I once mentioned that Nirvana replaced Pearl Jam in my esteem, way back in teen years, quite completely. I can still listen to Nirvana, I can barely tolerate Pearl Jam. They had a song on the Singles soundtrack called “State of Love and Trust” that is pretty coo, “Evenflow” is kinda … alright well those are uptempo rockity jams and the meaningless yarling vocals just blend with the instrumentation. Anything where the idea of the song is coming across, where some grain of meaning is breaching the surface of sound, well, that’s a fuckin’ mistake with those guys.
I found myself remembering their song “Black.” There are some words to be understood in it, and others which are not. Bad ratio. Failure. Here is my best recollection of the song. I can’t actually remember how it began, which is usually my in for remembering the rest, so it’s a bit scattershot…
…Something something something something…
Oh all five horizons. I’m surrounded by some pizzaheads.
Her legs spread out before me. Has taken a turn.And twisted thoughts that spin
Round my head, I’m spinnin’, I’m spinnin’,
Oh and all I wanted was. Everthang.
Oohoohoohoohooh Ohh and all she gave me was, uh, all she was.
WhoooaNow there’s somethin’ bad. Sayed on broken glass
Of what was everthang.
And the pictures there. Of men washed in black
Tattooed everthang.
Oh good love gone bad. Turned my world to black.
Tattooed all I had. All I have. All I’ll ever beeyeeyeeyeeyeeyee Wah-OGH!Doodle doot doot doodle doo (Eddie Vedder actually sings that shit)
I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life, I know you’ll be a star
In somebody else’s sky, why o why, why o why, Whyyyyyyyy can’t it beeyeeyeeyeeyee
Miiiiiiiiiiiiiiine Wah-OGH!
Doodle doot doot doodle doo
Whooooa-OH!
Anyway, feel nostalgic for the spooge band? Don’t.
–
Heh, ya made me look, since I never knew the name of the song, let alone lyrics, and only after listening could remember ever hearing it. I’ve never been able to understand what they’re singing.
Since I know you don’t care enough to look, I did it for you. You didn’t do too bad! 😀
_____________________________
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-oh, and all I taught her was everything
Mmm, oh, I know she gave me all that she wore
.
And now my bitter hands chafe beneath the clouds
Of what was everything
All 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 see her?
.
Mmm-hmm, all the twisted thoughts
That spin ’round my head
I’m spinnin’, oh, I’m spinnin’
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, ooh)
.
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?
Btw, reading through that, it reads like a poor man’s version of the Stones’ “Paint It Black.” PJ just thought tattoo ink was hipper than paint. They was wrong.
lol good job