Black
Pearl Jam Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey, oh
Sheets of empty canvas
Untouched sheets of clay
Were laid spread out before me
As her body once did
All five horizons
Revolved around her soul
As the earth to the sun
Now the air I tasted and breathed
Has taken a turn

Oh and all I taught her was everything
Oh I know she gave me all that she wore
And now my bitter hands
Chafe beneath the clouds
Of what was everything
Oh the pictures have
All been washed in black
Tattooed everything
I take a walk outside
I'm surrounded by
Some kids at play
I can feel their laughter
So why do I sear
Oh, and twisted thoughts that spin
Round my head
I'm spinning
Oh, I'm spinning
How quick the sun can, drop away

And now my bitter hands
Cradle broken glass
Of what was everything
All the pictures had
All been washed in black
Tattooed everything
All the love gone bad
Turned my world to black
Tattooed all I see
All that I am
All I'll be

Yeah
I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
I know you'll be a star
In somebody else's sky
But why
Why




Why can't it be
Why can't it be mine

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pearl Jam's "Black" are a haunting and emotional depiction of a person dealing with a broken heart and unrequited love. The opening lines give us a sense of the singer's despair as they look at sheets of empty canvas and clay, a metaphor for the emptiness they feel inside after losing the love of their life. The singer reminisces about a time when everything in their life revolved around the person they loved, but that love has since turned to bitterness, leading the singer to chafe beneath the clouds of what was once everything.


The second verse is even more visceral, as the singer talks about cradling broken glass, a symbol of the shattered pieces of their heart. Everything the singer sees is tattooed with the memories of the lost love, and even the world around them has turned black. The final lines of the song are a plea to the person they loved, expressing the heartbreak of seeing them move on to someone else's life and wishing that it could be theirs instead.


Overall, "Black" is a powerful and emotionally charged song that captures the pain of lost love and the difficulty of moving on. The lyrics are beautifully crafted, using metaphorical language to paint a vivid picture of the singer's inner turmoil.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey, oh
Opening word expressing a mixture of sadness and frustration.


Sheets of empty canvas
The blank, pure and innocent pages of life that are yet to be painted.


Untouched sheets of clay
The unshaped and uncorrupted clay that represents the potential of life.


Were laid spread out before me
Life's many opportunities, choices and decisions were open to me.


As her body once did
The idea that the physical presence and embrace of the loved one is gone.


All five horizons
Every direction and possibility, everything that could have ever been imaginable.


Revolved around her soul
Life and its endless choices were defined, inspired, and centered around the soul of the loved one.


As the earth to the sun
Highlighting the importance of the loved one, just as important as the sun is to the earth.


Now the air I tasted and breathed
The breath of the loved one and every memory associated with her is no longer there.


Has taken a turn
Life and emotions have changed due to loss and the possibility of never finding love again.


Oh and all I taught her was everything
Reflecting on the amount he shared with the loved one, almost everything there is to know.


Oh I know she gave me all that she wore
The loved one gave completely every aspect of herself to him.


And now my bitter hands
Hands made bitter by holding on to something that is no longer there.


Chafe beneath the clouds
A metaphor for the emotions and confusion that he feels inside.


Of what was everything
Everything that was important in life, centered around the loved one.


Oh the pictures have
Memories represented by pictures are fading and disappearing.


All been washed in black
The memories are consumed by darkness and grief.


Tattooed everything
Permanent damage by memories that keep on surfacing.


I take a walk outside
An attempt to escape reality and refresh his thoughts.


I'm surrounded by
The present is constantly reminding him of what is lost.


Some kids at play
The presence of innocent children and their playful nature serve as a stark contrast to his sorrowful state.


I can feel their laughter
The laughter of the children adds a layer of disturbed irony to his somber state.


So why do I sear
The pain that he experiences can be overwhelming and almost too much to bear.


Oh, and twisted thoughts that spin
His thoughts and emotions about the loved one are twisted by his surrounding circumstances.


Round my head
Ever present thoughts and memories that cannot be escaped.


I'm spinning
His thoughts are causing disorientation and confusion.


How quick the sun can drop away
The idea of loss and the speed with which it can occur.


And now my bitter hands
Desperation and a desire to hold on to things that cannot be held on to.


Cradle broken glass
The reality that life has taken a sharp and painful turn resulting in shattered hopes and dreams.


Of what was everything
The broken dreams and lost love that was once everything.


All the love gone bad
The possibility of love turning sour and feeling lost in love.


Turned my world to black
Everything seems meaningless and unsatisfying because of the grief.


Tattooed all I see
Every experience, memory, and thought is impacted by loss.


All that I am
The idea that his entire identity is defined by his past love.


All I'll be
His entire future and trajectory will be heavily impacted by this lost love.


Yeah
An expression of bewilderment and distraught.


I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
The hope that the person he grieves for will have a fulfilled life.


I know you'll be a star
The person he grieves for has the ability to lead and inspire others.


In somebody else's sky
The person he grieves for has the potential to be loved and adored by someone else.


But why
But it's still difficult to grasp why it couldn't be him.


Why
It's an unanswerable question that continues to haunt him.


Why can't it be
An expression of hopelessness that he has missed his chance of having that person's love again.


Why can't it be mine
Why is the future associated with that person not with him? Why is he left to grieve?




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Stone C. Gossard, Eddie Jerome Vedder

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@marcelr.9035

Hey, oh
Sheets of empty canvas
Untouched sheets of clay
Were laid spread out before me
As her body once did
All five horizons
Revolved around her soul
As the earth to the sun
Now the air I tasted and breathed
Has taken a turn
Oh and all I taught her was everything
Oh I know she gave me all that she wore
And now my bitter hands
Chafe beneath the clouds
Of what was everything
Oh the pictures have
All been washed in black
Tattooed everything
I take a walk outside
I'm surrounded by
Some kids at play
I can feel their laughter
So why do I sear
Oh, and twisted thoughts that spin
Round my head
I'm spinning
Oh, I'm spinning
How quick the sun can, drop away
And now my bitter hands
Cradle broken glass
Of what was everything
All the pictures had
All been washed in black
Tattooed everything
All the love gone bad
Turned my world to black
Tattooed all I see
All that I am
All I'll be
Yeah
I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
I know you'll be a star
In somebody else's sky
But why
Why
Why can't it be
Why can't it be mine



@danieledward8992

Lyrics-
Hey, oh
Sheets of empty canvas
Untouched sheets of clay
Were laid spread out before me
As her body once did
All five horizons
Revolved around her soul
As the earth to the sun
Now the air I tasted and breathed
Has taken a turn
Oh and all I taught her was everything
Oh I know she gave me all that she wore
And now my bitter hands
Chafe beneath the clouds
Of what was everything
Oh the pictures have
All been washed in black
Tattooed everything
I take a walk outside
I'm surrounded by
Some kids at play
I can feel their laughter
So why do I sear
Oh, and twisted thoughts that spin
Round my head
I'm spinning
Oh, I'm spinning
How quick the sun can, drop away
And now my bitter hands
Cradle broken glass
Of what was everything
All the pictures have
All been washed in black
Tattooed everything
All the love gone bad
Turned my world to black
Tattooed all I see
All that I am
All that I'll be, yeah
Uh huh, uh huh, oh
I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
I know you'll be a star
In somebody else's sky
But why
Why
Why can't it be
Oh can't it be mine



@mauricioprada4976

Sheets of empty canvas
Untouched sheets of clay
Were laid spread out before me
As her body once did

All five horizons
Revolved around her soul
As the earth to the sun
Now the air I tasted and breathed
Has taken a turn

Oh, and all I taught her was everything
Oh, I know she gave me all that she wore

And now my bitter hands
Chafe beneath the clouds
Of what was everything
Oh, the pictures have
All been washed in black
Tattooed everything

I take a walk outside
I'm surrounded by some kids at play
I can feel their laughter
So, why do I sear?

Oh, and twisted thoughts that spin round my head
I'm spinning, oh, I'm spinning
How quick the sun can drop away?

And now my bitter hands
Cradle broken glass
Of what was everything
All the pictures have
All been washed in black
Tattooed everything
All the love gone bad
Turned my world to black
Tattooed all I see
All that I am
All that I'll be, yeah

I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
I know you'll be a star
In somebody else's sky, but why? Why? Why
Can't it be, oh, can't it be mine?



@user-vb3qq5rh3k

This love to this time... and music... says everything about you.
You were here
You tried.
You won
You lost
You ....thrived....cried...

Im proud of you



Your still here!
With us all - your not alone

We are many.



All comments from YouTube:

@LovekatshateHoomans

Who's here March 2024??

@expresionconlibertad9476

I'm here

@SB-Kiwi

Me too

@good.asteroid3520

Every month until the end of time

@itsabluff7018

Here till I die

@priscillasantos8863

Euuuu❤ love

14 More Replies...

@nathanielcastillo2792

“I know some day you’ll have a beautiful life, I know you’ll be a star in somebody else’s sky, but why can’t it be mine” slaps

@Yahooligan72

No it doesn't

@allmektig3604

@@Yahooligan72 Wow dude you're so cool and edgy

@melmel3894

Yup. Agreed. It is gut wrenching

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