Burden in My Hand

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Burden in My Hand”
“Burden in My Hand” cover
Single by Soundgarden
from the album Down on the Upside
B-side "Karaoke"
Released September 18, 1996
Format CD single, Vinyl
Recorded November 1995–February 1996
Genre Alternative rock, grunge
Length 4:50
Label A&M
Writer(s) Chris Cornell
Producer Soundgarden
Soundgarden singles chronology
"Pretty Noose"
(1996)		 "Burden in My Hand"
(1996)		 "Blow Up the Outside World"
(1996)
Down on the Upside track listing
"Blow Up the Outside World"
(Track 6)		 "Burden in My Hand"
(Track 7)		 "Never Named"
(Track 8)
Audio sample
Info (help·info)

"Burden in My Hand" is a song by the Seattle band Soundgarden. It appears as the seventh track on the band's final album Down on the Upside, released in 1996. It was released as a single the same year and became a number one hit on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for five weeks. It would later appear on the band's greatest hits album A-Sides.

Contents

[edit] Origin and recording

The song was written by frontman Chris Cornell. It was written in C-G-C-G-G-E tuning.[1]

[edit] Release and reception

"Burden in My Hand" became the most successful song from Down on the Upside on the rock charts. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

[edit] Lyrical meaning

The song itself seems to deal with murder and guilt. Chris Cornell chants the chorus "I shot my love today, would you cry for me?" and "I left her in the sand, just a burden in my hand." He also sings "Just a burden in my hand, just an anchor on my heart..." which seems to imply that the song's character is suffering from his conscience. Kim Thayil, in an ironic manner, called the song "the "Hey Joe" of the '90s."[2]

[edit] Music video

The music video for the song featured the band members walking through a desert. The fighter aircraft seen in the video can be identified as a J 35 Draken. The video was directed by Jake Scott. The video was released in June 1996.[3]

[edit] Live performances

The song was performed on Saturday Night Live in May 1996 in support of Down on the Upside.

[edit] Formats and track listing

European CD #1 and 7"
  1. "Burden in My Hand" (Chris Cornell) – 4:50
  2. "Karaoke"
European CD #2
  1. "Burden in My Hand" (Cornell) – 4:50
  2. "Bleed Together" (Cornell) – 3:54
  3. "She's a Politician" (Cornell) – 1:48
  4. Chris Cornell Interview
    • The 7:40 long interview segment with Chris Cornell is conducted by Tom Russell and was recorded in April 1996. Chris talks about the canceled Superunknown tour dates in the UK ("My voice just crapped out"), the pressure to release a record that will sell well ("The pressure comes from us"), publishing companies ("We didn't need that"), and the band's sense of humor ("We don't take ourselves seriously").
Australian CD
  1. "Burden in My Hand" (Cornell) – 4:50
  2. "Karaoke"
  3. "Bleed Together" (Cornell) – 3:54
  4. "Birth Ritual" (demo) (Cornell, Matt Cameron, Kim Thayil)
UK Club Promo CD
  1. "Burden in My Hand" (Cornell) – 4:50
  • The club promo CD is a limited edition of 300 in a clear plastic sleeve, sealed with a blue sticker that doubles as the liner notes.
Radio Promo CD
  1. "Burden in My Hand" (Cornell) – 4:50
  2. "Burden in My Hand" (edit) (Cornell)

[edit] Chart positions

Information taken from various sources.[4][5][6][7]

Year Chart Position
1996 UK Singles Chart 33
US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay 40
US Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
US Modern Rock Tracks 2

[edit] References

  1. ^ Leonard, Michael. "Unknown Pleasures". The Guitar Magazine. December 1996.
  2. ^ Watts, Ted. "Soundgarden spins back to Detroit". Michigan Daily. November 12, 1996.
  3. ^ Soundgarden music videos. Music Video Database. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
  4. ^ EveryHit.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
  5. ^ Soundgarden Artist Chart History. Billboard. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
  6. ^ Soundgarden – Billboard Singles. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
  7. ^ Billboard.com / Soundgarden / Longplay. Billboard.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-19.

[edit] External links

Preceded by
"Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart" by Stone Temple Pilots		 Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks number-one single
August 31, 1996 - October 4, 1996		 Succeeded by
"Test for Echo" by Rush
v • d • e
Soundgarden
Chris Cornell · Kim Thayil · Matt Cameron · Ben Shepherd
Scott Sundquist · Hiro Yamamoto · Jason Everman
Studio albums
EPs
Compilations
Videos
Singles
Related articles
 This 1990s rock song-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.