21

Throw Your Arms Around Me
Eddie Vedder/
Neil Finn
2013

Never before has a song made such a meteoric rise as one of my all-time favorites. I hadn’t even heard this song until May 13, 2022. 

But let’s backup a second. I have some real anxiety when it comes to parking.  I know what you’re thinking…uh, Jason, this is the Top 100. (Dear reader, please abort your current mission and watch this amazing video and then read my last sentence in the same tone as the repair guy who says “this is food!  This is beans!”  One of the greatest videos you will ever watch.)  Let me explain. Whenever we are going to a destination, whether it’s the airport, or a ball game, a concert, whatever….I am always paranoid about getting to the destination in time so I don’t have to worry about finding a parking spot. Why do I worry about this stuff?  I don’t know, why have I decided to write a novella for 100 different songs?  🤷‍♂️ You can feel sorry for me, but the person you should really feel sorry for is Tiffany, who doesn’t understand why she married her father. 

And so it was that on the evening of May 13, 2022, Tyler and I headed to the Pearl Jam concert in Oakland. I had been following the setlists (as I always do before going to a show; nothing can be spontaneous in my brain, ever) and knew that Eddie Vedder was coming out before the opening act to sing one song for whoever was there early. Which had included his cover of Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers.”  I’d like to think *that’s* why we ended up at the Oakland Arena at, ahem, 6pm. Sure, let’s go with that. Poor Tyler. Just sitting there with his crazy father probably thinking, what in the sam H are we doing here?  (By the way, why in the world is it called “Sam hell”?  But I digress.)

Oh boy this is a long story. As you have most likely deduced by now, the song that Eddie came out to sing was indeed a cover of a 1984 song by an Australian band called Hunters & Collectors. I honestly had never heard it or the band in my life. When he started playing it, my bud Jason Brown just yelled out “yeahhhh!” which I didn’t think much of at the time because Jason has a tendency to do that on every song that every band has ever played at a show he’s attended. But when I said I didn’t know it, Jason was incredulous like I had just asked him if he thought writing a Top 100 songs list was a good idea. 

Anyways, the point here guys is that this song is amazing and Pearl Jam has played it at multiple shows. It’s also featured in Season 2 of The Bear. Unfortunately for you all, have more than bore my soul in the lead up to this one. But fortunately for everyone, this version of the song has been officially released and I can include it for your listening pleasure here. Thanks for reading. 😂

Other Songs Considered:
Here’s to the State (definitely check this one out), Hard Sun, All the Way, Golden State (with Natalie Maines)