What more do you need than just Eddie Vedder with a guitar? A fruitful combination given the success of Vedder’s 2007 release “Into the Wild”. When Eddie returned to his band Pearl Jam to record a new album, he made sure to continue the “Into the Wild” bandwagon. Something he did successfully with the beautiful ballad “Just Breathe”. The tune appears on Pearl Jam’s ninth studio album “Backspacer” and was released as a single in 2009. In this article, we will explore the story and meaning behind the song!
The Story Behind the Song
Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe” is heavily influenced by frontman Eddie Vedder’s solo album “Into the Wild”. The song originated when he played around with an instrumental tune from the album called “Toulumne”. Both songs start with the same chord and follow the same picking pattern.
There was a lyric or something that hit me, and I picked up the guitar and played that chord. I thought, well, I’ll just go with it and make something different out of it. It was a shorter song, and then I wrote a bridge to it while the other guys were working on something else.
Eddie Vedder in an interview with Billboard
While Eddie Vedder was out on the road for his “Into the Wild” tour, the other band members worked on songs for Peal Jam’s new album “Backspacer”. When Vedder joined the band he finished the songs. He also contributed his own compositions, including “Just Breathe”. As a result, the love ballad differs from other songs on the album.
For the album, Pearl Jam decided to re-cooperate with producer Brendan O’Brien. O’Brien hadn’t worked with Pearl Jam since their 1998 release “Yield”. It was eventually O’Brien who constructed “Just Breathe’s” composition.
We were learning it (Just Breathe) and trying it with the whole band and some kind of country style came through the song. We intended to bite into it when we go to LA but Brendan said to just do the guitar and voice. I think he already had it in mind at that time and was thinking of a string arrangement. It sounded great from the moment we laid it down.
Drummer Matt Cameron In an interview with Teraz Rock
In the space of just one month, Pearl Jam recorded and finished “Backspacer”. The album was eventually released in September 2009, with “Just Breathe” as the second single.
The Meaning of Just Breathe
Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe” is a love song about appreciating each other’s presence by slowing down and just breathing. In an interview with The Globe and Mail Eddie Vedder explained: “There’s never a dull moment on the road – every day it’s something. Maybe that’s why my goal is the dull moment. That’s what this song is: It’s saying, ‘Just stop, and be together. Don’t talk now, just breathe and feel each other’s presence.”
On radio station The Edge Eddie Vedder described “Just Breathe” as “as close to a love song as we’ve ever gotten”. In another interview guitarist Mike McCready stated “Just Breathe” was his favorite song on “Backspacer”, calling it “a beautiful love song”.
Some people believe the love ballad has a relation to death, but this is never confirmed. It’s more likely the song delves into death’s existence, and thus, we should appreciate each other’s presence more.
The Song’s Legacy
“Just Breathe” was released as the second single of “Backspacer”. It peaked at 78 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was a top-20 hit in the Netherlands, a top-10 hit in Portugal, and even topped the Polish charts for 6 weeks.
The song is covered by notable artists like Willie Nelson, Jennifer Warnes, and Miley Cyrus. Willie Nelson recorded the song together with his son Lukas Nelson.
Despite sounding different than most songs in Pearl Jam’s repertoire, the band doesn’t shy away from playing it live occasionally. Eddie Vedder also features the song in his solo shows.
Interested in more stories behind Pearl Jam songs? Click here
A beautiful song. It reminds me when my Coach often says to me : “Silence is another way of speaking. Silence is okay.”.
I love my Coach so much and how our authentic purest relationship has grown and evolved in such a forever way.
I love you with all of my heart, CC.
I hope I die first, so I don’t have to live without you! 😂🥰
Love you and miss you 🥰❤️❤️
Jehona
Dave Matthews recently covered Just Breathe after the loss of several friends during 1 week.
I understand that “Just Breathe” was written as a love song–as a romantic love song. Yet just by reading these few comments, it does touch people on different levels, it’s reach is wider than romantic love and the message of appreciating one’s partner and expressing feelings before one has to depart. Before life is over. Let us just breathe. Let’s just be. I need to tell you how much you mean/have meant to me.
For me, when I first heard the song (Willie Nelson’s recording, which is very close to Eddie Vedder’s original version), it was about a year after my mom died. She has been gone 17 months so it’s only very recently that I heard it in my Amazon music. Wasn’t familiar with it. Didn’t search for it. As it played in my car one late evening, the only person who came to mind was my mom. I married pretty late in life (58!!), previous relationships
came and went, but for most of those 58 years, I was single. Mom was my world. She was the person who received most of my love for so many years. I was always her child, her daughter, to the very end. I lived most of my adult life away from her, in a different state, about 400 miles away. But I can’t count how many times I’d go back up to Chicago to see my family, but would spend the majority of my time with her. Several of the lines in this song were particularly resonant: “Nothing you would take and everything you gave.” I was brought to tears. Thank you to songwriter, Eddie Vedder & Pearl Jam for such beautiful composition that has the ability to reach “just another human being” on such a deep level. Certainly these are unique songs whereby the listener can interpret something that speaks to just them, walking through life, encountering loss (“Meet you on the other side..”). Of course, I’ll keep the love for my mom, and hers for me, within me, as I will this song) “until I die.”
Thank you. I’m so sorry this got so long.
This is beautiful and I relate so closely in so many ways. It felt familiar to read your post. So sweet.
I, too, think you’ve expressed yourself and the meaning this song has for you,so very eloquently. I lost my mom, my best friend, 16 months ago and now i will listen to this song with a new meaning. Thank you for sharing.
Lisa ………….such a beautiful sharing. I am feeling it deeply in my heart and soul. I had a strong and similar relationship with both my parents. Funny…I didnt marry till I was 40.
On another level….i also feel this song could be about Jesus , Gods love for us. I dont know…maybe thats a stretch?
But again…thank you for your sharing.
😉
My mom was my soul mate too!
It was a song which made it easy for me to let go my feelings of anxiety and acceptation while I was waiting for a double lungtransplantation. For me “Breathe” is as a life song and I am grateful I got to know it
I’m moved by your story and comment. I’m going through lung/respiratory difficulties too and I appreciate the small moments now. God bless you in your transplantation journey. Such a beautiful song, just to appreciate each moment.
My husband is fighting stage 4 cancer and it’s our wedding song. Ita great reminder.
That song is mine and the love of my life’s song. I love it it captures how life should be when people find true love. Thank you Pearl Jam