10 Greatest Ever Story Songs

While alt-rock had been going strong by the time the grunge 90's hit, the lyrical style behind the genre tended to be hit and miss. There were many fantastic lyricists from bands like the Pixies and the Smiths, but some bands also had nonsensical lyrics like in the early days of Nirvana and R.E.M. When Pearl Jam arrived on the scene, the band decided to experiment with documentation on their smash single "Jeremy."

The story behind this song is ripped straight from the headlines, as Jeremy was the name of a real boy who brought a gun into his school one day and committed suicide in front of his classmates. Eddie Vedder's lyrics are incredibly descriptive as he details Jeremy's life as he is picked on at school and lives as somewhat of a recluse. As the verses build, we see the many turmoils in Jeremy's life from his lack of friends to his parent's apathy. Once we arrive at the line "Jeremy spoke in class today," the emotion is unnerving.

Pearl Jam would take on stories like this on later tracks like "Daughter" and "Better Man," but this first foray into character portrayal is filled with internal pain and hidden darkness.