When burgeoning grunge star Andrew Wood died in Seattle in 1990 at the age of 24, a shock wave went through the city. His band at the time, Mother Love Bone, which featured several future members of Pearl Jam, was just days away from releasing their debut LP Apple. But now Wood was gone.
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In the wake of his passing, Wood’s former roommate Chris Cornell would put together a tribute band called Temple of the Dog, which would include the likes of Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready. And while it took a few years for the band’s 1991 self-titled debut to hit the charts, it eventually did in a major way.
[RELATED: Top 11 Grunge Songs]
Here below, we wanted to dive into three songs Cornell wrote solo for the project—three songs that paid great tribute to Wood. And while the songs involve another layer of loss due to Cornell’s 2017 suicide, it’s important to remember greatness while it lasted.
“Hunger Strike”
Written by Chris Cornell
The most well-known track from the record, “Hunger Strike” features dual vocals from Vedder and Cornell. Released in 1991, it was the first single from the band and it later hit No. 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks. At first, Cornell didn’t think the song was going to be much at all, but then when Vedder walked up to the microphone to add low parts to Cornell’s lightning-bolt style, the song clicked it and the rest is history. On it, Cornell opens the track,
I don’t mind stealin’ bread from the mouths of decadents
But I can’t feed on the powerless when my cup’s already overfilled, yeah
But it’s on the table, the fire’s cookin’
And they’re farmin’ babies, while slaves are workin’
The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin’
But I’m goin’ hungry, yeah
“Call Me a Dog”
Written by Chris Cornell
This is a self-deprecating song, of sorts, with the lyrics pointing to a down-on-his-luck, forlorn person who has done wrong both by himself and those around him. But the chorus flips the tone, with the singer unprepared to throw negative stones at those who call him “a dog.” Sings Cornell,
You call me a dog, well, that’s fair enough
‘Cause it ain’t no use to pretend you’re wrong
And you call me out, I can’t hide anymore
I have no disguise you can’t see through
You say it’s bad luck to have fallen for me
What can I do to make it good for you?
You wore me out like an old winter coat
Trying to be safe from the cold
Oh, when it’s my time
To throw the next stone
I’ll call you beautiful
If I call at all, ooh
You call me a dog
“All Night Thing”
Written by Chris Cornell
The final song on the 10-track record, “All Night Thing” is a passionate tune about going “somewhere warm” where the singer and the object of his affection can be “alone.” It’s a love song, one likely pointing to a sexual encounter. But given the history of Seattle and drug use, it could be a stand-in for a song about going home and succumbing to the haze of narcotics. No matter the actual meaning, Cornell sings,
She motioned to me
That she wanted to leave
And go somewhere warm
Where we’d be alone
I do not know, what’s going on
But I’m guessing it’s an all night thing
It’s an all night thing
If it’s an all night thing
Nobody is gonna make it end
And if it don’t begin
Don’t worry that I’ll take offense
And if it’s an all night thing
And we fall like a tear falling to the ground
I’ll never come around
And you’ll never hear a word from me
If it’s an all night thing
Photo by Peter Wafzig/Redferns via Getty Images
