My Sunday Song – “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden

Published on by 2loud2oldmusic

For My Sunday Song #104, we are covering one of the great songs to come out of the Grunge Era, “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden.  The song was all over the radio although it never broke the Top 40.  It did reach #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks.  The song was featured on the band’s fourth album ‘Superunknown’ back in 1994.

The grunge era was permeated with depressing songs and this was no exception; however, there was something more to it.  Whether it was the songwriting, the vocals, or the music itself, Soundgarden was different than the other bands.  They had talent, they had musicianship and they had one of the greatest vocalist at the time with Chris Cornell.  I never got into grunge, but Soundgarden was one of the very few bands I got into because of the songs.

“Black Hole Sun” was juxtaposed with the darkness of a black hole and the brightness of the sun…at least in the title.  It had this really beautiful chorus, but what the song was really about I had no idea.  The words didn’t really make sense (see the lyrics below); however, they sounded great together.  The song is really sad and dark although at times the song doesn’t sound that way.  It all just kinda worked.

Chris was asked about the song after it became a hit and he said this…( SOUNDGARDEN: PAINTING BEAUTIFUL PICTURES by Jennifer Clay)

“It’s funny because hits are usually sort of congruent, sort of an identifiable lyric idea, and that song pretty much had none. The chorus lyric is kind of beautiful and easy to remember. Other than that, I sure didn’t have an understanding of it after I wrote it. I was just sucked in by the music and I was painting a picture with the lyrics. There was no real idea to get across.”

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The song wasn’t one of their biggest guitar heavy songs; but their was a heaviness to the music itself.  A dark, foreboding feel to it with even a little psychedelic sound with even a Beatles influence.  I hear it anyway.

The video is something else.  Completely strange and bizarre and like the lyrics I am not sure its makes any sense.  The band basically is standing there uninterested while these colorful, yet demented scenes play out.  The sun turns into a black hole and everything is sucked right up into it.  It is something to be seen for sure so check it out.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Sunday!!

“Black Hole Sun”

In my eyes
Indisposed
In disguise
As no one knows
Hides the face
Lies the snake
And the sun
In my disgraceBoiling heat
Summer stench
‘Neath the black
The sky looks dead
Call my name
Through the cream
And I’ll hear you
Scream again

[Chorus:]
Black hole sun
Won’t you come
And wash away the rain?
Black hole sun
Won’t you come?
Won’t you come?

Stuttering
Cold and damp
Steal the warm wind
Tired friend
Times are gone
For honest men
And sometimes
Far too long
For snakes

In my shoes
A walking sleep
And my youth
I pray to keep
Heaven send
Hell away
No one sings
Like you anymore

[Chorus 2x]

(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)

Hang my head
Drown my fear
‘Til you all just disappear

[Chorus 2x]

(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
Won’t you come?
Won’t you come?

Written by Chris Cornell

 

15 thoughts on “My Sunday Song – “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden”

  1. Superunknown is a near perfect album and Black Hole Sun one of many highlights. I took my nephew to see Soundgarden play this in full in 2013. He still talks about it now as one of the most amazing things he ever saw. I kind of agree with him

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  2. Love love love this choice for a Sunday! And I agree with Steve above, it is as perfect as albums get and BHS is one of many great songs. Certainly a unique song, even for its time, yet timeless.

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      1. Perhaps the best! I don’t know how to be objective on that though because I don’t have much love for Nirvana, so I am biased in that regard. I don’t think Kurt ever wrote anything as good as BHS.

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