Brother The Cloud

Album: Earthling (2022)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Here, Eddie Vedder laments a lost loved one. His anguish is palpable as he pronounces, "there's no previous reference for this level of pain."
  • So, what fallen "brother" is Eddie grieving? Vedder was a close friend of the late Soundgarden and Audioslave vocalist Chris Cornell, who committed suicide in 2017 at age 52. The Pearl Jam frontman also lost his own half-brother, Chris Mueller, in a climbing accident in 2016.

    During his concert in Newark, New Jersey, on February 6, 2022, Vedder told the crowd he wrote the song about a few people he knew who died. One of them is a father named Jeremy Richman who lost his daughter, Avielle, in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. According to Vedder, he tried to be positive about his loss, speaking at various seminars and conferences. They became close, then Vedder got news that Richman had died of an apparent suicide.

    "I wouldn't dare to question his motives, because after something as horrific as that happened to you... I wish I could've done more to save him," Vedder said. "I wish he would've known that I was on the other side ever-so-close just days away. I would never judge what he was going through because it must've been the worst thing a human could ever go through."
  • Vedder recorded the song for the Earthling album with a band comprising:

    Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith
    Former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer
    Producer and musician Andrew Watt (guitar)
    Session musician Chris Chaney (bass)
  • Vedder wrote the song with Watt, Klinghoffer, and Smith, with Watt also serving as producer.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?

Did They Really Sing In That Movie?Fact or Fiction

Bradley Cooper, Michael J. Fox, Rami Malek, Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow and George Clooney: Which actors really sang in their movies?

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

Jackie DeShannon - "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"They're Playing My Song

It wasn't her biggest hit as a songwriter (that would be "Bette Davis Eyes"), but "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" had a family connection for Jackie.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Tanita Tikaram

Tanita TikaramSongwriter Interviews

When she released her first album in 1988, Tanita became a UK singing sensation at age 19. She talks about her darkly sensual voice and quirky songwriting style.

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell

Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, Heaven And HellSongwriter Interviews

Guitarist Tony Iommi on the "Iron Man" riff, the definitive Black Sabbath song, and how Ozzy and Dio compared as songwriters.