Daughter
Pearl Jam(???) Lyrics
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Alone, listless
Breakfast table in an otherwise empty room
Young girl, violence
Center of her own attention
The mother reads aloud, child tries to understand it
Tries to make her proud
Painted room, can't deny there's something wrong
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me
She holds the hand that holds her down
She will rise above, ooh, ooh
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me
The shades go down
The shades go down
The shades go, go
Go
The song "Daughter" by Pearl Jam is a haunting portrayal of a young girl who is struggling to understand her place in the world. The lyrics describe her as "alone, listless, [at the] breakfast table in an otherwise empty room," suggesting that she feels isolated and disconnected from those around her. The focus of the song is on the girl's experience of violence, which is "the center of her own attention." Her mother is trying to explain the situation to her, but she struggles to understand the complexities of the situation. She wants to make her mother proud but doesn't know how.
The chorus of the song is where the title comes from, and it is an anthem in support of the girl. She is saying "don't call me daughter, not fit to be the picture kept will remind me." It seems that the girl has been told she is not good enough, and the picture that is being kept is a representation of that message. The picture becomes a metaphor for the way she has been made to feel by others. All she wants is to be seen as worthy and respected, but she is being held back by those around her.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of tension and unease. The lyrics "the shades go down, it's in her head" suggest that the girl is facing something that is inescapable. The "painted room" becomes a symbol of the way she is trapped in her circumstances. Despite this, the girl is resilient, and the final lines of the song suggest that she will "rise above" and not be held back by her past.
Line by Line Meaning
Alone, listless, breakfast table in an otherwise empty room
The person is by themselves at an empty breakfast table, feeling lonely and unmotivated.
Young girl, violence, center of her own attention
There is a girl who is the focus of violence and she is consumed by her own struggles.
The mother reads aloud child tries to understand it
The girl's mother is reading something to her and the girl is trying to comprehend it.
Tries to make her proud
The child is attempting to do something to impress her mother and make her proud.
The shades go down it's in her head
The girl is feeling down and the feeling is internal, not due to outside circumstances.
Painted room, can't deny there's something wrong
The environment is not helping the girl feel any better and there is something wrong with her situation.
Don't call me daughter not fit to The picture kept will remind me
The girl does not want to be referred to as a daughter as it reminds her of her shortcomings.
Don't call me daughter not fit to The picture kept will remind me
The girl repeats that she does not want to be labeled as a daughter and reminded of her perceived failures.
Don't call me, She holds the hand that holds her down She will, rise above
The girl rejects being called a daughter and instead focuses on the person who is holding her back. She decides to overcome the obstacle and rise above it.
Don't call me daughter, not fit to The picture kept will remind me
For the final time, the girl pleads to not be called a daughter and not be reminded of her faults.
Don't call me daughter, not fit to be The picture kept will remind me Don't call me daughters
The song ends with a final declaration that the girl does not want to be called a daughter and be reminded of her shortcomings.
The shades go down The shades go, go, go
The song ends with a repeat of the earlier line, symbolizing the girl's internal struggle and the shades going down on her situation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: David Abbruzzese, Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@KayYouderin-rg4vk
I was 13 when this song came out and already a Pearl Jam fan.
I was abused, mostly verbally and emotionally and via neglect, by my mother from birth to age 16, when I finally got to move away.
This song hit me like a freight train. The lyrics hurt so bad, but yet I had never felt so seen and recognized. I can’t help but sing along, often through tears, when I hear it.
I do make one small ad lib to it though- I sing “Don’t call me daughter. You’re not fit to.”
This daughter has done a lot of work to overcome the past. I have no contact with either of my genetic contributors these days and I have two children of my own that have never known the sort of suffering I lived through.
She has, indeed, risen above.
@smokinjz
Alone, listless
Breakfast table in an otherwise empty room
Young girl, violence
Center of her own attention
The mother reads aloud, child tries to understand it
Tries to make her proud
The shades go down, it's in her head
Painted room, can't deny there's something wrong
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me
She holds the hand that holds her down
She will rise above, uh uh
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me daughter, not fit to
The picture kept will remind me
Don't call me
The shades go down
The shades go down
The shades go go
Go
@ramu3169
My mom became obsessed with Pearl Jam when she was 14, now Im fourteen and obsessed with Pearl Jam. Like mother like daughter?
@alvaodegaard
Hahaa good one! ^^ are you still make art? 😊
@roadbuzz
Today? Just curious.
@igottwopeepees
hows 20 treating ya?
@elincomparabletigreespartano
Thats called “ironía romántica” (idk what is the correct translation lol)
@sideskroll
Good for you kiddo! Good taste.
@discardeddede
"She holds the hand that holds her down." What an eye-opener.
@fry5544
Word.
@reneebingham7872
Makes “Better Man” make more sense
@benmancha4067
Saba I