Better Man Article Index for
Better
Articles about
Better Man
Website Links For
Better
 

Information About

Better Man





Song Information

  Name Better Man
  Cover PearlJamVitalogyjpg
  Artist Pearl Jam
  Album Vitalogy
  Background lightsteelblue
  Released November 22 , 1994 (Vinyl)<br> December 6 , 1994 (CD and Cassette)
  Track No Track 11
  Recorded November 1993 - May 1994
  Genre Alternative Rock
  Length 4:28
  Label Epic
  Producer Brendan O'Brien , Pearl Jam
  Writer Eddie Vedder
  Prev " Satan's Bed "
  Prev No Track 10
  Next "Aye Davanita"
  Next No Track 12
  Background #E6E8FA
  Upper Caption Audio sample
  Audio File Better_Manogg




"Better Man" (sometimes written as "'''Betterman'''") is a song that was written by ''.

Never released as a single (a band practice which encouraged fans to buy albums instead), it nonetheless became one of Pearl Jam's most-played songs on the radio in the U.S. The song reached the top of '' Billboard '''s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, the second spot on their Modern Rock Tracks chart, and number 13 on their Top 40 Mainstream chart. The song spent a total of eight weeks at #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart. At the 13th annual Pop Music Awards of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, "Better Man" was cited as one of the most-performed ASCAP songs of 1995.1

In Pearl Jam concerts, the slow opening verses and choruses of "Better Man" are frequently sung as much by the audience as by Vedder. The song is often performed live as a medley with The English Beat 's "Save It For Later". In the last Vote For Change concert in 2004, Vedder guest-appeared with Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band and sang "Better Man" upon Springsteen's request; sizeable numbers of the audience sang along with it.

The song is also a part of the so-called "Man" trio ("Better Man", " Nothingman ", " Leatherman ") played occasionally at concerts. There is no connection between the three songs beyond the word "man" being in each of their titles.

Live performances of "Better Man" can be found on the live albums '' Live On Two Legs '' and '' Live At The Gorge 05/06 ''. Performances of the song are also included on the DVDs '' Touring Band 2000 '', '' Live At The Showbox '', '' Live At The Garden '', and the upcoming '' Immagine In Cornice ''.


LYRICAL MEANING

When the song was performed on VH1 Storytellers Eddie Vedder introduced it as a song about "abusive relationships." It is often thought that Vedder had written it from a woman's perspective about an abusive relationship. Before performing the song at Pearl Jam's show in Atlanta , Georgia on April 3 , 1994 Vedder clearly says "it's dedicated to the bastard that married my Momma."


CHART POSITIONS

  Before "You Don't Know How It Feels" by Tom Petty
  Title ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock Tracks Number-one Single (first run)
  Years January 7 , 1995 - January 14 , 1995
  After "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)" by Van Halen


  Before "Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do)" by Van Halen
  Title ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock Tracks Number-one Single (second run)
  Years February 11 , 1995 - March 18 , 1995
  After " Lightning Crashes " by Live