Pain In Pearl Jam's Song 'Black'

Feelings of sorrow and yearning are expressed in the song “Black” by Pearl Jam as the singer describes his heartbreak and remorse over a breakup with his girlfriend. Examples of psychological agony the singer endured are expressed throughout the song, for example when the singer states: “…my bitter hands chafe beneath the clouds.” In these lyrics, we see that the singer’s hands are “bitter” and “chafe”. To chafe is to rub raw and the idea of hands being rubbed raw so as though to see the bare skin that lies underneath inflicts ideas of agonizing pain. The word “bitter” means to be brutish or coarse. This can refer to the singer becoming disgruntled and indignant after his girlfriend left him. This is supported by another quote: “I can feel

When glass is broken, shards occur from the cracks of the glass and if your skin comes in contact with a shard, it can cause lacerations, therefore, this quote supports the idea that the singer is feeling excruciating emotional pain despite his use of a physical comparison. In addition to the pain, the brokenness of the glass symbolizes the singer’s brokenness from the loss of his girlfriend. When glass is shattered, no matter how intricately you place the pieces, the item will never again look the same, and the cracks of the broken glass (representing scars from painful memories), always shine through. In addition, even if you use glue, let the glass dry, possibly sand it down, and finally, repaint it, there will always be cracks on the inside. This is similar to if the singer pretends to mask his feelings, the brokenness he feels inside will remain, and he cannot be intact again since his ex’s memory is tattooed in his mind and has changed him