Album: Core (1992)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This early '90s Grunge classic has some intriguing lyrics:

    Take time with a wounded hand 'cause it likes to heal
    Take time with a wounded hand 'cause I like to steal


    The "Wounded Hand" could belong to Jesus Christ, simply because Jesus was a healer and of course he had nails driven through his hands. Also, you could say that in the song he wants to be healed of any tragic flaws, indicated by the line "'cause I like to steal."

    In our interview with Scott Weiland, he explained: "That's just the idea of being a young person somewhere, caught between still being a kid and becoming a young man. It's that youth apathy, that second-guessing yourself, not feeling like you fit in."
  • This is a track from Core, the first Stone Temple Pilots album. The album would sell over 8 million copies and become a landmark of '90s rock, but many critics were far from enthralled by the effort, possibly wary that STP was simply a Pearl Jam clone who earned their record deal because they had a similar sound. Here's a section from the review in Creem:

    "Weiland's mid-range growl does not set him apart as a hard rock shrieker, and DeLeo's catalog of chunky riffs is fairly limited."
  • This was used in the 2001 movie Black Hawk Down.

Comments: 12

  • Dale from Lincoln, NeI always thought this song was based on addiction. The longing to belong and have meaning but ultimately unable to find a place in the world. For Scott he found solace in drugs, but ultimately he was half the man, he used to be.
  • Anonymous Commenter from Ohio U.s.I honestly thought this song was about Jeffrey Dahmer mainly because the news of Mr Dahmer was a big story at the time The release of this song I just thought that they thought that his life was chaotic and it would be a good song story to produce. But music is definitely a subjective type of industry so I guess in some way you could look at the song as a Jeffrey Dahmer story.
  • Audiofreq from San Luis Valley ColoradoHard to have missed these bands but some of us were 35 and running sound for rock bands back then. My go to was Dream Theater all along since about 1989
  • AnonymousFor some reason. Thought this was about Frankenstein’s monster
  • AnonymousClay from Henagar, both nirvana and stp are awesome bands, and kurt's lyrics are deeper than the sea
  • Link from West VirginiaUsed in the Crow movie too.
  • Desiree from Kentuckyseen and old SNL show from way back in 1993 ..Stp.guest..we all were so young..RIP
  • Caleb from Kansas City KansasI always thought the song was about a man who was betrayed by someone he loved (probably girlfriend or wife) and his/their friends who tries to cope with it.
  • Chad from Austin, TxThis is a great song and it's about a shoplifter under house arrest. He's trying to stop and looking for help anywhere he can. His old lady thinks he's a creep. Robert is the one with the gun.
  • Clay from Henagar, AlGreat song by stp but it pisses me off because everybody things this song is by nirvana. Curt Kobain never wrote anything this pretty or with such meaning.
  • Kenne from Phoenix, AzThis song was actually released in 1992, but wasn't released as a single until 1993.
  • Epiphany from Rp, IlThis is a great song that will always be a great part of grunge,or "Generation X". I love STP. :)
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"

Jack Tempchin - "Peaceful Easy Feeling"They're Playing My Song

When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.

Annie Haslam of Renaissance

Annie Haslam of RenaissanceSongwriter Interviews

The 5-octave voice of the classical rock band Renaissance, Annie is big on creative expression. In this talk, she covers Roy Wood, the history of the band, and where all the money went in the '70s.

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.

Francis Rossi of Status Quo

Francis Rossi of Status QuoSongwriter Interviews

Doubt led to drive for Francis, who still isn't sure why one of Status Quo's biggest hits is so beloved.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

American Hits With Foreign Titles

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?