7 Songs That Foreshadowed Awful Events

For fans of Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave and grunge music in general, it’s no secret that Chris Cornell had to fight his fair share of personal battles. But, he is rightfully remembered in most cases for his astounding contributions to rock music.

The former Soundgarden frontman and Grammy winner became a figurehead of the grunge movement in the early 90’s alongside names such as Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder and Layne Staley to name a few. However, his work with Audioslave, composed of members from Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden, would add immensely to his legacy.

Cornell suffered heavily with substance abuse and depression through the late 90’s and turn of the millennium, before checking into a rehabilitation clinic in early 2002. He left rehab in time for the release of Audioslave’s debut self-titled album in November 2002, which is now hailed by many as one of the best debut albums in rock music history. Key songs such as ‘Cochise’, ‘Show Me How to Live’ and ‘Like A Stone’ lead the release, but one track titled ‘Exploder’ paints a retrospectively bleak picture. One verse of ‘Exploder’ is:

There was a man who had a face

That looked a lot like me

I saw him in the mirror and

I fought him in the street

And when he turned away

I shot him in the head

Then I came to realize

I had killed myself

This sadly and rather eerily foreshadowed the fate which would befall Chris Cornell, as he took his own life 15 years later in 2017. Cornell is now seen as one of the best vocalists in rock history, and has left an enduring legacy which will surely never fade.