One week after delivering a mid-concert anti-war diatribe in England that some critics dubbed “anti-Israel,” Eddie Vedder penned an anti-war essay on Pearl Jam’s website to clarify and expand upon his thoughts.
Opening with the iconic quote from John Lennon’s “Imagine” — “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one” — Vedder talks about refusing to grow accustomed to the “death and destruction” we see in the news every day.
Vedder doesn’t verify or deny that he was talking about the Israel-Palestine conflict during his rant. Instead, he simply says he was “attempting to make a plea for more peace in the world at a rock concert.” And as the essay’s headline — “Imagine That, I’m Still Anti-War” — indicates, he’s not apologetic.
“That’s not something I’m going to stop anytime soon,” Vedder wrote. “Call me naïve. I’d rather be naïve, heartfelt and hopeful than resigned to say nothing for fear of misinterpretation and retribution.”
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The ever-political rocker remains hopeful in his essay, refusing to accept that war is just part of human life: “We are such a remarkable species. Capable of creating beauty. Capable of awe-inspiring advancements. We must be capable of? resolving conflicts without bloodshed.”
And for those who think he’s specifically directing his outrage at foreign countries, the Pearl Jam frontman owns up to the blood spilled by his own country. “I don’t know how to ?process the feeling of guilt and complicity when I hear about the ?deaths of a civilian family from a U.S. drone strike,” Vedder wrote. “But I know that we can’t let the sadness turn into apathy.”
Read the full essay on Pearl Jam’s website.