Nothing As It Seems

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"Nothing As It Seems"
"Nothing As It Seems" cover
Single by Pearl Jam
from the album Binaural
B-side(s) "Insignificance"
Released April 25, 2000
Format CD single, Vinyl
Recorded September - October 1999 at Studio Litho, Seattle, Washington
Genre Alternative rock
Length 5:22
Label Epic
Writer(s) Jeff Ament
Producer(s) Tchad Blake, Pearl Jam
Chart positions
  • # 1 Canadian Singles Chart
  • # 7 Australian Singles Chart
  • # 22 UK Singles Chart
  • # 27 Irish Singles Chart
  • # 49 US The Billboard Hot 100
    • # 3 US Mainstream Rock Tracks
    • # 10 US Modern Rock Tracks
  • # 98 German Singles Chart
Pearl Jam singles chronology
"Last Kiss"
(1999)
"Nothing As It Seems"
(2000)
"Light Years"
(2000)
Binaural track listing
"Light Years"
(Track 4)
"Nothing As It Seems"
(Track 5)
"Thin Air"
(Track 6)

"Nothing As It Seems" is a single by the rock group Pearl Jam off of their 2000 album, Binaural. The song also appeared on Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991-2003.

The song was composed by Jeff Ament. Ament plays upright bass in the song giving the song a very atmospheric feel. Although the song was not a major commercial success, it has been cited as a Pearl Jam fan favorite. The song was recorded using binaural recording techniques, and was produced by Tchad Blake. The single features mixes done by Tchad Blake, while the mixes on Binaural were done by Brendan O'Brien.

Contents

Jeff Ament revealed that he wrote the song about his childhood growing up in a rural area of Northern Montana. He stated:

Until two or three years ago, I looked back at my childhood as being a fairly utopian situation. [But] in the last couple of years there have been some darker things come to the surface, things that I had kind of selectively forgotten for my own mental health or whatever. I'm just now starting to analyse it.[1]

Some people have alternately interpreted the song as being about down syndrome, i.e. "one uninvited chromosome"...etc. "A blanket like the ozone" could refer to how that one chromosome protects one from the world and any deep connection one could have with others.

Compact Disc Single (US, Austria, and Japan)

  1. "Nothing As It Seems" (Ament) – 5:26
  2. "Insignificance" (Vedder) – 4:33

Compact Disc Single (Germany and Austria)

  1. "Nothing As It Seems" (Ament) – 5:26
  2. "Insignificance" (Vedder) – 4:33
  3. "Better Man" (Live) (Vedder) – 4:37
  4. "Footsteps" (Live) (Gossard, Vedder) – 5:23

Compact Disc Single (Australia)

  1. "Nothing As It Seems" (Ament) – 5:26
  2. "Insignificance" (Vedder) – 4:33
  3. "Footsteps" (Live) (Gossard, Vedder) – 5:23
  4. "Better Man" (Live) (Vedder) – 4:37

Compact Disc Single (UK)

  1. "Nothing As It Seems" (Ament) – 5:26
  2. "Better Man" (Live) (Vedder) – 4:37
  3. "Footsteps" (Live) (Gossard, Vedder) – 5:23

7" Vinyl Single (UK)

  1. "Nothing As It Seems" (Ament) – 5:26
  2. "Insignificance" (Vedder) – 4:33

12" Vinyl Single (Europe)

  1. "Nothing As It Seems" (Ament) – 5:26
  2. "Insignificance" (Vedder) – 4:33
  3. "Better Man" (Live) (Vedder) – 4:37
  4. "Footsteps" (Live) (Gossard, Vedder) – 5:23

Pearl Jam
Jeff Ament | Stone Gossard | Mike McCready | Eddie Vedder | Matt Cameron
Boom Gaspar | Dave Krusen | Matt Chamberlain | Dave Abbruzzese | Jack Irons
Discography
Albums: Ten | Vs. | Vitalogy | No Code | Yield | Binaural | Riot Act | Pearl Jam
Live Albums and Compilations: Live on Two Legs | Official Bootlegs | Lost Dogs | Live at Benaroya Hall | Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991-2003 | Live in NYC 12/31/92 | Live at Easy Street
Videos: Single Video Theory | Touring Band 2000 | Live at the Showbox | Live at the Garden
Singles: "Alive" | "Even Flow" | "Jeremy" | "Oceans" | "Go" | "Animal" | "Daughter" | "Dissident" | "Spin the Black Circle" | "Immortality" | "Not For You" | Merkin Ball | "Who You Are" | "Off He Goes" | "Hail, Hail" | "Given to Fly" | "Wishlist" | "Last Kiss" | "Nothing As It Seems" | "Light Years" | "I Am Mine" | "Save You" | "Love Boat Captain" | "Man of the Hour" | "World Wide Suicide" | "Life Wasted"
Related content
Articles: Green River | Grunge music | Mother Love Bone | Bad Radio | Temple of the Dog | Soundgarden | Singles | Brad | Mad Season | Neil Young | Three Fish | Wellwater Conspiracy
Categories: Grunge musicians | Pearl Jam | Pearl Jam Albums | Pearl Jam Official Bootlegs | Pearl Jam Songs | Pearl Jam Tours
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