I Got Id

"I Got Id" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam featuring Neil Young. Written by vocalist Eddie Vedder, "I Got Id" appears as the A-side to the 1995 Merkin Ball EP. The song reached number two on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, number three on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).

"I Got Id"
Song by Pearl Jam featuring Neil Young
from the album Merkin Ball (EP)
ReleasedDecember 5, 1995
RecordedFebruary 7–10, 1995 at Bad Animals Studio, Seattle, Washington
GenreAlternative rock,[1] grunge
Length4:53
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Eddie Vedder
Producer(s)Brett Eliason

The song's name is "I Got Id"[2] (as in the Freudian concept of id) and not "I Got ID" (as in a form of identification), a frequent mistake in labeling the album's songs. "I Got Id" is also known as "I Got Shit" by the band and its fans, due to the actual lyrics of the song, "I got memories, I got shit..." It is rumored that when Vedder proposed the idea of a single to Epic, the label made him change the title of the song.[3]

Origin and recording

"I Got Id" was written by vocalist Eddie Vedder. The song was recorded during the sessions for the Neil Young/Pearl Jam collaboration Mirror Ball. Only two members of Pearl Jam appear on the track, Vedder and drummer Jack Irons. Neil Young plays lead guitar on the track and Mirror Ball producer Brendan O'Brien plays bass.

Upon introducing the song at Pearl Jam's September 19, 1998 concert in Washington, D.C. at Constitution Hall, Vedder stated that "[Neil Young] gave me a song writing lesson at a half-price rate; this is what I came up with...on my final, he gave me a B+ I think."[4] At Pearl Jam's May 10, 2006 concert in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Air Canada Centre, Vedder revealed that the song's chorus melody was inspired by the verse melody in Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" from the 1969 album, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.[5]

Lyrics

The lyrics for "I Got Id" carry the theme of unrequited love. The lyrics describe an anxiety-ridden narrator and his or her goal of returning to a less controlled state.

Reception

As the A-side of the Merkin Ball single, "I Got Id" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band's first top ten hit on that chart. On the rock charts, the song peaked at number two on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number three on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. It appeared on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 Airplay chart, reaching the top 40.

In Canada, the song reached the top 80 on the Canadian Singles Chart, and later it charted on the Canadian Alternative Top 30 chart where it reached number two. "I Got Id" also reached number 48 on the Canadian Year End Alternative Top 50. "I Got Id" reached the top 30 in the UK and peaked at number two on the Australian Singles Chart. "I Got Id" reached the top 40 in the Netherlands, the top 30 in Ireland, and was a top ten success in Finland and Norway. It was a moderate top 20 success in New Zealand and Sweden.

Jonathan Cohen of AllMusic called "I Got Id" "an even mix of Vitalogy's raw rock and No Code's major-key majesty."[3] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly called "I Got Id" a "standard PJ chest thumper."[6]

Live performances

"I Got Id" was first performed live at the band's February 21, 1995 concert in Osaka, Japan at Kosei Nenkin Kaikan.[7] Live performances of "I Got Id" can be found on various official bootlegs. A performance of the song is also included on the DVD Touring Band 2000.

Charts and certifications

References
  1. Leas, Ryan (October 17, 2013). "The 10 Best Pearl Jam Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  2. (1995) Album notes for Merkin Ball by Pearl Jam, [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music.
  3. Cohen, Jonathan. "allmusic ((( Merkin Ball > Review )))". Allmusic. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
  4. "Pearl Jam: 1998 Concert Chronology: Part 3". fivehorizons.com.
  5. "Pearl Jam Concert Chronology: 2006". TwoFeetThick.com.
  6. Browne, David. "Merkin Ball". Entertainment Weekly. December 22, 1995.
  7. "Pearl Jam Songs: "I Got Id"" Archived May 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. pearljam.com.
  8. "Australian-charts.com – Pearl Jam – Merkinball (EP)". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  9. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2872." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  10. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 2863." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  11. Billboard magazine - 20 January 1996 - p.47 - "Hits of the World" section. americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  12. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13 no. 1. January 6, 1996. p. 9. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  13. "Pearl Jam: Merkinball (EP)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  14. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (20.1. '96 – 26.1. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 20, 1996. p. 38. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  15. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Merkindall (EP)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  16. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 3, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  17. "Dutchcharts.nl – Pearl Jam – Merkinball (EP)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  18. "Charts.nz – Pearl Jam – Merkinball (EP)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  19. "Norwegiancharts.com – Pearl Jam – Merkinball (EP)". VG-lista. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  20. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  21. "Swedishcharts.com – Pearl Jam – Merkinball (EP)". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  22. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  23. "Pearl Jam Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  24. "Pearl Jam Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  25. "Pearl Jam Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  26. "RPM Year End Alternative Top 50". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  27. "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  28. "American single certifications – Pearl Jam – Merkinball". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 13, 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.