The Worm

Album: Out Of Exile (2005)
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Songfacts®:

  • Frontman Chris Cornell handled Audioslave's lyrics, with his bandmates composing the music. In "The Worm," he remembers his earlier days and thinks about his regrets. It's a cathartic, aggressive song, typical of the band's sound. Cornell never mentions a worm in the lyric.
  • Some lyric analysis:

    "Born too young" - Cornell had immature views in his former career as a lyricist and singer.

    "Top of my lungs" - He sang in a high-pitched voice when he was in early Soundgarden.

    "Sitting on the bottom rug" - On the back of the Louder Than Love CD, there is a portrait of a band, and there is a transparent rug over them.
  • A track from the second of Audioslave's three albums, "The Worm" was produced by Rick Rubin, who helped team Chris Cornell with ex-Rage Against The Machine members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk to form the band.

Comments: 5

  • Adrian from Brookings, Sd"Low and high" is a recurring theme in Chris Cornell's lyrics. A perfect general description of life I suppose. He was low for most of his life, but finding sobriety and fatherhood while with Audioslave has made him high and given him a new take on life.
  • Chris from Columbus, OhMy favorite lyric by far is "Took advice from the wrong shoulder; took a lot of everything."
  • Brandon from Saskatoon, Canadathis is my favourite audioslave song. the "halo, i'm complete, halo i'm reborn" is a real cool lyric
  • Ashley from Moncton, CanadaThis is one of favourite songs from Out Of Exile and I find it is a lot like Black Sabbath, at the first especially.
  • Phil from Hampshire, Englandthe lyric is 'sitting on the bottom rung'

    as in bottom rung of a ladder at the bottom were no one would even listen to what he had to say and there was so much more he wanted to do (move up the ladder)
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