Rearviewmirror

Album: Vs. (1993)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Eddie Vedder wrote this about leaving his stepfather. He hated the guy with a passion.

    In the song, Vedder is leaving him in his rear view mirror, meaning he's driving away from him and not giving him a second thought. Eddie's stepfather was also an influence on the songs "Alive" and "Better Man." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Zipper - Phoenix, AZ
  • A track from Pearl Jam's second album, Vs., "Rearviewmirror" was a stubborn one to complete. Vedder had been working on the song for years and had it ready for the sessions, but he couldn't get a vocal take he liked, and Dave Abbruzzese, their drummer at the time, was having a hard time getting his part up to standard. Near the end of the sessions, they both finally got it right. According to the Pearl Jam chronicle Twenty, Abbruzzese celebrated by throwing his drumsticks across the studio, which you can hear on the recording.
  • Eddie Vedder played guitar on this track - it was the first time he played the instrument on a Pearl Jam recording.
  • "Rearviewmirror" was released as the B-side of the "Dissident" single and has also appeared on numerous bootlegs.
  • Pearl Jam named their Greatest Hits 1991-2003 compilation Rearviewmirror. The two-disc collection was released in 2004. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • This was one of three songs Pearl Jam played on Saturday Night Live April 16, 1994, just a week after Kurt Cobain was found dead. They also played "Daughter" and a song from their upcoming album, Vitalogy, "Not For You."

