For My Sunday Song #332, we are going to discuss the song “Cochise” by Audioslave which includes lead singer Chris Cornell and the reason we are here. The song was the band’s first single off their debut album from 2002. The band consists of Chris Cornell and the musical styles of the band Rage Against the Machine including Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk. Since Rage broke up, they band stayed together and brought in Chris to form a new band. The song went to #2 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart and #2 in the UK on their Rock & Metal Chart where it sold over 200,000 copies.

The song titles is “Cochise” and what the heck is a “Cochise”? Well, I’ll tell you. Cochise was an Apache Indian Chief and he was a badass. He was brutal, yet fearless and resolute. He didn’t let anything stop him and was full of rate and fury which is what Tom felt the music was that way and thus the name of the single. However, “Cochise” doesn’t appear anywhere in the song and is not about him in any way.

The song is about people that waste their life away doing nothing. They need to look in the mirror, wake up and get moving with their life. Chris had mentioned that the song was inspired by himself looking in the mirror and thinking that same thing. I look at it like Chris is out there rocking the world, having so many great adventures while that guy in the mirror is doing drugs, drinking or whatever else to destroy his life. It is like there are two people and if he doesn’t wake up and get both lives in order, the end won’t end well. And we know how that sadly ended.

The song has this tribal drum beat feel, while Tom is doing crazy things on his guitar and Tim on his bass. After about 50 seconds of this growing intensity, that wicked Morello riff comes crashing in. And what a riff it is. Chris sounds great, attacking the lyrics with that same intensity. Plus that scream towards the end is perfection. Tom’s playing throughout is worth the price of admission alone. A great, heavy ass track that let us know Audioslave was for real!!

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think? Isn’t that riff freaking awesome. Morello is a badass. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a Happy Sunday!

“Cochise”

Well, I’ve been watching, while you’ve been coughing.
I’ve been drinking life, while you’ve been nauseous.
And so I drink to health, while you kill yourself.
And I’ve got just one thing that I can offer,

Go on and save yourself, and take it out on me.
Go on and save yourself, and take it out on me. Yeah.

I’m not a martyr, I’m not a prophet,
And I won’t preach to you, but here’s a caution;
You better understand, that I won’t hold your hand,
But if it helps you mend, then I won’t stop it.

Go on and save yourself, and take it out on me.
Go on and save yourself, and take it out on me.
Go on and save yourself, and take it out on me.
Go on and save yourself, and take it out on me. Yeah.

Drown if you want, and I’ll see you at the bottom,
Where you’ll crawl on my skin and put the blame on me, so you don’t feel a thing.

Go on and save yourself, and take it out on me.
Go on and save yourself, and take it out on me.
Go on and save yourself, and take it out on me.
Go on and save yourself, and take it out on me. Yeah.

Written by Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk