“So put on your best boys and I’ll wear my pearls…”
At first, when listening to the lyrics of The Band Perry’s poignant, tender song that describes “the sharp knife of a short life”, their association of the circumstance with “put[ting] on your best”, and “wear[ing] pearls”, lead me to imagine a bleak and drab funeral: with a yellow sky and white grass. There’s a woman in a black dress in a classic strand of pearls, overlooking her own grave. Her big, black hat is covering her eyes, and she’s waring black elbow-length gloves. A somber scene - yet somehow picturesque.
This reference to wearing pearls for somber occasions sparked my interest in their meaning… will the pearls provide her solace, or are they to signify her sadness?
So I did a little research on the significance of pearls in some lesser-known stories, movies and songs, and…
And I found the story of a Princess of Travancore.
A Princess of Travancore was kidnapped by a King and taken to his ship. A Brahman wished that a storm would destroy the fleet, and bring the Princess back to her home. As they sailed away, a storm blew over the boat and the Princess was lost at sea. After the storm…
“Now, when the elements were at peace again, the King gave orders that certain fishermen of his people who were expert divers should explore the bottom of the sea where the ships of the Rover were destroyed. One of these discovered the body of the Princess and brought it to shore. And when they prepared it for burial the women found fastened upon one of the hands a shellfish, the two shells of which had closed upon a finger when it fell between them as they gaped. And when the shells were pried apart there rolled from between them a round bone, white and shining, and yet of a luster so soft and beautiful that no man had seen the like. And the Brahman, when he saw it, said: “Herein are the tears of Heaven which fell into the sea, congealed and have become a gem which is beyond price.” And he named it “Pearl,” and carried it to the King. Then the King, after he had heard the story of it, sent for the chief man of them that worked in gold and commanded him that he make for the pearl a setting most precious, and when it was done, he gave it to the Prince, his son, saying: “Above all things let this be first among the jewels of Travancore forever.” And the Prince, when he looked upon it said, “The beauty of it is like the brightness of her eyes when they veiled themselves before my passion,” and he prized it more than all the diamonds and rubies in his treasure house.
I couldn’t help but recognize another connection to the song: “sink me in the river at dawn, send me away with the words of a love song”. Did The Band Perry know the legend? Or is it just a coincidence? Either way, it entertained me for a good half hour today… here are a few other things I found:
There is a comedy from 1937 called “Pearls Bring Tears” , which seems to be sort of attempt at turning what my research found to be a commonly quoted phrase “Pearls Bring Tears” into a full length film. It doesn’t seem to have been a big hit. I assume it would be like making a movie out of the slogan “look left, right and left again.” A terrible idea.
There is song titled Pearls Bring Tears, by Kraków Loves Adana. I like it OK. Let me know what you think.
If you’re just hearing the phrase, “Pearls bring tears”, (as I was), it does seem that the phrase has its origins from ancient times, when people thought that pearls were the tears of angels or of the moon. But they don’t necessarily bring tears to those who wear them - in fact, the Greeks associated pearls with love and marriage, thinking that pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent the bride from crying on her wedding day. Did I mention we have a bridal line?
In Ancient Rome, pearls were recognized as a sign of wealth and social status and believed to promote a long and healthy life.
Also, during battle in Crusades,knights would wear pearls for protection (not as armor, but as good luck charms!)
Ashley
