...what does the name of the band actually mean?

Spot In The Sky

and dont say whatever you want it to, cause i have my own interpretation, as we all do. it has sentimental value to all of us, but what do they say it means, if theyve ever really admitted it at all

Innocent_Bystander

2.4 What does the name Pearl Jam come from?
It's not known for sure. A few theories:

Vedder's grandmother's name was Pearl and she was married to a Native American that influenced her cooking style. She had a recipe for preserves that included a Native American hallucinogenic substance (Peyote), hence, Pearl Jam. This is widely thought of as BS that Ed told to Rolling Stone.

Another theory is that the members thought it would be funny to have frat boys wearing t-shirts that had the slang for, uh, a male bodily fluid on them.

The one we believe is this one, straight from Ed:

"I remember throwing words and meanings around for band names,..... I was writing songs daily and they seemed more important than the name of the band,.... I didn't grasp at the time how representative it may become,....not to mention we were just making a little record that few people would ever hear,......

so the words came, 2,... one of which was Pearl. The name of my great grandmother,..... married to a contortionist...... He used to fit himself into a suitcase.... One in a long line of peculiar individuals.

Pearl is also a surfing term when you go headfirst and eat it on the face of a wave....

Janis Joplins greatest record was called Pearl,..... And of course, Earl the Pearl Monroe who shared the court with Phil Jackson I believe,.... (I often tell people that it was Phils initials that led us to our name..... ) I thought that was much better than the rumor that Pearl Jam was some sort of slang for "ejaculated liquid"..... harsh,.....

No,..... I feel that the best justification for the name is in reference to the pearl itself,... and the natural process from which a pearl comes from,...... Basically, taking excrement or waste and turning it into something beautiful,...... This is how our band began,..... taking emotions that we wrestled with personally and letting them evolve into songs,..... In this way the songs became vehicles in which to deal with it all,..... Add the volume of loud instruments, amplified vocals,..... moving chord changes,.... And it wasn't just shit anymore,.... It was kind of beautiful,.... powerful,,...... UNCULTURED! As Johnny Rotten would say later,

Anger is an Energy...... And Shit can be Beautiful. the proof is in the pearl."

yeah

my interpretation --p.s. dont give directions, ed says he like the lyrics to adapt to each person and mean what they feel it means, i believe its the same with the band name, here goes

---

Pearl Jam-- Pearl, clean, pure, good, something new, good intentions,---Jam , clean pure and all that shit and they still fucking rock

pearljam7

maybe because it sounds cool
pearl jam
just a cool name

heartsnthoughts

Try not to read so far into it, although there may very well be some intriguingly deep meaning defined by lifetimes of ideas and feelings, lets just take the "jam" part into perspective; they are a true modern day jam band, masters of bootlegs, lyrical and poetic switcharoos, humble and outrageous live performances that never seem to be the same, that's JAM, and not many can pull it off, or live to talk about it.

Ms. Haiku

A bunch of oysters that like to party.