In 1984 he formed the band Soundgarden with bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Throughout the late 1980s and 90s, Soundgarden experienced major success as one of the major grunge bands (along with groups such as Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam).
In 1990, Chris Cornell worked together with the (then) Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron, and Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament and Mike McCready (who would later form Pearl Jam) in a project named Temple of the Dog. They wrote a 10 song album as a tribute to Andrew Wood, the singer of Mother Love Bone who had died the year before of a heroin overdose.
In 1997 Soundgarden split at the zenith of their popularity due to tensions in the group and Chris began a solo career. He released the sucessful album Euphoria Morning. Out of this album came the single Can't Change Me.
When Zack De La Rocha left Rage Against The Machine in 2001, Chris Cornell joined the instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine to form the band Audioslave.
In 2006 Chris recorded a theme song for the James Bond 007 movie, "Casino Royale", titled You Know My Name, which is used as the opening song.
In the fall of 2006, Cornell started recording his second solo album Carry On, with producer Steve Lillywhite. Among some fellow artists who are expected to accompany him on his second solo release is friend and legendary musician Gary Lucas, who has contributed acoustic guitar to some of the tracks. Cornell has stated that he is always writing, and that there are some songs that he was not able to put into an Audioslave album. Carry On was released in the summer of 2007.
On February 15, 2007, Chris Cornell issued a statement that he was leaving Audioslave, shortly after Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk reunited with their former vocalist Zack de la Rocha to reform Rage Against the Machine.
Chris Cornell released his third solo album, Scream, with American rapper and record producer Timbaland on February 3rd, 2009. This album was a critical failure, and sold poorly. It is rumored that he is going to try and "De-Timbalandize" the tracks.
On January 1st, 2010, Chris Cornell announced the reunion of Soundgarden after a 12 year hiatus.
Chris Cornell was extremely revered among the music listeners for his powerful multi-octave singing and gritty, soulful vocal style. He was a baritone with an ability to sing extremely high in the tenor range, as well as in the lower register of a baritone voice. He showcased this in various songs, most notably the studio and the demo versions of "Beyond the Wheel", where he can be heard spanning three octaves. He has also experimented with various different vocal styles, ranging from light falsetto to brutal screams and chants.
On May 17, 2017, Cornell died in Detroit after performing at a show with Soundgarden. He committed suicide by hanging himself in his hotel room. Footage of his final concert was posted to YouTube.
Disappearing One
Chris Cornell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cursing my name cause again I put you out
Falling apart, you tell yourself you are
Dreaming only of the ones who never dream of you
I'm your disappearing one
Vanish when the curtain's drawn
But I will come again, and you will let me in
And you'll see I never disappear for long
Into your room I stumble now
Too tired to cower, and it's too late to draw you out
And there you lie like a painting of Christ
Bleeding on the heads of the ones who nailed you down
I'm your disappearing one
Vanish when the curtain's drawn
But I will come again, and you will let me in
And you'll see I never disappear for long
The lyrics of Chris Cornell's song Disappearing One highlight the theme of a toxic relationship. The opening line, "What have you done, my little spark?" suggests that the singer is a volatile character who has caused trouble in the past. The second line, "Cursing my name cause again I put you out," is a reference to this person's tendency to act impulsively and without thinking of the consequences. The following lines, "Falling apart, you tell yourself you are/Dreaming only of the ones who never dream of you," reveal the other person's codependency and lack of self-love. The singer is aware of this and intentionally disappears to avoid the drama, but always returns, knowing that the other person will let them back in.
The second verse continues with the image of the singer stumbling into the other person's room, exhausted and defeated, unable to resist their pull. The line "And there you lie like a painting of Christ/Bleeding on the heads of the ones who nailed you down," is a stark metaphor that suggests the other person is both a victim and a martyr, as well as possibly guilty of causing their own pain. The chorus repeats, emphasizing that the singer always comes back, but also setting up the possibility that this cycle of attraction and rejection will continue indefinitely.
Overall, Disappearing One captures the complexity and emotional intensity of a relationship that is both destructive and irresistible. It portrays the push and pull of two people who are drawn to each other despite the harm they cause, and the sense that they are doomed to repeat the same pattern over and over again.
Line by Line Meaning
What have you done, my little spark?
Asking someone about what they did to cause a fire to be extinguished.
Cursing my name cause again I put you out
Blaming someone for putting out an emotional or passionate flame.
Falling apart, you tell yourself you are
Feeling like everything is falling apart and telling oneself that it is indeed the case.
Dreaming only of the ones who never dream of you
Constantly thinking about people who don't reciprocate the same level of interest in one's life.
I'm your disappearing one
Being someone who always seems to disappear when people need them the most.
Vanish when the curtain's drawn
Disappearing when the spotlight isn't on someone anymore.
But I will come again, and you will let me in
Promising to come back and let oneself back in after disappearing for a while.
And you'll see I never disappear for long
Assuring someone that they won't be gone for too long and will always come back.
Into your room I stumble now
Entering someone's space and not being focused or fully present.
Too tired to cower, and it's too late to draw you out
Feeling too exhausted to make an effort to hide in fear, and also not being able to successfully reach out to someone for help.
And there you lie like a painting of Christ
Describing someone as still and unmoving, similar to how Christ is depicted in paintings.
Bleeding on the heads of the ones who nailed you down
Experiencing pain because of people who restrained, hurt, or betrayed them in some way.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRIS CORNELL, ALAIN JOHANNES, NATASHA SHNEIDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind