"Pearl of the Stars"

Album Art by Bill Scoville.

**"Pearl of the Stars"** is a song by the American rock band Coheed and Cambria. It is the ninth track on their 2010 album *Year of the Black Rainbow*.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

Each night, I wish to God He'd let her rest

Oh, this hurts me more than any man can bear

She's my angel from the West

There will never be one to take her place

**[Chorus]**

When you go, I will know

Follow you to the stars

And when the world burns apart

There'll be a place for your car

I'd give you everything

If only I'd have known you'd take it

But you don't, 'cause you're you

That's why I'll always love you

My Pearl of the stars

**[Verse 2]**

The pills she takes, the pain of which she drowns

Our baby sleeps next door, she's new in town

I tell her how wonderful you were

I'll remember everything you were to me

**[Chorus]**

When you go, I will know

Follow you to the stars

And when the world burns apart

There'll be a place for your car

I'd give you everything

If only I'd have known you'd take it

But you don't, 'cause you're you

That's why I'll always love you

My Pearl of the stars

**[Chorus]**

When you go, I will know

Follow you to the stars

And when the world burns apart

There'll be a place for your car

I'd give you everything

If only I'd have known you'd take it

But you don't, 'cause you're you

That's why I'll always love you

My Pearl of the stars

**[Chorus]**

When you go, I will know

Follow you to the stars

And when the world burns apart

There'll be a place for your car

I'd give you everything

If only I'd have known you'd take it

But you don't, 'cause you're you

That's why I'll always love you

My Pearl of the stars

## Story Context

Though this song shares its title with Chapter 12, it illustrates the events in Chapter 17 ("In the Flame of Error"). It the namesake chapter, we see how Pearl is mentally tortured. Thinking 30 days has gone by and going through the ups and downs to stay strong and sane while trapped in a glass coffin hovering about a cavernous pit, it is revealed that it has actually only been one day.

The events of the actual chapter it corresponds with starts with Pearl being returned. However, Deftinwolf has told her about the terms of her release and given her a gun, and feeling betrayed and at her literal wits end, she angrily confronts Leonard, and knocks him out. She sees her beloved sringya dragonfly and follows it to Joesph's grave, climbs a tree, slips, and hits her head on the gravestone, killing her. When Leonard comes to, he finds her, and it is assumed these are his reminiscing thoughts in grief.

## Trivia

* Sanchez played the Synthesizers & Keyboard with Wes Styles, Brian Dembow played Viola, and Claudia Sarne orchestrated and played additional Keyboard parts.
* The line "Our baby sleeps next door, she's new in town" refers to **Joseph**ine who harbors the cure to the virus.
	+ The "New in Town" part is the title of Chapter 19, in which Inferno goes back to the Hohenberger house to find out what led Leonard to essentially commit suicide. He is the one who finds and secures Josephine.
* The line "And when the world burns apart / There'll be a place for your car" received MUCH criticism from fans and critics alike upon release. In July 2013, Sanchez did a Reddit AMA in which he was asked about this line and said, "It was to have a place to park the car and watch the world end with your loved one. I was trying to be romantic!"
* Sanchez said that on this album, this song would be the one he would choose to showcase his talent and progression.

## References

1. ↑ Coheed and Cambria. Booklet. *Year of the Black Rainbow*, Columbia Records, 2010.
2. ↑ https://genius.com/Coheed-and-cambria-pearl-of-the-stars-lyrics
3. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1ikw5z/i\_am\_claudio\_sanchez\_frontman\_of\_coheed\_cambria/
4. ↑ https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1ikw5z/i\_am\_claudio\_sanchez\_frontman\_of\_coheed\_cambria/cb5h9qi/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=web2x&context=3