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)
Rhinosaur
Soundgarden Lyrics
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Hung on my horns
With haste and reverie
Killing with charm
Only happy when you hurt
Only deadly in a swarm
Only healthy in the dirt
I play, I'm sick and tame
Drawing the hordes
I'll wait, and show the lame
The meaning of harm
The skull beneath my feet
Like feathers in sand
I graze among the graves
A feeling of peace
Only bending when you break
Only feeding when you're cold
Only healing when you ache
Only feeling when you don't
Only bending when you break
Only feeding when you're cold
Only healing when you ache
Only feeling when you don't
In Soundgarden's song "Rhinosaur," the lyrics describe the singer's complex relationship with their own destructive tendencies. The first verse sets the tone by describing an enemy hung on the singer's horns, implying some sort of violent confrontation. The next line, "With haste and reverie/ Killing with charm," indicates that the singer takes pleasure in this violence and is likely a charismatic, charming person who can sway others to their violent whims.
The chorus reinforces this idea, with the lines "Only happy when you hurt/ Only deadly in a swarm/ Only healthy in the dirt/ Only empty in your arms." These lines articulate the idea that violence is the only thing that brings the singer true happiness and fulfillment, and they are only able to thrive in the midst of chaos and destruction. The second verse continues this theme, with the singer describing how they draw others in to their violent world, waiting to show them the "meaning of harm."
The final lines of the song, "Only bending when you break/ Only feeding when you're cold/ Only healing when you ache/ Only feeling when you don't," bring the whole song full circle. The singer is only able to feel alive and fulfilled when others are suffering, and they are only able to connect with their own emotions when they are inflicting pain on others. Soundgarden's "Rhinosaur" is a haunting exploration of the human capacity for violence and the darker side of human nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing with my enemy
Being in close proximity with someone with whom I share a deep hatred
Hung on my horns
Feeling stuck in a difficult situation or feeling overwhelmed by one's problems
With haste and reverie
Acting impulsively and with great enthusiasm
Killing with charm
Fooling or tricking others with one's charm or charisma
Only happy when you hurt
Deriving pleasure from others' pain or suffering
Only deadly in a swarm
Being most dangerous when in a group or with the support of others
Only healthy in the dirt
Feeling most alive and fulfilled when one is connected to nature or the earth
Only empty in your arms
Feeling emotionally unfulfilled when with someone who was supposed to bring happiness
I play, I'm sick and tame
Putting up a facade of being harmless or innocent while secretly being unwell or dangerous
Drawing the hordes
Attracting a large number of people, often for negative reasons
I'll wait, and show the lame
Being patient and biding one's time until the right moment to reveal one's true abilities or intentions
The meaning of harm
The true purpose or intention to cause damage or hurt
The skull beneath my feet
Using death or violence as a means of control or domination
Like feathers in sand
Feeling light or unburdened amid a dangerous or unstable situation
I graze among the graves
Being at ease or comfortable in places associated with death or despair
A feeling of peace
Experiencing a sense of calm or tranquility despite one's inner turmoil or darkness
Only bending when you break
Being flexible or adaptable only when one is pushed to the brink or faced with a major challenge
Only feeding when you're cold
Being supportive or empathetic only when it is to one's advantage or when one can gain something from it
Only healing when you ache
Providing comfort or help only when one is in emotional pain or in need of physical care
Only feeling when you don't
Being numb or disconnected from one's emotions or feelings until one is forced to confront them
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHRISTOPHER J. CORNELL, MATTHEW D. CAMERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind