Black Heart Today
Amy Ray Lyrics

The song 'Black Heart Today' by Amy Ray is a melancholic track that portrays a sense of sadness and despair within the singer. The opening lines of the song represent a moment of calm and solitude, as the singer eats Spanish clementines by the waterside. However, even during this serene moment, the singer feels the burden of her dark emotions. The lines "Throw the peels and taste the clean, How could I still feel so mean" suggests that despite all the beauty around her, she is still unable to escape the darkness within her. The bleakness of her mood is further highlighted by the chorus, where she describes how even acts of kindness are unable to mitigate the darkness that she feels. Additionally, the line "Even the dogs are tired of me howling at the trees" displays her isolation, as even the natural world seems to have turned it's back on her.

The song 'Black Heart Today' could be interpreted as an expression of depression or the dark emotions that one sometimes feels. It further represents how sometimes, it's almost impossible to get out of such a state. A black heart is representative of an insensitive and harsh personality that can't heal through any type of kindness or generosity. The song's lyrics also tell how it's not just the person going through such emotions that suffers but also the people around them. The chorus "No amount of kindness can turn it the other way", suggests how people cannot be saved just through empathy or kind gestures. The artist skillfully illustrates the power of depression and how emotional turmoil is not easy to overcome.