Category: My Sunday Song

My Sunday Song – “Hunger Strike” by Temple of the Dog

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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!

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My Sunday Song – “Loud Love” – Soundgarden

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For My Sunday Song #334, we are going to walk through the song “Loud Love” by Soundgarden. The song is off their 1989 album ‘Louder Than Love’. They hadn’t broke yet here in the states so the song didn’t chart although the album went to #108 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. Now, in the UK the song did chart and reached #87. Not great, but it charted. Fun fact, it is believed that this song was supposed to be on the Wayne’s World soundtrack as it is playing in the background when Wayne meets Casandra. Early listings of the songs had it on their, but it was left off.

The song was written by Chris Cornell. I am not sure what they intended the song to be about, but to me when I look at the lyrics it feels like it is about someone pushing another person to their limits to get them to fight back, to show some emotion and not sit there and take it. They are going to keep at them until the pop and the line “I’ll hammer you until you fight” is a perfect example of that thought. There aren’t a ton of lyrics so no real proof, but that is my gut.

Musically, that guitar piece at the beginning is insane. It is a “feedback melody” is how I’ve seen it described. It is Kim Thayil standing in front of an amp, hitting a note until he gets feedback and then running his fingers up and down the fret. It is almost like the note is breathing. Really cool and what draws me to the song. Chris Cornell really screams out the chorus and lets out a scream towards the end that is pretty killer. Lyrically, there is not a lot to the song, but musically it wraps around those lyrics and drags it out to almost 5 minutes of heavy and thunderous music that paints the scene with a dark brush that feels a little disturbing and I love it.

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My Sunday Song – “You Know My Name” by Chris Cornell

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For My Sunday Song #333, we are going to discuss a James Bond Theme song. This one is “You Know My Name” by Chris Cornell. It holds the distinction of being the only Bond theme song not to be included on the soundtrack. And we have Chris to thank for that as he wanted the song to be his and as a result it appears on his 2007 album ‘Carry On’. The song was written by Chris and David Arnold who was the composer of the Bond music for the film ‘Casino Royale’. The song was leaked early, but did get an official release on November 13, 2006 and did really well in the U.S. where it made the Hot 100 landing at #79 and sold 290,000 copies. In the U.K. it faired better at #7 on the UK Singles Chart and reaching Silver status selling over 200,000 copies.

The song doesn’t mention the movie title and instead is about the person not the movie and thus they came up with “You Know My Name” because after 40+ years of Bond, you know his name. It is about the conflicted side of Bond and not that overly confident super spy. It is about his sacrifices and struggles he battles with internally with being the spy. When he kills, the impact it has on him internally. The fact that everyone ends up betraying him, the impact that has on him. All giving us a different look at Bond which is how Daniel Craig’s Bond has done in his stint as the infamous character.

Chris approached the song two-fold. First, he was inspired by Tom Jones and wanted to sing the song in an almost Crooner style. Second, he loved the intensity of Paul McCartney’s “Live & Let Die” Bond Theme song so he and David made sure to include some heavier rock elements along with the heavy orchestration we get with Bond themes. It is a great combination of styles. I have to say, I think Chris did a great job as I did love his approach with the singing and there are hints of Mr. Jones. There is no mistaking the Bond musical elements as every Bond theme. It is a great Bond Theme!

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My Sunday Song – “Cochise” by Audioslave

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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!!

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My Sunday Song – “Burden in My Hand” by Soundgarden

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Happy New Year and let us kick it off with a new 10 song set of My Sunday Songs. And with #331, we are kicking off with the first of 10 songs that will feature Chris Cornell, First up is the Soundgarden song “Burden in My Hand” off their 1996 album ‘Down on the Upside’. It was written by Chris and was released as the second single September 18, 1996. It did really well spending five weeks at #1 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock Chart.

