I always thought this was about more than food---it is about feeling powerless.
Often a "hunger strike" is a form of protest. And the lyric "I can't feed off the powerless / when my cup is overfilled" meant that the narrator's cup (life) is full of the same powerlessness.
I think the song is about seeing others having success they do not deserve at the expense of other people, and feeling the injustice of witnessing that.
It's the lie of the American dream: we see the rich and powerful, and we keep thinking that will be us, but we hate the rich even as we dream of being one of them. Watching other people have success just makes us emptier.
That is a nice way of interpreting the cup is already filled verse. Another interesting interpretation is maybe Cornell sings that line as if he were the oppressor. Maybe oppressor is thinking I already took too much. Or maybe Cornell wants to get inside the oppressors mind by suggesting to him his cup is already full and maybe it's not good to keep feeding on the powerless.
That is a nice way of interpreting the cup is already filled verse. Another interesting interpretation is maybe Cornell sings that line as if he were the oppressor. Maybe oppressor is thinking I already took too much. Or maybe Cornell wants to get inside the oppressors mind by suggesting to him his cup is already full and maybe it's not good to keep feeding on the powerless.
I always thought this was about more than food---it is about feeling powerless.
Often a "hunger strike" is a form of protest. And the lyric "I can't feed off the powerless / when my cup is overfilled" meant that the narrator's cup (life) is full of the same powerlessness.
I think the song is about seeing others having success they do not deserve at the expense of other people, and feeling the injustice of witnessing that.
It's the lie of the American dream: we see the rich and powerful, and we keep thinking that will be us, but we hate the rich even as we dream of being one of them. Watching other people have success just makes us emptier.
That is a nice way of interpreting the cup is already filled verse. Another interesting interpretation is maybe Cornell sings that line as if he were the oppressor. Maybe oppressor is thinking I already took too much. Or maybe Cornell wants to get inside the oppressors mind by suggesting to him his cup is already full and maybe it's not good to keep feeding on the powerless.
That is a nice way of interpreting the cup is already filled verse. Another interesting interpretation is maybe Cornell sings that line as if he were the oppressor. Maybe oppressor is thinking I already took too much. Or maybe Cornell wants to get inside the oppressors mind by suggesting to him his cup is already full and maybe it's not good to keep feeding on the powerless.
Could the entire song be written from the point of view of the oppressor feeling remorse for the injustice.
Could the entire song be written from the point of view of the oppressor feeling remorse for the injustice.