Pearl Jam Shares Uncensored Video on National Gun Violence Awareness Day

Friday, June 6th, was National Gun Violence Awareness Day. The coincide the occasion, Pearl Jam shared the uncensored version of its “Jeremy” video for the first time.

Pearl Jam is also raising awareness of gun violence through the re-release of its “Choices” T-shirt from the early 1990s, which features a little girl reaching for a handgun lying amid scattered crayons. The back of the original shirt reads, “9 out of 10 kids prefer crayons to guns,” while the new version states, “10 out of 10 kids prefer crayons to guns.” Proceeds from purchases will go toward the band’s Vitalogy Foundation, which works with organizations around the U.S. to reduce gun violence.

“Jeremy” appeared on Pearl Jam’s 1991 debut, Ten. The video, directed by Mark Pellington, tells the troubling story of a bullied teen who ends up shooting himself with a pistol in front of his schoolmates.

“Jeremy” was inspired by the true story of Dallas 16-year-old Jeremy Delle, who killed himself in front of his classmates in 1991 after years of torment. The video went on to win four MTV Video Music Awards in 1993, including Video of the Year.

Pearl Jam wrote on Instagram: “The increase in gun violence since the debut of ‘Jeremy’ is staggering. We have released the uncensored version of the video which was unavailable in 1992 with TV censorship laws.. We can prevent gun deaths whether mass shootings, deaths of despair, law enforcement, or accidental.”

Watch the uncensored version of “Jeremy” below:

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