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)
The Day I Tried To Live
Soundgarden Lyrics
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Except a voice was in my head
It said seize the day, pull the trigger, drop the blade
And watch the rolling heads
The day I tried to live
I stole a thousand beggar's change
And gave it to the rich
The day I tried to win
I dangled from the power lines
And let the martyrs stretch yeah
Singing, one more time around
Might do it
One more time around
Might make it
One more time around
Might do it
One more time around
The day I tried to live
Words would you say
Never seem to live up to the ones inside your head
The lives we make
Never seem to ever get us anywhere but dead
The day I tried to live
I wallowed in the blood and mud with all the other pigs
Singing, one more time around
Might do it
One more time around
Might make it
One more time around
Might do it
One more time around
The day I tried to live, live
I tried
I woke the same as any other day you know
I should have stayed in bed
The day I tried to win
I walled in the blood and mud with all the other pigs
And I learned that I was a liar (one more time around)
I learned that I was a liar (one more time around)
I learned that I was a liar (one more time around)
I learned that I was a liar (one more time around)
Singing one more time around
(Might do it)
One more time around
(Might make it)
One more time around
(Might do it)
One more time around (might make it)
The day I tried to live, live
Just like you
Just like you
One more time around
One more time around
The Day I Tried to Live by Soundgarden is a complex song that reflects on the struggle of finding purpose in life. The song is about a person who wakes up feeling like every other day, but there's a voice in their head that tells them to take action, to seize the day, and do something that matters. The lyrics are reflective of a person who is struggling with depression and feelings of worthlessness. The first verse speaks to the inner voice that tells a person to end their life; the voice that tells them that they will be better off dead. In the second verse, the person tries to live and make a difference but ends up feeling like every other average person who is stuck in the rat race.
The chorus is where the song truly shines, as the person sings about doing things one more time around, in hopes that they will succeed in making a difference in life. They say that one more time around might do it and one more time around might make it; this speaks to the constant battle against depression and the need to keep trying. In the bridge of the song, the lyrics are reflective of the struggles that many people face when their external lives do not match the internal life they feel they are living. The lyrics are about how people never seem to live up to the ideas in their head, and despite their best efforts, they never seem to get anywhere. The song ends on a sad note, as the person realizes that they failed to make a difference, and they are nothing but a liar, just like the rest of us.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke the same as any other day
I woke up without any expectations, as I usually do
Except a voice was in my head
Except, today, there was a voice inside my head
It said seize the day, pull the trigger, drop the blade
The voice encouraged me to take action, to be fearless, and to take risks
And watch the rolling heads
The voice urged me to take control and watch as my actions made an impact
The day I tried to live
This is the day that I decided to truly live and take action
I stole a thousand beggar's change
On this day, I decided to take action and give to the rich, taking from the poor
And gave it to the rich
I gave what I had taken to the wealthy
I dangled from the power lines
I tried to achieve greatness even if it was dangerous
And let the martyrs stretch yeah
I allowed those who were struggling to suffer, rather than being compassionate
Words would you say
The words we say
Never seem to live up to the ones inside your head
The words we say are never as powerful as the ones we keep inside and act on
The lives we make
The lives we create for ourselves
Never seem to ever get us anywhere but dead
Our actions and choices can lead us down a path of destruction and ultimately death
I wallowed in the blood and mud with all the other pigs
I didn't live up to my expectations and found myself in an unpleasant situation
And I learned that I was a liar
I realized that I was lying to myself and my efforts were misplaced
Singing one more time around
Encouraging myself to try again
(Might do it)
I may succeed
One more time around (might make it)
If I try again, I may be able to succeed
Just like you
I am not alone in my struggle
One more time around (might do it)
I may be able to achieve my goals if I keep trying
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Chris Cornell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind