Dissident (song)

"Dissident" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's second studio album, Vs. (1993). It peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song was included on Pearl Jam's greatest hits album, rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991–2003.

Origin and recording

An early primitive jam version of the song can be found in the commercial breaks of the band's MTV Unplugged performance. After "Black", during the commercial beak, the band jammed into a short progression that would become the basic "Dissident" riff. This is clearly evident in bootlegs and video.

Lyrics

Frontman Eddie Vedder about "Dissident":

In "Dissident", I'm actually talking about a woman who takes in someone who's being sought after by the authorities for political reasons. He's on the run, and she offers him a refuge. But she just can't handle the responsibility. She turns him in, then she has to live with the guilt and the realization that she's betrayed the one thing that gave her life meaning. It made her life difficult. It made her life hell. But it gave her a reason to be. But she couldn't hold on. She folded. That's the tragedy of the song.

Release and reception

The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Outside of the United States, the single was released in Austria, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. "Dissident" reached the UK Top 20. "Dissident" peaked at number 97 in Germany, reached the top 30 in France, and was a top ten success in Ireland and Norway. It was a moderate top 20 success in the Netherlands. "Dissident" is one of the band's most enduring singles as it has remained a popular song on many rock stations.

Live performances

The song was premiered live at the band's May 13, 1993 concert in San Francisco, California. Live performances of "Dissident" can be found on the "Dissident" single and the Live at the Gorge 05/06 box set. A performance of the song is also included on the DVD Touring Band 2000.

Track listing

Compact Disc Single (US, Japan, Germany, Austria, and South Africa)

1. "Dissident" (Dave Abbruzzese, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder) – 3:35
2. "Release" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament, McCready, Dave Krusen) – 4:54
3. "Rearviewmirror" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 5:30
4. "Even Flow" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:04
5. "Dissident" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:24
6. "Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:49
7. "Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 4:44
8. Live tracks recorded at the Fox Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, April 3, 1994.Compact Disc Single (UK) (Part 1)
9. "Dissident" (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:32
10. "Release" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament, McCready, Krusen) – 4:54
11. "Rearviewmirror" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 5:30
12. "Even Flow" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:04
13. Live tracks recorded at the Fox Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, April 3, 1994.

Compact Disc Single (UK) (Part 2)

1. "Dissident" (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:32
2. "Dissident" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:24
3. "Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:49
4. "Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 4:44
5. Live tracks recorded at the Fox Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, April 3, 1994.Compact Disc Single (The Netherlands and Austria)
6. "Dissident" (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:35
7. "Release" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament, McCready, Krusen) – 4:54
• Recorded at the Fox Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, April 3, 1994.7" Vinyl Single (UK and The Netherlands) and Cassette Single (UK)
8. "Dissident" (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:32
9. "Rearviewmirror" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 5:08
• Recorded at the Fox Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, April 3, 1994.

Alternate versions

Two alternate versions of the "Dissident" single were released that do not contain the song "Dissident" at all. The track listings of the alternate versions are as follows:

"Dissident" #2 Compact Disc Single (Germany and Europe)

1. "Jeremy" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:00
2. "Glorified G" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:19
3. "Daughter" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 5:07
4. "Go" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 2:57
5. "Animal" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 2:48
6. "Garden" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 6:52
7. "State of Love and Trust" (live) (Vedder, McCready, Ament) – 3:58
8. "Black" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:45
9. Live tracks recorded at the Fox Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, April 3, 1994.

"Dissident" #3 Compact Disc Single (Germany and Europe)

1. "Alive" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:08
2. "Blood" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:39
3. "W.M.A." (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) (with Doug Pinnick and Jerry Gaskill of King's X) – 6:24
4. "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:43
5. "Rats" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 4:37
6. "Once" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 3:21
7. "Porch" (live) (Vedder) – 11:01
8. "Indifference" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 5:00
9. Live tracks recorded at the Fox Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, April 3, 1994.

"Dissident"/Live in Atlanta

Altogether, the three "Dissident" singles compile the band's April 3, 1994 concert in Atlanta, Georgia, with the only omissions being three songs from the yet-to-be-released Vitalogy ("Whipping", "Better Man", and "Satan's Bed") and the Dead Boys cover "Sonic Reducer". All three singles were available as a box set entitled Live in Atlanta released in Europe.Compact Disc Box Set (Europe) Disc one

1. "Dissident" (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:35
2. "Release" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament, McCready, Krusen) – 4:54
3. "Rearviewmirror" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 5:30
4. "Even Flow" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:04
5. "Dissident" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:24
6. "Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:49
7. "Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 4:44

Disc two

1. "Jeremy" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:00
2. "Glorified G" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:19
3. "Daughter" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 5:07
4. "Go" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 2:57
5. "Animal" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 2:48
6. "Garden" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 6:52
7. "State of Love and Trust" (live) (Vedder, McCready, Ament) – 3:58
8. "Black" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:45

Disc three

1. "Alive" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:08
2. "Blood" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:39
3. "W.M.A." (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) (with Doug Pinnick and Jerry Gaskill of King's X) – 6:24
4. "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 3:43
5. "Rats" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 4:37
6. "Once" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 3:21
7. "Porch" (live) (Vedder) – 11:01
8. "Indifference" (live) (Abbruzzese, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 5:00

• Live tracks recorded at the Fox Theater, Atlanta, Georgia, April 3, 1994.

Chart positions

Year	Chart	Position
1994	Norwegian Singles Chart	2
	US Mainstream Rock Tracks	3
	Irish Singles Chart	7
	Dutch Singles Chart	14
	UK Singles Chart	14
	French Singles Chart	24
	German Singles Chart	97

Accolades

The information regarding accolades attributed to "Dissident" is adapted in part from AcclaimedMusic.net.

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
The Movement	New Zealand	"The 77 Best Singles of the 90s	2004	31

References

External links

• Lyrics