Permanent Broken Heart by Eels explores themes of enduring pain, loss, and the struggle to heal after a profound emotional heartbreak. The song delves into the lingering ache and the difficulty of moving on from a significant emotional wound. The key themes include heartache, emotional resilience, and the passage of time. Poignant moments include lyrics that describe the feeling of being perpetually wounded and the imagery that conveys the depth of the emotional scars left behind.