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.
No Such Thing
Chris Cornell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the rain got in and ruined it all
Then I tried to be invisible
It was impossible
Even for me
I laughed at love, it was a big mistake
In the absence of I filled it with hate
'Cause there's no such thing as nothing
Yeah there's no such thing as nothing at all
I had the brains not to think at all
But the rain got in
And I thought too hard
On the world, and as usual
I slumped too far into the void
I tried to make everything meaningless
But the rain got in and made it a mess
'Cause there's no such thing as nothing
Yeah there's no such thing as nothing at all
Yeah there's no such thing as nothing
But my finger's on the trigger
And I'll turn off the world
So what gives me the right
To think that I could throw away a life?
Even mine
And what makes you believe
That you could get away with getting old?
Overlapping me
Maybe to lose or to save your soul
Is a choice of how you fill the hole
And the rain got in
'Cause there's no such thing as nothing
Yeah there's no such thing as nothing at all
There's no such thing as nothing
But my finger's on the trigger
And I'll turn off the world
In Chris Cornell's song "No Such Thing," the singer reflects on his outlook on life and the world around him. He initially saw the world as beautiful, but then the rain (symbolic of negativity) got in and ruined it all. Instead of confronting his problems, he tried to be invisible and make everything pointless except for his hate. However, he soon realizes that there's no such thing as nothing as even his finger is on the trigger, and he could potentially destroy everything.
By laughing at love and filling it with hate, he's made everything meaningless. He's lost his way and has thought too hard about the world. He believes that he can throw away his life, and he questions why anyone should get old. His finger is on the trigger, meaning that he feels like he's at the end of his rope and could potentially end the world.
The song is about the struggles that people go through when they're feeling overwhelmed and consumed by negativity. The singer turns to hate and apathy, unable to see any value in the world anymore. However, he eventually realizes that he's the one in control and that he can choose to fill the void in his life with something positive.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw the world, it was beautiful
I gazed upon and greatly appreciated the beauty that the world had to offer.
But the rain got in and ruined it all
However, unfortunate circumstances arose and caused my once-beautiful world to become a mess.
Then I tried to be invisible
I attempted to fade into the background and not bring attention to myself.
It was impossible
This endeavor proved to be futile.
Even for me
Despite my desire to be invisible, I was unable to accomplish this goal.
I laughed at love, it was a big mistake
I made the foolish decision to mock the concept of love.
In the absence of I filled it with hate
In lieu of love, I allowed hatred to permeate within me.
'Cause there's no such thing as nothing
It's important to remember that the absence of something does not necessarily mean nothingness.
Yeah there's no such thing as nothing at all
This point is further emphasized; there is always something present, even if it might not be easily seen.
I had the brains not to think at all
I initially chose to avoid thinking about things entirely.
But the rain got in
However, external factors disrupted my ability to maintain this state of mind.
And I thought too hard
As a result, I overcompensated and began focusing too much on my thoughts.
On the world, and as usual
These thoughts centered around the state of the world, as had happened numerous times before.
I slumped too far into the void
My focus on negative aspects of the world caused me to fall into an emotional abyss, where I felt alone and dejected.
I tried to make everything meaningless
In response, I made an effort to strip everything of its value.
But the rain got in and made it a mess
Yet again, external forces interfered and caused chaos and disruption to this attempt.
And my finger's on the trigger
This turmoil has led me to contemplating a drastic action.
And I'll turn off the world
I aim to shut out everything around me, as if turning off the entire world.
So what gives me the right
I question whether I am even justified in holding these dark thoughts.
To think that I could throw away a life?
Am I really in a position where I can discard life so easily?
Even mine
This includes my own life, which I am unsure about valuing.
And what makes you believe
I further question the beliefs of others.
That you could get away with getting old?
What gives anyone the right to age and continue living while others are suffering?
Overlapping me
This thought of others living while I suffer overlaps with my current despair.
Maybe to lose or to save your soul
Perhaps the key to overcoming this turmoil is a matter of either losing or saving one's soul.
Is a choice of how you fill the hole
This decision hinges on what you do to fill the void that you might feel.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CHRIS CORNELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@musicalone9689
If anyone ever thought Chris couldn't "rock out" as a solo artist, here's one from the album Carry On that should hopefully change their minds... This is definitely one to crank up! Love it!! Besides the music, I also think this song shows off the passion Chris uses when singing and his insightful lyric writing. One of my favorite lines that he's ever written comes from this song:
"Maybe to lose
Or to save your soul
Is a choice of how
You fill the hole..."
The video may be a bit graphic for some, but I think the purpose is to emphasize the meaning and intensity of the lyrics. It is art.
~Musical One
Owner/Manager of the Chris Cornell Community
@lysyrg251911
I saw the world, it was beautiful
But the rain got in and ruined it all
Then I tried to be invisible
It was impossible
Even for me
I laughed at love, it was a big mistake
In the absence of I filled it with hate
'Cause there's no such thing as nothing
Yeah there's no such thing as nothing at all
I had the brains not to think at all
But the rain got in
And I thought too hard
On the world, and as usual
I slumped too far into the void
I tried to make everything meaningless
But the rain got in and made it a mess
'Cause there's no such thing as nothing
Yeah there's no such thing as nothing at all
Yeah there's no such thing as nothing
But my finger's on the trigger
And I'll turn off the world
So what gives me the right
To think that I could throw away a life?
Even mine
And what makes you believe
That you could get away with getting old?
Overlapping me
Maybe to lose or to save your soul
Is a choice of how you fill the hole
And the rain got in
'Cause there's no such thing as nothing
Yeah there's no such thing as nothing at all
There's no such thing as nothing
But my finger's on the trigger
And I'll turn off the world
@jesseblack3421
My friend Fernie directed this video and said that Chris and his wife were super cool people. God bless you Chris.
@ilovecornell
Jesse Black omg!! Yes he did, in Sylmar, I helped manage the talent, i was assisting the Casting Director. it was so much fun I was wondering if any of the kids who were in the video were on here making comments I wanted to say hello to everyone. They were fun to work with, it was a great week. My heart is broken. Chris was the love of my life. I knew the Assistant AD John. He still makes fun of me and we laugh about this whenever I run into him because I was a mess crying all week because I could hardly contain myself, I was trying to hide the fact that I was obsessed with Chris. I'd tell you to say hello to Fernie but he won't remember me.
@AllrondSoul
Must have been such an honour. I'm envious and happy at the same time, that Chirs was able to meet such great people like you two. Chris was also a really important part of my life too, and I think getting through the first phase of denial itself will take me years. I live on the other side of the planet, but I felt closer to him than to people around me.
@CentaurPress
Fernie is talented human🙏
@ETBlair
How would the world be different today if Chris Cornell and his first wife, Susan Silver, had not divorced???
@MsHorrified
😂
@liprincessprincess
I always loved this song. Carry On is the Chris project I will defend until the end of time. Sleep well, Chris. I am still in disbelief four years later.
@JynxedKoma
Still in disbelief five years later.
@gregbishop4145
I've never found a song that explains my life more than this song. Simply amazing
@dragonclaws9367
Me too