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)
Zero Chance
Soundgarden Lyrics
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I stumbled on and all the world fell down
And all the sky went silent
Cracked like glass and slowly
Tumbled to the ground
They all say if you look hard
You'll find your way back home
Born without a friend
I'm thinking of your highness
And crying long upon the loss
I've found
And on the plus and minus
zero chance of ever
Turning this around
Why doesn't anyone believe
In loneliness
Stand up and everyone will see
Your holiness
They say if you look hard
You'll find your way back home
Born without a friend
And bound to die alone
In Soundgarden's song "Zero Chance," the lyrics suggest a feeling of hopelessness and despair, as the singer considers his own mortality and the futility of trying to change his fate. The first two lines suggest that the singer has been searching for answers, but has only found disappointment, as the world around him collapses in on itself. The third and fourth lines suggest a feeling of disconnection and isolation, as the sky above him cracks and falls to the ground in silence. The singer then reflects on the common wisdom that suggests if you look hard you'll find your way back home, but he realizes that he was born without a friend and will die alone.
Later in the song, the singer shifts his focus to someone else, whom he addresses as "your highness." He expresses a sense of longing and sorrow as he cries over their loss. The final lines convey a sense of resignation, as the singer suggests that there is "zero chance" of turning things around. He pleads with others to recognize the value of feeling lonely, and to see the singer's own "holiness" despite his feelings of despair.
Overall, the lyrics of "Zero Chance" reveal a deep sense of despair and isolation, as the singer contemplates mortality and the inevitability of death. The song suggests that even with the best intentions, sometimes it's impossible to change the course of one's life.
Line by Line Meaning
I think I know the answer
I believe that I understand what's happening.
I stumbled on and all the world fell down
I made a mistake, and everything around me seems to be collapsing.
And all the sky went silent
There is an eerie feeling of emptiness and quietness around me.
Cracked like glass and slowly Tumbled to the ground
The world is descending into chaos, like a shattered piece of glass breaking apart slowly.
They all say if you look hard You'll find your way back home
People believe that if you search for it hard enough, you will ultimately discover your true path.
Born without a friend And bound to die alone
I was born without a companion, and I will perish the same way.
I'm thinking of your highness And crying long upon the loss I've found
I'm reminded of that person I lost and struggling to cope with it.
And on the plus and minus zero chance of ever Turning this around
There are no more options available for me to fix this situation, and I must accept that there is no hope for improvement.
Why doesn't anyone believe In loneliness
Society doesn't understand the pain and hardship of being alone.
Stand up and everyone will see Your holiness
If you stand up and show the world who you are, people will see your value and worth as a person.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CORNELL, SHEPHERD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind