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.
When I'm Down
Chris Cornell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The door is opening on your vigil
And I'm in my usual way
I save my breath, knowing what you're
Wanting me to say
I only love you when I'm down
You say that midnight opens its arms to me
Leaving you alone, and I fly so far away
And I have nowhere to roam
I only love you when I'm down
And I only love you when I'm down
And I'm only near you when I'm gone
But one thing for you to keep in mind, you know
I'm down all the time
Well I know you're reaching out
And you need to feel my hand
You want to be understood, yeah well I understand
I know you hold precious little hope for me
And in your hapiness
I'm always drowning in my grief
And I only love you when I'm down
And I'm only near you when I'm gone
But one thing for you to keep in mind, you know
I'm down all the time
All the time, all the time, all the time
The lyrics of Chris Cornell's song "When I'm Down" seem to be about a person who only wants to be near someone when they are feeling low or depressed. The phrase "I only love you when I'm down" expresses the idea that when they are feeling good, they do not need anyone else and are content being alone. However, when they are sad or struggling, they reach out to this person who they seem to have a complicated relationship with. The chorus, "And I'm only near you when I'm gone, but one thing for you to keep in mind, you know I'm down all the time," further emphasizes that the singer struggles with their emotions and that their relationship with this person is strained.
The second stanza seems to be addressed directly to the person the singer is referring to in the first stanza. The singer acknowledges that the person wants to "be understood" and that they "hold precious little hope" for the singer. The line "I'm always drowning in my grief" highlights the idea that the singer is always struggling and that their sadness is a barrier to their relationship with this person. Despite this, the singer seems to care for the person and understand their needs.
Overall, the song seems to be a reflection on the challenges of relationships when one person is struggling with mental health issues. The lyrics convey a sense of distance and isolation, but also a hint of hope that the relationship can be salvaged if both parties are willing to work at it.
Line by Line Meaning
What say you now?
What do you have to say?
The door is opening on your vigil
You can finally move on from mourning.
And I'm in my usual way
I'm being my normal self.
I save my breath, knowing what you're Wanting me to say
I choose to remain silent because I know what you're expecting me to say.
I only love you when I'm down
I'm only capable of loving you when I'm feeling low.
You say that midnight opens its arms to me
You think I'm drawn to the darkness.
Leaving you alone, and I fly so far away
I tend to leave you behind and go off on my own.
Until the light blurs my vision
I lose sight of what's important.
And I have nowhere to roam
I feel lost in life.
And I'm only near you when I'm gone
I'm only emotionally present when I'm physically absent.
But one thing for you to keep in mind, you know I'm down all the time
You should know that I'm always struggling with my emotional state.
Well I know you're reaching out
I understand that you're seeking connection.
And you need to feel my hand
You need me to be supportive.
You want to be understood, yeah well I understand
You want to be heard and I empathize with you.
I know you hold precious little hope for me
You have lost faith in my ability to improve.
And in your hapiness I'm always drowning in my grief
Seeing you happy makes me feel even more sad.
But one thing for you to keep in mind, you know I'm down all the time, all the time, all the time, all the time
Just remember that I'm always struggling with my emotions.
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP
Written by: CHRIS CORNELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@darlenekovach502
I can't believe 96 people gave this a thumbs down. The man sang like an angel and this was one of his best performances. How do you not like it?
@jilljones7676
Man f those people. Everything he did was magical and we were blessed to have him and those blessings continue through his voice no matter what he is singing
@marlae.hutchinson292
♥️🎼🌟👏🏽🙏🏽
@maleym2439
Maybe they had covid so they lost taste
@ParallelSoundInc
Haters gonna hate bro!
@issacreynoso8483
Haters they every where everything he did WAS MAGICAL
@kristinekarlson113
Absolute masterpiece. I had to comment, because this performance is criminally under-viewed. It’s one of the best pieces of songwriting and best performances of all time. He is so dearly missed.
@roncougar1
I envy anyone who was blessed to be able to see Chris Cornell live. Long live the soul of Chris Cornell, you are missed.
@monicab7533
3 times... the best memories of my life. So much so that I got his signature tattooed on me a few weeks ago. RIP.
@accesosinmobiliarios7557
@Monica B You have been so blessed dear Monica.