Last Kiss – Pearl Jam
Oh, where oh where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me
She’s gone to heaven, so I got to be good
So I can see my baby when I leave this world.
We were out on a date in my daddy’s car
We hadn’t driven very far
There in the road, up straight ahead
A car was stalled, the engine was dead
I couldn’t stop, so I swerved to the right
I’ll never forget the sound that night
The screamin’ tires, the bustin’ glass
The painful scream that I heard last.
Oh, where oh where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me
She’s gone to heaven, so I got to be good
So I can see my baby when I leave this world.
When I woke up, the rain was pourin’ down There were people standing all around Something warm runnin’ in my eyes But somehow I found my baby that night I lifted her head, she looked at me and said “Hold me, darling, just a little while.” I held her close, I kissed her our last kiss I found the love that I knew I would miss But now she’s gone, even though I hold her tight I lost my love, my life that night.
Oh, where oh where can my baby be?
The Lord took her away from me
She’s gone to heaven, so I got to be good
So I can see my baby when I leave this world.
Oh, oh
Dealing with somebody’s death whose close to us, especially the sudden ones, like in a vehicular accident is a very traumatizing episode to anybody and, thus, is a very sensitive matter to discuss. However, these things are a reality that some of us suffered or are still in the process of suffering. Life can be full of pain and misery, it is true but it is only through facing this darkness can we led to the light. This sometimes means that we have to be explicit as we can. This is what is the main theme of Pearl Jam’s “Last Kiss” is trying to tell us – to be explicit in order to face what we must have to face in order for us to move on with living life.
The first verse takes us clearly to what is a car crash scene. It first sets out on a date by the speaker who’s using his daddy’s car, implying that they are a young couple. It was supposed to be just a fine time for the two but as they were driving out, a car stalled and the speaker had to swerve right to avoid it and then it was implied that his car got out of control and thus caused an accident. This situation was made even more tragic because of the fact that it was nobody’s fault. Nobody was driving recklessly and nobody wanted for that car to stall, it was just purely a freak accident.
The next verse told us about the horrific aftermath of the accident. “When I woke up, the rain was pourin’ down/ There were people standing all around/ Something warm runnin’ in my eyes”, were the details we got. The speaker got to his date and took her in his arms. Then the most heart-wrenching thing happened when they exchanged their final words to each other. They kissed and said how much they love each other. This may very well be the only consolation in this very dreadful event. Not everyone had the chance to say goodbye to the person they love before he or she passed away.
While it’s true that the main theme of the song is sad and depressing, there may be a ray of hope, a silver lining in the cloud that may offset this rather tragic story. The clue lies in the chorus itself. It begins with “…Oh, where oh where can my baby be?/ The Lord took her away from me” which is a lament on the part of the speaker. However, the following lines that say ” …She’s gone to heaven, so I got to be good/ So I can see my baby when I leave this world.” tells us that the speaker hopes to go on living a good life after that tragic loss just so he could be reunited with his love in heaven. The speaker will not sulk or be bitter about life or blame anybody, he will simply continue on with life and live a good one at that. This speaks of an optimism that’s truly an embodiment of noble courage.
So, if you are looking for a funeral song for after you’ve availed cremation services for somebody you lost all of a sudden in a freak accident, Pearl Jam’s “Last Kiss” can be the perfect theme for you.
