Friday, May 7, 2010

Pearl Jam Lyrics: A Graphical Representation

If you're a reader of this blog, you probably know that I'm not prone to deep thinking and contemplation.  I throw critical news up fast, and in the rare occasions that I feel deep analysis is necessary, I punt to stip.  That being said, I saw some friends using swaths of text to create graphics using Wordle.net, and I realized that there is, at least, one way that no one has used to ponder Pearl Jam lyrics: graphically!


So, I started playing with the lyrics of each album and found some interesting things.  No one would argue that Pearl Jam, Binaural, and Vitalogy are significantly darker albums than Backspacer and No Code, but now you can experience those differences visually as well as audibly.  When you approximate the colors of the album covers in the artwork, you also see the mood of the albums reflected there as well.  Of course, all of this is based on a very cursory viewing, and I can already spot exceptions.  It was fun to look at, nonetheless.


What is the prevailing theme of each album?  I thought this experiment might tell me, but I'm not able to spot it on my own.  Maybe you can.  Take a look.  Click on the picture to expand them.  Spark a discussion if you see something.