Buckle Up
Summary
Buckle Up is Stone Gossard’s sole complete writing credit on Gigaton—and it’s darker than you might expect. Producer Josh Evans revealed the heavy subject matter:
“Stone had the lyrics and melody. He’s written a song about hospital rooms and people dying and children and parents. Lyrically, it’s pretty dark, which is fun to contrast with the music, which is light and a little bit airy.”
— Josh Evans Variety
Released just as the COVID-19 pandemic began, “buckle up” became darkly appropriate advice.
Key Details
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Album | Gigaton (2020) |
| Track Number | 9 |
| Duration | 3:37 |
| Writer | Stone Gossard |
| Producers | Pearl Jam, Josh Evans |
| Live Debut | October 1, 2021, Ohana Encore |
| Live Performances | 7 (per setlist.fm) |
Background & Inspiration
Vedder’s Careful Interpretation
Eddie Vedder’s approach to singing Gossard’s words was unusually deferential:
“Eddie was super concerned about getting it right, trying to inhabit the character Stone created and convey the emotions he wanted to convey. He would check with Stone even when changing small details like deleting an ‘and’ or ‘the.’”
— Josh Evans Variety
Lyrics & Meaning
“Buckle up” is a warning—things are about to get rough. But in Gossard’s hands, the warning isn’t about car accidents. It’s about watching family members die, standing in hospital rooms, the turbulence of grief.
The specific mention of “children and parents” suggests intergenerational cycles—children eventually watching parents decline, then becoming the parents others watch decline.
Composition & Production
The “Bah-Bah” Breakdown
Evans revealed a production secret: “You can hear Stone Gossard singing on the ‘bah-bah’ breakdown, which some people mistake for a kazoo, but it’s actually fuzzed-out guitar and some other weird sounds stacking up” Variety .
Musical specifications:
- Key: B minor
- Tempo: ~108 BPM
- Duration: 3:37
Studios: Litho (Seattle), various locations Recording Period: 2017-2019 Additional Personnel: Josh Evans (keyboards)
Live Performances
| Metric | Data |
|---|---|
| Live Debut | October 1, 2021, Ohana Encore |
| Total Performances | 7 |
| Most Recent | August 31, 2023, St. Paul, MN |
One of Gigaton’s rarest live tracks. The song’s subtle qualities may make it difficult to translate to arena settings.
Personnel
| Member | Role |
|---|---|
| Eddie Vedder | Vocals |
| Stone Gossard | Guitar (songwriter) |
| Mike McCready | Guitar |
| Jeff Ament | Bass |
| Matt Cameron | Drums |
| Josh Evans | Keyboards |
Production: Pearl Jam, Josh Evans
Context
At track 9, “Buckle Up” shifts the album’s tone. After being told to enjoy the journey, now we’re warned to prepare for turbulence.
Related Songs
- “Spin the Black Circle” (Vitalogy): Gossard composition
- “Let the Records Play” (Lightning Bolt): Previous complete Gossard song
- “Mankind” (No Code): Gossard with lead vocal