The Fixer
Summary
The Fixer was Pearl Jam’s triumphant return to rock radio—a bright, optimistic anthem released as the lead single on August 24, 2009. The song peaked at #2 on Billboard’s Rock Songs chart, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song, and was voted Best Single of 2009 in Rolling Stone’s Readers’ Poll. Featuring unusual time signatures (5/4 opening, 6/4 verses, 4/4 chorus), it represented a tonal shift reflecting post-Obama optimism after years of Bush-era political anger.
Key Details
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Album | Backspacer (2009) |
| Track Number | 3 |
| Release Date | August 24, 2009 (single) |
| Duration | 2:56 |
| Writers | Eddie Vedder (lyrics), Matt Cameron, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard (music) |
| Producer | Brendan O’Brien |
| Chart Performance | #2 Rock Songs, #3 Alternative Songs, #56 Hot 100 |
| Award | Grammy nomination, Best Rock Song |
| Live Debut | May 28, 2009, Showbox, Seattle |
| Live Performances | 110 (per setlist.fm) |
Background & Inspiration
“The Fixer” emerged from an unusually collaborative writing process. Matt Cameron wrote the majority of the music in 2008, with Stone Gossard and Mike McCready contributing the bridge. As Cameron explained in Twenty: “Ed’s job is sort of to make sense of all the unfinished material we bring in” Twenty .
Producer Brendan O’Brien recognized the single’s potential immediately:
“They wrote this song that had a really cool beat and very accessible lyrics, and they allowed themselves to make a record out of that song.”
— Brendan O’Brien Paste Magazine
Lyrics & Meaning
Vedder’s Self-Critical Reading
In a revealing interview, Eddie Vedder offered a surprisingly critical take on the “fixer” identity:
“Men, we all think we can fix anything. It’s not necessarily a good thing. In a relationship, a woman will say ‘This is wrong,’ and we’re like, ‘I’ll fix that, don’t worry about it.’ These wonderful people, the woman you’re in a relationship with, they don’t want you to fix it. They just want you to listen to what’s happening: ‘Don’t fix it, I want you to own this with me—feel it.’ This is a reminder song to me, to stop fixing.”
— Eddie Vedder Toronto Globe and Mail
Stone Gossard offered a different interpretation: “My personal interpretation is that it’s about how [Vedder] makes our songs work. When someone inspires him, he’s an incredible collaborator” Billboard .
Composition & Arrangement
The song features complex rhythmic structure beneath its accessible surface:
“It’s relatively straightforward, but it has Matt’s love of odd time. It also breaks back down to something very three-chord and fun. We need that. If Pearl Jam is thinking too much, we’re not very good. We’re much better when we’re not thinking.”
— Stone Gossard Billboard
Musical specifications:
- Key: D major
- Tempo: ~158 BPM
- Time Signatures: 5/4 opening, 6/4 verses, 4/4 chorus/bridge
- Duration: 2:56
The time signature switching happens so naturally that casual listeners might not notice—sophisticated arrangement serving the song.
From Seven Minutes to Three
Vedder revealed how dramatically the song was compressed:
“That could have been a seven-minute, weird, sideways kind of artsy song with a cool groove… I tinkered with it after everyone left.”
— Eddie Vedder Rolling Stone
Production & Recording
Studios: Henson Recording Studios (Los Angeles), Southern Tracks Recording (Atlanta) Recording Period: February–April 2009 Producer: Brendan O’Brien
O’Brien’s return marked their first album not produced by him since 1998’s Yield. Jeff Ament explained:
“Brendan works really fast. He’s a super pro. I can tell him I want something to sound like the O’Jays or Led Zeppelin or PJ Harvey and he gets it.”
— Jeff Ament Billboard
O’Brien noted that “90% of the record was cut in the first nine days”—remarkable efficiency.
Live Performances
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Live Debut | May 28, 2009, Showbox at the Market, Seattle |
| Total Performances | 110 |
| Typical Placement | Early set |
The song became one of Pearl Jam’s most reliable post-2000 setlist inclusions. The singalong chorus translates well to arenas.
Music Video
Director: Cameron Crowe Filming Location: The Showbox, Seattle (May 2009)
The video consists of live performance footage rather than a conceptual narrative—reinforcing the band’s commitment to authentic rock performance.
Personnel
| Member | Role |
|---|---|
| Eddie Vedder | Vocals, guitar |
| Stone Gossard | Guitar |
| Mike McCready | Guitar |
| Jeff Ament | Bass |
| Matt Cameron | Drums |
Writing: Eddie Vedder (lyrics), Matt Cameron (music, primary), Mike McCready & Stone Gossard (bridge) Production: Brendan O’Brien
Context
“The Fixer” reestablished Pearl Jam as a commercial force. It helped propel Backspacer to #1 on Billboard 200—their first chart-topper in thirteen years.
Related Songs
- “Given to Fly” (Yield): Another optimistic single
- “World Wide Suicide” (Pearl Jam): Previous successful single, but darker
- “Do the Evolution” (Yield): Previous rhythmically complex track