The song is rather dark as it is about a guy that loses it and kills his wife. He admits it in the song. He is out in the desert where he buried her and his trying to deal with the grief and the guilt and coming to grips with what has happened. The lines “It’s just a burden in my hand / It’s just an anchor on my heart” reflects the guilt he is feeling. Kim Thayil of the band has called the song a modern “Hey Joe”. I can see that. Now, the song doesn’t say what happens to him or if he ever deals with his grief, but he is sitting there drowning his sorrows with alcohol and hopefully he drinks himself to death for what he has done

I love how the song starts out with Chris’ vocal going directly in to the first verse. The guitar comes in and it plays the song in C tuning (I read that on wiki as otherwise I’d have no idea). That opening verse with just the guitar, his voice and then the bass is perfect. The drums not coming in to until the bridge really adds a punch to the bridge. Then the full band is in for the second verse. I love the dark tone coming from the music as it matches the darkness and gloom of the situation. Chris vocals aren’t judgmental to the character, it is almost indifferent to what he has done, yet you feel a little empathy through his vocals. It is really interesting approach and it works.

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My Sunday Song Special Edition: “Yellin’ at the Xmas Tree” by Billy Idol

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Merry Christmas!! And today is a Special Edition of My Sunday Song as it will be a Christmas song and one I enjoy a lot. The song today is “Yellin’ at the Xmas Tree” by Billy Idol. Nothing says Christmas like a drunk father yellin’ at the Christmas tree and then end up falling asleep in the same tree. The song was written by Billy Idol and Brian Tichy and was released on the US and EU promo copies of Billy’s 2005 album ‘Devil’s Playground.

Now, my Christmas’ were nothing like the one pictured in the song. My dad was only yelling at the Christmas tree if we were doing something to it. Plus, he was never drunk. But I am sure a lot of people out there that this has happened to them. Gather around the tree to decorate it, but Dad’s out at the pub getting drunk. Carolers are outside singing and all is well while Santa comes down the chimney and is making it with your Mom while Dad stands there and yells at the Christmas Tree. It sounds like such a Happy Christmas!! And it sounds like a dirty Santa as you can tell from this line…”Santa’s balls are jingling / Mommy’s hips a-wiggling” You go Santa!!

We would all need some therapy after that sight I am sure. The song opens with sleigh bells and then turns straight up rocker. That Steve Stevens guitar sound races through the riffs and Brian Tichy is banging on those drums. Billy’s lip curls as he spits out the lyrics. We get some great Idol screams, some church bells. It is a kick ass song that will put you in the Christmas spirit the minute you hear it!!

Give the song a listen and tell me it doesn’t just brighten your day that your families Christmas was better than this. It makes you appreciate what you have for sure!! Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Day!!

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My Sunday Song – “Second Chance” by Shinedown

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For My Sunday Song #330, we end the Shinedown 10 song set with their biggest hit “Second Chance”. The song was off their 2008 smash album, ‘The Sound of Madness’ and was the second single off the album. It went to #1 on the Adult Top 40 and was the last #1 song played by Casey Kasem before he retired from his American Top 40 show. The song also went to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song alone has sold well over 3,000,000 copies. Not bad at all!!

The song was written by Brent Smith and Dave Bassett and is about the time in your life when you wake up and decide you are going to chase after your dream…do what you want to do. It is when you go outside of your little bubble and find out who you are and what you are here to do. Everyone deserves that chance to reach for their goals. The song for Brent was very personal as it was about the time he left his parents and went out on his own to learn to be a man. He said he still is learning that today. It sounds like his parents might not have agreed on his decision to pursue the rock career, but he had to do it.

The song is a power ballad in that it has a slower tempo, Brent’s vocals are soft and emotive at times. When the chorus hits it ramps up the power and the emotion. It is a very radio-friendly track as it pushes all the sappy buttons so no wonder it did well. But it is popular because it is a very good song. The lyrics can be cheesy at times, but the point behind the song is still beautiful and relevant. That climatic build-up, scream and drum fill at the end of the song, make it standout above the rest of the radio fodder. It is a well-crafted, brilliant song. It is one of those songs for me that I never tire of despite it being completely overplayed on the radio at the time.

