Music Video: “Jeremy”

I must admit that Pearl Jam was one of my first favorite bands as a grade schooler. To this day they still are up there on my list. The 1991 album Ten and the song “Jeremy” definitely contributed to my love of their music.

The lyrics to “Jeremy” are about a young innocent boy who gets teased by his classmates and in turn gets violent. The video is very emotional and eye-catching featuring harshly edited clips of a boy being tormented by his classmates and then shooting them, scribbled words on a blackboard to enhance the lyrics, and Eddie Vedder singing. It is filmed with bright lighting and the color is dulled–in some parts it seems to be black and white. The color red (paint, blood, etc) is much more intense, creating some added drama. I did not realize (but should have assumed) that this song is based on two true stories of school violence: one in which a young boy commits suicide in front of his classroom and the other where a young boy shot up his classroom (here and here).

~Rachel.

~ by rachellubanowski on June 1, 2008.