A recently reunited Soundgarden return from a 13-year absence with 'Black Rain,' a newly released song from their upcoming greatest hits album 'Telephantasm: A Retrospective.'
From the moment the guitars explode and twist out of your speakers, it's clear this song finds Soundgarden in top form. Turns out there's a reason for that; this song was recorded during sessions for the band's classic 1991 album 'Badmotorfinger.'
Lead singer Chris Cornell hit the nail on the head when he told USA Today that 'Black Rain' captures "that super heavy version (of the band) we were finally realizing to its fullest potential about 1991."
While the rhythm guitar and bass stomp across the low end like a modern-day Black Sabbath, Cornell's piercing vocals share space with a jagged, almost backwards-sounding lead guitar line as he repeatedly wails: "Cry on, black rain."
Soundgarden broke up in 1997 citing creative differences, with Cornell going on to join Audioslave and drummer Matt Cameron joining their friends in Pearl Jam.
'Telephantasm: A Retrospective,' will be available Oct. 5 as both a hit-intensive one-CD version and a three-disc version with more deep album tracks and a DVD full of videos.
Black Rain
Soundgarden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For your wings to cover me and let them fold
Half alive, I heard the most brilliant lie
Sleepless eyes, close the light
And rest your mind while you burn
Can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Cry on black rain, cry on black rain
Cry on black rain
If I could hug my love could I try
For your wings to cover me unless I fall
Sleepless eyes, close the light
And rest your mind while you burn
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood lets running from a black day
Cry on black rain, cry on black rain
Cry on cry on black rain
Black rain, cry on
Black rain, cry on
Cry on
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood that's running from a black day
The lyrics of Soundgarden's song "Black Rain" reflect a sense of despair, loss, and the struggle to cope with the difficult realities of life. The lyrics seem to be about the idea of seeking comfort in a loved one, someone who can provide shelter from the metaphorical "black rain" that is falling down. The first stanza speaks of the desire to be embraced by the person you love and to feel safe and protected within their wings. This imagery seems to represent a desire for refuge from the hardships of life.
The second stanza appears to be about the difficulty of communication and how sometimes it's better not to speak at all. The line "By cutting out your tongue you save face" suggests that sometimes silence is better than saying the wrong thing. The line "Feeding on the blood lets running from a black day" seems to suggest that sometimes it's hard to escape the negativity and darkness that surrounds us. This line can be interpreted as a metaphor for the way people sometimes hide their pain or struggle by "feeding" off the pain of others, all the while running from their own issues.
The repetition of the phrase "cry on black rain" seems to suggest an acceptance of the difficult situations in life, but also expresses the need to express emotions and find release. Overall, the lyrics to "Black Rain" express a sense of searching for comfort and safety in the midst of chaos and struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could hug my love, could I try
Wondering if physical affection would help solve their problems
For your wings to cover me and let them fold
Wanting protection and comfort from the person they love
Half alive, I heard the most brilliant lie
Feeling emotionally drained and deceived
Sleepless eyes, close the light
Struggling to find peace and rest at night
And rest your mind while you burn
Trying to find solace in pain or difficult situations
Can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
Nonverbal communication can often be more truthful than spoken words
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Silence can sometimes be better than speaking the truth and risking the consequences
Feeding on the blood lets running from a black day
Finding relief in pain or suffering and using it to escape from negative emotions
Cry on black rain, cry on black rain
Embracing sorrow and allowing it to wash over you
If I could hug my love could I try
Repeating the desire for physical comfort and emotional support
For your wings to cover me unless I fall
Wanting someone to be there for them, even if they make mistakes or fail
Sleepless eyes, close the light
Still struggling with insomnia and finding it hard to sleep
And rest your mind while you burn
Trying to find calm in the midst of difficult situations
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
Repitition of the idea that nonverbal communication is often more truthful
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Continuation of the idea that sometimes silence is the best option
Feeding on the blood that's running from a black day
Continuation of the idea that pain can be used to escape negativity
Cry on black rain, cry on black rain
Re-emphasis of the idea of embracing sadness and letting it out
Cry on cry on black rain
Further emphasizing the importance of accepting and expressing sadness
Black rain, cry on
Final repetition of the central message of the song
Black rain, cry on
Re-emphasis of the importance of embracing sadness
Cry on
Final repetition of the song's message to allow oneself to feel and express sorrow
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CHRIS CORNELL, KIM THAYIL, BEN SHEPHERD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Matías Hermoso Precioso
If I could hug my love, could I try
For your wings to cover me and let them fold
Half alive, I heard the most brilliant lie
Sleepless eyes, close the light
And rest your mind while you burn
Can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood lets running from a black day
Cry on black rain, cry on black rain
Cry on black rain
If I could hug my love could I try
For your wings to cover me unless I fall
Sleepless eyes, close the light
And rest your mind while you burn
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood lets running from a black day
Cry on black rain, cry on black rain
Cry on cry on black rain
Black rain, cry on
Black rain, cry on
Cry on
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood that's running from a black day
Grimm Sleeper
Lyrics
If I could hug my love, could I try
For your wings to cover me and let them fold
Half alive, I heard the most brilliant lie
Sleepless eyes, close the light
And rest your mind while you burn
Can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood lets running from a big day
Cry on black rain, cry on black rain
Cry on black rain
If I could hug my love could I try
For your wings to cover me unless I fall
Sleepless eyes, close the light
And rest your mind while you burn
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood lets running from a black day
Cry on black rain, cry on black rain
Cry on black rain
Black rain, cry on
Black rain, cry on
Cry on
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood that's running from a black
Enzo Goulart
Lyrics:
If I could hug my love, could I try
For your wings to cover me and let them fold
Half alive, I heard the most brilliant lie
Sleepless eyes, close the light
And rest your mind while you burn
Can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood lets running from a black day
Cry on black rain, cry on black rain
Cry on black rain
If I could hug my love could I try
For your wings to cover me unless I fall
Sleepless eyes, close the light
And rest your mind while you burn
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood lets running from a black day
Cry on black rain, cry on black rain
Cry on cry on black rain
Black rain, cry on
Black rain, cry on
Cry on
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood that's running from a black day
REDROOM FOREVER
Verse]
If I could hock my love, could I trade
For your wings to cover me, unless I fall?
Half aligned, I heard the most brilliant lie
To sleep these eyes, closed the light
And lets the mind wide open
[Pre-Hook]
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue, you save face
Or feeding on the blood that's running from a black day
[Hook]
Cry on black rain
Cry on black rain
Cry on black rain
Cry on black rain
[Verse]
If I could hock my love, could I trade
For your wings to cover me, unless I fall?
To sleep these eyes, closed the light
And gets the mind wide open
[Pre-Hook]
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue to save face
Or feeding on the blood that's running from a black day
[Hook - Variation]
Cry on black rain
Cry on black rain
Cry on, cry on black rain
Black rain (cry on)
Black rain (cry on)
(Cry on)
[Pre-Hook]
You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue, you save face
Or feeding on the blood that's running from a black day
M J
If I could, hawk my love, could I trade
For your wings to cover me unless I fall?
Half alive, I heard the most brilliant lie
To sleep is eyes closed to light,
and death's the mind wide open
Can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
Like cutting out your tongue to save face
Or feeding on blood that's running from a black day
Cry on, black rain
Cry on, black rain
Cry on, black rain
If I could, Hawk my love, uh could I trade
For your wings to cover me, unless I fall
To sleep is eyes closed to light
And death's the mind wide open
You can't stutter when you're talkin' with your eyes
Like cuttin' out your tongue to save face
Or feedin' on blood that's runnin' from a black day
Cry on, black rain
Cry on, black rain
Cry on, cry on, black rain
Black rain, (cry on) black rain (cry on)
(Cry on)
You can't stutter when you're talkin' with your eyes
Like cuttin' out your tongue to save face
Or feedin' on the blood that's runnin' from a black day
dloubs
Craziest thing about this song is that there are 2 very distinct eras of Chris Cornell’s voice on display here. His youthful power in the verses and his older richness in the chorus. They ended up not releasing this one way back when as they just weren’t satisfied with it, and coming back years later they finally finished it and damn if that doesn’t show how this man aged like fine wine I don’t know what does. Fucking stellar. I miss you so much Chris.
Sirius Elh
I think they are two different takes. The chorus appears to have been recorded more recently. If you hear the Isolated vocal track you will notice a change of tone in the frequencies. In the demo version, for example, you can hear the old Cornell in the chorus.
Lisa Parsons
Yes I agree miss Chris Cornell awesome Singer and so talented with a awesome voice,may Chris Cornell RIP 💐
Jean-Luc Picard
This was originally one of the several versions of Fell on Black Days, I believe you can even find a studio take on youtube with the original chorus. Here the chorus "Cry on black rain" was newly recorded material for this release. The older Chris is a nice touch that adds a lot of darkness to the song with very little, as he had developed a mature timbre with a stirring vibrato, soulful resonance and beautiful harmonies.
Fransen Music
The chorus sounds like it might have been 96 maybe?
Vitor Hugo Carvalho
"Cornell had the songwriting skills of the Beatles, the weight of Black Sabbah, and a powerful voice like Mercury." - DAVE GROHL
He was everything!!
Norah Herbie
He sure did..miss him so much 😢
Lisa Parsons
Yes I agree 💯 Chris Cornell a awesome singer, talented song writer skills, like the Beatles and the weight like black Sabbath powerful voice
Lisa Parsons
@Norah Herbie yes I agree miss Chris Cornell awesome Singer I remember in the 1990when I was 24,so sad he passed away May Chris Cornell RIP 💐
MysticPaul97
That means a lot coming from the baterist of Nirvana! For God's sake, he had a great voice, such an amazing talent, a loving wife, friends who shared music with him, tons of people enjoying his music everyday, songs that marked the childhood of millions, songs that revolutionized music, recognition from many great musicians, and yet he's gone... My God he left too soon.