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)
Like Suicide
Soundgarden Lyrics
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Eyes were making up just to fall asleep
Love's like suicide
Dazed out in a garden bed
With a broken neck lays my broken gift
Just like suicide
And my last ditch
Lent to finish her, finish her
She lived like a murder
How she'd fly so sweetly
She lived like a murder
But she died just like suicide
Bit down on the bullet now
I had a taste so sour
I had to think of something sweet
Love's like suicide
Safe outside my gilded cage
With an ounce of pain
I wield a ton of rage
Just like suicide
With eyes of blood
And bitter blue
How I feel for you
I feel for you
She lived like a murder
How she'd fly so sweetly
She lived like a murder
But she died just like suicide
Yeah
And my last ditch
Was my last brick
Lent to finish her finish her
With eyes of blood and bitter blue
How I feel for you
I feel for you
I feel for you
I feel for you
I feel, oh
I feel for you
Ah ah yeah (I feel, I feel)
She lived like a murder
How she'd fly so sweetly
She lived like a murder
But she died just like suicide
The song 'Like Suicide' by Soundgarden talks about a broken relationship that ended tragically, with one partner committing suicide. The lyrics suggest that love can be just as fatal as suicide, and that the pain of the breakup is comparable to the pain of taking one's life. The singer describes hearing the news of the suicide from another room, and feeling dazed and broken from the loss of someone they love. They use metaphors of gardens and birds to describe the beauty and fragility of their relationship, and the death of that relationship.
The lines, "safe outside my gilded cage, with an ounce of pain, I wield a ton of rage, just like suicide" suggest that the singer feels trapped and resentful, even though they thought they were better off outside of the relationship. The song ends with the singer expressing their love and sympathy for the person who committed suicide, even though they might have had conflicting feelings towards them.
Overall, 'Like Suicide' is a haunting song that explores the complex emotions that arise from a traumatic loss, and the impact of that loss on one's mental health.
Line by Line Meaning
Heard it from another room
The singer overheard something from a distant place.
Eyes were making up just to fall asleep
The singer's mind was wandering aimlessly before going to sleep.
Love's like suicide
Love can be dangerous and deadly to one's emotional well-being.
Dazed out in a garden bed
The artist is lost in a state of confusion and is lying in a flower bed.
With a broken neck lays my broken gift
The artist's broken relationship is symbolized by a broken object with a broken neck.
Just like suicide
The end of the relationship feels like a painful suicide.
And my last ditch
The singer's final attempt to salvage the relationship.
Was my last brick
The artist's final act of desperation to try and fix their broken relationship.
Lent to finish her, finish her
The artist hoped that by trying to fix the relationship, they could finish it successfully without either party getting hurt.
She lived like a murder
The artist's ex-girlfriend lived her life just like a murderer.
How she'd fly so sweetly
The singer's ex-girlfriend could portray a sweet and innocent image that masked her dark deeds.
But she died just like suicide
The artist's ex-girlfriend met a tragic end that felt much like a suicide.
Bit down on the bullet now
The singer is now facing the consequences of their failed relationship.
I had a taste so sour
The singer had experienced bad feelings from the failed relationship.
I had to think of something sweet
The singer had to try and think of something positive to move forward with their life.
Safe outside my gilded cage
The artist now feels secure and protected after breaking free from their toxic relationship.
With an ounce of pain
The artist still feels some pain left over from the heartache of the previous relationship.
I wield a ton of rage
The singer has a lot of unresolved anger from their past relationship.
With eyes of blood
The singer is consumed with a red-hot anger.
And bitter blue
The artist is also plagued by sorrow and depression.
How I feel for you
Despite everything that has happened, the artist still has some conflicted feelings for their ex-girlfriend.
She lived like a murder
The artist's ex-girlfriend led a life of deception and betrayal.
How she'd fly so sweetly
The singer's ex-girlfriend could be charming and enticing when she wanted to be.
But she died just like suicide
The artist's ex-girlfriend eventually met a brutal end, much like suicide.
I feel for you
The singer is still emotionally invested in their ex-girlfriend despite everything.
Ah ah yeah (I feel, I feel)
The singer is still grappling with their emotions and feelings towards their ex-girlfriend.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Chris Cornell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind