From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Fixer (song)
The Fixer (song)
"The Fixer" Music video
"The Fixer" on YouTube
The Fixer"
"The Fixer is a song by the American rock band Pearl
Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder
and music co-written by drummer Matt Cameron and
guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, "The Fixer"
was released on August 24, 2009 as the first single from
the band’s ninth studio album, Backspacer (2009). The
song debuted and peaked at number two on the Billboard
Rock Songs chart and reached number three on the Bill-
board Alternative Songs chart.
Single by Pearl Jam
Origin and recording
"The Fixer" features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Ved-
from the album Backspacer
der and music co-written by drummer Matt Cameron
B-side "Supersonic" and guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard.[1][2]
Released August 24, 2009
Cameron wrote the majority of the song’s music in
2008,[3] while Gossard and McCready would end up writ-
Format CD single, Vinyl, Digital download ing the song’s bridge.[2] In an interview with Rolling Stone
Recorded February 16–27, 2009 at Henson Recording in February 2009, Vedder discussed a song matching the
Studios, Hollywood, California description of "The Fixer". Vedder stated, "That could
have been a seven-minute, weird, sideways kind of artsy
Genre Alternative rock
song with a cool groove...I tinkered with it after everyone
Length 2:58 left, and we shrunk it down and turned it into something
else....I’m thinking about set lists: ’Will this be a song
Label Monkeywrench (US), Universal Music Group
(international) we’ll play every night?’."[4]
Gossard on the song:
Writer(s) Eddie Vedder, Matt Cameron, Mike McCready,
Stone Gossard
With that song, Matt came in with a riff and we
Producer Brendan O’Brien worked out a few different arrangements. Then Ed
took it and re-arranged it with Pro Tools, to get the
Pearl Jam singles chronology
parts he needed in the right place. You don’t want
"Love, Reign o’er "The
The "Got Some"/"Just to get a final arrangement for a song before he’s
Me" Fixer
Fixer" Breathe" had a chance to screw around with it, because once
(2007) (2009) (2009) he gets it, it can all change. What you thought was
a chorus can end up being a verse. There was a real
Backspacer track listing collaborative effort on the whole album. Ed, in par-
ticular, worked with everyone on their songs.[5]
"Got Some" The Fixer"
"The Fixer "Johnny Guitar"
(Track 2) (Track 3) (Track 4)
Composition
Audio sample
"The Fixer" is composed in the key of D major, and uses
odd time signatures and switches between them regu-
larly throughout the song. The song starts in 5/4, then
file info · help switches to 6/4 for the verse, while the chorus and bridge
are both in 4/4. Gossard stated, "It’s relatively straight-
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Fixer (song)
forward, but it has Matt’s love of odd time. It also breaks top 20 on the Canadian Hot 100. "The Fixer" reached the
back down to something very three-chord and fun. We top 100 in the UK and peaked at number 27 on the Aus-
need that. If Pearl Jam is thinking too much, we’re not tralian Singles Chart. It also reached the top 20 in New
very good. We’re much better when we’re not think- Zealand and the top 100 in Germany and Japan.
ing."[5] Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media said in his
Gossard on the song: review of the song that "neither the band nor Brendan
O’Brien has a light touch for this sort of classic rock-
I think the band definitely progressed and did some oriented pop...Vedder, whose default is tortured defian-
things we haven’t done before. When people talk ce, can’t help but add too much gravity to these lyrics,
about "pop" I think it’s about a simplicity of melody as if fixin’ things was an obligation instead of a calling.
and a simplicity of arrangement that doesn’t over They work too hard here trying to have fun."[9] Jessica
complicate a good idea or a great lyric. I think "The Letkemann of Billboard said in her review of the song
Fixer" is a great example. You really hear some- that it is "shot through with optimism at a level not
thing about Eddie’s personality in the lyric and you seen since Pearl Jam’s 1998 Yield." She added that "with
get a view that a lot of people don’t get from him Vedder mixed down among Stone Gossard and Mike
which is a sort of optimistic and playful melody and McCready’s warm guitars and the throat-ripping mo-
lyric.[6] ments of his delivery somewhat muted, there’s a sense
of reserve that makes "The Fixer" a tease for hearing PJ
Lyrics in its uninhibited natural setting: live."[10] Josh Modell of
Spin said that "’The Fixer’...[exploits] Pearl Jam’s leanest,
Commenting on the suggestion that he is "The Fixer" re- punkest tendencies...when Eddie Vedder pulls out that
ferred to in the song’s title, Vedder stated, "My answer is, indignant yet inclusive snarl and proclaims, ’When some-
aren’t we all? Maybe I’m wrong to think that, but it seems thing’s gone, I wanna fight to get it back again,’ you can
like we are...I’m thinking more on a worldview or a com- probably assume ’it’ is his band’s mojo."[11] In his review
munity view."[5] of Backspacer, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone magazine said,
Vedder on the song: "There’s a definite positivity to the ’yeah, yeah, yeah’
choruses that jump out of "The Fixer", which evoke the
Men, we all think we can fix anything. It’s not nec- old openhearted vulnerability of ’Wishlist’."[12] In its re-
essarily a good thing. In a relationship, a woman view of Backspacer, The Guardian stated that "when Eddie
will say ’This is wrong,’ and we’re like, ’I’ll fix that, Vedder yells of a ’fight to get it back again’ on "The Fix-
don’t worry about it, we can fix it.’ These wonderful er", he is surely referring to the band rediscovering their
people, the woman you’re in a relationship with, mojo."[13]
they don’t want you to fix it. They just want you In September 2009, "The Fixer" was made available as
to listen to what’s happening: ’Don’t fix it, I want downloadable content for the Rock Band series as a mas-
you to own this with me—feel it.’ This is a reminder ter track as part of the album Backspacer.[14]
song to me, to stop fixing.[7] "The Fixer" was nominated for Best Rock Song at the
52nd Grammy Awards.[15]
Release and reception The song is included on the soundtrack of the anti-
nuclear documentary Countdown to Zero, where it plays
On July 14, 2009, a 30-second clip of "The Fixer" was fea-
over the end credits.
tured on Fox’s broadcast of the 2009 Major League Base-
ball All-Star Game.[8] "The Fixer" was released to radio
airplay on July 20, 2009.[8] A 7" single for "The Fixer" was Music video
released commercially through the band’s official web- The music video for "The Fixer" was directed by Cameron
site on August 24, 2009, accompanied by the B-side "Su- Crowe.[2] The video was filmed at The Showbox in Seat-
personic", also from the new album. The song was also tle, Washington in May 2009.[16] The video consists of a
made available commercially as a single download minus filmed live performance of the band rather than a con-
the B-side "Supersonic" from iTunes on the same day. ceptual video.[16] The video was released in August
The same track listing that is featured on the 7" single 2009.[17] Footage from the video was used for a commer-
is also featured on a UK CD single release and a digital cial for Target advertising Backspacer which features "The
download from the UK Amazon.com store, both of which Fixer".[2][16]
were released commercially on September 7, 2009. The
song debuted and peaked at number 56 on the Billboard
Hot 100, number ten on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Live performances
Tracks chart, and reached number three on the Billboard "The Fixer" was first performed live at the band’s August
Alternative Songs chart. In Canada, the song reached the 8, 2009 concert in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Virgin
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Fixer (song)
Chart (2009) Peak
Position
New Zealand Singles Chart[19] 11
Australian Singles Chart[20] 22
Canadian Hot 100[21] 14
Japan Hot 100[22] 78
German Singles Chart[23] 97
UK Singles Chart[24] 93
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[25] 56
U.S. Billboard Rock Songs[25] 2
U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs[25] 3
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks[25] 10
Festival.[18] When the song is played live, the band plays articles/story/25905582/
it in the key of D? major, which institutes the de-tuning pearl_jam_to_release_new_lp_in_2009. Retrieved
of the guitars to a half-step down (E?, A?, D?, G?, B?, E?). 2009-06-03.
Live performances of "The Fixer" can be found on vari- [5] ^ Cohen, Jonathan (2009-09-08). "Pearl Jam: The
ous official bootlegs. ’Backspacer’ Audio Q&As". Billboard.
http://www.billboard.com/#/features/pearl-jam-
Track listing the-backspacer-audio-q-
as-1004009693.story?page=1. Retrieved 2009-09-08.
All lyrics written by Eddie Vedder. [6] "Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam". WRFF. 2009-07-23.
CD (UK), 7" Vinyl Single, and Digital Download (UK) http://www.radio1045.com/cc-common/
1. "The Fixer" (music: Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, ondemand/. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
Mike McCready) – 2:58 [7] Wheeler, Brad (2009-09-16). "Jamming Over Pearl’s
2. "Supersonic" (music: Gossard) – 2:40 Latest Tracks". The Globe and Mail.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/
Chart positions jamming-over-pearls-latest-tracks/
article1290301/. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
The song debuted on the Hot 100 at #56 on the week end- [8] ^ Letkemann, Jessica (2009-07-15). "Pearl Jam
ing September 12, 2009. Debuts ’Fixer,’ Reveals Track List". Billboard.
