This track features lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and drummer Matt Cameron.
Clocking in at 4 minutes and 17 seconds, this track is one of the shorter ones on the album.
Fresh Tendrils
Soundgarden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It seemed to take me through
Long time coming
Many served the few
And long to taste the shame
That bows down before you
Long time coming
Long time coming
It seemed to satisfy
You longed to taste the shame
That everybody tries
Shame shame
Throw yourself away
Give me little bits of more than I can take
If it sits upon your tongue or naked in your eyes
Give me little bits of more than I can try
Throw yourself away
Throw yourself away
Long time coming
It seemed to take me through
Long time coming
Many served the few
And long to taste the shame
That bows down before you
Yeah
Shame shame
Throw yourself away
Give me little bits of More than I can take
If it sits upon your tongueOr naked in your eyes
Give me little bits of More than I can try
(Throw yourself away)
Long time coming, long time coming
The song "Fresh Tendrils" by Soundgarden is a hard-hitting and introspective piece. The lyrics seem to speak to the inherent human desire for validation and acceptance, despite sometimes damaging consequences. The first stanza describes a sense of waiting - for something to happen, for a long time to pass, for something to satisfy us. The line "many served the few" could be interpreted in a political sense, as a comment on the unequal distribution of power and resources. The desire for shame, which is repeated in both stanzas, seems to be a desire for a certain type of acknowledgement - a need for acceptance and inclusion, even in something as harmful and unproductive as shame.
The chorus is a call to throw oneself away - to give up whatever is holding us back, to give in to the indulgences and the desires that may not be good for us. The line "give me little bits of more than I can take" underscores this idea - that we constantly desire more, even when it is detrimental to us. The final repetition of "long time coming" seems to point to a sense of inevitability - that this reckoning or surrender has been building for some time.
Overall, "Fresh Tendrils" seems to be a commentary on the human condition - how we struggle with our desires and the consequences that come with them. It asks us to confront our need for validation and to consider what we are willing to give up in order to achieve it.
Line by Line Meaning
Long time coming
After a prolonged period of waiting
It seemed to take me through
It felt like it was guiding me
Many served the few
A few people took advantage of many
And long to taste the shame
Desiring to experience the humiliation
That bows down before you
That submits to you
Long time coming
Been anticipating for a considerable time
It seemed to get me by
It was enough to sustain me
It seemed to satisfy
It was enough to please me
You longed to taste the shame
You wanted the feeling of humiliation
That everybody tries
The feeling that everyone wants to experience
Shame shame
An expression of reproach or disgrace
Throw yourself away
Let go of the negative emotions
Give me little bits of more than I can take
Providing a little more than I can handle
If it sits upon your tongue
If it lingers on your mind
Or naked in your eyes
Or exposed to you
Give me little bits of more than I can try
Offering a little more than I can attempt
(Throw yourself away)
(Release those negative emotions)
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Matthew Cameron, Chris Cornell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind