, in a November 1994 interview, Eddie Vedder explained the meaning of the song, describing that it was about his mental state, and the cigar box was just where he kept his tapes. When asked if the song related to Cobain, Vedder replied, “No, I wrote it when we were touring in Atlanta. It’s not about Kurt. Nothing on the album was clearly about Kurt. I’d rather not discuss him because it might ruin his memory..”
However, Vedder admitted the fact that similarities might be concluded within the lyrics between Vedder’s encounters and Cobain’s, as he said: “I think there might be some things in the lyrics that you could read into and maybe will answer some questions or help you understand the pressures on someone who is on a parallel train.”
Even though Pearl Jam and Nirvana had a substantial impact on the grunge music genre in their ways. There was a clear rivalry between Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder in the early 1990s. This rivalry appeared to come down to their different musical preferences and was an indication of the grunge scene evolving. In 1992, Cobain conveyed his discontent, condemning bands that had previously been part of the glam rock scene for suddenly embracing the grunge style by modifying their appearance and moving to Seattle to claim they were local. This upset him.
Cobain detested Pearl Jam not for their music, but due to major record labels infusing grunge. This is clear in his criticism of his audience as “fake alternative macho metal” fans. Pearl Jam’s rise presented the downfall of a once-authentic music scene, according to Cobain.
