For My Sunday Song #335, we are tackling “Hunger Strike” by Temple of the Dog. The song was off their debut and only album, 1991’s Temple of the Dog. It was the first single and reached #4 on the US Mainstream Rock Chart. A song that was written by Chris Cornell and he thought it was only filler for the album and suddenly became their biggest hit. We could write a whole story on the band, but we will stick with just the song.

The band was Chris Cornell, Jeff Ament, Steve Gossard, Mike McCready and Matt Cameron. They got together to honor their friend Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone who died a year earlier. Chris pulled this song out and Mike McCready thought it was a beautiful song. The song is about the inequalities amongst people. How some people get everything they want and it is handed to them on a silver platter while others scrap by, barely able to make ends meet or can’t make ends meet. He feels that the rich are stealing from the others that don’t have. He understands he is in that position where he can do something and wants to do a hunger strike until everyone has equality. He will become Robin Hood and steal that bread from the rich to help the poor. It is a great sentiment, but one that sadly has never been fixed as it is even more of a problem today.

Eddie Vedder joins Chris on vocals but that wasn’t the plan. Eddie was in the studio helping with backing vocals when he saw Chris struggling on the really low notes and with balls of steel, got up out of his chair went up to the mic and started singing. Chris thought it was gutsy and brilliant because it worked on so many levels are their voices play so well off each other and for me is the highlight of the song. I also love the guitar parts as there is this particular twang around the choruses that sounds so cool. The drumming is great, the rhythm section is fantastic and this is one of my favorite songs of Chris’ and of the 90’s. Brilliant track!

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. Is it as powerful as I feel it is? Does it pull out any emotion for you? I find it a fascinating and brilliant track. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful and Happy Sunday!

“Hunger Strike”

I don’t mind stealing bread
From the mouths of decadence
But I can’t feed on the powerless
When my cup’s already overfilled
Yeah

But it’s on the table
The fire’s cooking
And they’re farming babies
The slaves are all working

Blood is on the table
The mouths are all choking
But I’m goin’ hungry, yeah

I don’t mind stealing bread
From the mouths of decadence
But I can’t feed on the powerless
When my cup’s already overfilled, mmm mmm

But it’s on the table
The fire is cooking
And they’re farming babies
The slaves are all working

And it’s on the table
Their mouths are all choking
But I’m going hungry (going hungry)
I’m going hungry (going hungry)
I’m going hungry (going hungry)
I’m going hungry (going hungry)

I’m going hungry (going hungry)
I’m going hungry (going hungry)

Yeah, I don’t mind stealing bread
(Mmm, I don’t mind)
No, I don’t mind stealing bread

I’m going hungry (going hungry)
I’m going hungry (going hungry, yeah)

Written by Chris Cornell