SONG OF THE DAY
“Black” by Pearl Jam (Ten, Epic Records, 1991). Lyrics by Eddie Vedder, and music by Stone Gossard.
INTERESTING FACTS (from wikipedia)
– After the album’s commercial success, Epic Records urged the group to release the song as a single. The band refused, citing the song’s personal nature. Vedder stated that “fragile songs get crushed by the business. I don’t want to be a part of it. I don’t think the band wants to be part of it.”
– Despite the lack of a commercial single release, the song managed to reach #3 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
– The song originated as an instrumental demo under the name “E Ballad” by guitarist Stone Gossard in 1990. It was one of five songs compiled onto a tape called Stone Gossard Demos ’91 that was circulated in the hopes of finding a singer and drummer for Pearl Jam. The tape made its way into the hands of vocalist Eddie Vedder, who was working as a San Diego gas station attendant at the time. Vedder recorded vocals for three of the songs on the demo tape and mailed the tape back to Seattle. Upon hearing the tape, the band invited Vedder to come to Seattle. On his way to Seattle, Vedder wrote lyrics for “E Ballad”, which he called “Black”.
MY TAKE
This song just kind of haunts me. It puts me in a mood and it stays with me and doesn’t leave me alone for awhile. Especially this part in the song: “And now my bitter hands,/ Chafe beneath the clouds ,/ Of what was everything”. It’s really Eddie Vedder’s voice more than the lyrics that gets into me though, it sounds so pained and desolate.