String Of Pearls

Soul Asylum's 'String Of Pearls' is a vivid narrative that intertwines multiple lives through a series of seemingly random yet interconnected events. The song begins with a woman swinging a string of pearls on a street corner, which snaps, sending the pearls scattering across the wet street. This simple act sets off a chain reaction that touches various lives, illustrating the unpredictability and interconnectedness of human experiences.

The song's narrative quickly escalates as a car, driven by a man rushing his wife to the delivery room, narrowly avoids hitting the woman chasing her pearls. The urgency of the man's situation is heightened by the birth of Siamese twins, who grow up to become a two-headed president. This surreal twist adds a layer of absurdity and satire, critiquing political leadership and the complexities of governance. The president's struggle to 'put his heads together' symbolizes the often conflicting and multifaceted nature of decision-making in leadership.

As the story unfolds, it delves into darker themes, such as a man sweeping blood under the rug and dealing with his wife's departure. The narrative then shifts to a funeral, where a widow and an ex-lover's wife engage in a physical altercation, further emphasizing the chaos and emotional turmoil in human relationships. The preacher, unnerved by the scene, leaves and finds one of the scattered pearls, which eventually makes its way to a young prostitute. This cyclical return of the pearl to its original owner underscores the song's theme of life's cyclical and interconnected nature, where actions and events ripple through time and space, affecting numerous lives in unexpected ways.