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My Sunday Song – “I Dare You” by Shinedown

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For My Sunday Song #329, we will talk about the song “I Dare You” by Shinedown. The song is off their 2005 album ‘Us and Them’. It was the 2nd single from the album and released in February 2006. The song was a minor hit reaching #2 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart and was my introduction to the band. But not from the single release. I actually had heard of the band, but didn’t really know anything about them until I was watching American Idol and Chris Daughtry sang this song. That was October 3, 2008 over two years after its release. He did such a good job, it made me check out the band and I have been a fan ever since.

The song was written by Brent Smith, Brad Stewart and Tony Battaglia. I’ve seen a lot of interpretations about the song on what it means, but my view point is that is about the good & evil inside us all. That voice in your head that tells you do one thing while another tells you to another. The opening verse below is pretty clear in my book…

“Hello, let me introduce you to
The characters in the show
One says yes, one says no
Decide, which voice in your head you can keep alive“

The protagonist is daring the evil side to tell him to walk through fire, but he won’t do it. He struggles every day with that voice telling him to something he knows is wrong and it is tempting to give in. It feels like addict trying to deal with the demons of being an addict and struggling every day wanting that next hit, but fighting off those voices to choose the right way. Of course, you can say it is about whatever you think it is, but this is what I pull out of it.

The song is a slower track, but not a ballad. It has moments of softness and heaviness as the singer battles against those thoughts in heads. The guitar riffing by Jasin Todd is fantastic. A great guitar tone. The drumming though is an even brighter side of the song. Barry Kerch just pummels away on those skins. His fills are perfect. Brent’s vocals capture all the emotion from the lyrics as he is soft at times and aggressive and angry at others. You are taken on a wonderful ride through this song.

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My Sunday Song – “How Did You Love?” by Shinedown

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For My Sunday Song #328, we will dive in to the song “How Did You Love?” by Shinedown. The song is off their 2015 album ‘Threat to Survival’. It was released as a single on October 4, 2016 and went to #1 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. It was written by Brent Smith and Scott Stevens who you know from the band The Exies. He’s also co-written a ton of songs and a lot with Halestorm on their album ‘Into the Wild Life’.

The song is about making sure you understand that you are going to die and being okay with that. Once you are, make sure you live each day to the fullest. When you think back, are you at peace with how you loved during your lifetime. Are you comfortable with that? If not, do something about it. Go out inspire people…and love people.

The song starts off with a slow melody that keeps building with the vocals. It is accented with a beautiful piano and some great rhythm guitar by Zach Myers. The song explodes at the chorus and it turns in to an 80’s power ballad in style. Barry Kerch’s drums are powerful, almost tribal. Brent’s vocals are melodic and heartfelt as they sweep through the verses and soar in the chorus. I love a good power ballad and this fits that mold nicely. The band also released an acoustic version of the song that is quite haunting and beautiful. Check it out as well.

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. Are you happy with how you’ve loved? I also included the acoustic version as well for your listening pleasure. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful and Happy Sunday.

“How Did You Love?”

You can have the sound of a thousand voices calling your name
You can have the light of the world blind you, bathe you in grace
But I don’t see so easily what you hold in your hands
Cause castles crumble, kingdoms fall and turn into sand

You can be an angel of mercy or give into hate
You can try to buy it just like it every other careless mistake
How do you justify I’m mystified by the ways of your heart
With a million lies the truth will rise to tear you apart
Woah!

No one gets out alive, every day is do or die
The one thing you leave behind
Is how did you love, how did you love?
It’s not what you believe; those prayers will make you bleed
But while you’re on your knees
How did you love, how did you love, how did you love?

