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)
Tighter & Tighter
Soundgarden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blowing smoke and talking wind
Lost my grip
Fell too far to start again
A sudden snake
Found my shape and tells the world
Remember this
Remember everything is just black
And I hope it's a sweet ride
Sleep tight for me
Sleep tight for me I'm gone
Warm and sweet
Swinging from a windows ledge
Tight and deep
One last sin before I'm dead
A sucking holy wind
Will take me from this bed tonight
And bloody wits
Another hits me and I have to say goodbye
And I hope it's a sweet ride
Here for me tonight
'Cause I feel I'm going
Feel I'm slowing down
The lyrics to Soundgarden's song Tighter & Tighter paint a vivid picture of a person whose life seems to be spiraling out of control. The shadow face blowing smoke and talking wind signifies the unpredictable and destructive nature of his frenzied state of mind. Having lost his grip, he has fallen too far to start again, and is resigned to the whims of fate. The sudden snake that finds his shape is perhaps a metaphor for the temptations that lurk around every corner, waiting to strike. Everything is just black or burning sun, implying an underlying sense of hopelessness mixed with flashes of intensity.
He hopes that his journey will be a sweet ride, while asking those left behind to sleep tight for him. He is warm and sweet, swinging from a windowsill, indulging in one last sin before he dies. The mention of a "sucking holy wind" and the need to say goodbye hints at the inevitable and final nature of his actions. It seems like he is ready to take the leap, and as he feels himself slowing down, he hopes that there will be someone there to make the journey a little easier.
Overall, Tighter & Tighter can be interpreted in several ways, but it seems to be a tale of someone grappling with their demons, and ultimately succumbing to them. The lyrics are poignant and beautifully crafted, and evoke feelings of despair, hopelessness, and the looming presence of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Shadow face
Feeling like a dark, vague figure of a person
Blowing smoke and talking wind
Being lost in confusion and uncertainty
Lost my grip
Slipping away from control and direction
Fell too far to start again
Having gone too far to ever start anew
A sudden snake
Something unexpected that reveals the truth
Found my shape and tells the world
Setting oneself apart from others and standing out as an individual
Remember this
Being aware of the following truth
Remember everything is just black
Understanding that everything is temporary and will eventually come to an end
Or burning sun
Accepting the ambiguity of life and its unpredictable nature
And I hope it's a sweet ride
Expressing a wish for a positive and enjoyable experience
Sleep tight for me
Asking someone to rest well on your behalf
Sleep tight for me I'm gone
Suggesting that the artist is leaving and may not return
Warm and sweet
Referring to a comforting and pleasant feeling
Swinging from a windows ledge
Taking risks and living dangerously
Tight and deep
Immersed in a powerful emotion or experience
One last sin before I'm dead
Indulging in one final act of rebellion or wrongdoing before facing the consequences
A sucking holy wind
Feeling pulled or drawn towards something higher or more meaningful
Will take me from this bed tonight
Leaving behind something comfortable or familiar for something unknown
And bloody wits
Feeling dazed or confused
Another hits me and I have to say goodbye
Experiencing loss or separation and having to let go
Here for me tonight
Expressing a need for comfort or support
'Cause I feel I'm going
Feeling like life is slipping away
Feel I'm slowing down
Feeling like the speed and intensity of life is decreasing
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP
Written by: CHRIS CORNELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
amanda anaya
Shadow face
Blowing smoke and talking wind
Lost my grip
Fell too far to start again
A sudden snake
Found my shape and tells the world
Remember this
Remember everything is just black
Or burning sun
And I hope it's a sweet ride
Sleep tight for me
Sleep tight for me I'm gone
Warm and sweet
Swinging from a windows ledge
Tight and deep
One last sin before I'm dead
A sucking holy wind
Will take me from this bed tonight
And bloody wits
Another hits me and I have to say goodbye
And I hope it's a sweet ride
Here for me tonight
'Cause I feel I'm going
Feel I'm slowing down
beetle sazer
Shadow face
Blowing smoke and talking wind
Lost my grip
Fell too far to start again
A sudden snake
Found my shape and tells the world
Remember this
Remember everything is just black
Or burning sun
And I hope it's a sweet ride
Sleep tight for me
Sleep tight for me I'm gone
Warm and sweet
Swinging from a windows ledge
Tight and deep
One last sin before I'm dead
A sucking holy wind
Will take me from this bed tonight
And bloody wits
Another hits me and I have to say goodbye
And I hope it's a sweet ride
Here for me tonight
'Cause I feel I'm going
Feel I'm slowing down
jasley balihon
I can't get enough of this song, it just hits me hard everytime..
And I hope it's a sweet ride
Sleep tight for me
Sleep tight for me I'm gone
That's the other way of saying Good bye..
Chris you're a Goddamn Genius..
it just sorrowful to think that you're gone..
No one sings and write songs like you anymore Chris.
🤘😢🖤🤘
ac1dP1nk
Warm and sweet
Swinging from a window's ledge
Tight and deep
One last sin before I'm dead, before I'm dead
A sucking holy wind
Will take me from this bed tonight
And bloody wits
Another hits me and I have to say goodbye
That was how he went out. So real
WildSky
Is there anything more genius than screaming SLEEP TIGHT FOR ME in a dirty time signature over wailing guitars and battered drums? One of the best songs ever recorded. Period. In all history
Erik Bartlett
Always had been my favorite track off this album. The words and meaning of this song are even more poignant after Chris's death. Rip Chris...
Joe Zech
I dig it too my friend 👍🎸
Joe Zech
Yes!!
Joe Zech
I agree!!
Kylefadness
Have said for a long time this is the best alternative rock song ever created, flawless
Dan Hureau
One of my favorite tracks of all time. From Cornell's range to Matt Cameron's impeccable timing... true masters of their craft.
Andy Boertmann
This song does something to me internally I can't put into words. The emotion is palpable.
K M
My heart sinks and my throat tightens when I hear this. Chris had such a way to convey pain and loneliness, much like Layne Staley. Chris ' screams are silky, sexy and pained, like a cry from the gods. Thanks for sharing your gifted soul with us.
Johnny
Just think how lucky we are to have lived during such a great movement of music