Nothing seems to kill me no matter how hard I try
Nothing is closing my eyes
Nothing can beat me down for your pain or delight
And nothing seems to break me
No matter how hard I fall
Nothing can break me at all
Not one for giving up though not invincible I know

I've givin' everything I need
I'd give you everything I own
I'd give in if it could at least be ours alone
I've given everything I could
To blow it to hell and gone
Burrow down in and blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside world

Someone tried to tell me something
Don't let the world bring you down?
Nothing will do me in before I do myself
So save it for your own and the ones you can help

I've givin' everything I need
I'd give you everything I own
I'd give in if it could at least be ours alone
I've given everything I could
To blow it to hell and gone
Burrow down in and blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside world

Want to make it understood
Wanting though I never would
Trying though I know it's wrong
Blowing it to hell and gone
Wishing though I never could

Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside world

Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside world
Blow up the outside

Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside
Blow up the outside


Lyrics submitted by jt, edited by Mellow_Harsher

Blow Up The Outside World Lyrics as written by Chris Cornell

Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, Peermusic Publishing

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Blow Up the Outside World song meanings
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63 Comments

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  • +7
    General CommentI think it's about the infatuation, obsession, and dissolution of a relationship. Not necessarily in that order.

    "Nothing seems to kill me,
    No matter how hard I try..."

    That line seems to be about feeling loss, and consequently, wanting to lose himself.

    "I've given everything I need,
    I'd give you everything I own,
    I'd give in if it could at least be our's alone..."

    That line is obviously pertaining to what he sacrificed and would sacrifice for his love. The last line is talking about some sort of compromise. Perhaps his love wasn't on the same level as he was, and he was doing anything to hold onto her.

    "Blow up the outside world."

    To me, that means being inside of your own little world with someone special. When you're at the peak of infatuation, that's exactly how you feel. Fuck the world, fuck what everyone thinks. Just feed off the love and happiness of your significant other. That's the sacred language of love.

    Upon losing such a wonderful thing, one can feel down and even self-destructive. I'm only writing this from my own perspective, but I totally picture this in my mind when I hear Cornell sing these words. Love can be heavenly or apocalyptic.
    ultramegaunknownon December 27, 2012   Link
  • +5
    General CommentI think this song is about feeling isolated by the world around you. The outside world is percieved as the enemy and cornell wishes to either end his life or destroy the world. Although he knows that's impossible, it doesn't stop him from reflecting on the idea.
    outsiderrron July 22, 2010   Link
  • +5
    My InterpretationCornell has struggled at different times in his life with social phobia, this song, more than any other from Soundgarden, seems to tell a story on that part of his life. He's tried everything he can think of, but he feels hopeless and unable to beat his condition. He'd just as soon blow up the outside world. He knows it's wrong, but he's exhausted and just doesn't care about living among society anymore.
    myenemyisnearon July 25, 2012   Link
  • +4
    General CommentThis song explains my pathetic life...Great song.
    EmO_KiDDon August 07, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General CommentI think it's about the burdens of being too sensitive.
    bladeszcaton March 19, 2003   Link
  • +2
    My InterpretationI think that Chris wrote this song about the fact that the media absolutely destroyed the so called "grunge" scene. Before the cultural phenomenon of Seattle happened all it was was a bunch of buddy's sitting in there dingy basements writing this stuff from the heart a soul, and I think Chris wished it stayed that way. That's just my take.
    woodgobilnon December 07, 2014   Link
  • +1
    My InterpretationMaybe because the world can't finish him after a long time he wished to be gone, he wants to end the world. It might sound stupid considering Chris's previous songs, But in the chorus he (maybe) speaks to god, telling him he's willing to sacrifice the fake he's living in and give everything he owns for the opportunity to break the world's barrier and climb up to god.

    This song may also deal with the outside world, the world that is created by all of our inner worlds. Like many these days, Chris Cornell seems to hate the hypocrisy and the major confusion that surrounds the world and makes the madness take huge part of people's life. He wishes to to blow up the external thin gs that the eye can see, such as the gender, color, size, technology and all of the others characteristic of the human kind and the things they've created. Thus, all of the people shall turn into floating souls, flying above their bodies while watching the wreck of thousands of years they have done. Something like the 'final release' from the outside superficial world, and becoming equal to everyone else until everything's just written together.

    By the way/ He once said in an interview that he likes the fact people interpretating his songs in a variety of ways, and that's why most of his songs are so uncertain and mysterious, he won't expose his meaning behind the lyrics because he wants us to wonder and try to understand it in different ways.
    nati1271on September 16, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Commenti think the 1984 interpretation is interesting(maybe it's most accurate, but haven't seen the vid to the song) but that the way chris says blow up the outside world repeatedly at the end is zombie like, almost like that's what he wants to do, but it's like mind control-like, but he's now the one saying it. so even if he wants to, he kind of left without the will, only the thought
    daveeeedon October 29, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Commentthis song "blow up the outside world" is about how Chris Cornell felt how the world tries to make you do what it wants and that he is tired of dealing with it. he is trying to saw that nothing can make him do what they want but he will do what he wants hence. "nothing is closing my eyes" refers to him not falling into the sleep of just following everyone without a thought. "nothing seems to break me,no matter how hard i fall" refers to him not letting himself get broken by anyone
    lyricmaster121on December 18, 2019   Link
  • +1
    Song MeaningDon't we all want to blow up the outside world (metaphorically) from time to time? Written entirely by lead singer Chris Cornell, this song finds him wishing he could retreat from the people and pressures of everyday life. In an interview with Chris Cornell back when the song was released, the interviewer asked him, "If you could blow something up on the outside world, what would it be?" Chris replied with: stupid people, mini malls, racists, and hardcore religious rights people."
    EternalTearsOfSorrowon August 09, 2022   Link

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