Soundgarden was one of the biggest bands to come out of the Seattle scene in the early 90s. Their unique style of Alternative Rock blended Hard Rock and Metal with Pop and Punk to create a sound that, let’s face it, had never been heard before. And, with singer Chris Cornell’s heaven-sent vocals, they made an unforeseen foray into the mainstream.
Most of the band’s songs were composed as a unit. And the lyrics were normally penned by Cornell alone. So, if you’ve ever wondered about the meaning behind “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden, I’m going to delve into it here.
This song is by no means a typical Soundgarden song, if such a thing even exists. However, this was probably the band’s most famous song and the one they’re most widely remembered for.
The Background Behind “Black Hole Sun”
Amazingly, Soundgarden started way back in 1984 with Chris Cornell singing and drumming and Kim Thayil on lead guitar. The classic line-up that the band is known for saw Cornell switch to rhythm guitar, Matt Cameron (now of Pearly Jam) take over on drums, and Ben Shepherd on the bass.
Together, this quartet released Badmotorfinger in 1991. This record was epic and represented a major departure from their earlier two records which were more Punk-inspired and far less refined.
After the success of Badmotorfinger and the new spotlight on the developing Seattle scene, Soundgarden wanted to do something new. They focused even more on songwriting and collecting influences from all over the musical spectrum. This culminated in the 1994 release, Superunknown, the band’s breakthrough record.
And what a breakthrough!
Superunknown debuted at #1 in the charts in America. It also took the #1 spot in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This record was still hard and heavy, had complicated song structures, and used some odd time signatures and unusual tunings. But it also worked Pop influences into the mix.
Changing their sound was a gamble…
But, the band saw it as an opportunity to grow as musicians. And the gamble paid off. Eventually, the record would sell enough copies to be certified 6x platinum and would garner two Grammy awards, one for “Black Hole Sun.”
This is a song that really divided the Soundgarden audience. On the one hand, while it had a definite hard edge, this song had a much more Pop-like structure and sound. This helped it to find success and gain the band fans who would otherwise be turned off by their heavy sound.
On the other hand…
The sudden popularity and heavy rotation of the song, combined with the Pop elements included in the song, helped to alienate many die-hard fans. So, while Soundgarden is best remembered for this song, many fans see that as a travesty.
But, if you listen closely, both the words and the music are still decisively Soundgarden-esque. So, let’s look at what the song “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden means and try to piece together what this song is all about.
The Meaning Behind “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden
Chris Cornell wrote hundreds of songs over his career, which was sadly cut way too short. Although he was also known as “The Voice” for his incredible singing talent and nearly 4-octave range, he was also a very talented lyricist. Many of his songs explored dark themes, including substance abuse, heartbreak, self-harm, and even suicide.
Most of his songs had a fairly focused theme and often a somewhat clear message. But, the meaning of the song “Black Hole Sun” is very different.
Cornell has told the story of where this song came from many times…
He was listening to the radio while driving and wasn’t really paying attention. He thought that he heard a news anchor say the phrase “Black Hole Sun.” Even though that wasn’t a thing before this song. So, even though he heard it wrong, the phrase stuck in his imagination.
He started to think about what that image meant to him, and the concept of the song was born. The chorus came to him right away. Later, he wrote the full lyrics while thinking about what that chorus and the image of a black hole sun evoked in his mind.
And it’s dark stuff!
The chorus of the song can feel kind of bright and upbeat, even an anthem of sorts. That said, this is not a positive song. The feeling that Cornell was trying to capture in the lyrics was one of desolation, despair, and even the end of days.
Therefore, the meaning behind “Black Hole Sun” is truly about the sun collapsing in on itself, becoming a black hole, and bringing an end to all the dark and terrible things on earth. He paints this picture clearly in the epic chorus. But, also in the verses, using words like “stench,” “boiling,” “disgrace,” “scream,” and “disappear.”
Cornell stated very clearly that he was just playing with lyrics to evoke images. Furthermore, it has no real story, and there is no deep meaning to Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun.”
