Black Lyrics by Pearl Jam

Wow – what a great song. I remember the first time I heard the studio version of this song on the album Ten. I could not believe the raw emotion of the performance. This is the fifth track on Pearl Jam’s debut album in 1991 and it eventually became a commercial success. The word is that Epic Records wanted to release the song as a single, but because of the personal nature of the song, the band did not want to pursue that course. However the song did receive alot of radio airplay and helped launch Pearl Jam to great success.

Between the lyrics and the guitar work in this song – it all comes together brilliantly.

Here are the lyrics to Black by Pearl Jam.

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

Ooh, and all I taught her was everything
Ooh, 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 I’ll be… yeah…
Uh huh… uh huh… ooh…

I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life,
I know you’ll be a sun in somebody else’s sky, but why
Why, why can’t it be, can’t it be mine