Dissident (song)
"Dissident" is a song by American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's second studio album, Vs. (1993). The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and in Denmark, number two in Norway, and number seven in Finland and Ireland. "Dissident (Part 2)" was also released as a single, reaching number two in the Netherlands and number 19 in France.

The song was included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003).

Lyrics
Eddie Vedder said about the song "Dissident":
"In 'Dissident,' I'm actually talking about a woman who takes in someone who's being sought after by the authorities for political reasons. He's on the run, and she offers him a refuge. But she just can't handle the responsibility. She turns him in, then she has to live with the guilt and the realization that she's betrayed the one thing that gave her life meaning. It made her life difficult. It made her life hell. But it gave her a reason to be. But she couldn't hold on. She folded. That's the tragedy of the song."

At Pearl Jam's March 17, 1994 concert in West Lafayette, Indiana at Purdue University's Elliot Hall, Vedder said that the "holy no" in the song refers to date rape, explaining that "a woman's word is sacred and the no means no and that's what a 'holy no' is."

Release and reception
While the "Dissident" single was released commercially to international markets in 1994, the commercial single was not released in the United States until June 27, 1995 and was only available as a more expensive import version beforehand. "Dissident" peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Outside the United States, the song peaked at number 97 in Germany, reached the top 30 in France, and was a top ten success in 
Finland, Ireland and Norway. It was a top 20 success in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Part two of "Dissident" reached number two in the Netherlands and the top 20 in France.

Live performances
"Dissident" was first performed live at the band's May 13, 1993 concert in San Francisco, California at Slim's Café. Live performances of "Dissident" can be found on the "Dissident" single, various official bootlegs, and the Live at the Gorge 05/06 box set. A performance of the song is also included on the DVD Touring Band 2000.

Track listing
All songs written by Dave Abbruzzese, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, except where noted:

CD (US, Austria, Germany, Japan, and South Africa) - part 1
"Dissident" – 3:35
"Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard, Dave Krusen, McCready, Vedder) – 4:54
"Rearviewmirror" (live) – 5:30
"Even Flow" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:04
"Dissident" (live) – 3:24
"Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:49
"Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 4:44
Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

CD (US, Austria, Germany, Japan, and South Africa) - part 2
"Jeremy" – 5:30
"Glorified G" (live) – 3:20
"Daughter" (live) – 5:08
"Go" (live) – 2:58
"Animal" (live) – 2:45
"Garden" (live) – 6:52
"State of Love and Trust" (live) – 3:58
"Black" (live) – 5:46
Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia

CD (US, Austria, Germany, Japan, and South Africa) - part 3
"Alive" – 5:09
"Blood" (live) – 3:39
"W.M.A." (live) – 6:25
"Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" (live) – 3:44
"Rats" (live) – 4:37
"Once" (live) – 3:21
"Porch" (live) – 11:01
"Indifference" (live) – 5:00
Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia

CD (UK) (Part 1)
"Dissident" – 3:32
"Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) – 4:54
"Rearviewmirror" (live) – 5:30
"Even Flow" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:04
Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

CD (UK) (Part 2)
"Dissident" – 3:32
"Dissident" (live) – 3:24
"Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:49
"Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 4:44
Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

CD (Austria and The Netherlands)
"Dissident" – 3:35
"Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) – 4:54
Recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

7" Vinyl (The Netherlands and UK) and Cassette (UK)
"Dissident" – 3:32
"Rearviewmirror" (live) – 5:08
Recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

Alternate versions
Two alternate versions of the "Dissident" single were released that do not contain the song "Dissident" at all. The track listings of the alternate versions are as follows:

"Dissident" #2 CD (Europe and Germany)
"Jeremy" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:00
"Glorified G" (live) – 3:19
"Daughter" (live) – 5:07
"Go" (live) – 2:57
"Animal" (live) – 2:48
"Garden" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 6:52
"State of Love and Trust" (live) (Vedder, McCready, Ament) – 3:58
"Black" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:45
Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

"Dissident" #3 CD (Europe and Germany)
"Alive" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:08
"Blood" (live) – 3:39
"W.M.A." (live) (with Doug Pinnick and Jerry Gaskill of King's X) – 6:24
"Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" (live) – 3:43
"Rats" (live) – 4:37
"Once" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 3:21
"Porch" (live) (Vedder) – 11:01
"Indifference" (live) – 5:00
Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

"Dissident"/Live in Atlanta
Altogether, the three "Dissident" singles compile the band's April 3, 1994 concert in Atlanta, Georgia, with the only omissions being three songs from the yet-to-be-released Vitalogy ("Whipping", "Better Man", and "Satan's Bed") and the Dead Boys cover "Sonic Reducer". All three singles were available as a box set entitled Live in Atlanta released in Europe.

CD Box Set (Europe)
Disc one
"Dissident" – 3:35
"Release" (live) (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) – 4:54
"Rearviewmirror" (live) – 5:30
"Even Flow" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:04
"Dissident" (live) – 3:24
"Why Go" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:49
"Deep" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 4:44

Disc two
"Jeremy" (live) (Vedder, Ament) – 3:00
"Glorified G" (live) – 3:19
"Daughter" (live) – 5:07
"Go" (live) – 2:57
"Animal" (live) – 2:48
"Garden" (live) (Vedder, Gossard, Ament) – 6:52
"State of Love and Trust" (live) (Vedder, McCready, Ament) – 3:58
"Black" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:45

Disc three
"Alive" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 5:08
"Blood" (live) – 3:39
"W.M.A." (live) (with Doug Pinnick and Jerry Gaskill of King's X) – 6:24
"Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" (live) – 3:43
"Rats" (live) – 4:37
"Once" (live) (Vedder, Gossard) – 3:21
"Porch" (live) (Vedder) – 11:01
"Indifference" (live) – 5:00
Live tracks recorded on April 3, 1994 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

Charts

Weekly charts
"Dissident"

"Dissident (Part 2)"

Year-end charts
"Dissident (Part 2)"