Hail, Hail

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"Hail, Hail"
Single by Pearl Jam
from the album No Code
B-side"Black, Red, Yellow"
ReleasedOctober 21, 1996[1]
RecordedJuly 12, 1995 – May 1996
GenrePunk rock[2]
Length3:41
LabelEpic
Songwriter(s)Stone Gossard, Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready
Producer(s)Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam singles chronology
"Who You Are"
(1996) 		"Hail, Hail"
(1996) 		"Off He Goes"
(1997)
Audio sample

"Hail, Hail" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by guitarist Stone Gossard, bassist Jeff Ament, and guitarist Mike McCready. "Hail, Hail" was released in October 1996 as the second single from the band's fourth studio album, No Code (1996). The song managed to reach the number nine spot on both the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock Billboard charts. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).

Origin and recording[edit]

"Hail, Hail" features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by guitarist Stone Gossard, bassist Jeff Ament, and guitarist Mike McCready. Gossard stated, "People say that No Code wasn't like a rock record. The big comment you'd hear over and over again was 'experimental record.' But then you hear 'Habit' and 'Hail, Hail' and 'Lukin', and those songs are totally rock."[3]

Lyrics[edit]

The lyrics of "Hail, Hail" refer to two people in a troubled relationship struggling to hold it together.[4]

Release and reception[edit]

The commercially released single for "Hail, Hail" was exclusive to Australia, Canada, Japan, and Europe. The song was released as a single in 1996 with a previously unreleased B-side titled "Black, Red, Yellow", of which an alternate version can also be found on the compilation album, Lost Dogs (2003). "Black, Red, Yellow" is an homage to basketball player Dennis Rodman, who has a cameo in the track.[5]

The song peaked at number nine on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks and Billboard Modern Rock Tracks charts. It appeared on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 Airplay chart, reaching the top 70. In Canada, "Hail, Hail" charted on the Alternative Top 30 chart where it peaked at number two. "Hail, Hail" also reached number 24 on the Canadian Year End Alternative Top 50. "Hail, Hail" would peak at number 31 on the Australian Singles Chart.

David Fricke of Rolling Stone said, "Vedder queries with rubbed-raw enunciation in "Hail, Hail", measuring the strength and resilience of good, honest affection against the staccato punch of Gossard's and Mike McCready's guitars and Irons' urgent, emphatic drumming."[6] Ryan Schreiber of Pitchfork Media called "Hail, Hail" the "thrashing, typical Pearl Jam song."[7]

Live performances[edit]

"Hail, Hail" was first performed live at the band's September 14, 1996 concert in Seattle, Washington at The Showbox.[8] The band played this song when it appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman in September 1996 in support of No Code. Live performances of "Hail, Hail" can be found on the live album Live on Two Legs, various official bootlegs, and the Live at the Gorge 05/06 box set.

Track listing[edit]

  1. "Hail, Hail" (Stone Gossard, Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready) – 3:44
  2. "Black, Red, Yellow" (Vedder) – 2:59

Charts[edit]

Chart (1996) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Charts)[9] 31
Canada Alternative 30 (RPM)[10] 2
Netherlands (Dutch Single Tip)[11] 13
US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay[12] 69
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[13] 9
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[14] 9

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Pearl Jam - Hail, Hail". lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  2. ^ Chick, Stevie (April 6, 2016). "Pearl Jam – 10 of the best". The Guardian. Retrieved May 31, 2020. No Code's brave excursions into lo-fi (Sometimes); cacophonic punk-rock (Hail, Hail)...
  3. ^ Schilders, Hélène. "Still Alive". Guitar World. April 1998.
  4. ^ Pareles, Jon (August 25, 1996). "Pearl Jam Is Tired of the Pearl Jam Sound". The New York Times. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
  5. ^ Blistein, John. Watch Dennis Rodman Cradle Eddie Vedder During Chicago Show. Rolling Stone, 2016, Retrieved August 31, 2018
  6. ^ Fricke, David. "Pearl Jam: No Code". Rolling Stone. September 5, 1996.
  7. ^ Schreiber, Ryan. "Pearl Jam: No Code". Pitchfork Media. September 1, 1996.
  8. ^ Pearl Jam - Hail, Hail, retrieved November 28, 2023
  9. ^ "PEARL JAM - HAIL, HAIL (SINGLE) (74331)". Australian-charts.com. Retrieved April 29, 2007.
  10. ^ "Canadian Rock/Alternative Top 30 – "Hail, Hail"". RPM. Archived from the original on March 4, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2007.
  11. ^ "PEARL JAM - HAIL, HAIL" (in Dutch). dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  12. ^ "Billboard.com / Pearl Jam / Longplay". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2008.
  13. ^ "Pearl Jam Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
  14. ^ "Pearl Jam Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2017.

External links[edit]

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