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.
Like a Stone
Chris Cornell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a room full of emptiness
By a freeway I confess
I was lost in the pages
Of a book full of death
Reading how we'll die alone
And if we're good we'll lay to rest
Anywhere we want to go
In your house I long to be
Room by room patiently
I'll wait for you there
Like a stone I'll wait for you there
Alone
On my deathbed I will pray
To the gods and the angels
Like a pagan to anyone
Who will take me to heaven
To a place I call
I was there so long ago
The sky was bruised
The wine was bled
And there you led me on
In your house I long to be
Room by room patiently
I'll wait for you there
Like a stone I'll wait for you there
Alone
And on I read
Until the day was gone
And I sat in regret
Of all the things I've done
For all that I've blessed
And all that I've wronged
In dreams until my death
I will wander on
The song "Like a Stone" by Chris Cornell is a melancholic tribute to loneliness, mortality and memories. The lyrics render a sense of intense introspection that could only have come from experiencing the desolation and catharsis of scraping rock bottom. The opening line, "On a cobweb afternoon in a room full of emptiness" suggests a lost soul wandering aimlessly in a dark mental state. The reference to the freeway is also symbolic of one's journey through life, being lost and directionless, and feeling isolated amidst the chaos of everyday living. The singer is seen escaping to the comfortable refuge of an imaginary world depicted in a book full of death, which contains descriptions of dying alone, and being laid to rest after a lifetime of struggle. Despite the bleak motif, there is some faint hope expressed in the mention of "Anywhere we want to go," signifying a final release from the earthly suffering.
Against this backdrop of despair, the second stanza of the song takes on a more poignant tone, with the singer expressing a deep longing for intimacy and companionship. The words "In your house I long to be, room by room patiently, I'll wait for you there/Like a stone I'll wait for you there alone" capture the essence of a yearning heart that is seeking a permanent rendezvous, however improbable or impossible this may appear. The image of waiting "like a stone," invokes the idea of being steadfast and persistent, despite the passage of time and the ambivalence of the beloved. The last stanza of the song picks up on the theme of regret and penitence, as the singer looks back on the choices made and their inevitable consequences. The words "And on I read, until the day was gone/And I sat in regret of all the things I've done," highlight the sense of remorse and futility that often accompanies the realization of one's own mortality.
In summary, "Like a Stone" is a hauntingly beautiful song that lingers in the mind, long after the last note has faded away. Its depth and complexity are a testament to the lyrical genius of Chris Cornell, who weaves a poignant tale of despair and loss, set against a backdrop of hope, longing and redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
On a cobweb afternoon
On a slow, hazy day
In a room full of emptiness
In a room with nothing in it
By a freeway I confess
Admitting a secret by a busy road
I was lost in the pages
Getting lost in a book's words
Of a book full of death
A book about mortality
Reading how we'll die alone
Learning that we all die alone
And if we're good we'll lay to rest
If we are deserving, we will be buried peacefully
Anywhere we want to go
The freedom to choose where we want to go after death
In your house I long to be
Desiring to be in your home
Room by room patiently
Waiting in every room until you arrive
I'll wait for you there
Patiently waiting for you in your home
Like a stone I'll wait for you there
Unwaveringly constant in waiting
Alone
By oneself
On my deathbed I will pray
As death approaches, I will ask for help
To the gods and the angels
Seeking assistance from higher powers
Like a pagan to anyone
Asking anyone who can help, regardless of faith or beliefs
Who will take me to heaven
Wanting to go to heaven
To a place I call
To a location that is familiar
I was there so long ago
Remembering a place from long ago
The sky was bruised
The sky was dark and stormy
The wine was bled
The wine was used, consumed
And there you led me on
You guided me there
And on I read
Continuing to read
Until the day was gone
Until the day ended
And I sat in regret
Feeling remorseful
Of all the things I've done
Regretting all my actions
For all that I've blessed
Being thankful for all I have
And all that I've wronged
Feeling guilty for everything I have done wrong
In dreams until my death
Dreaming until the end
I will wander on
Continuing to travel and explore
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Timothy Commerford, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Brad Wilk
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@giankragazzo571
On a cobweb afternoon
In a room full of emptiness
By a freeway I confess
I was lost in the pages
Of a book full of death
Reading how we'll die alone
And if we're good, we'll lay to rest
Anywhere we want to go
In your house, I long to be
Room by room, patiently
I'll wait for you there
Like a stone
I'll wait for you there
Alone
And on my deathbed I will pray
To the gods and the angels
Like a pagan to anyone
Who will take me to heaven
To a place I recall
I was there so long ago
The sky was bruised
The wine was bled
And there you led me on
In your house, I long to be
Room by room, patiently
I'll wait for you there
Like a stone
I'll wait for you there
Alone
Alone
And on I read
Until the day was gone
And I sat in regret
Of all the things I've done
For all that I've blessed
And all that I've wronged
In dreams until my death
I will wander on
In your house, I long to be
Room by room, patiently
I'll wait for you there
Like a stone
I'll wait for you there
Alone
Alone
@FreebieBabe
On a cob web afternoon,
In a room full of emptiness
By a freeway I confess
I was lost in the pages of a book full of death;
Reading how we'll die alone.
And if we're good we'll lay to rest,
Anywhere we want to go.
In your house I long to be;
Room by room patiently,
I'll wait for you there like a stone.
I'll wait for you there alone.
@katrinkasanfranciscobayare7364
@@onemancarnage
Thank you Bryan.
You know, I've Loved, borrowed and shared these words for several years now.
Please feel free to borrow and share them as well.
These words helped me out so much when I was down.
So I typed it up, printed it on pretty paper and had it laminated.
I passed out over fifty to a hundred copies throughout the years.
I appreciate your kind messages.
Have a great weekend Bryan.
Mahalo and Aloha
From Katrinka,
San Francisco Bay Area🌺🌴
@chicken
no matter how many years have passed, this will remain one of my favorite songs of all time
@kristasingleton6179
Me too!! And also one my top favorite videos of all time. I always thought I liked the long hair better. However, he's gorgeous in this, so I can't decide. ❤
@RafaelMora-mp3wn
The longe time.
@josevazquez7475
Yeaah
@pedroantonio8526
You said the same on "losing my religion"
@user-nv1fu5dc8c
I know, I feel the same. There is something so haunting about it! Sometimes I hear it in my sleep.
@KDB13404
My son suffered from depression, he took his own life 2/4/24. Ever since his death I hear this song in my head, when I wake up, during the day and at night it will pop into my head. I am devastated and will never get over my sons death. I want to wake up from this nightmare but I can’t. I miss my son so much. Rip Brandon my heart is forever broken. To anyone who suffers from depression know that what suicide leaves behind to family and friends is a never ending hell. Stay strong, get help and call a loved one to help you through your pain.
@amrodriguez4989
sorry to hear of your loss.
@cronicarieschick6923
I'm so sorry for your loss and I'm constantly fighting depression I think sometimes the only thing stopping me is my kids everyday for years now every night when my kids are asleep I spend my time in tears and I pray my children never feel like this smh I can't even pretend to imagine how much pain you feel it's not fair and ik he has no idea that him ending his pain that way would cause u as much pain that he felt I'm so sorry
@wetworksyt4446
may he rest in peace i will pray for him.