Jeremy
Pearl Jam(???) Lyrics

At home
The setting for this story is within someone's home

Drawing pictures
The singer is creating art in a way to express themselves

Of mountain tops
The art the singer is creating is uplifting in nature

With him on top
The person being depicted in the art is in a position of power

Lemon yellow sun
The scene has a bright and warm quality to it

Arms raised in a V
The person in the art is triumphantly celebrating their power and place in the scene

Dead lay in pools of maroon below
The following is an account of a traumatic event - one that may contain violence

Daddy didn't give attention
The parents in the story may have caused distress for the artist through their lack of attention or care

Oh, to the fact that mommy didn't care
The artist may not have received the emotional comfort they needed from their mother

King Jeremy the wicked
The artist may be struggling with feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, and this manifests as a self-given title of 'King Jeremy the wicked'

Oh, ruled his world
The singer feels they have power and control over their world, but at the same time may also feel powerless in other ways

Jeremy spoke in class today
The teacher is calling attention to Jeremy's participation in class today

Clearly I remember
The individual telling this story has a vivid memory of this event

Pickin' on the boy
Other students are purposely making fun of Jeremy

Seemed a harmless little fuck
Jeremy seemed like an easy target for bullying

But we unleashed a lion
The bullying had unintended and serious consequences

Gnashed his teeth
Jeremy was incredibly angry and upset as a result of being bullied

And bit the recessed lady's breast
Jeremy may have harmed someone else during or after this event

How could I forget
This memory is traumatic and significant to the storyteller

He hit me with a surprise left
Jeremy may have retaliated against the bully and hit the storyteller

My jaw left hurting
The hit was painful and likely caused physical damage

Dropped wide open
The storyteller was shocked and distraught at what happened

Just like the day
The storyteller can vividly recall how they felt at the time of the event

Like the day I heard
The artist may have learned something alarming as a result of this experience

And the boy was something mommy wouldn't wear
The singer may feel like they are unwanted or unloved by their mother

King Jeremy the wicked
The self-appointed title reemerges, emphasizing the singer's internal struggle

Ruled his world
The singer has a sense of control over their world despite their struggles

Try to forget this,
The storyteller wishes to erase this painful memory

Try to erase this,
The pain of this memory is still present in the storyteller's life

From the blackboard
This is a metaphorical plea to be rid of this painful memory, likening it to writing on a surface that can be erased

Jeremy spoke in class today
The repetition of this phrase emphasizes Jeremy's impact on the singer's life and the traumatic nature of the experience

Jeremy spoke in class today
This repetition further emphasizes the lasting impact of this event on the artist

Jeremy spoke in class today
The final repetition drives home the impact of Jeremy's actions and the pain that remains as a result