Even Flow
Pearl Jam(???) Lyrics

The song "Even Flow" by Pearl Jam is a dark, emotional piece that tells a vivid story about a homeless person who is enduring life on the streets. The first verse describes the main character, who is sleeping with his head on a pillow made of concrete. Although he's hoping for a better life, everything he sees around him seems familiar and depressing. The character has a "dark grin" on his face that simply can't be helped - it's a sign that despite the hardships he's experiencing, he still finds happiness in small moments. The chorus, "Even flow, thoughts arrive like butterflies," is a metaphor for the character's erratic mental state. He chases away negative thoughts like butterflies, trying to cling to and nurture the positive ones.

The second verse dives a little deeper into the character's story. He's kneeling, looking through a newspaper - he doesn't know how to read, but he's still hoping to find some sort of meaning or way out of his current situation. He prays to something that has never shown him anything, speaks of understanding the weather and seasons changing and the inevitable "winter" that will soon arrive. The line "ceilings, few and far between all the legal halls of shame," refers to the lack of safe places and shelters available to those who are homeless. The chorus repeats again, followed by a breakdown where the character imagines hands leading him away from his current life. The song ends with a chilling "Yeah, yeah, mommy, mommy," that leaves listeners with a strong sense of sadness and desperation.