Pearl Jam has always loved classic rock & roll, and this is evident in everything they have ever done. Whether it was Eddie Vedder’s unending romance with The Who or Mike McCready quoting Stevie Ray Vaughan licks, they always knew to give credit to those who came before them, even though they were the ones who overthrew the old guard of hair metal. There is no avoiding the topic of Bob Dylan when discussing their tributes to the greatest musicians in history.
Dylan may not have had the intention of leading his generation in the future. However, his records produced some of the best lyrics in rock history. Bob Dylan never hesitated to speak his mind, challenging the norms of any generation. Even though he was sometimes regarded as slightly insane. He would explore his personal feelings on songs like Blood on the Tracks. Additionally, he would criticize politicians for their unfair policies on The Times They Are A-Changin‘.
Dylan did experience a brief period of obscurity, as did all great artists coming of age in the 1960s. His conversion to Christianity and subsequent release of gospel albums surprised a lot of his fans. Though some disliked Bob Dylan’s shift towards preaching, his “Time Out of Mind” record marked a return to his musical roots. It also brought Pearl Jam back into the fold.
It seemed as though Dylan was trying to remind people of who he was. However, he was happy to spend the rest of his career making only unadulterated rock and roll records. With songs like “Make You Feel My Love,” which were great ballads, the band believed that “Not Dark Yet” was when Dylan came out of the shadows.
Even though Dylan’s career was on the rise, he no longer feels secure in the environment he’s in. Drawing from his more contemplative writing, Dylan conveys a sense of being lost and searching for solutions to his issues. He also seems to be experiencing a mini existential crisis as he discusses how the world has grown colder since he started.
Hearing one of the biggest rock stars in the world talk about how the rest of the world is turning into shit may have turned off a lot of people. But Vedder could relate to that depressing attitude.
It makes sense that he would identify with a song that questioned whether modern life truly doomed. He was already going through a difficult period following Pearl Jam’s rise to fame.
This song could pass for a respectable grunge tune if a younger alternative singer took Dylan’s husky vocals. However, the song seems to have a deeper meaning than just the inner turmoil. Dylan didn’t particularly enjoy the idea of changing his sound to fit the era. But with “Not Dark Yet,” it seemed as though the world was catching up to him instead of the other way around.
