This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
The first time I ever saw you
You had that far away look in your eyes
And heaven's eyes shined down upon you
And the whole room filled up with light
Now the cruel world it's gonna try and change you
Try to hang you up and mess with your pride
Now the rich just try to chain you
You got to keep your fire burning inside
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Now sometimes the world tries to slap you
And it seems to love watching you fall
I won't lie to you, it's gonna happen
You got to pick yourself up and move on
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Which star will I be thinking of tonight
Tonight
Which star will I be thinking of tonight
Tonight
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Promise me (Why don't you)
Promise me (Why don't you)
Promise me (Why don't you)
Promise me (Why don't you)
You had that far away look in your eyes
And heaven's eyes shined down upon you
And the whole room filled up with light
Now the cruel world it's gonna try and change you
Try to hang you up and mess with your pride
Now the rich just try to chain you
You got to keep your fire burning inside
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Now sometimes the world tries to slap you
And it seems to love watching you fall
I won't lie to you, it's gonna happen
You got to pick yourself up and move on
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Which star will I be thinking of tonight
Tonight
Which star will I be thinking of tonight
Tonight
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Promise me
You won't let them put out your fire
Put out your fire
Promise me (Why don't you)
Promise me (Why don't you)
Promise me (Why don't you)
Promise me (Why don't you)
Lyrics submitted by TheJackel92
Promise Lyrics as written by Saul Hudson Chris Cornell
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The Night We Met
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Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
This song is so sexy!
This song almost seems to me like Cornell is singing directly to Slash telling him to keep on making music his way despite all the bullsh-t he's had to deal with from his lead singers and record labels.
I love Cornell's voice so much on this song. Probably my favorite song on Slash's album. When I listen to the lyrics, I visualize Cornell singing to a child, warning him/her about how the world can be such a difficult place. Just don't ever let them put out your fire.
Like rock_hawk, when I first heard this song, I thought of Chris Cornell saying this to a child. And I actually wasn't a fan of this song the first couple times I listened to the album, even though I really like Cornell. But this song's grown on me, and I now think that this is one of my favs from the album.
I still think that the intro's weak, and this song is not Slash's best guitar work, but the chorus MORE than makes up for any shortfalls, and is as memorable as any chorus on the album IMO. And of course, Cornell's voice is amazing, as always. The lyrics are great, and really uplifting. They're not hard to understand, and they're honest.
The meaning I take away is this: The world will try to screw you over, change you, hurt you, and mock you. But you need to keep going, keep the fire alive, and not let the negativity of this world bring you down. The reason I think he's talking to a child is because it sounds like he's preparing someone who is not familiar with, or has not experienced, the "real world".