"Spoonman" was originally written for the soundtrack to the 1992 film, Singles. At this time, Soundgarden, along with fellow grunge band Pearl Jam, was working on the soundtrack for the film. Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament had been put in charge of creating the name for a fictional band that would appear in the film. Before finally choosing Citizen Dick for its name, Ament had compiled a list of potential names which included the name "Spoonman". The name was inspired by Artis the Spoonman, a street performer from Santa Cruz, California and later Seattle, Washington, who plays music with a set of spoons. Soundgarden vocalist and songwriter Chris Cornell eventually used the names on the list to create songs for the film. "Spoonman" was among these, and an acoustic version was created from it. This early version of the song can be heard in the background during a scene of the film.
Rather than just leave the song on the film's soundtrack, Soundgarden began working on an electric version of "Spoonman". The song's inspiration, Artis the Spoonman, played a prominent role in the song itself. The final version of the song featured Artis the Spoonman playing his spoons as part of the song's instrumental. Drummer Matt Cameron also plays pots and pans on the song. Bassist Ben Shepherd performs backing vocals on the song.
"Spoonman" was performed in drop D tuning. The main riff used in the verse has 14 beats, which is unusual because most songs are written in 4/4 or 3/4 time. Guitarist Kim Thayil has said that Soundgarden usually did not consider the time signature of a song until after the band had written it, and said that the use of odd meters was "a total accident."
Cornell on "Spoonman":
It's more about the paradox of who is and what people perceive him as. He's a street musician, but when he's playing on the street, he is given a value and judged completely wrong by someone else. They think he's a street person, or he's doing this because he can't hold down a regular job. They put him a few pegs down on the social ladder because of how they perceive someone who dresses differently. The lyrics express the sentiment that I much more easily identify with someone like Artis than I would watch him play.
The band would play "Spoonman" while on its 1993 tour with Neil Young. With hype building around the band's upcoming album Superunknown, Soundgarden released the single a month before the album's release. The song was released as a single in 1994 with a previously unreleased B-side titled "Exit Stonehenge". On the choice of "Spoonman" as the album's first single, Shepherd called it a "great first choice," adding that "it just jumps out at you instantly." Shepherd said, "You know how you listen to a record and there is one song that literally seems to leap out of the speakers—well, "Spoonman" did that to me." Shortly after the single's release, the song became widely popular, reaching high positions on rock charts. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number nine on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. At the 1995 Grammy Awards, "Spoonman" received the award for Best Metal Performance.
Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In Canada, the song reached number 12 on the Canadian Singles Chart. "Spoonman" reached the UK Top 20 and would peak at number 23 on the Australian Singles Chart. "Spoonman" reached the top 30 in Australia and Ireland and was a top ten success in New Zealand.
"Spoonman" appears in the 2001 video game, ATV Offroad Fury, for the PlayStation 2. The song is also featured in the 2008 video games, Battle of the Bands,Rock Band 2, and Rock Revolution.
The music video for "Spoonman" was directed by Jeffrey Plansker (under the alias John Smithey). The video also features Artis prominently, making him the focus of the video instead of the band. The band members are shown only in black-and-white still photographs. The video was released in February 1994.
Cornell on the music video:
I think we were fairly smart with "Spoonman" in that you really don't see us that much in the video. You see various pictures of us, but it's not quite the same as having us in your living room all the time. We're trying to maintain some degree of mystique about Soundgarden, I guess. I remember back when I was a kid, long before MTV, and the only way to see my favorite bands was to go to their concerts. It was an incredible experience. MTV has helped a lot of bands, but they've also helped rob a lot of groups of that special mystique. It's tough when you can see a great rock band on TV one second, then hit the clicker and be watching a soap opera or a sit com the next. That's what rock and roll has become for some people.
