Black Hole Sun
Paul Anka Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Indisposed
In disguise
As no one knows
Hides the face
Lies the snake
The sun
In my disgrace
Boiling heat
Summer stench
'Neath the black
The sky looks dead
Call my name
Through the cream
And I'll hear you
Scream again
Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come?
Won't you come?
Stuttering
Cold and damp
Steal the warm wind
Tired friend
Times are gone
For honest men
And sometimes
Far too long
For snakes
In my shoes
A walking sleep
And my youth
I pray to keep
Heaven send
Hell away
No one sings
Like you
Anymore
Hang my head
Drown my fear
'Til you all just
Disappear
The lyrics to Paul Anka's song Black Hole Sun are full of vivid and evocative imagery that suggest themes of depression and desperation. The opening lines, "In my eyes, indisposed / In disguise, as no one knows," suggest that the singer is struggling to conceal their emotional turmoil, perhaps even from themselves. The "snake" referenced in the third line may be a metaphor for deceit or malice, lurking beneath the surface of the singer's persona.
The second verse paints a bleak picture of summer, with "boiling heat" and a "summer stench" that seems to exacerbate the singer's feelings of discomfort and alienation. The reference to the "black" sky also reinforces a sense of doom and despair. The chorus, with its repeated refrain of "Black hole sun, won't you come / And wash away the rain," further underscores this mood.
The third verse establishes a sense of weariness and resignation, with the singer feeling trapped in a cycle of "walking sleep" and clinging to memories of youth. The final lines, "Hang my head / Drown my fear / 'Til you all just disappear," suggest a desire to escape or somehow be freed from this overwhelming sense of despair.
Overall, the lyrics to Black Hole Sun suggest a deep and abiding sense of hopelessness, with the singer struggling to maintain their facade of normalcy even as they feel themselves being pulled deeper into a psychic void.
Line by Line Meaning
In my eyes
I see things a certain way
Indisposed
I'm not feeling well
In disguise
I'm hiding something
As no one knows
No one knows the real me
Hides the face
I'm ashamed of who I am
Lies the snake
Deception is ever-present
The sun
Hope shines down
In my disgrace
I'm shameful
Boiling heat
The world is hot with tension
Summer stench
The world is decaying
'Neath the black
Underneath the darkness
The sky looks dead
There's no hope in sight
Call my name
I need someone to reach out to me
Through the cream
Through the fog or confusion
And I'll hear you
I'll be listening for you
Scream again
I need you to express your pain again
Black hole sun
There's a void inside
Won't you come
Please help me fill this void
And wash away the rain
And cleanse me of my sorrow
Stuttering
I can't speak clearly
Cold and damp
The world is frozen
Steal the warm wind
Hope is fleeting
Tired friend
I'm worn out
Times are gone
Things have changed
For honest men
For those with integrity
And sometimes
But sometimes
Far too long
For what seems like forever
For snakes
For those who aren't trustworthy
In my shoes
In my position
A walking sleep
I'm sleepwalking through life
And my youth
And my innocence
I pray to keep
I hope I never lose it
Heaven send
Please help me
Hell away
I'm in a dark place
No one sings
No one understands
Like you
Like you did
Anymore
It feels like everything's changed
Hang my head
I feel defeated
Drown my fear
I'm trying to cope with my anxiety
'Til you all just
Until you all
Disappear
Leave me alone
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Christopher J. Cornell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mir5724
In my eyes
Indisposed
In disguise
As no one knows
Hides the face
Lies the snake
The sun
In my disgrace
Boiling heat
Summer stench
'Neath the black
The sky looks dead
Call my name
Through the cream
And I'll hear you
Scream again
Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come
Stuttering
Cold and damp
Steal the warm wind
Tired friend
Times are gone
For honest men
And sometimes
Far too long
For snakes
In my shoes
A walking sleep
And my youth
I pray to keep
Heaven send
Hell away
No one sings
Like you
Anymore
Hang my head
Drown my fear
Till you all just
Disappear 2018
@RB_0.77
This great rendition epitomises how truly great a piece of songwriting Black Hole sun is. Miss you Chris.
@slaphead8835
Well said. It’s a strong and beautiful piece of music and Mr. Anka’s respectful rendition of this wonderful tune is literally wonderful.
@jmferris1138
at first I thought "I beg your pardon?" However, it's Mr. Anka's interpretation of this song. Soundgarden makes it rock, Paul Anka makes it swing. Thank God there is room in this world for both versions to exist.
@veggiet2009
and now Postmodern Jukebox's version. Honestly I don't know which version i like better, this one is more laid back, but that one has Haley's vocals and violins.
@Tmanaz480
jmferris1138 ... the fact that it works in two such diverse arrangements shows that the song has "good bones". RIP Chris C.
@joseventurausmc
I just saw that Chris had told BBC that this was one of his favorite versions of the song.
@williamknell864
Well put.
@Vajrabrother
"Thank God there is room (space) in this world for both versions "
Hmmm, it seems that room or space is always within a mind or soul allowing it !
Possibly you have this room or space(iousness) !?
Well , Paul can ("still") sing .... and I like his mellow rendition ..... or am not with the swing !! (it seems to jumpy or "uppity" in contrast to the lyrical content !)
@nthdegree1269
One thing I am impressed with Anka on. He takes these songs, and actually makes them sound like they came from that era. I don't know how he did it. If your not paying attention, you might not even know and just think it was from way back when.
@zeejustin6
it honestly had me fooled for a bit, and i was a big black hole sun soundgarden guy back in 1994, haha. Patheticness on my part, mostly.