Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 198… Read Full Bio ↴Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Matt Cameron became the band's full-time drummer in 1986, while bassist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990. The band dissolved in 1997 and re-formed in 2010. Following Cornell's death in 2017 and a year of uncertainty of the band's future, Thayil declared in October 2018 that the band was finished; they did, however, reunite in January 2019 for a one-off concert in tribute to Cornell.

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)

Let Me Drown
Soundgarden Lyrics

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Stretch the bones over my skin
Stretch the skin over my head
I'm going to the holy land
Stretch the marks over my eyes
Burn the candles deep inside
Yeah you know where I'm coming from

So give up to greed, you don't have to feed me

Yeah, give up to fate, you don't have to need me
So let it go, let it go, let it go, won't you let it
Drown me in you, drown me in you, drown me in you

Slip down the darkness to the mouth
Damn the water burn the wine
I'm going home for the very last time

So throw it away, you don't have to take me
Make no mistakes I'm what you make me
So let it go, won't you let it go, won't you let it go, won't you let it?
And drown me in you, drown me in you, drown me in you
Drown me in you, drown me in
Drown me in, oh drown me in, yeah drown me in, yeah

I see you turn around and burning down
The feeling starts to sink
I feel the hurt surround me
Please dissolve me
She's resolved to be

So heal my wounds without a trace
And seal my tomb without my face
I'm going to the lonely place

Give up to greed, you don't have to feed me, yeah
Give up to fate, you don't have to need me
So let it go, won't you let it go, won't you let it go, won't you let it?
And drown me in you, drown me in you
Drown me in you, drown me in you
Drown me in you, drown me in you

Drown me in you, drown me in you
Drown me in

Overall Meaning

"Let Me Drown" is a song by Soundgarden that explores the theme of submission and devotion. The lyrics depict a protagonist who wants to be consumed and drowned by the entity that they are devoted to. The song opens with the lines, "Stretch the bones over my skin, Stretch the skin over my head, I'm going to the holy land", which suggests that the singer is preparing for a ritualistic sacrifice. The lyrics then continue with references to burning candles and marks over the eyes, which further reinforce the theme of devotion and the willingness to submit to a higher power.

The second verse continues with the theme of submission and surrender, with lines such as "Slip down the darkness to the mouth" and "Damn the water burn the wine". The lyrics describe a sense of letting go and allowing oneself to be consumed entirely. The last verse includes lines such as "Heal my wounds without a trace, And seal my tomb without my face, I'm going to the lonely place", which implies that the singer is prepared to give up their entire being to the entity they are devoted to.

Overall, "Let Me Drown" is a powerful exploration of themes such as submission and devotion. The lyrics suggest that the singer desires to surrender themselves completely to a higher power, almost to the point of being drowned by it.

Let Me DrownSoundgarden Lyrics

Let Me Drown
Soundgarden Lyrics