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W.M.A, is Pearl Jam a Christian Band?

binauralmanbinauralman Posts: 83
edited May 2007 in Words and Music...Communication
I've been pondering a lot about WMA lyrics since it's by far one of my favorite songs next to I Got ID. I've read that Eddie is atheist but is that just rumors? W.M.A. is clearly the life of Jesus ( from my interpretation ) and I've seen pictures of Jeff wearing a cross around his neck back in the day. What do you guys think? Is the band Christan, or does each band member have there own beliefs?

Thanks!
April 28, 2003
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Comments

  • luxpjamerluxpjamer Posts: 837
    binauralman wrote:
    I've been pondering a lot about WMA lyrics since it's by far one of my favorite songs next to I Got ID. I've read that Eddie is atheist but is that just rumors? W.M.A. is clearly the life of Jesus ( from my interpretation ) and I've seen pictures of Jeff wearing a cross around his neck back in the day. What do you guys think? Is the band Christan, or does each band member have there own beliefs?

    Thanks!


    That's too personal!!! Everybody deserve their own space for their belief !!
    and to be honest I don't think that it's about the Life of Jesus and it isn't also not the life of bryan too ;)
    I think it's about the race stuff. You can't choice what color you're born so why are peoples dividing the humans in races and categories. asian, hispanic, white, and black there should be no difference
    Beavis : Is this Pearl Jam?
    Butt-head: This guy makes faces like Eddie Vedder.
    Beavis: No, Eddie Vedder makes faces like this guy.
    Butt-head: I heard these guys, like, came first and Pearl Jam ripped them off.
    Beavis: No, Pearl Jam came first.
    Butt-head: Well, they both suck.
  • Ms. HaikuMs. Haiku Posts: 7,265
    If I remember correctly, it's not about Jesus at all, but about a time Eddie saw police acting towards a man.
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  • slightofjeffslightofjeff Posts: 7,762
    How could a song called "White Male American" be about the life of Jesus?

    The song basically has nothing to do with Jesus. His name is just mentioned in one song.

    To answer your overriding question, no, Pearl Jam is not a Christian band. I'm not sure ed even believes in God at all, based on some of his lyrics and statements over the years.
    everybody wants the most they can possibly get
    for the least they could possibly do
  • dcfaithfuldcfaithful Posts: 13,076
    slightofjeff wrote:
    How could a song called "White Male American" be about the life of Jesus?

    The song basically has nothing to do with Jesus. His name is just mentioned in one song.

    To answer your overriding question, no, Pearl Jam is not a Christian band. I'm not sure ed even believes in God at all, based on some of his lyrics and statements over the years.

    yeah man, W.M.A. is about police brutality...clearly has nothing to do with religion, although i could see how you could make that interpretation...i've heard the interpretation of 'Given To Fly' being about the life of Christ, and that seems to make more sense to me.

    I don't think PJ is Christian, in fact I don't think their music is anywhere faithfully related...they are just a rock band singing about whatever they want to, mainly things about everyday life.
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  • DerrickDerrick Posts: 475
    PJ is not a Christian band under my definition of a Christian band. However, they do make several references to biblical figures in their songs. Look up posts by me to see an abbreviated list of such songs. They usually use the references in passing or may in fact be making a statement depending on your interpretation of the particular song. Furthermore, they are often commenting about groups of people when making those references, in a "read between the lines" sort-of-way.
  • ForestBrainForestBrain Posts: 460
    I think the reason he says Jesus looks just like me is because Jesus had dark skin. Yet...the same people being racist call themselves Christians. So, in fact, they would treat Christ in a racist manner. Hypocrisy, racism, police brutality is what it's about.
    I think Eddie believes in a higher being, but because so many Christians are such hypocrite, he is a little bitter against that whole scene. But I heard him once say something about God in a manner of believing He exists.
    When life gives you lemons, throw them at somebody.
  • Restless SoulRestless Soul Posts: 805
    binauralman wrote:
    I've been pondering a lot about WMA lyrics since it's by far one of my favorite songs next to I Got ID. I've read that Eddie is atheist but is that just rumors? W.M.A. is clearly the life of Jesus ( from my interpretation ) and I've seen pictures of Jeff wearing a cross around his neck back in the day. What do you guys think? Is the band Christan, or does each band member have there own beliefs?

    Thanks!


    Jesus is not american. He may not even have been white.
    "We have to change the concept of patriotism to one of “matriotism” — love of humanity that transcends war. A matriarch would never send her own children off to wars that kill other people’s children." Cindy Sheehan
    ---
    London, Brixton, 14 July 1993
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    London, O2, 18 June 2018
    London, O2, 17 July 2018
    Amsterdam, Afas Live (Ed solo), 09 June 2019
    Amsterdam, Afas Live (Ed solo), 10 June 2019



  • binauralmanbinauralman Posts: 83
    To me the interpretation of 'big hand slapped a white male american' is a slap in the face to the average Christian thinking that Jesus was white.. saying we have no idea what he was ..most likely Arab looking. Just an interpretation of mine.. I mean the band makes a lot of Christian references thats why I thought they could be considered some what a Christian based band believing in true love which is what Jesus tought. No need to take any of it personal though..:/
    April 28, 2003
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  • Innocent_BystanderInnocent_Bystander Posts: 615
    To be about Jesus, this song would have to be called BMJ, not WMA. And do you really think Jesus won the lottery by being born?
    Life reveals what is dealt through seasons
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  • moeaholicmoeaholic Posts: 535
    binauralman wrote:
    To me the interpretation of 'big hand slapped a white male american' is a slap in the face to the average Christian thinking that Jesus was white.. saying we have no idea what he was ..most likely Arab looking. Just an interpretation of mine.. I mean the band makes a lot of Christian references thats why I thought they could be considered some what a Christian based band believing in true love which is what Jesus tought. No need to take any of it personal though..:/

    i always took it as, you know, when a doctor slaps a baby when it's born to get it to cry (in the movies, that is)...if i remember correctly the line goes "he won the lottery when he was born, big hand slapped a white male american". he was born, he was born white, a doctors hand woke him up. lame? possibly. wrong? most likely. that was just the first thing that popped into my head the first time i heard it and it's stuck since then.
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  • slightofjeffslightofjeff Posts: 7,762
    moeaholic wrote:
    i always took it as, you know, when a doctor slaps a baby when it's born to get it to cry (in the movies, that is)...if i remember correctly the line goes "he won the lottery when he was born, big hand slapped a white male american". he was born, he was born white, a doctors hand woke him up. lame? possibly. wrong? most likely. that was just the first thing that popped into my head the first time i heard it and it's stuck since then.

    That's exactly what it means. No big secret. I don't think the "big hand slapped" is as important in that line as "a white male american."

    basically, ed is introducing you to why this guy won the lottery by being born. Because he was a white male american.
    everybody wants the most they can possibly get
    for the least they could possibly do
  • PearlerPearler Posts: 191
    Its a song about how black people tend to get more attention from the police just because they are black. PJ are speaking out about racism.
  • ZanneZanne Posts: 899
    I think the typical white male American interpretation of what Jesus would look like would be a fair skinned man. I always took the line "Jesus greets me, looks just like me" to be spoken by the WMA himself, giving him validation and an excuse to be prejudiced against other races/skin colors. Also, the "big hand slapped.." line seems to me to be more of a statement of the baby being *branded* a WMA, equated to a life of privilege without ever having to earn it just by virtue of being born the WMA.

    I don't see anything about this song that would indicate it was about Jesus.
    Just me
  • pmack215pmack215 Posts: 49
    dcfaithful wrote:
    yeah man, W.M.A. is about police brutality...clearly has nothing to do with religion, although i could see how you could make that interpretation...i've heard the interpretation of 'Given To Fly' being about the life of Christ, and that seems to make more sense to me.

    I don't think PJ is Christian, in fact I don't think their music is anywhere faithfully related...they are just a rock band singing about whatever they want to, mainly things about everyday life.

    i think its about the sense of entitlement for whites (that the culture of our country fosters), and the prejudice/racism towards other races.
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