‘Black Hole Sun’ is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, the song was released in 1994 as the third single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994). Considered to be the band's signature song, it topped the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, where it spent a total of seven weeks at number one. Despite peaking at number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, ‘Black Hole Sun’ finished as the number-one track of 1994 for that listing. Worldwide, the single reached the top 10 in Australia, Canada, France, and Ireland, while in Iceland, it reached number one.
The song was written by frontman Chris Cornell. In 2014, Cornell explained the song's origins to Uncut Magazine: “I wrote it in my head driving home from Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, a 35–40 minute drive from Seattle. It sparked from something a news anchor said on TV and I heard wrong. I heard 'blah blah blah black hole sun blah blah blah'. I thought that would make an amazing song title, but what would it sound like? It all came together, pretty much the whole arrangement including the guitar solo that's played beneath the riff. I spent a lot of time spinning those melodies in my head so I wouldn't forget them. I got home and whistled it into a Dictaphone. The next day I brought it into the real world, assigning a couple of key changes in the verse to make the melodies more interesting. Then I wrote the lyrics and that was similar, a stream of consciousness based on the feeling I got from the chorus and title.” Cornell said that he wrote the song in about 15 minutes, and commented, "I wrote the song thinking the band wouldn't like it—then it became the biggest hit of the summer."
‘Black Hole Sun’ was released as a single in mid-1994. It became the most successful song from Superunknown on American rock charts, and became the band's best-known song overall. It appeared on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 Airplay chart, reaching the top 30. The following week it debuted on the Top 40 Mainstream, where it peaked at number nine in its eighth week and remained on the chart until its 20th week. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song spent a total of seven weeks at number one on the Mainstream Rock chart. At the 1995 Grammy Awards, ‘Black Hole Sun’ received the award for Best Hard Rock Performance and received a nomination for Best Rock Song.
In Canada, the song reached the top 10 on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. It remained in the top 10 for three weeks and became the band's highest-charting song in Canada. ‘Black Hole Sun’ reached the UK top 20 and was the last single from the album that charted in the UK top 20; it remains the band's highest charting single in the UK. ‘Black Hole Sun’ debuted at number 10 in Australia but quickly descended the chart; however, widespread airplay and a promotional visit to Australia stimulated a resurgence of interest in Superunknown. ‘Black Hole Sun’ would peak at number six on the Australian Singles Chart. It also reached the top 30 in Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, and was a top-10 success in France and Ireland. The single has sold over three million copies worldwide.
Label – A&M
Songwriter – Chris Cornell
Producers – Michael Beinhorn, Soundgarden
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]In my eyes, indisposed
In disguises no one knows
Hides the face, lies the snake
In the sun in my disgrace
Boiling heat, summer stench
'Neath the black, the sky looks dead
Call my name through the cream
And I'll hear you scream again
[Chorus]
Black hole sun, won't you come
And wash away the rain?
Black hole sun, won't you come?
Won't you come? Won't you come?
[Verse 2]
Stuttering, cold and damp
Steal the warm wind, tired friend
Times are gone for honest men
And sometimes far too long for snakes
In my shoes, a walking sleep
And my youth I pray to keep
Heaven send Hell away
No one sings like you anymore
[Chorus]
Black hole sun, won't you come
And wash away the rain?
Black hole sun, won't you come?
Won't you come?
Black hole sun, won't you come
And wash away the rain?
Black hole sun, won't you come?
Won't you come?
[Post-Chorus]
(Black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come?
(Black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come?
(Black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come?
(Black hole sun, black hole sun)
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 3]
Hang my head, drown my fear
'Til you all just disappear
[Chorus]
Black hole sun, (Black hole sun)
Won't you come (Won't you come?)
And wash away the rain?
Black hole sun, (Black hole sun)
Won't you come? (Won't you come?)
Won't you come? (Won't you come?)
Black hole sun, (Black hole sun)
Won't you come (Won't you come?)
And wash away the rain?
Black hole sun, (Black hole sun)
Won't you come? (Won't you come?)
Won't you come? (Won't you come?)
[Post-Chorus]
(Black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come?
(Black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come?
(Black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come?
(Black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come?
(Black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come?
(Black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come?
Won't you come?