Comments: 30

  • Tired Of Hateful Ppl from Memphis, TnRob from Md, Trayvone didn’t have a criminal history. He was suspended for possession of marijuana. Get your facts straight
  • Rob from Md"Trayvon Martin was a decent innocent kid who never did anything wrong"... wow! This song has nothing to do with racism but that comment was about as dumb as they come. You realize that kid had a lengthy criminal record at only 17, right??
  • Tanya from Katy, TexasThis is the song I always refer to when I want to think about my past. The way I grew up with a pedophile look stepfather. To me this song represents the control of how much someone can have on you. It’s My personal thought from my own experience. But as a true follower of pearl jam this song resonates with me personally through the abuse I went through with my stepfather. Thank you PG For finding a way to put angst in words.
  • Adrianna from Harrisburg, PaThis is named after a Alfred Hitchcock movie title.
  • Leo from Westminster 1, MdYeah, Rearview Mirror can be interpreted two ways. Here Pearl Jam either write about escaping from organized Christianity/Religion/God or domestic abuse/violence that Eddie Vedder has seen enough of-He writes "Forced to endure what I'll never forgive...You'll pay for fooling around with me...Once and for all/I'm far away once you're in my rearview mirror!"-He is furious at society but then we all are! One of the reasons why Pearl Jam are still a brilliant Rock band-they'll never turn away from what's reallly going on in society. The world system will never work out in the end! Trayvon Martin was a decent innocent kid who never did anything wrong and my heart goes out to everyone who is concerned about human and civil rights! Now that he's in a better place, I hope this reignites the civil rights movement. Thanks PJ for restoring humanity in rock & roll! With any luck let's re-elect Obama-he's doing the best he can under difficult circumstances. Human rights, dignity and rock & roll forever
  • Poet1987_jlb from Horsham, PaThis song is a stigmatist's song...also about someone who was severely beaten. The song also contains references to "saw things" or seeing a spirit, one that's chasing them, one that waves in their mirror, etc. Creap show? Not really...there is use of middle English terminology in the song- "fool to your crown", used repeatedly in literature from the Middle Ages to reference loyalty to kings. This is about loyalty to a crown and a vision of a God or Jesus that is chasing them to help them endure the pain. The song clearly indicates "head at your feet, fool to your crown". That is what stigmatists are all about. Their history dates back to 1100 AD...my function is simply to read and interpret poetry and this is what I found.
  • Darren from London, United KingdomThis is probably my Fav PJ song and i'm sure its about being bullied at sachool and the rearview mirror is that final day when your not going to see them anymore and probably that your going to move on whilst the bullies are left behind
  • Riot from Palm Desert, CaThis song is about suicide. The song was was slightly re-written before the album's release to make it "less-catchy" because of the sensitive material.
  • Andrew from Lancaster, Pai def think vedder wrote this like all his song for the people to make their own desicion on how it affects their life. I feel like the song is talking about a significant person who you were amazed by and then they treated you poorly and you realized it too late and no you see things so much clearer because they have left you and you broken.
  • Chris from Loves Park, IlThis is my favorite pearl Jam song! I was abused by my father and the song is so powerful to me because I survived and am stronger for it!
  • Sippe from Saskatoon, CanadaIn my mind it's about fleeing someone who treated you wrong when you couldn't do anything about it (eg. child-abuse). In the song this person it older and is leaving the situation.
    And yah, it is on their album Vs.
  • Elle from Santa Barbara, CaSubmission then Freedom..
  • Pete from Los Angeles, CaWith lines like "I guess it was the beatings made me wise" and timing being a few months after, I thought it was a reference to the police beatings in 1992 like Rodney King.
  • Tori from Boston, MaThis is my favorite driving song. I always saw it as someone who was oppressed through abuse and now they've gathered enough experience to understand what happened, and they have the strength to deal with it. My favorite line is "I gather speed from you f*cking with me" For some reason, this part make me happy. Sorry about the uncouth language
  • Josh from Huntsvegas, Alat first listen, i thought this song was about a significant other, in the third person, perhaps something experienced by someone close to vedder, but the more i've listened to the song, and heard the strong feelings in his voice as he sings, it's as if he's recounting these acts, and you feel his pain, and realize that these are emotional scars that run deeper than anything anyone but his father could have done.
  • Chris from Scranton, PaI always thought it was "Pissed on my plate/ Swallowed it down," which would probably make more sense considering you can't swallow a fist.
  • Aless from Baltimore, MdThere is a lot of information in the public record regarding the creation of this song... none of which is hear, and gon from Chile is right. This is an album track. ALL Pearl Jam songs except for a handful appear on numerous bootlegs.
  • Kyle from St. Louis, MoNo doubt RVM is about a child "fist on my plate, swallowed it down" Classic child vs parent battle at the dinner table. I don't necessarily think he had daughter in mind though I can see why you'd think that.
  • Paul from Apple Valley, MsWhoever said that this song had anything to do with Vedder going for a drive after Cobain's death is wrong. This song was recorded a year before Kurt took his life
  • Thomas from Boston, MaI'm sorry for yet another Cobain reference, but I heard that the song was about a cop who pulled him over when he went for a drive after hearing of Kurt's death. He's talking about seeing the cop's lights in his rear-view mirror.
  • Laurie from Stony Point, Nyi think most of you are right. in daughter (and i dont think it was a dislexic child but an abused little girl who feels guilt, shame and depression)now shes grown and like all abuse victims falls pray to an abuser in a love relationship and finally for the first time in the now womans life feels free and strong.
  • Elliot from St. Louis, MoThis song is great, and I love how right at the last time he says "saw things so much clearer" how at the end of the word "clearer" Eddie's voice goes out on him. Then you hear him try to recover his voice and say "oh yeah". The ability for their songs to sound good (possibily even better) when the sound is messed up for a split second I think is why PJ released most of their music on vinyl.
  • Loser from Your, WaTo me, I see this song as a relationship that has gone bad between a boyfriend and a girlfriend. I see it as the guy who is looking back at the girl, and he sees how she betrayed him. Does anyone see that?
  • The Jorge from Hell, OtherDaughter's about a dislexic child who tries to make her mom proud.
  • Jarred from Nicholasville, KyI see it as like a sequel to Daughter because Daughter is about abuse and in Rearviewmirror Vedder sings "I guess it was the beatings that made me wise. im not about to give thanks or apologize" and "finally the shades are raised" and at the end of the song he says "saw things so much clearer once you were in my rearview mirror" meaning that its in the past.
  • Becca from Boston, MaSome would also conclude that Rearviewmirror is about domestic violence.
  • Steve from Ocean Grove, AustraliaAt the very end of the song, Dave's drumming really builds up and is intense. Apparently during recording the producer had him punch it out several times before settling on the final recording. You can hear the drum sticks fly across the room as Dave vents his frustration about it, just as the song ends... Nice Touch
  • Billy from Tallahassee, FlI don't think this song is just about his stepfather... although, that is the basic meaning. The more I listen to this song(one of PJ's best) I think Vedder is giving a life lesson. "I saw things so much clearer once you were in my rearview mirror". When can you best observe a situation?? From the outside. I don't know if he did this on purpose, but thats what I take from this song.
  • Brian from Paoli, InYeah Gon is right.

    In the song "Daughter" Eddie sings "The shades go down it's in her head"

    In this song he sings "I hardly beleive, finally the shades are raised"
  • Gon from Concepcion, ChileIt does a apear on an official album, it's song 8 on Pearl Jam's second album: VS.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Dan Reed

Dan ReedSongwriter Interviews

Dan cracked the Top 40 with "Ritual," then went to India and spent 2 hours with the Dalai Lama.

Divided Souls: Musical Alter Egos

Divided Souls: Musical Alter EgosSong Writing

Long before Eminem, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj created alternate personas, David Bowie, Bono, Joni Mitchell and even Hank Williams took on characters.

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Ed Roland of Collective Soul

Ed Roland of Collective SoulSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Shine," "December," "The World I Know" and other Collective Soul hits.

Francesca Battistelli

Francesca BattistelliSongwriter Interviews

The 2011 Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards isn't your typical gospel diva, and she thinks that's a good thing.

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song Spoofs

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song SpoofsSong Writing

When singers started spoofing their own songs on Sesame Street, the results were both educational and hilarious - here are the best of them.