"Once" is the lead track on Pearl Jam's debut album Ten. The song features lyrics written by frontman Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard. On Ten, it is preceded by a brief interlude of the album's closing hidden track, "Master/Slave". Besides Ten, the song was also featured as a B-Side on the single for "Alive". "Once" has received considerable radio airplay as Pearl Jam's popularity has endured. It was featured on the band's greatest hits album, Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991-2003.
The song originated as an instrumental demo titled "Agytian Crave" that was written by guitarist Stone Gossard in 1990. The instrumental was one of five songs compiled onto a tape called Stone Gossard Demos '91 that was circulated in the hopes of finding a singer and drummer for Pearl Jam. The tape made its way into the hands of vocalist Eddie Vedder, who was working as a San Diego gas station attendant at the time. He listened to the tape shortly before going surfing, where lyrics came to him. Crowe, Cameron. against_the_world" target="_blank">"Five Against the World". _Rolling Stone. October 28, 1993. Vedder recorded vocals for three of the songs on the demo tape, one of which was "Once", and mailed the tape back to Seattle. Upon hearing the tape, the band invited Vedder to come to Seattle and he was asked to join the band.
Live performances of "Once" can be found on the "Dissident"/Live in Atlanta box set and on the Live at the Gorge 05/06 box set.
