“Fell on Black Days” is a relatable song about the frustration of life going wrong and the seeming inability to change it. While I disagree with the notion that life is what’s handed to you and you are powerless to change it, the thought definitely comes up often and it’s a daily battle. The fascinating thing about this song is that it’s filled with indication about how we do have the power to change — but it’s applied the wrong way:
Whatsoever I’ve feared has come to life
And whatsoever I’ve fought off became my life…
Whomsoever I’ve cured, I’ve sickened now
And whomsoever I’ve cradled, I’ve put you down
Those are statements I can definitely relate, having the desire to change and having made efforts yet the outcome is exactly the opposite of what I wanted. But that’s not an indication of lack of that power, it’s the question of how you’re applying it.
In life, the only thing you can control is yourself, and all efforts made to manipulate anything else are in vain. Through applying my energy to controlling my actions, my attitudes, my thoughts, my energy — those efforts have resulted in things changing. But that feels like the backward thing to do a lot of times, and the frustration is a very familiar sentiment.
So when I listen to this song I channel into the emotion and power, the intensity of Chris Cornell’s screams — and I gain power from it. From being able to connect, to share the battle with someone, to feel like you have a friend/comrade who’s fighting the same battle. And that’s a powerful thing to gain — and even the statements made in the song, they are expressions of the emotions and not descriptions of the truth. You let your feelings out, connect, and then gain energy to move on.