The Day I Tried to Live
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| “The Day I Tried to Live” | |||||
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| Single by Soundgarden from the album Superunknown |
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| B-side | "Like Suicide" (acoustic) / "Kickstand" (live) | ||||
| Released | 1994 | ||||
| Format | CD single, Cassette, Vinyl | ||||
| Recorded | July 1993–September 1993 at Bad Animals Studio, Seattle, Washington | ||||
| Genre | Alternative rock, grunge | ||||
| Length | 5:19 | ||||
| Label | A&M Records | ||||
| Writer(s) | Chris Cornell | ||||
| Producer | Michael Beinhorn, Soundgarden | ||||
| Soundgarden singles chronology | |||||
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| Superunknown track listing | |||||
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"The Day I Tried to Live" is a song by the Seattle grunge band Soundgarden from the band's 1994 album Superunknown. It was released as a single in 1994. The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It appears on the band's greatest hits album A-Sides and the 2007 Chris Cornell compilation The Roads We Choose - A Retrospective.
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[edit] Composition
The song was written by frontman Chris Cornell. The song has a dissonant atmosphere and is also notable for its use of time signatures. For much of the song, there is a cycle of one measure of 7/8, then one of 4/4. The tuning, as with many Soundgarden songs is unorthodox - E-E-B-B-B-E.[1]
[edit] Release and reception
It was released as a single in 1994, but was rather underpromoted when compared to "Black Hole Sun" or "Spoonman". The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 25 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
[edit] Lyrical meaning
Chris Cornell on the song:
It's about trying to step out of being patterned and closed off and reclusive, which I've always had a problem with. It's about attempting to be normal and just go out and be around other people and hang out. I have a tendency to sometimes be pretty closed off and not see people for long periods of time and not call anyone. It's actually, in a way, a hopeful song. Especially the lines "One more time around/Might get it," which is basically saying, 'I tried today to understand and belong and get along with other people, and I failed, but I'll probably try again tomorrow.' A lot of people misinterpreted that song as a suicide-note song. Taking the word live too literally. "The Day I Tried to Live" means more like the day I actually tried to open up myself and experience everything that's going on around me as opposed to blowing it all off and hiding in a cave.[2]
[edit] Music video
The video for "The Day I Tried to Live" was directed by Matt Mahurin. It features a man apparently dressed as a hospital patient floating around a bedroom and appearing alone and dazed in various city scenes. It also features the band members performing with their instruments ablaze. The video was released in April 1994.[3] The video is available on the CD-ROM Alive in the Superunknown.
[edit] Cover versions
The song was covered by Between the Buried and Me on its 2006 album The Anatomy Of.
[edit] Formats and track listing
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[edit] Chart positions
Information taken from various sources.[4][5][6]
| Year | Chart | Position |
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| 1994 | UK Singles Chart | 42 |
| 1995 | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | 13 |
| US Modern Rock Tracks | 25 |
[edit] References
- ^ Rotondi, James. "Alone in the Superunknown." Guitar Player. June 1994.
- ^ Foege, Alec. "The End of Innocence". Rolling Stone. January 12, 1995.
- ^ Soundgarden music videos. Music Video Database. Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
- ^ EveryHit.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
- ^ Soundgarden Artist Chart History. Billboard. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
- ^ Soundgarden – Billboard Singles. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
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