"Dissident" is a song by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...

, appearing as the fifth track on their second studio album, '' Vs.'' (1993). It was written by band members

Eddie Vedder Eddie Jerome Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III; December 23, 1964) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and one of four guitarists of the rock band Pearl Jam. He also appeared as a guest vocalist i ...

Jeff Ament Jeffrey Allen Ament (born March 10, 1963) is an American musician and songwriter who is best known as the bassist of the American rock band Pearl Jam, which he co-founded alongside Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder. Prior to his wo ...

Stone Gossard Stone Carpenter Gossard (born July 20, 1966) is an American musician who serves as a guitarist and songwriter for the rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of the band. G ...

Mike McCready Michael David McCready (born April 5, 1966) is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of the band. McCready wa ...

, and

Dave Abbruzzese David James Abbruzzese () (born May 17, 1968) is an American musician who was the drummer for the American rock band Pearl Jam from 1991 to 1994. He replaced drummer Dave Krusen in 1991, shortly before the release of the band's debut album, '' ...

. According to Vedder, "Dissident" is about a woman who secretly shelters a

refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

but eventually turns him into the authorities because she cannot support him any longer, leading her to feel guilty about her decision. "Dissident" was released as the fourth single from ''Vs.'' on May 16, 1994. It peaked at number three on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

Album Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...

chart and in Denmark, number two in Norway, and number seven in Finland and Ireland. "Dissident (Part 2)" was also released as a single, reaching number two in the Netherlands and number 19 in France, and two live versions of the track found success in Denmark and Norway. The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, ''

rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003) ''Rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003)'' is a two-disc compilation album by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 16, 2004 through Epic Records. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA in the United States. It was ...

''.

Lyrical content

Pearl Jam lead vocalist

said about the song "Dissident":

In "Dissident," I'm actually talking about a woman who takes in someone who's being sought after by the authorities for political reasons. He's on the run, and she offers him a refuge. But she just can't handle the responsibility. She turns him in, then she has to live with the guilt and the realization that she's betrayed the one thing that gave her life meaning. It made her life difficult. It made her life hell. But it gave her a reason to be. But she couldn't hold on. She folded. That's the tragedy of the song.

At Pearl Jam's March 17, 1994, concert in

West Lafayette, Indiana West Lafayette () is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, about northwest of the state capital of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from its sister city, ...

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...

's Elliot Hall, Vedder said that the "holy no" in the song refers to

date rape Date rape is a form of acquaintance rape and dating violence. The two phrases are often used interchangeably, but date rape specifically refers to a rape in which there has been some sort of romantic or potentially sexual relationship between ...

, explaining that "a woman's word is sacred and the no means no and that's what a 'holy no' is."

Release and reception

While the "Dissident" single was released commercially to international markets on May 16, 1994, the commercial single was not released in the United States until June 27, 1995, and was only available as a more expensive import version beforehand. "Dissident" peaked at number three on the ''Billboard''

chart (now called the Mainstream Rock chart). Outside the United States, the song peaked at number 97 in Germany, reached the top 30 in France, and was a top-10 success in Denmark, Finland, Ireland, and Norway. It was additionally a top-20 success in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Part two of "Dissident" reached number two in the Netherlands and the top 20 in France; in the former country, it was the fourth highest-selling single of the year according to the

Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Du ...

listing.

Live performances

"Dissident" was first performed live at the band's May 13, 1993, concert in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

at Slim's Café. Live performances of "Dissident" can be found on the "Dissident" single, various official bootlegs, and the ''

Live at the Gorge 05/06 ''Live at the Gorge 05/06'' is a seven-disc live box set by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on June 26, 2007 through Rhino Entertainment/Warner Music Group. The box set documents the band's 2005 and 2006 shows at The G ...

'' box set. A performance of the song is also included on the DVD ''

Touring Band 2000 ''Touring Band 2000'' is the second DVD release by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, culled from performances from the North American legs of the band's 2000 Binaural Tour. It was released on VHS and DVD on May 1, 2001. Overview DVD ...

''.

Track listings

All songs were written by

, and

, except where noted. CD (US, Austria, Germany, Japan, and South Africa) – part 1 # "Dissident" – 3:51 # "Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard,

Dave Krusen David Karl Krusen (born March 10, 1966) is an American musician who is best known for being the first drummer for the American rock band Pearl Jam, and for his work on the band's debut album, '' Ten''. Krusen was also a member of the bands Hover ...

, McCready, Vedder) – 4:55 # "

Rearviewmirror "Rearviewmirror" is a song by the American rock music, rock band Pearl Jam. The song is the eighth track on the band's second studio album, ''Vs. (Pearl Jam album), Vs.'' (1993). Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it was primarily wr ...

" (live) – 5:31 # "

Even Flow "Even Flow" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "Even Flow" was released in 1992 as the second single from the band's debut album, '' Te ...

" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:05 # "Dissident" (live) – 3:25 # "Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:50 # "Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 4:42 * Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994, at the Fox Theatre in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. CD (US, Austria, Germany, Japan, and South Africa) – part 2 # " Jeremy" (live) – 3:00 # " Glorified G" (live) – 3:19 # "

Daughter A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between groups ...

" (live) – 5:07 # " Go" (live) – 2:57 # "

Animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

" (live) – 2:48 # "Garden" (live) – 6:52 # " State of Love and Trust" (live) – 3:58 # "

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

" (live) – 5:45 * Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia CD (US, Austria, Germany, Japan, and South Africa) – part 3 # "

Alive Alive may refer to: *Life Books, comics and periodicals * ''Alive'' (novel), a 2015 novel by Scott Sigler * '' Alive: The Final Evolution'', a 2003 shonen manga by Tadashi Kawashima and Adachitoka * '' Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors'', ...

" (live) – 5:08 # "Blood" (live) – 3:39 # "W.M.A." (live) – 6:24 # "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" (live) – 3:43 # "Rats" (live) – 4:37 # "Once" (live) – 3:21 # "Porch" (live) – 11:01 # "Indifference" (live) – 5:00 * Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia UK CD1 # "Dissident" – 3:32 # "Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) / "Rearviewmirror" (live) / "Even Flow" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 15:22 * Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. UK CD2, "Dissident (Part 2)" # "Dissident" – 3:32 # "Dissident" (live) / "Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) / "Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 11:52 * Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. CD (Europe) # "Dissident" – 3:35 # "Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) * Recorded on April 3, 1994, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. 7-inch vinyl (Europe) :A. "Dissident" – 3:32 :B. "Rearviewmirror" (live) – 5:08 * Recorded on April 3, 1994, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

"Dissident"/''Live in Atlanta''

Altogether, the three "Dissident" singles compile the band's April 3, 1994, concert in

, with the only omissions being three songs from the yet-to-be-released ''

Vitalogy ''Vitalogy'' is the third studio album by American rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 22, 1994, on Epic Records. Pearl Jam wrote and recorded ''Vitalogy'' while touring behind its previous album '' Vs.'' (1993). The music on the record is m ...

'' ("Whipping", " Better Man", and "Satan's Bed") and the

Dead Boys The Dead Boys are an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The band was among the first wave of punk, and regarded by many as one of the rowdiest and most violent groups of the era. They were formed by vocalist Stiv B ...

cover "

Sonic Reducer "Sonic Reducer" is a punk rock song written by Cheetah Chrome and David Thomas during their tenure in Rocket from the Tombs, which made its recorded debut on the Dead Boys 1977 album ''Young, Loud and Snotty'' with a change of lyrics that were r ...

". All three singles were available as a box set entitled ''Live in Atlanta'' released in Europe. Discs two and three became commercial hits in Denmark and Norway, where they peaked within the top five in both countries. Disc one # "Dissident" # "Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) # "Rearviewmirror" (live) # "Even Flow" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) # "Dissident" (live) # "Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) # "Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) Disc two # "Jeremy" (live) (Vedder, Ament) # "Glorified G" (live) # "Daughter" (live) # "Go" (live) # "Animal" (live) # "Garden" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) # "State of Love and Trust" (live) (Vedder, McCready, Ament) # "Black" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) Disc three # "Alive" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) # "Blood" (live) # "W.M.A." (live) (with Doug Pinnick and Jerry Gaskill of King's X) # "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" (live) # "Rats" (live) # "Once" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) # "Porch" (live) (Vedder) # "Indifference" (live) * Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994, at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

Charts

Weekly charts

"Dissident" "Dissident (Part 2)" ''Live in Atlanta 2'' ''Live in Atlanta 3''

Year-end charts

"Dissident (Part 2)"

References

External links

Lyrics at pearljam.com
{{Authority control 1993 songs 1994 singles Epic Records singles Pearl Jam songs Song recordings produced by Brendan O'Brien (record producer) Song recordings produced by Eddie Vedder Song recordings produced by Jeff Ament Song recordings produced by Mike McCready Song recordings produced by Stone Gossard Songs written by Dave Abbruzzese Songs written by Eddie Vedder Songs written by Jeff Ament Songs written by Mike McCready Songs written by Stone Gossard