Maybe that’s why it struck a chord with so many people…
After all, this is the real substance of art. His work evokes feelings and reactions that are visceral. They’re also unique to each listener, so different people will envision different things when they hear this song.
In that way, while he didn’t give it one concrete meaning, it has infinite meanings. And that gives this work a great deal more depth than so many other songs out there.
The Music for “Black Hole Sun”
A poem is a poem, and a tune is a tune. But putting them together can form a whole that is stronger than the sum of its parts. This is definitely true with “Black Hole Sun.” Not only were the lyrics written as a response to the melody that Chris Cornell came up with, they just wouldn’t mean as much without the music which suits them perfectly.
Continuing the story of the song’s origin…
Cornell says he thought up the lead and rhythm guitar parts in his head once he had the original idea for the song. He came home and whistled the melodies into a recorder to save them. The whole thing took less just 15 minutes to compose.
After that, he brought the song to the band. He thought that they wouldn’t be impressed since it wasn’t anything like their normal style. However, he was wrong. The other members of Soundgarden were impressed. They worked together to flesh out the track into something that was unlike any other song they’d ever written, but that was still uniquely a Soundgarden song.
This song starts with the two guitar parts…
Cornell strums an arpeggio while Thayil makes some cool sliding sounds. He then plays the lead, plucking the chords slowly as Cornell sings the first verse. The bass plays long, deep notes, and this is all over a slow, spacious beat by Cameron.
Then, the chorus comes in, and the beat gets heavy and more intense while the bass hits hard. Thayil continues plucking arpeggios while Cornell hits full chords. This alternation continues through the song.
But there’s an incredible breakdown right in the middle…
During this part, Cameron lays down a slamming beat while Cornell and Shepherd play a similar progression on guitar and bass. Thayil plays an amazing lead part that’s psychedelic and quite intense. In my opinion, it’s possibly the best part of this tune.
The last chorus repeats several times, becoming more and more intense until it ends in a single phrase of that cool breakdown. And then, you need to mop the sweat off your brow and peek out the window just to check if the world is still out there.
The Music Video for “Black Hole Sun”
The video for “Black Hole Sun” is almost as cool as the song itself. It was directed by Brit director Howard Greenhalgh, and after heavy rotation, it received an MTV Video Award for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video in 1994.
The video starts with a bleak, almost post-apocalyptic landscape. Then, you realize it’s just something like southern California. The whole thing reflects the surreal landscape that the song is really about, though the band gave no input into the video at all. They saw making videos as a necessary part of the business, but not one they were very interested in, and just let the director do his job.
He did it well…
The video is full of surreal characters representing 1950s idealized life. There’s a perfect housewife, a preacher, a girl in braces, a curvy woman by a swimming pool, a cougar and her push-up-practicing hunk, and more. Computer effects, however, warp their faces into grotesque expressions, suggesting something evil or twisted under the surface.
Of course, the sun collapses through the video into a black hole that ends up sucking everyone up into it. The band plays in a basic setup, but around them, the sky swirls and changes into an apocalypse. It’s all pretty darned cool.
Interested in The Seattle Sound and Other Great Music from the 90s?
If so, check out our thoughts on the Best 90s Grunge Songs, the Best Grunge Bands of the 90s, the Best 90s Songs, the Best 90s Love Songs, the Best 90s Hip Hop Songs, the Best 90s Rock Songs, and the Best 90s Dance Songs for more awesome songs selections from that decade.
The Meaning Behind “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden – Final Thoughts
Many of Sondgarden’s songs are fast, hard, Punk-inspired tunes with a Heavy Metal edge. But, “Black Hole Sun” is something that sounds very different from the rest of their body of work. It’s also lyrically different. Instead of trying to write a story or make a point with his lyrics, Chris Cornell wrote this song by playing with lyrics and trying to create images that helped to create an overall mood.
It ended up being Soundgaden’s biggest hit song. And, if you ask anybody about Soundgarden these days, it will probably be the first song they think of.
But there’s no denying that this song came together well and was written at the right time in the right place. It was a song the world needed back then. And maybe needs to have one more listen today as well. Regardless of what the meaning behind “Black Hole Sun” is, if there even is one.
Until next time, happy listening.
