Given to Fly
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| “Given to Fly” | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| Single by Pearl Jam from the album Yield |
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| B-side | "Pilate" / "Leatherman" | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Released | January 6, 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Format | CD single, Cassette, Vinyl | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | February 1997–September 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Genre | Alternative rock | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length | 4:01 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Label | Epic Records | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Producer | Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pearl Jam singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||||||
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"Given to Fly" is the first single from Pearl Jam's fifth studio album, Yield (1998). The single was released on January 6, 1998. "Given to Fly" proved to be the album's most popular single. "Given to Fly" topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and eventually peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song spent a total of six weeks at number one on the Mainstream Rock chart. The song was included on Pearl Jam's greatest hits album, rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991–2003.
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[edit] Origin and recording
The song features lyrics written by frontman Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Mike McCready. McCready said he came up with the guitar riff after being stuck in his condo on a snowy day in Seattle.[1]
[edit] Composition
In many ways, "Given to Fly" is one of the group's most significant singles - both its classic-rock composition and its warm, crisp sound recall Ten, which suggests that Pearl Jam were at least somewhat shaken by its fanbase's cool reception to the artsy, frayed No Code. Regarding the song, McCready said, "I just kind of imagined ["Given to Fly"] as sort of a wave in an ocean: It starts out slow and then it gets a little larger and a little larger and then it breaks and then it comes down again. And that's metaphorically how I think of that song."[1]
[edit] Release and reception
The single was released with a B-side titled "Leatherman". "Given to Fly" became the most successful song from Yield on the rock charts.
The song peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and number three on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
In Allmusic's review of the "Given to Fly" single, it was stated that "Given to Fly" is "a soaring epic that goes a long way in conveying Yield's majestic splendor. Frontman Eddie Vedder narrates the tale of a misunderstood, near-Messianic youth in front of hushed verses that explode into stratospheric choruses."[2]
The guitar part and main vocal melody in the song have been noted for their similarities to Led Zeppelin's "Going to California".[3] When asked about the similarities, guitarist Mike McCready stated, "It's probably some sort of rip off of it I'm sure...Whether it's conscious or unconscious but that was definitely one of the songs I was listening to for sure. Zeppelin was definitely an influence on that."[4] At a 2005 benefit concert in Chicago for Hurricane Katrina relief, Pearl Jam performed the song in concert with Robert Plant in attendance. The band then segued "Given to Fly" into "Going to California", with Robert Plant joining in.[5]
[edit] Lyrical meaning
Eddie Vedder about "Given to Fly":
[I imagined the song as] a 20-page cardboard (children's) book with a line on each page and a picture to go with it. It's a fable, that's all. The music almost gives you this feeling of flight, and I really love singing the part at the end, which is all about rising above anybody's comments about what you do and still giving your love away. You know? Not becoming bitter and reclusive, not condemning the whole world because of the actions of a few.[6]
[edit] Live performances
The song was premiered live at the band's November 12, 1997 concert in Santa Cruz, California.[7] Live performances of "Given to Fly" can be found on the live albums Live on Two Legs and Live at the Gorge 05/06. Performances of the song are also included on the DVDs Single Video Theory and Touring Band 2000.
[edit] Formats and track listing
Information taken from various sources.[2][8][9][10]
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[edit] Chart positions
Information taken from various sources.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Canadian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 5 | |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 6 | |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 12 | |
| UK Singles Chart | 12 | |
| Australian Singles Chart | 13 | |
| Irish Singles Chart | 18 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 21 | |
| US Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 | |
| US Modern Rock Tracks | 3 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay | 46 | |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 29 | |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 36 | |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 39 | |
| German Singles Chart | 67 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Schulps, Dave. "Doing the Evolution". RockDaily.com. 1998.
- ^ a b Cohen, Jonathan. Given to Fly [US]. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ Sinclair, Tom. "Last Band Standing". Entertainment Weekly. February 6, 1998.
- ^ Engleheart, Murray. "Interview with Mike McCready". Massive! Magazine. February/March 1998.
- ^ Peel. Derek. "Pearl Jam, Plant Get The Led Out In Chicago". Billboard.com. October 6, 2005.
- ^ Moon, Tom. "Calling Off the Crusades". The Philadelphia Inquirer. February 8, 1998.
- ^ "Pearl Jam Songs: "Given to Fly"". pearljam.com.
- ^ Given to Fly [UK]. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ Given to Fly Single. Lukin.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ pjcollectors.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ EveryHit.com. Retrieved on 2007-02-16.
- ^ Pearl Jam Artist Chart History. Billboard. Retrieved on 2007-04-28.
- ^ Pearl Jam – Billboard Singles. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ PEARL JAM - GIVEN TO FLY (SINGLE) (3611). Australian-charts.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
- ^ The Irish Charts - All there is to know. Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
- ^ Chartverfolgung / Pearl Jam / Single. musicline.de. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ PEARL JAM - GIVEN TO FLY (SONG). New Zealand-charts.com. Retrieved on 2007-09-05.
- ^ Schweizer Hitparade. hitparade.ch. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
- ^ Swedish Single/Album Chart / Pearl Jam / Longplay. swedishcharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
- ^ Norwegian Single/Album Chart / Pearl Jam / Longplay. norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
- ^ Dutch Single/Album Chart / Pearl Jam / Longplay. dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
- ^ Finnish Single/Album Chart / Pearl Jam / Longplay. finnishcharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
- ^ Billboard.com / Pearl Jam / Longplay. Billboard.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by "Touch, Peel and Stand" by Days of the New |
Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks number-one single January 24, 1998 - March 6, 1998 |
Succeeded by "Without You" by Van Halen |
