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)

Switch Opens
Soundgarden Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey you slave, go hang your owners
Draw your names among their ashes
Lay your children on their thrones
Gather 'round and fall right down

Here at sundown nothing is when
Everything is all right
Switch opens

Opening around and let's the garden rise
Switch is on

Hey, you patients
Where's your surgeon
Left with your
Insides open
Hung your hearts out
On the table
Gather 'round and fall right down

Feel the air now
Stumbling and wander in the moonshine
Switch opens

Nothing is when everything is all right
Switch is on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Soundgarden's "Switch Opens" are open to interpretation, as is often the case with lyrics in alternative rock music. On a basic level, the song seems to be about rejecting the status quo and overthrowing oppressive structures. The first verse suggests a rebellion, with the singer urging someone to "hang" their owners and draw their names "among their ashes." The second verse mentions patients and surgeons, evoking a sense of vulnerability and desperation, before the singer rallies everyone to "gather 'round and fall right down." The chorus, with its repeated lines about a switch opening, perhaps signifies a turning point, a moment of change and upheaval.

The chorus also contains the line "Nothing is when everything is all right," which could be interpreted in different ways. On one hand, it could suggest that in the midst of chaos and destruction, there is a kind of freedom, a release from the constraints of society. On the other hand, it could imply that the "everything" that currently exists is so broken that even "nothing" is preferable. The last line of the chorus, "Switch is on," is repeated several times, becoming a kind of mantra or rallying cry.

Overall, "Switch Opens" is a dark and intense song, with lyrics that express a desire for transformation and a rejection of the status quo. The switch metaphor creates a sense of inevitability, as if the moment for change has already been set in motion.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey you slave, go hang your owners
Addressing an oppressed person to rise and overthrow those in power.

Draw your names among their ashes
After the revolution, erase the legacy of the oppressors.

Lay your children on their thrones
Empower the next generation to create a better future.

Gather 'round and fall right down
Unite together and overthrow the oppressors.

Here at sundown nothing is when
At the end of the day, there is nothing left to lose.

Everything is all right
After the revolution, things will be better.

Switch opens
The turning point of the revolution.

Opening around and let's the garden rise
A new beginning, letting something grow.

Switch is on
The revolution is happening now.

Hey, you patients
Addressing those oppressed and suffering.

Where's your surgeon
The doctor who will fix your problems.