Mind Your Manners

Album: Lightning Bolt (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This aggressive rocker finds Eddie Vedder reflecting on what he considers to be the hypocrisy surrounding religion. The singer is questioning why it is still considered bad manners to condemn faith groups when such disgraceful actions such as the child sex abuse scandals are occurring.

    "I've got an unfortunate feelin'
    I've been beating down
    I feel I don't believe
    And now the truth is coming out
    What they've taken is more than a vow
    They've taken your innocence
    And then they throw them on a burning fire
    All along they're sayin'
    Mind your manners."

    Vedder told The Sun. "I hate the whole, 'Our way or the highway.' And then it becomes hypocritical when you see so many of the things which have come out of those organizations – like the abuse of children and then its cover up. I have never seen such a dastardly abuse of hypocrisy."

    Pearl Jam's contempt for religion was previously expressed on the Yield track "Faithfull" where Vedder sings, "M.Y.T.H is belief in the game. Controls that keep us in a box of fear."
  • Pearl Jam played the song live for the first time on July 16, 2013 at Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario.
  • Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready wanted the track to feel like the Dead Kennedys. However, as his background is more metal than punk, he relied on bassist Jeff Ament's input to achieve what he was aiming for in the song. "It's my attempt to try to make a really hard edge-type Dead Kennedys-sounding song," said McCready. "In terms of town I was thinking East Bay Ray and 'California Uber Alles.' I wanted that kind of aggression and that kind of feel in that song, so I came up with the lyrics 'Mind Your Manners.' Jeff [Ament] brought in a lot of his real punk rock kind of bass ideas of starting and stopping…the kind of school he comes from is that; I came from more of the metal thing but always wanted to dive into the punk side."
  • The video for the song was directed by photographer and film director Danny Clinch (The Black Keys' "Little Black Submarines.") It features the band performing in front of a screen filled with partially animated scenes of violence and mass devastation.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Who Wrote That Song?

Who Wrote That Song?Music Quiz

Do you know who wrote Patti Smith's biggest hit? How about the Grease theme song? See if you can match the song to the writer.

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Devo

DevoSongwriter Interviews

Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Bob Dylan Lyric Quiz

Bob Dylan Lyric QuizMusic Quiz

Think you know your Bob Dylan lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

Bass Player Scott Edwards

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."