Why Go

Album: Ten (1991)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song is about a girl who is put into a mental institution, likely against her will. It outlines corrupt medical professionals encouraging sickness so they can nurse them back to health and turn them into something fake, "Another Clone." >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Sarah - Tavistock, Canada
  • In a 1991 interview with radio station KLOL in Houston, Eddie Vedder said: "The song 'Why Go' was written about a specific girl in Chicago... I think her mom caught her smoking pot or something. She was about 13 years old and she was just fine. I think her mom thought she had some troubles when I think it was really maybe the parents that were having troubles and the next thing you know, this young girl was in a hospital. They kept her there for quite a long time. She was so strong that she refused to accept many of the accusations of her doing terrible things when she wasn't really doing anything and the next thing you know, she'd been hospitalized for like two years. The fact is that this is going on all over the place and this insurance thing that goes on with hospitals and insurance and these kind of counseling... prisons that they set up and it's really something that I think is really addressed subliminally in the song, but it has to be addressed on a bigger level. It happens everywhere and I just hope that someday we're able to change the fact that it is happening."
  • In the liner notes to Ten, Vedder dedicated the song to a girl named Heather. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Martin - Rostock, Germany, for above 2
  • In 1991, Eddie Vedder told the Canadian journalist Karen Bliss: "When you're inside and you have no control and when you're the 14-year-old version of Frances Farmer, you have reasons to be angry. You have reasons to be angry when your parents, who are very sheltered themselves, make decisions as to what you should experience in your life and what's normal and what's not. And then you've got institutions on the other side, who are taking large money amounts of money through insurance companies by diagnosing their children unfit."

    "It's happening a lot in American suburbs," he added. "People who don't really pay a lot of attention to their kids and don't really know how to deal with them, they just put their kids in hospitals."

Comments: 5

  • What? from Chicago, IlJust me from America- No you are not. That was weird to read.
  • Just Me from Americai am married to the girl in this song. she told me abort her talks with Eddie
  • Zero from Nowhere, NjThis and Jeremy are my 2 favorite songs off TEN, I can relate to both songs as I've been bullied in school and I've been institutionalized. What I know is that nowadays people can only be committed if they are a danger to themselves or others. Back in the late 80's/early 90's things could have been different, though there is still corruption in the systems to this day. I didn't think they could legally commit someone if they weren't suicidal or homicidal.
  • Brandon from Denver, CoThis is my favorite song, my second is the Mammason trilogy
  • Matt from Millbrae, Cathis is an awesome song...especially the riff that hits after each verse before the chorus. amazing solo too.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket

Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet SprocketSongwriter Interviews

The "All I Want" singer went through a long depression, playing some shows when he didn't want to be alive.

Marvin Gaye

Marvin GayeFact or Fiction

Did Marvin try out with the Detroit Lions? Did he fake crazy to get out of military service? And what about the cross-dressing?

Steve Morse of Deep Purple

Steve Morse of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple's guitarist since 1994, Steve talks about writing songs with the band and how he puts his own spin on "Smoke On The Water."

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?