Who You Are (Pearl Jam song)
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Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam | ||||
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"Who You Are" is a song by American
The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003). On Pearl Jam's greatest hits album, "Who You Are" has a slight lyric change. Instead of "circumstance, clapping hands",[3] it's "avalanche, falling fast".
Origin and recording
"Who You Are" features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by drummer Jack Irons and guitarist Stone Gossard. The polyrhythmic drum pattern for the song was inspired by a Max Roach drum solo that Irons heard at a drum shop when he was eight years old.[4] Irons said, "To turn my drum music into a song is pretty challenging, but the guys have been really supportive of me doing it, and we've worked some things into a few songs."[5] Vedder played an electric sitar on the song, giving it an Eastern-influenced sound. Regarding the song, Vedder said, "We realized that we had an opportunity to experiment."[4]
Release and reception
Vedder has admitted that the choice of "Who You Are" as the first single for No Code was a "conscious decision" intended to keep the size of the band's audience down.
Released in the United Kingdom on August 5, 1996, "Who You Are" reached the UK top 20, peaking at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart.[17][18] Elsewhere, the single peaked at number five on the Australian Singles Chart, charted at number 26 in Sweden, and became a top-10 success in Norway and Finland; it is Pearl Jam's highest-charting single in the latter country, peaking at number two.[19][20] The song was also a top-20 success in Ireland and New Zealand.[21][22]
David Fricke of Rolling Stone said that the song has an "Indo-Bo Diddley glow" and called it a "buoyant electric variation on Vedder's recent collaborations with Pakistani vocal god Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan."[23] Christopher John Farley of Time also identified an influence of Vedder's collaboration with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, stating, "The spiritualized, bass-heavy "Who You Are" is a solid number, but it clearly owes a lot to Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, with whom Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder worked on the sound track to the film Dead Man Walking."[24] Vedder denied that his collaboration with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan had any influence on the song.[4]
Live performances
"Who You Are" was first performed live at the band's September 14, 1996, concert in
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Release history
Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref(s). |
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United States | July 30, 1996 |
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Epic | [9][10][38] |
United Kingdom | August 5, 1996 |
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[17] | |
Japan | August 28, 1996 | CD | Sony | [39] |
See also
- Number one modern rock hits of 1996
- List of RPM Rock/Alternative number-one singles
References
- Consequence of Sound. p. 12. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
- ^ Chick, Stevie (April 6, 2016). "Pearl Jam – 10 of the best". The Guardian. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Pearl Jam Songs: "Who You Are"". pearljam.com.
- ^ a b c d Marks, Craig. "The Road Less Traveled". Spin. February 1997.
- ^ Peiken, Matt. "Jack Irons: This Inner Life". Modern Drummer. June 1998.
- ^ Who You Are (US CD single liner notes). Pearl Jam. Epic Records. 1996. 34K 78389.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Who You Are (UK CD single liner notes). Pearl Jam. Epic Records. 1996. EPC 663539 2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Who You Are (Australian CD single liner notes). Pearl Jam. Epic Records. 1996. 663563 2.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b "Who You Are / Habit". Amazon. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ a b "Who You Are". Amazon. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ a b "Pearl Jam Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ a b "Pearl Jam Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ a b "Pearl Jam Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9921." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ a b "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 9625." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ a b "RPM Year End Alternative Top 50". RPM. Retrieved December 17, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ a b "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. August 3, 1996. p. 27. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ a b "Pearl Jam – Who You Are". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ "Pearl Jam – Who You Are". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
- ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Who You Are". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ a b "Pearl Jam – Who You Are". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ Fricke, David. "Pearl Jam: No Code". Rolling Stone. September 5, 1996.
- ^ Farley, Christopher John. "Identity Crisis". Time. September 2, 1996.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 35. August 31, 1996. p. 13. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ "Pearl Jam: Who You Are" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 34, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ "Pearl Jam – Who You Are" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ "Pearl Jam – Who You Are". VG-lista. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ "Pearl Jam – Who You Are". Singles Top 100. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 17, 2018.
- ^ "Pearl Jam Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles 1996". ARIA. Archived from the original on November 2, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2019 – via Imgur.
- ^ "RPM Year End Top 100 Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved December 17, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 23.
- ^ "Airplay Monitor Best of '96: Modern Rock Tracks". Airplay Monitor. Vol. 4, no. 53. December 27, 1996. p. 24.
- ^ "Selected New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1156. July 26, 1996. p. 39. Retrieved May 9, 2021. Note: Mistitled "Where You Are" on source.
- ^ "フー・ユー・アー | パール・ジャム" [Who You Are | Pearl Jam] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved August 29, 2023.