Higher Truth is the fourth and final studio album by American rock musician Chris Cornell. The album was released on September 18, 2015
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higher_Truth
Amazingly, I first heard of this CD not from my normal channels, the radio, YouTube, or social media; none of that. Surprisingly, it was from my wife, who had heard his interview on NPR at about the time of the CD release. This was odd since her favorites were usually jazz or Christian. She purchased the album and forced me to listen to it. Not really; I was willing and eager.
This quickly became her favorite album, and when I mentioned his other solo albums, she did not want any of the old stuff. I even played some for her, but “Higher Truth” was the one for her. By now I’ve spun the album perhaps more than 100 times, and I find it quite enjoyable.
Proud:
Chris was really proud of this album. It took him a little more than 2.5 years to write. https://beta.prx.org/stories/169336
Before I forget, I wanted to mention that during my research and in preparation for this review, I found out that Chris and his wife had set up a foundation for at-risk youth called the “Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation.” I’ll drop the link here in case you would like to donate.
Foundation
https://chrisandvickycornellfoundation.org/
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This is my third track-by-track album review and my third Chris Cornell track-by-track review. That makes up three out of four of his solo releases. I am thinking I will probably skip the experimental “Scream” album release as it is not one of my favorites of his works. “Higher Truth” was his fourth solo album, and sadly, his final album was released due to his untimely death.
Looking at the title of the album to try to decipher its meaning, you quickly go to “spirituality,” which, in an interview, Cornell denied. He said he did not like the term “spirituality” and its implication, but then went on to define the meaning and his definition, which basically to me is “spirituality.”
Sort of disconnecting yourself from this life and planet and looking down from above and seeing what’s going on. My goal with this post was to complete the difficult task of doing a track-by-track review of this CD. This is never an easy thing to do, but I will do my best to try to interpret the lyrics and write about what they mean to me, if anything. My track preference will be listed here in the table below:
Rank |
Track # |
Title |
1. |
14 |
Wrong Side |
2. |
10 |
Only These Words |
3. |
11 |
Worried Moon |
4. |
15 |
Misery Chain |
5. |
07 |
Murderer of Blue Skies |
6. |
08 |
Higher Truth |
7. |
16 |
Our Time In The Universe (Remix) |
8. |
12 |
Our Time In The Universe |
9. |
06 |
Josephine |
10. |
13 |
Bend In The Road |
11. |
05 |
Through the Window |
12. |
09 |
Let Your Eyes Wander |
13. |
01 |
Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart |
14. |
04 |
Before We Disappear |
15. |
02 |
Dead Wishes |
16. |
03 |
Worried Moon |
Track-by-Track Review
I like to consider what I call the “sing-along factor,” as I believe it is important when choosing your favorite tracks. This particular release contains three bonus tracks, which will be included here as well. It’s been over three years now since Chris Cornell’s untimely passing, which is hard to believe but feels like yesterday. This final breakdown of his wonderful songs in “Higher Truth” is my little tribute to his greatness.
Speaking to Kerrang!, Cornell explained that the record’s title was inspired by mankind’s pursuit for meaning, and all the pros and cons it entails. “From the mid-’60s when I was born – through all the cultural shifts we’ve had – all the way until now, everyone is trying to figure it all out,” explained the singer.
“Where does that need to come from to have a higher power? (Higher Truth) concepts start with the notion of there is something else, but also immediately included is quite a bit of subjugation – they can be so extreme and ridiculous.” From https://www.songfacts.com/facts/chris-cornell/higher-truth
Track 1
| Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart | Chris Cornel | 3:54 |
The inaugural song of the CD, “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart,” tells the story of someone who has already moved on to a new thing without even realizing it and has “forgotten my broken heart.” About the first eight songs to start this CD sort of make a slow climb to the apex in terms of how much I like them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVwO4kvhKco
The video does show him with a rope around his neck, which is haunting.
This one reminds me of how much songwriting is like poetry. They go hand in hand, but really, the songs do not come to life and reveal their true meaning until they are sung aloud as interpreted by the artist.
