Help Help

Album: Riot Act (2002)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Help Help" is one of the few tracks in the Pearl Jam catalog written by bass player Jeff Ament - music and lyrics. Much of the album deals with the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Here, Ament makes a case for empathy as Eddie Vedder sings:

    The man they call my enemy, I've seen his eyes
    He looks just like me


    "I think love's a real big theme on this record," Ament told Uncut soon after the album was released. "It might not be the love of a girl, but all that love encompasses. This is a time of war we're in now. It's not a clearly fought war. But there are a lot of things that need to be restated."
  • In a 2023 Songfacts interview with Jeff Ament, he talked about how this song transformed after he brought it to the band. "The demo that I did for it was a little bit more rock – a little bit more Zeppelin-y," he said. "And then when the band got a hold of it, it just got a little bit more 'art project-y.' It's a cool track when I listen to it now. It sounds kind of psychedelic and almost like Jane's Addiction."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

90s Music Quiz 1

90s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

First question: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson appeared in videos for what artist?

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")Song Writing

Nick made some of the biggest videos on MTV, including "The Final Countdown," "Heaven" and "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)."

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

Victoria Williams

Victoria WilliamsSongwriter Interviews

Despite appearances on Carson, Leno and a Pennebaker film, Williams remains a hidden treasure.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.