10 Songs You're Not Supposed To Understand
2. Stupid Mop - Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam have been known to indulge in some incomprehensible stuff from time to time. Hell, even on their first album Ten, a lot of rock fans were rocking out without ever having to worry about what Eddie Vedder was actually singing.
Only the true Pearl Jam fans knew the deeper meanings behind the band's catalog, but if figuring out "Even Flow" felt like homework, "Stupid Mop" is advanced level calculus.
Coming right at the end of PJ's third release Vitalogy, "Stupid Mop" is a sound collage comprised of ambient noise, meandering percussion work, and voices taken from a psychiatric ward recorded by Vedder.
With songs like "Better Man" being just a few tracks away, this album went from eclectic to insane in just a few seconds. Sometimes it feels like this song just doesn't want to invite listeners in, but that might be the point of the track.
Make no mistake, there are no hooks to be found on here, but this is a song that seems to be more about washing over you rather than taking you on a journey. Vitalogy clearly had a lot for Pearl Jam to unpack, but "Stupid Mop" will probably remain in the shadows on its final days.