The band released its only album, the self-titled Temple of the Dog, in April 1991 through A&M Records. The recording sessions took place in November and December 1990 at London Bridge Studios, in Seattle, Washington with producer Rakesh "Rick" Parashar. Although earning praise from music critics at the time of its release, the album was not widely recognized until 1992, when Vedder, Ament, Gossard, and McCready had their breakthrough with Pearl Jam. Cameron would later join Pearl Jam, serving as drummer since 1998.
The band toured in 2016 in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their self-titled album.
Temple of the Dog was started by Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who had been a roommate of Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone. Wood died on March 19, 1990, of a heroin overdose, the day Cornell got back from a tour. As he went on to tour Europe a few days later, he started writing songs in tribute to his late friend. The result was two songs, "Reach Down" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven", which he recorded as soon as he returned home from touring.
The recorded material was slow and melodic, musically different from the aggressive rock music of Soundgarden. Cornell approached Wood's former bandmates, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament—who were still figuring out how to continue without Mother Love Bone—with the intention of releasing the songs as a single. Ament described the collaboration as "a really good thing at the time" for Gossard and him that put them into a "band situation where we could play and make music." The band's lineup was completed by the addition of Soundgarden (and later Pearl Jam) drummer Matt Cameron and future Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready. They named themselves Temple of the Dog, a reference to a line in the lyrics of the Mother Love Bone song "Man of Golden Words".
Times
Temple of the Dog Lyrics
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And the needle's sharp
And you drift away
Oh oh I can hear you say
That the world in black
Is upon your back
And your body shakes
So you ditch away
Don't try to do it
Don't try to kill your time
Oh oh
Yeah, yeah you might do it
Then you can't change your mind
You've got a hold on to your time
Till your break through these Times of
Trouble
When you try to talk
And the words get hard
And they put you down
Don't you stay
Don't you ditch away
I saw you swinging
Yeah swinging your mother's sword, oh
Yeah, yeah I know you're playing
Sometimes the rules get hard, oh
But if somebody left you out on a ledge
If somebody pushed you over the edge
You got to hold on to your time till you break
Through these times of
Trouble
I saw you swinging
Yeah, swinging your mother's sword oh
Yeah yeah I know you're playing
Sometimes the rules get harder oh oh
But if somebody left you out on a ledge
If somebody pushed you over the edge
If somebody loved you and left you for dead
You got to hold on to your time till you break
Through these times of
Trouble
The song "Times of Trouble" by Temple of the Dog, a supergroup consisting of members from Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, opens with the lyrics, "When the spoon is hot and the needle's sharp, and you drift away, oh oh I can hear you say." These lyrics paint a picture of drug addiction and the dangerous progression that it can lead to. The image of the spoon and needle alludes to heroin use, which is a common subject in grunge music. The following lyrics, "That the world in black is upon your back, and your body shakes, so you ditch away and you close the shades," suggest that drug use has become an escape from the difficulties of life. The person in the song is consumed by drug addiction and has isolated themselves from the world.
The chorus of "Times of Trouble" offers a message of hope and perseverance, urging the person to hold onto their time and push through the difficult times. The lyrics, "Don't try to do it, don't try to kill your time, oh oh, yeah, yeah, you might do it, then you can't change your mind, you've got to hold on to your time till you break through these times of trouble," emphasize the importance of not giving up and staying strong in the face of adversity. The song also acknowledges the potential consequences of drug addiction, such as a loss of control and inability to change one's mind.
Overall, "Times of Trouble" is a powerful song that captures the struggle of addiction and the importance of resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
When the spoon is hot
When drugs take over your mind and body
And the needle's sharp
When you're injecting drugs into your body
And you drift away
When you lose control and the drugs take you away
Oh oh I can hear you say
The cry for help when you are overwhelmed and lost
That the world in black
The darkness of depression and hopelessness
Is upon your back
The weight of the world and all its problems
And your body shakes
The physical manifestation of emotional pain and addiction
So you ditch away
Running away from problems and responsibilities
And you close the shades
Isolating yourself from the outside world and your loved ones
Don't try to do it
Don't give up and resort to harmful options
Don't try to kill your time
Don't waste your life with dangerous habits and distractions
Yeah, yeah you might do it
The temptation to give in to addiction or harmful habits
Then you can't change your mind
The irreversible consequences of giving up and taking harmful decisions
You've got a hold on to your time
Value and make the most of your time, even in hard times
Till your break through these Times of Trouble
Stay strong and hopeful, even when you're struggling
When you try to talk
When you try to express how you feel
And the words get hard
When you can't find the right words to express yourself
And they put you down
When people don't understand you or belittle your experiences
Don't you stay
Don't let negative people or situations bring you down
I saw you swinging
Witnessing someone's struggles and pain
Yeah swinging your mother's sword, oh
Fighting with everything you have, even if it means going against societal norms
Sometimes the rules get hard, oh
Sometimes it's hard to follow the strict rules and expectations of society
But if somebody left you out on a ledge
If someone left you stranded and vulnerable
If somebody pushed you over the edge
If someone caused you to reach your breaking point
You got to hold on to your time till you break
Hold on to hope and keep fighting through tough times
Through these times of Trouble
Keep pushing through struggles and adversity
If somebody loved you and left you for dead
If someone you loved and trusted betrayed you and hurt you deeply
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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