Gone_(Pearl_Jam_song)

Gone (Pearl Jam song)

"Gone" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released through digital music stores on October 7, 2006 as the third single from the band's eighth studio album, Pearl Jam (2006). It reached number 40 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Origin and recording

The song was written by frontman Eddie Vedder on September 30, 2005, in the Room 1152 (where the band stayed that night), of the Borgata Hotel, located in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It debuted the next night in a solo performance by Vedder at the band's October 1, 2005 concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey at the Borgata Events Center. The band recorded a demo version of the song that was released as a part of the 2005 Holiday single available to fan club members. Vedder on the song:

[We were in Atlantic City and] I wanted to play a song the next night. I went to learn it and it didn't come right away, so I started playing something else, and it was ["Gone"]. What's nice about it was that it was done in an hour or so, with backgrounds. I played it the next night at the show.

Lyrics

"Gone" is about leaving everything behind and moving along. The song brings into perspective perceptions that all is not lost if one chooses to incorporate change. When the song was performed on VH1 Storytellers, Vedder introduced it as "a car song. In an interview Vedder stated:

The idea was that this guy was leaving Atlantic City and needing to find a new life without his past, without his possessions, and not really looking for more possessions. Because it takes place in a car, it's probably very similar to "Rearviewmirror" in a way. But I think this car is a hybrid, because I think he's only got one tank of gas, so I want him to go far.

The line "nothing is everything" was taken from the song "Let's See Action" from the Pete Townshend solo album Who Came First. Vedder thanks Townshend in the liner notes for the album.

Release and reception

The song peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The "Gone" single was made available as a download from the UK iTunes Store. It was released on October 7, 2006.

Live performances

As previously mentioned, the song was premiered live at the band's October 1, 2005 concert in Atlantic City, New Jersey in a solo performance by Vedder. The first performance of the song with the full band took place at the band's April 20, 2006 concert in London, England. Live performances of "Gone" can be found on the "Gone" single and the Live at the Gorge 05/06 box set.