In recent days, a statement by Zoe Kravitz claiming that the name Pearl Jam means… has gone viral.
During a promo interview for the movie Caught Stealing, directed by Darren Aronofsky, featuring unreleased songs by IDLES and starring Zoe Kravitz and Austin Butler, the two have participated in a game organized by Rolling Stone, where they have faced off in a ’90s-themed quiz.
During this game, Zoe has turned to Butler and has asked: “How old are you when you realize what Pearl Jam means?” Austin has said: “Right now… What does Pearl Jam mean?” Zoe Kravitz, laughing, has replied: “It’s jizz, dude.”
This funny take has shone a light on one of rock history’s most debated mysteries: the origin of the band’s name. But what’s the truth? Pretty much nothing. And the real story is way more interesting than any spicy legend.
The grandma myth and the psychedelic jam
Many legends have sprung up around the name Pearl Jam, the most famous being the one Vedder tells in the early ’90s, at least partly. The story goes that the band has chosen the name as a tribute to Pearl, the singer’s great-grandma, who – according to the myth – has married a Native American and has made jam laced with hallucinogens.
A cool story, sure, but mostly made up. Eddie has admitted it: the great-grandma is really named Pearl, but the rest is just “total bullshit.”
The truth according to Jeff Ament
To know where the name really comes from, you gotta listen to Jeff Ament, the band’s bassist. He has told the most believable version: “The first time I have mentioned Pearl Jam as a band name is when me, Ed, and Stone have gone to see Sonic Youth open for Crazy Horse. They have played nine songs in three hours, and each track has been a 15–20 minute jam. Midway through Crazy Horse’s set, I have turned to Stone and have said: ‘What do you think of Pearl Jam?‘”
So “Pearl” has already been on the table (a word the bassist really digs), but the Neil Young and Crazy Horse gig – full of long jam sessions – has sparked the second element: “Jam“.
The show Jeff Ament’s talking about was Neil Young & Crazy Horse on February 22, 1991, at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Around that time, the future Pearl Jam guys were in NYC locking down the deal that’d tie them to Epic/Sony all the way through 2003.
And it doesn’t end there. Ament also has said: “A couple years later, the first time we have played at Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit (1992), I have seen Neil’s big ’55 Chevy and the plate has read PEARL 10. I have thought I’m dreaming. I have asked Neil how long he’s had it, and he has said: ‘Fifteen years.’”
It’s a sign the name has been meant to be.
That the name means “jizz,” as Zoe Kravitz, singer, actor, and director, daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet, claims, is basically just a creative take. The truth has been way more rock: a mix of an initial idea (“Pearl“), inspiration from an epic concert, and a coincidence that has made the band smile.
Born in Reggio Emilia in 1980. He created pearljamonline.it in 2001 and wrote the first edition of “Pearl Jam Evolution” in 2009 along with his wife Daria. Since 2022, he is behind 2 podcasts: “Pearl Jam dalla A alla Z” and “Fuori Orario Not Another Podcast”. He has collaborated with Barracuda Style, HvsR, Rolling Stone, Rockol and Il Fatto Quotidiano. He continues relentlessly to try to find “beautiful melodies that say terrible things”.
Favorite song: Present Tense
Favorite album: No Code
Favorite bands/artists other than PJ: Tom Waits, Soundgarden, Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., Mark Lanegan, R.E.M., Radiohead, Cat Power, Dead Kennedys