Spoonman
Soundgarden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mmm
Feel the rhythm with your hands
(Steal the rhythm while you can)
Spoonman
Speak the rhythm on your own
(Speak the rhythm all alone)
Spoonman, come together with your hands
Save me, I'm together with your plan
Save me, yeah
Save, oh
Well, all my friends are Indians
(All my friends are brown and red)
Spoonman
And all my friends are skeletons
(They beat the rhythm with their bones)
Spoonman
Oh, hmm
Spoonman, come together with your hands
Save me, I'm together with your plan
Save me
Save
Save me
Save me, yeah
Save
With your
(Come on, come on, come on)
(Come on, come on, come on)
(Come on, come on, come on)
(Come on, come on, come on)
With your hands
With your hands
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Hands
(Come on while I get off)
(Come on while I get off)
(Come on while I get off)
(Come on while I get off, yeah)
(Come on while I get off)
(Come on while I get off)
(Come on while I get off)
Come on while I get off
Spoonman, come together with your hands
Save me, I'm together with your plan
Save me
Save, yeah
Save me
With your, with your hands
Feel the rhythm with your hands
(Steal the rhythm while you can)
Spoonman
The song "Spoonman" by Soundgarden is a tribute to Artis the Spoonman, a Seattle street performer who played music on a set of spoons. The song begins with the lyrics, "Feel the rhythm with your hands, steal the rhythm while you can," setting the tone for the importance of rhythm throughout the song. The lyrics go on to describe the Spoonman and the unique sounds he creates with his spoons, which include rhythms made by slapping them against his body.
The song also explores themes of friendship and unity, with the lyrics, "All my friends are Indians, and all my friends are skeletons, they beat the rhythm with their bones." The repetition of the phrase, "Spoonman, come together with your hands," reinforces the idea of teamwork and the power of coming together to create something greater than oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Feel the rhythm with your hands
Steal the rhythm while you can
Spoonman
Speak the rhythm on your own
Speak the rhythm all alone
Spoonman
Spoonman, come together with your hands
Save me, I'm together with your plan
Save me, yeah
Well, all my friends are Indians
All my friends are brown and red
Spoonman
And all my friends are skeletons
They beat the rhythm with their bones
Spoonman
Spoonman, come together with your hands
Save me, I'm together with your plan
Save me
Save
Save me
Save me, yeah
Save
With your
(Come on, come on, come on)
(Come on, come on, come on)
(Come on, come on, come on)
(Come on, come on, come on)
With your hands
With your hands
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Spoonman
(Come on while I get off)
(Come on while I get off)
(Come on while I get off)
(Come on while I get off, yeah)
(Come on while I get off)
(Come on while I get off)
(Come on while I get off)
Spoonman, come together with your hands
Save me, I'm together with your plan
Save me
Save, yeah
Save me
With your, with your hands
Feel the rhythm with your hands
Steal the rhythm while you can
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Chris Cornell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@FFFbezMiss
Lyrics :
Feel the rhythm with your hands
Steal the rhythm while you can, Spoonman
Speak the rhythm on your own
Speak the rhythm all alone, Spoonman
Spoonman, come together with your hands
Save me, I'm together with your plan
Save me
All my friends are Indians
All my friends are brown and red, Spoonman
All my friends are skeletons
They beat the rhythm with their bones, Spoonman
Feel the rhythm with you hands
Steal the rhythm while you can, Spoonman
Thank you, good night people
@ajthecat5520
I named my puppy dog spoon man back in '95. He lived 17 years. We miss you spooner.
@dreadedsage8630
May your dog rest in peace but bruh you really called it spooner?
@henrivandesign4526
Rest in peace, Spoon Man :( I'm sure he was a good boy
@youss3471
R.i.p spooner💔
@jayray7230
your dog is dead
@hurricanestarang
@@jayray7230 and you are a piece of shit, crazy how the world works 🤷♂️
@ohenry87
I just watched 5 Soundgarden videos in a row. Still can't believe Chris is gone. RIP to a legend. Your voice will live on forever.
@haleypurdum6171
Same, I feel like I've taken him for granted all of these years :(
@logann8243
The good talent always seems to pass way too soon.
@barbaramiddendorf9155
exactly how I feel....I had him plugged into my ears where ever I went all through late 90s and early decade 2000!! I even got my youngest hooked on him :)