Soundgarden are associated with grunge, a style of alternative rock that developed in Seattle. After releasing two EPs on the Seattle-based label Sub-Pop in 1987 and 1988, their debut album, Ultramega OK was released on the California-based independent label SST Records in 1989. While the album did not sell well nationally, it gained critical acclaim and was nominated for a Grammy award in 1990. They recorded their second album, Louder Than Love, independently but had signed with major label A&M Records in the interim, and released the album as their major label debut. Unlike their debut, which had failed to chart, Louder Than Love peaked at number 108 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Released the same day as fellow Seattle grunge act Nirvana's album Nevermind, their third album Badmotorfinger would bring Soundgarden to national acclaim for the first time, buoyed by the popularity of the singles "Jesus Christ Pose", "Outshined", and "Rusty Cage", the album would reach number 39 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA. Soundgarden was one of the seminal creators of grunge, a style of alternative rock that developed in Seattle, and was the first of a number of grunge bands to sign to the record label Sub Pop. Soundgarden was also one of the first grunge bands to sign to a major label (A&M Records in 1989), though they did not achieve commercial success until they popularized the genre in the early 1990s with Seattle contemporaries Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana.
Soundgarden achieved its biggest success with the 1994 album Superunknown, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and yielded the Grammy Award-winning singles "Spoonman" and "Black Hole Sun". In 1996, the band experimented with new sonic textures on their follow-up album Down on the Upside, which debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned several hit singles of its own, including "Burden in My Hand" and "Blow Up the Outside World". In 1997, the band broke up due to internal strife over its creative direction and exhaustion from touring. After more than a decade of working on projects and other bands, Soundgarden reunited in 2010, and Republic Records released their sixth and final studio album, King Animal, two years later.
As of 2019, Soundgarden sold more than 14 million records in the United States, and an estimated 30 million worldwide. VH1 ranked Soundgarden at number 14 in their special 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundgarden
Studio albums
Ultramega OK (1988)
Louder Than Love (1989)
Badmotorfinger (1991)
Superunknown (1994)
Down on the Upside (1996)
King Animal (2012)
Cold Bitch
Soundgarden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On your breast
I might lay my crowded head
In your light
I might bathe in cold burnt sweat
In your mouth
I might feel the serpent's kiss
In you womb
But in your heart I'd freeze
In your heart I'd freeze
In your heart I'd freeze
In your heart I'd freeze
In your eyes
I might be your saving grace
In your head
I might say it through your eyes
In your lungs
I might stare between you
In your heart I'd freeze
In your heart I'd freeze
In your heart I'd freeze
In your heart I'd freeze
I'd freeze
I would feed your heart
Take a vow of silence
And put your love out of business
But in your heart
In your heart I'd freeze
In your heart I'd freeze
In your heart I'd freeze
In Soundgarden's song "Cold Bitch," the lyrics express a desire to be intimate with someone, but with a sense of detachment and fear. The singer wants to lay his head on the person's breast and bathe in their light, but he also expects to feel the serpent's kiss in the person's mouth and swim in fetal bliss in their womb. The contradictory imagery of warmth and coldness in these lines suggests that the singer feels ambivalent about intimacy and may fear being consumed by the other person.
The repetition of the phrase "in your heart I'd freeze" highlights the central theme of the song, which is the fear of being emotionally frozen or trapped in a relationship. The singer wants to be the other person's saving grace and speak through their eyes, but he also fears being suffocated by the other person's love. The line "I would feed your heart, take a vow of silence, and put your love out of business" suggests a desire to control or manipulate the other person, indicating that the fear of being trapped in a relationship may stem from a fear of vulnerability.
Overall, "Cold Bitch" is a complex and ambiguous song that explores the conflicted emotions of intimacy and vulnerability. The lyrics suggest a sense of ambivalence towards love and relationships, while also highlighting the desire for connection and intimacy. The repeated phrase "in your heart I'd freeze" serves as a powerful metaphor for the fear and uncertainty that can accompany emotional intimacy.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah
Acknowledge the current situation and the following thoughts
On your breast
To find comfort in someone else's embrace
I might lay my crowded head
To seek peace and quiet from the turmoil within one's mind and thoughts
In your light
The positivity or optimism that one derives from another person
I might bathe in cold burnt sweat
To willingly put oneself through the pain and struggle in order to experience the pleasure and satisfaction at the end
In your mouth
The intimacy and physical connection that comes from sharing physical pleasure with another person
I might feel the serpent's kiss
The danger or risk involved in indulging in forbidden or reckless behavior, yet still feeling drawn to it
In your womb
The safety and security that one finds within themselves or another person
I might swim in fetal bliss
The sense of comfort and security that one experiences in a familiar or comforting environment
But in your heart I'd freeze
Even with all the positive feelings and experiences, the emotional connection is not reciprocated and remains distant or cold
In your eyes
The hope or potential for something better or more fulfilling
I might be your saving grace
To act as a savior or redeeming force for another person
In your head
The internal thoughts and belief systems of another person
I might say it through your eyes
To understand another person's thoughts and emotions without them needing to express them directly
In your lungs
The physical connection and intimacy that comes from breathing together or being in close proximity to another person
I might stare between you
To be intimately aware of another person's presence and energy, without needing to say or do anything in response
I would feed your heart
To nourish another person emotionally or spiritually
Take a vow of silence
To choose not to express oneself verbally, but instead through actions or other means
And put your love out of business
To end a romantic relationship or emotional connection
In your heart
The emotional depth and intimacy that exists within another person
I'd freeze
To experience emotional distance or rejection from that person
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP
Written by: CORNELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind