Scared of Fear
Summary
Scared of Fear opens Dark Matter with the sound of billiard balls—Eddie Vedder recording himself playing pool with Sean Penn—before launching into what Jeff Ament calls “a maelstrom.” Written on the very first day of rehearsals in April 2021, the song came together almost impossibly fast:
“Stone had a great riff. It was just getting in a circle and throwing things out: ‘Let’s do this.’ Within five minutes of having the bones of the arrangement, Ed came up with the crux of the lyrics.”
— Jeff Ament MOJO
Key Details
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Album | Dark Matter (2024) |
| Track Number | 1 |
| Duration | 4:25 |
| Writers | Pearl Jam, Andrew Watt |
| Producer | Andrew Watt |
| Recording | Andrew Watt’s Beverly Hills home studio |
| Live Debut | April 22, 2024, Pearl Jam HQ, Seattle |
| Live Performances | 40 (per setlist.fm) |
Background & Inspiration
The Billiard Ball Intro
The album’s unconventional opening came from Vedder’s phone. Stone Gossard explained the decision to add something before the main riff:
“We wanted to open the album with ‘Scared of Fear,’ but that would have been a dead start to set the table. So, we built this little intro, and I’m sure Andrew was excited about having something that harkened back to Ten a little bit.”
— Stone Gossard SPIN
Andrew Watt’s Partnership
Producer Andrew Watt functioned as a participating musician:
“He had a guitar on the whole time. We would all play together, and some of his playing is on the album. For the most part, he was feeling the song with us and experiencing it as it goes down.”
— Stone Gossard SPIN
Lyrics & Meaning
Critics identified “Scared of Fear” as a meditation on Seattle’s music scene—Pearl Jam’s status as the last band standing. MOJO called it “a feral summation of endangered joys and communion that could be about love, friendship or, in the chorus, the old Seattle” MOJO .
The chorus—“We used to laugh / We used to sing / We used to dance / We used to believe”—reads as elegy. For a band that emerged alongside Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, and Nirvana, the past tense carries weight.
The title’s inversion—scared of fear, not scared by something—suggests meta-anxiety. The fear isn’t of any specific danger but of the paralysis that fear itself creates.
Composition & Production
Gossard’s description of his riff as “a Stone two-parter” suggests a composed structure—specific musical idea with distinct sections.
Musical specifications:
- Key: E major
- Tempo: ~140 BPM
- Duration: 4:25
Studios: Andrew Watt’s home studio, Beverly Hills Recording Period: April 2021
Live Performances
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Live Debut | April 22, 2024, Pearl Jam HQ, Seattle |
| Total Performances | 40 |
| Typical Placement | Early set, often opener |
The song debuted at a special fan club event in Seattle three days after the album’s release.
Personnel
| Member | Role |
|---|---|
| Eddie Vedder | Lead vocals, guitar |
| Stone Gossard | Guitar (main riff composer) |
| Mike McCready | Guitar |
| Jeff Ament | Bass |
| Matt Cameron | Drums |
| Andrew Watt | Guitar |
Production: Andrew Watt
Context
As Dark Matter’s opener, “Scared of Fear” begins an emotional journey that ends with “Setting Sun.” The arc from fear to acceptance maps the album’s thematic territory.
Related Songs
- “Once” (Ten): Dramatic opener establishing album character
- “Go” (Vs.): Immediate energy statement
- “Who Ever Said” (Gigaton): More atmospheric approach (contrast)