Nothing ever feels quite the same when you are what you dreamed
And you will never look at anything the same when you see what I see
How we forget ourselves, lose our way from the cradle to the grave
You can’t replicate or duplicate, gotta find your own way
Yeah!

No one gets out alive, every day is do or die
The one thing you leave behind
Is how did you love, how did you love?
It’s not what you believe; those prayers will make you bleed
But while you’re on your knees
How did you love, how did you love, how did you love?

This ain’t no cross to carry
We are the judge and jury; we are the judge and jury

No one gets out alive, every day is do or die
The one thing you leave behind
Is how did you love, how did you love?
It’s not what you believe; those prayers will make you bleed
But while you’re on your knees

How did you love, how did you love, how did you love?

This ain’t no cross to carry
We are the judge and jury, we are the judge and jury

How did you love, how did you love?
How did you love, how did you love?

Written by Brent Smith and Scott Stevens

My Sunday Song – “Sound of Madness” by Shinedown

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For My Sunday Song #327, we are talking about the song “Sound of Madness” by Shinedown. The song is from the album ‘The Sound of Madness’ from 2008. The single was released on February 23, 2009 and went to #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks and #85 on the Billboard Top 100. It helped propel the album to double platinum status with over 2,000,000 copies sold.

The song was written by Brent Smith and Dave Bassett and is basically a rant by Brent against people who sit and complain about their problems all the time. They feel they are always the victim and that they need to get off their ass and fight to fix their problems and not be consumed by them. He feels their misery is a self-serving prophecy as if you are always negative only negative things will happen to you. Brent states he knows as he wrote the book on it, but the difference is he stood up for himself.

The song is heavy with pounding, thunderous drums from Barry Kerch. And Zach Myer’s guitar is almost seamless with Eric Bass’ bass to give a great thumping rhythm. Nick Perri’s lead guitar is brutal and all together everything is loud and pulls you in. Brent’s vocals show an anger yet it is so melodic. The chorus is catchy and is hook-filled greatness. A killer track and easily to see why they named the album after it.

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. Are you always negative or are you a fighter? Or do you know someone like who the song describes? Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed the song. Have a wonderful and a Happy Sunday!! Stay positive!!

“Sound Of Madness”

Yeah, I get it
You’re an outcast
Always under attack
Always coming in last
Bringing up the past
No one owes you anything

I think
You need a shotgun blast
A kick in the ass
So paranoid
Watch your back

Oh my, here we go

Another loose cannon gone bi-polar
Slipped down, couldn’t get much lower
Quicksand’s got no sense of humor
I’m still laughing like hell

You think that by crying to me
Looking so sorry that I’m gonna believe
You’ve been infected by a social disease
Well, then take your medicine

I created the sound of madness
Wrote the book on pain
Somehow I’m still here to explain
That the darkest hour never comes in the night
You can sleep with a gun
When you gonna wake up and fight
For yourself?

I’m so sick of this tombstone mentality
If there’s an afterlife
Then it’ll set you free
But I’m not gonna part the seas
You’re a self-fulfilling prophecy

You think that by crying to me
Looking so sorry that I’m gonna believe
You’ve been infected by a social disease
Well, then take your medicine

I created the sound of madness
Wrote the book on pain
Somehow I’m still here to explain
That the darkest hour never comes in the night
You can sleep with a gun
When you gonna wake up and fight
For yourself

I created the sound of madness
Wrote the book on pain
Somehow I’m still here
To explain
That the darkest hour never comes in the night
You can sleep with a gun
When you gonna wake up
When you gonna wake up and fight

I created the sound of madness
Wrote the book on pain
Somehow I’m still here
To explain
That the darkest hour never comes in the night
You can sleep with a gun
When you gonna wake up and fight
For yourself

When you gonna wake up and fight for yourself?
When you gonna wake up and fight for yourself?
When you gonna wake up and fight for yourself?

Written by Brent Smith and Dave Bassett