Who You Are

Come to send, not condescend
Transcendental consequence
Is to transcend where we are
Who are we
Who we are

Trampled moss on your souls
Changes all you're a part
Seen it all, not at all
Can't defend fucked up man

Take me a for a ride before we leave...

Circumstance, clapping hands (avalanche, falling fast)
Driving winds, happenstance
Off the track, in the mud
That's the moss in the aforementioned verse

Just a little time, before we leave...

Stop light plays its part
So I would say you've got a part
What's your part
Who you are
You are who
Who you are


Previous Songs of the Moment
In My Tree
Red Mosquito
Porch
I Got Id
Release
Do The Evolution
Breath
Corduroy
Elderly Woman...
Leash
Hail Hail
Grievance
Love Boat Captain
Even Flow
Black Red Yellow
In Hiding
Can't Keep
Indifference
Insignificance
Whipping
Black
Smile
Push Me Pull Me
Rats
God's Dice
All or None
Yellow Ledbetter
Last Exit

When who you are first came out it scared the shit out of me. Coming off of Vitalogy (and the first three albums in general) Pearl Jam could do no wrong. They were perfect. I was not prepared for who you are and habit to be my first exposure to the new album.

In the end I ended up being disappointed with that single, and with No Code in general. A strong album with some amazing songs (red mosquito and present tense in particular rank with some of their best work) but No Code was when Pearl Jam ceased being the greatest band of all time and became simply my favorite band. I’ll always associate that change with Who You Are and Habit.

In terms of the song itself Who You Are is ultimately fails to be as brilliant and deep as the band probably hoped it would be. Musically it remains one of their more interesting pieces, and it has grown on me over the years. I’ve never been enamored with Jack’s drumming (and I still think Matt would have done this one better—don’t be afraid to hit the damn things) but the vaguely middle eastern flavor is a nice change of pace, as is the out of tune, swirling guitars, the hand clapping, Eddie’s drone, the conversational background vocals. All of this hints at songs to come over the next ten years. The foreshadowing has made the song more enjoyable as the years have gone by, as have my diminished expectations that it be brilliant. Overall the atmosphere is light and playful, but since the song is trying to say something pretty deep I’m not sure if it works. This is part of the larger problem with the flow of No Code---the rapid fire shift between deep musing and playful banter makes it hard to figure out where the band is trying to take the listener.

Lyrically this will not go down as one of Eddie’s best efforts. Compared to how strong some of his more introspective pieces are there are a lot of weak lines in here. The ultimate conclusion is somewhat trite. It’s a step up from “To be yourself is all that you can do” but the only lines I can really get into are

Take me a for a ride before we leave...

and

Just a little time, before we leave...

Both of these introduce a sense of community and fraternity into the song that is actually missing in a number of the songs on No Code (sometimes, in my tree, off he goes). There is a real sense that we’re in the process of figuring out who we are TOGETHER—and that element of togetherness is one of the things that makes Pearl Jam special. There is a bond between band and fan—we have to struggle through these things and figure them out with each other, and will be stronger for having done it. There is an urgency in these two lyrics that is lacking in the rest of the song. You get the sense that something is at stake here—our time is finite, and we need to do something meaningful with it before its gone.


A worthwhile experiment—but not even close to their finest hour.

That's about the sum of it.

Who You Are is a landmark song for Pearl Jam. Not only was it the lead single for the album that would come to define them for the following ten years, but it was something entirely different for a song created by Pearl Jam: fun.

There's no angst or anger here; the lyrics are about self-appreciation and hope. I refute the claim that this was a scary moment for fans after Vitalogy. In fact I would say this was their next logical step. The "angry Eddie" schtick was getting very old very fast and I think Who You Are was the perfect lead single for an album about maturation.

I love how the song creeps in at its start and then takes flight once the vocals begin. Really, I can't find one weak part about this song and I can't comprehend why people don't give it more respect.

The problem is its not a very mature song for an album about maturation. It's a fun listen, but there is not a whole lot of substance to it. And this is a song with pretentions of substance. All Night is a fun number that only wants to be fun. Who You are is trying to be something more than that.

Ah, it's alright. Nothing to write home about

I guess we'll have to disagree then, buddy. I find the lyrics to be very good, but we're obviously on opposite sides of the fence here.

which lines are you into?

I love this song. I remember before No Code came out and this was the single, every one at school was complaining about it, but I was really digging it. This song prompted me to go to the midnight sale for No Code (which involved me sneaking out of my house, as I was 15).

I wish this song would get played live. I think it would be nice as an opener.
In case anyone is interested, last time played: 03/09/98.

This is the song that really help change my perspective on Pearl Jam. Just hearing them reflect, and in a sence become more spiritual was a really cool move, in my opinion. The music is some of Pearl Jam's best, and I couldn't disagree more w/ Stip (what else is new?) about Matt being able to play this song better....Listen to some 1996 bootlegs, Jack does hit the drums much harder, and the tempo is much faster.

Anyway, I love this song, this will always be the song that made me fully appreciate Pearl Jam by showing how diverse they can be -- Good choise Stip

It's not so much about a specific line...the lyrics as a whole paint a really nice picture. But if I had to choose one:

"Stoplight plays its part, so I would say you've got a part"

Sure, it's simple. But it really says a lot, at least to me.

Live does Eddie change the lyric "can't defend, fucked up man" to "can't defend, fuck the man?" I swear from versions I've heard it sounds like the latter.

this was an old request by C_B. Thank him

i wondered when this one would make it.

what are you talking about? We agree so often we might as well just merge our names

I'm not sure about the lyric change. it's been a while since I heard a live who you are.

This song did with it's music, what Corduroy couldn't do with it's lyrics...

It shed Pearl Jam's "fair weather" fanbase....

basically the people who don't give a shit about the music as much as they do listening to it for being the "in" thing to do...

I'm only 19, and was too young really to remember much of the band's history, but I can imagine the kick in the face this song brought to the table...

Here you have fans awaiting another STBC or another Corduroy styled song, a song with the anger and the angst,

and they wind up hearing this unimposing little song, I can see it now the first time someone heard this song, they'd be like WTF?! MATE!

Then imagine the Dipshits who actually bought the album and put it in, only to hear the first licks of Sometimes,
Imagine them throwing the album down in anger swearing they sucked and they'd never listen to it again, imagine what they missed out on?

too bad for them...

Either way, I love this song, and obviously the album, I think No Code was Pearl Jam's best treasure SO FAR

http://www.pearljamlive.com -- the 1996 section; Charleston, SC....I'm sure others as well, but I haven't listened to everything yet.

This one's OK.

by Even Flow.

OWNED!!1!1!!

Certainly for a single who you are was a real stretch. But fans already had a nothingman, small town, or indifference to get them used to quiet, introspective numbers. And hail hail is certainly loud enough to wake people up after Sometimes. Habit was the b-side with who you are as well--and that is certianly in the STBC vein. It's not JUST that the music was challenging or not always readily accessible. Vitalogy is a tough album as well. Ultimatley what caused the album to only sell a million copies was that it just wasn't as good as the others. Some noble experiments (like who you are) but they never paid off the dividends necessary to really justify it. OK computer expanded radiohead's fan base. People will follow challenging music, and the PJ fans loyal from Vitalogy were willing. It's just that Who you are and habit were not Spin the Black Circle and Tremor Christ (the lead combo from vitalogy). If Present Tense or In My Tree were chosen instead of who you are and bundled with smile and red mosquito maybe things would have been different