Animal is a song by Pearl Jam, released in April 4, 1994 as the third single from the band’s second studio album, Vs. (1993). Although credited to all members of Pearl Jam, it features lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music primarily written by guitarist Stone Gossard. The song peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
The song was included on Pearl Jam‘s 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003). While the Animal single was released commercially to international markets in 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.
Animal peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in Australia, Austria, and Germany. Animal peaked at number 30 on the Australian Singles Chart and was a top ten success in New Zealand. Animal was first performed live at the band’s May 13, 1993, concert in San Francisco at Slim’s Café.
The song was performed at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1993, a rare occurrence for a song without a music video. Live performances of Animal can be found on the Animal single, the Dissident/Live in Atlanta box set, various official bootlegs, and the Live at the Gorge 05/06 box set. A performance of the song is also included on the DVD Touring Band 2000.
Tracklist:
- Animal
- Jeremy (live)
- Daughter (live)
- Animal (live)
Pearl Jam
Eddie Vedder: vocals
Jeff Ament: bass guitar; upright bass
Stone Gossard: rhythm guitar
Mike McCready: lead guitar
Dave Abbruzzese: drums
