Chris Cornell

One of my favorite singers and a great songwriter, Chris Cornell has died.  This is painful to write about, not only because he has died, but because it has been reported as an apparent suicide, meaning that he was most likely feeling deep pain and anguish in his final moments.

This is especially difficult for me to bear since I could always hear that pain and anguish in his singing, and relate to it, particularly in his Audioslave songs, some of which are incredibly under-rated.  Seriously, how much better can a rock song be than “Like a Stone” or “Be Yourself”?  I aspire to just get near that kind of true emotion, thoughtfulness and incredible vocal ability.  In a sense, he was one of my teachers of how to do music, and an extremely unusual one in that he came along fairly late in the development of my musical sensibilities.  I will not forget Chris Cornell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC5FdFlUcl0

“Be Yourself”

Someone falls to pieces

Sleeping all alone

Someone kills the pain

Spinning in the silence

She finally drift away

Someone gets excited

In a chapel yard

Catches a bouquet

Another lays a dozen

White roses on a grave

 

And be yourself is all that you can do

To be yourself is all that you can do

 

Someone finds salvation in everyone

Another only pain

Someone tries to hide themself

Down inside himself he prays

Someone swears their true love

Until the end of time

Another runs away

separate or united?

Healthy or insane?

 

And be yourself is all that you can do (all that you can do)

To be yourself is all that you can do (all that you can do)

To be yourself is all that you can do (all that you can do)

Be yourself is all that you can do

 

Even when you've paid enough

Been pulled apart

Or been held up

Every single memory of

The good or bad, faces of love

Don't lose any sleep tonight

I'm sure everything will end up alright

You may win or lose

 

But to be yourself is all that you can do

To be yourself is all that you can do

To be yourself is all that you can do (all that you can do)

To be yourself is all that you can do (all that you can do)

To be yourself is all that you can

Be yourself is all that you can

Be yourself is all that you can do

 

Written by Timothy Commerford, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Brad Wilk