Synopsis

Pearl Jam's "Do the Evolution" races through a brutal, compressed history of life and civilization. From primordial Earth and the extinction of the dinosaurs to war, industrial expansion, greed, technological control, and nuclear destruction, humanity appears as both conqueror and self-destructive force. The video matches the song's swaggering first-person lyrics with rapidly changing images of power, violence, exploitation, and progress, turning the idea of evolution into a dark satire of human arrogance and irresponsibility.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was released in 1998 as part of the promotional campaign for Pearl Jam's fifth album, "Yield."

• It marked Pearl Jam's first official music video in seven years, following the band's decision to step away from the heavy video exposure associated with its early success.

• Eddie Vedder assembled a rough concept using scenes recorded from "Spawn: The Animated Series," set them to the song, and sent the edited VHS to Todd McFarlane as a visual reference.

• The production began without a conventional script. The creative team worked from Vedder's mock-up, the lyrics, and a recorded conversation between Vedder and McFarlane.

• The dark comic-book look was created with traditional 2D animation and hand-inked cels. Layout, animation, ink, paint, and camera work were completed by more than 100 artists, including teams in Seoul, South Korea.

• The production was completed under an unusually tight schedule. Contemporary production coverage described the video as being made in roughly 12 weeks, while the studio's own account recalls a 16-week delivery mandate.

• "Do the Evolution" received a 1999 Grammy nomination for Best Music Video, although Madonna won the award for "Ray of Light."