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)
Limo Wreck
Soundgarden Lyrics
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Hands of the slaves
Skin of the mothers
Mouths of the babes
Building the towers
Belongs to the sky
When the whole thing comes crashing down
Don't ask me why
Under the shelf
The shelf of the sky
Two eyes, two suns
Too heavenly blinds
Swallowing rivers
Belongs to the sea
When the whole thing washes away
Don't run to me
I'll be going down
For the rest of the slide
While the rest of you harvest the gold
And the wreck of you
Is the death of you all
And the wreck of you is the break and the fall
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the death of you all
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the break and the fall
Under the red break of the lights
Heroes in the stretches
Inch to the site
Blowing the pieces
Belong to the wind
When the whole thing blows away
I won't pretend, no
I'll be going down
For the rest of the ride
While the rest of you harvest the souls
And the wreck of you
Is the death of you all
And the wreck of you
Is the break and the fall
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the death of you all
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the break and the fall
Under the red under the lights
Lies the wreck of you for the rest of your life
And the wreck of you
Is the death of you all
And the wreck of you
Is the break and the fall
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the death of you all
I'm the wreck of you
I'm the break and the fall
While the rest of you harvest the gold
While the rest of you harvest the souls
The lyrics to Soundgarden's song Limo Wreck paint a picture of an impending disaster, whether that be a physical collapse of buildings or a societal breakdown. The tears of the feeble and the hands of the slaves suggest a lack of power and agency, while the skin of the mothers and the mouths of the babes convey a sense of vulnerability and innocence. Building towers "belongs to the sky," but the singer reminds us that when they "come crashing down," there will be no clear answer as to why. Similarly, rivers "belong to the sea" and pieces "belong to the wind," but when the whole thing blows away, the singer will not pretend to have answers.
The chorus reiterates that the singer will "be going down" while "the rest of you harvest the gold" or "harvest the souls." The final verse adds a sense of urgency, with "heroes in the stretches inch[ing] to the site" and the wreck of you lying "for the rest of your life" under the red lights. The repetition of "the wreck of you is the death of you all" and "the wreck of you is the break and the fall" suggests that disaster is inevitable and that those in power will ultimately suffer the consequences of their actions.
Overall, the lyrics of Limo Wreck are a commentary on society's obsession with power, money, and status, and the potential consequences of exploiting those things at the expense of the vulnerable and the innocent. The singer emphasizes that disaster is not a matter of if, but when, and that no one will be immune from its effects.
Line by Line Meaning
Tears of the feeble
The weak and helpless shed tears.
Hands of the slaves
The hands of those enslaved are controlled by others.
Skin of the mothers
Mothers are vulnerable and affected by their surroundings.
Mouths of the babes
Even the innocent and helpless are affected by their environment.
Building the towers
Creating something great requires effort and sacrifice.
Belongs to the sky
The end result belongs to a higher power.
When the whole thing comes crashing down
When everything falls apart.
Don't ask me why
I don't have the answer.
Under the shelf
Beneath what is visible.
The shelf of the sky
The highest point, out of reach.
Two eyes, two suns
Seeing things from a different perspective.
Too heavenly blinds
Being blinded by something that seems too good to be true.
Swallowing rivers
The sea seems to consume everything.
Belongs to the sea
The end result belongs to the world's natural forces.
When the whole thing washes away
When everything turns to nothing.
Don't run to me
I can't fix everything.
I'll be going down
I am not immune to the consequences.
For the rest of the slide
I will have to face the consequences for the rest of my life.
While the rest of you harvest the gold
While others prosper.
And the wreck of you
The aftermath of your actions.
Is the death of you all
The consequences will be fatal.
And the wreck of you is the break and the fall
The consequences will break you apart.
Under the red break of the lights
Amidst chaos and destruction.
Heroes in the stretches
Those in power trying to fix the situation.
Inch to the site
Slowly approaching the scene of the disaster.
Blowing the pieces
Trying to fix everything, but only making it worse.
Belong to the wind
The consequences cannot be controlled.
When the whole thing blows away
When everything disappears.
I won't pretend, no
I won't fake it, I can't fix it.
Under the red under the lights
Amidst chaos, destruction and powerlessness.
Lies the wreck of you for the rest of your life
The aftermath of your actions will haunt you for the rest of your life.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Matthew Cameron, Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind