I Am Mine is a song by Pearl Jam, the song was released on October 8, 2002 as the lead single from the band’s seventh studio album, Riot Act (2002). I Am Mine was written by vocalist Eddie Vedder in a hotel room near Virginia Beach, Virginia before the band’s first show after the Roskilde tragedy in 2000. Eddie Vedder said that he wrote the song to:
“Reassure myself that this is going to be all right”.
The lyrics for I Am Mine tackle existential matters. At the band’s April 8, 2003, show in New Orleans, Louisiana at the UNO Lakefront Arena, Vedder stated:
“This song is about what’s inside you. You own it, and you have the freedom for it to come out. It’s allowed to come out.”
At the band’s July 8, 2003, show in New York City at Madison Square Garden, Vedder stated:
“This song’s about personal safety, and the feeling of being secure, and even free.”
I Am Mine was released as a single in 2002 in various versions with the previously unreleased B-sides Down and Undone, both of which can also be found on the compilation album, Lost Dogs (2003), the latter as an alternate version.
The album was the most successful song from Riot Act on the American rock charts. The song peaked at number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, number seven on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. In Canada, the song reached the top ten on the Canadian Singles Chart.
Tracklist:
CD (UK)
- I Am Mine (album version)
- Bushleaguer (album version)
- Undone
The music video for I Am Mine was directed by James Frost. The video was filmed at Seattle, Washington’s Chop Suey club in September 2002. The video consists of a filmed live performance of the band rather than a conceptual video. It was one of five videos shot at the club to promote Riot Act (including Save You, Love Boat Captain, Thumbing My Way, and 1/2 Full). Up to that point, the band had not made any music videos since 1998’s Do the Evolution. The video was released in October 2002.
Pearl Jam
Eddie Vedder: guitar, vocals; credited as (ev)
Jeff Ament: bass guitar, cover, inside photos
Stone Gossard: guitar
Mike McCready: guitar
Matt Cameron: drums, percussion