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/pearl-
References jam-debuts-fixer-reveals-track-
list-1003993675.story. Retrieved 2009-07-15.
[1] "Tuesday July 21 Guests & Highlights". WRXP. [9] Deusner, Stephen M. "Pearl Jam: "The Fixer"".
2009-07-21. http://www.1019rxp.com/Blog/Matt/ Pitchfork Media. July 22, 2009. Retrieved on July 22,
blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10042996. Retrieved 2009.
2009-07-22. [10] Letkemann, Jessica (2009-08-01). "The Fixer".
[2] ^ "Interview with Stone Gossard". WMMR. Billboard. http://www.billboardmagazine.com/
2009-07-23. http://cdn1.libsyn.com/mmarchives/ bbcom/reviews-singles/the-
Stone_Gossard.mp3?nvb=20090723204207&nva=20090724205207&t=0794ce9efe8a78da37001. 2009-07-28.
fixer-1003997078.story. Retrieved
Retrieved 2009-07-29. [11] Modell, Josh. "Pearl Jam, Backspacer
[3] "Listen to Mike McCready Interview Where He (Monkeywrench)". Spin. August 15, 2009. Retrieved
Talks About Possible Pearl Jam EP". on August 20, 2009.
grungereport.net. 2009-07-20. [12] Sheffield, Rob (2009-09-14). "Pearl Jam: Backspacer".
http://www.grungereport.net/2009/07/20/listen- Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/
to-mike-mccready-interview-where-he-talks- artists/pearljam/albums/album/30067214/review/
about-possible-pearl-jam-ep/. Retrieved 30083898/backspacer. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
2009-07-22. [13] Simpson, Dave. "Pearl Jam, Backspacer". The
[4] Hiatt, Brian (2009-02-19). "Pearl Jam to Release Guardian. September 18, 2009. Retrieved on
New LP in 2009". Rolling Stone. September 18, 2009.
http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/pearljam/
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Fixer (song)
[14] Cohen, Jonathan (2007-07-31). "Pearl Jam: ’Back’ to [21] "Pearl Jam "The Fixer" Chart History". Billboard.
the Future". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/ http://www.billboardmagazine.com/bbcom/
#/features/pearl-jam-back-to-the- esearch/
future-1003999243.story?page=1. Retrieved searchResult.jsp?exp=y&Ntt=the+fixer&Ntk=Keyword&an=bbcom&
2009-07-31. Retrieved 2009-07-30.
[15] [1] [22] "Japan Hot 100". Billboard. 2009-09-15.
[16] ^ Werde, Bill (2009-06-01). "Exclusive: Pearl Jam http://www.billboard.com/charts/japan-
Confirms Target Tie-Up". Billboard. hot-100#/charts/japan-hot-100. Retrieved
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/ 2009-09-15.
exclusive-pearl-jam-confirms-target- [23] "Chartverfolgung / Pearl Jam / Single".
tie-1003978374.story. Retrieved 2009-06-01. musicline.de. http://www.musicline.de/de/
[17] Kreps, Daniel (2009-08-24). "Cameron Crowe’s chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Pearl%20Jam/
Video for Pearl Jam’s "The Fixer" Premieres". ?type=single. Retrieved 2007-06-11.
Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/ [24] "TOP 100 SINGLES CHART :: CHART WEEK ENDING
rockdaily/index.php/2009/08/24/cameron- DATE 05/09/09".
crowes-video-for-pearl-jams-the-fixer-premieres/. http://www.theofficialcharts.com/
Retrieved 2009-08-25. top40_singles.php. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
[18] "Pearl Jam Songs: "The Fixer"". pearljam.com. [25] ^ "Pearl Jam Artist Chart History". Billboard.
[19] "PEARL JAM - THE FIXER (SONG)". New Zealand- http://www.billboardmagazine.com/bbcom/
charts.com. http://charts.org.nz/ retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=5392&model.vnuAlb
showitem.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam&titel=The+Fixer&cat=s. Retrieved 2009-07-29.
Retrieved 2009-09-01.
[20] "PEARL JAM - THE FIXER (SONG)". Australian-
charts.com. http://www.australian-charts.com/
External links
•
showitem.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam&titel=The+Fixer&cat=s.Lyrics at pearljam.com
Retrieved 2009-08-30.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Fixer_(song)&oldid=443466737"
Categories:
• 2009 singles
• Pearl Jam songs
• Songs written by Eddie Vedder
• Songs written by Stone Gossard
• Songs written by Mike McCready
• Songs written by Matt Cameron
• English-language songs
• Songs produced by Brendan O'Brien
• Universal Music Group singles
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