I really like the line:
“Tryna take a picture of the sun And it won’t help you to see the light”
The official music video looks like they only shot footage for the first half and then used stills to complete the second half, which was weird to me. When it comes to the meaning of this song, I believe Chris said it best, as quoted here from Wikipedia:
In an interview with Yahoo! in 2015, Cornell talked about the inspiration behind the song: “I was on tour with Soundgarden, and I remember writing down the title. The title immediately brought up the idea of the song, which is that someone is so distracted by a new person or a new thing in their life that they kind of forgot that they had given up on life. Sometimes it just happens without us even noticing.[2]” From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nearly_Forgot_My_Broken_Heart
Track 2
| Dead Wishes | Chris Cornel | 4:55 |
The beginning of the song reminds me of the Kenny Rogers song “Love Will Turn You Around” from the “Six Pack” movie back in 1982. The first line, “Staring in the mirror with two borrowed eyes,” seems to imply he is outside his body looking into a mirror through someone else’s eyes.
This line:
“Waiting for the night to come and chase away All the flies hovering around my head”
It seems to imply he is already dead and is watching himself from above, lending credence to the spirituality angle.
“With my memory for a pillow And all my regrets for a bed”
Really deep lyrics, not a song I would sing along with.
Track 3
| Worried Moon | Chris Cornel | 4:32 |
This song, for me, speaks to the “higher truth” theme of the song as if there is someone who has just gone through something and is in a transition period into that next thing, which in this case is a relationship with someone. He turns to the moon and has a conversation with “him,” perhaps his only friend. The moon in this case could represent the “higher truth,” or God, if you will.
Lyrics speak of possible suicide:
“Yeah if it all goes wrong And I’m a heart without a home Maybe you can talk me out Of doing myself in”
The end of the song is much more uplifting. He says goodbye to his friend the “Moon” because he has moved to the other coast with his new love. not a song I would sing along with. It’s not one of my favorites on the CD; in fact, although I do like it, it is listed at the bottom of my track preference list. Chris Cornell speaks to the meaning of this song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElJkMhB9E8M&vl=en
Track 4
| Before We Disappear | Chris Cornel | 3:51 |
This is a song that reminds us to look around, be thankful for who we have surrounded ourselves with, remember that life goes by quickly, and really live in the moment. It is not a song that I sing along with.
“How long it feels like We will live forever But I fear That time can hide the years Like we were never here So hold on tightly my dear” YAHOO MUSIC: One of my favorite songs on Higher Truth is “Before We Disappear.” I love that line, “Life ain’t nothing if it ain’t hard/It’ll show you who you truly are.”
CHRIS CORNELL: That’s one of those songs that kind of happened in one moment. […] just picked up a guitar and started playing it, and those lines just came out. I had a dream when I was in Seattle with my wife. I woke up from this dream, and as I woke up it was like I was sort of flying away above us. […] remember feeling like our whole life is wrapped up in moments, but we have to be really aware because it’s so short. That was kind of what the song was about to me.
We have to be really aware of every moment together. All we really know is that we have this life. Who knows what else is gonna happen? Let’s not let it suddenly be over and we didn’t appreciate it from day to day, from hour to hour, ’cause life’s gonna fly by. From https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/chris-cornell-flashback-qa-aware-life-short-023857577.html
Track 5
| Through the Window | Chris Cornel | 4:41 |
This is a beautiful, if not so sad, song that seems to be introspective, like Chris looking at himself from afar. Seeing through a cloudy window, seeing the pain
“Your memories are like prisons to escape. Our regrets and sorrows drag us down.”
“Too tired for imagining That you could ever love somebody else”
I’m not sure of the meaning in this context.
To me, the song is about ending the suffering one might be going through at this moment. It is beautiful and sad at the same time.
Track 6
| Josephine | Chris Cornel | 3:38 |
He wrote it when he first met his wife Vicki and sang it to her over the phone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNisXD8Z1vU
This song reminds me a bit of the song on his previous solo album, “Finally Forever,” which is another heartwarming ode to his wife.
This is a pretty straightforward love song. What I can say about it is that I find it to be beautiful and sweet, and I love to sing along with it. For the ladies, can you imagine being serenaded by Chris Cornell himself?
Track 7
| Murderer of Blue Skies | Chris Cornel | 3:42 |
This song is essentially the midpoint of the CD and the point where the quality steps up and the songs just get better and better until the end.
The song’s title refers to the coolness of someone walking in, perhaps not in a great mood, and the weather seemingly changing right away, in effect murdering the blue skies.
“I can’t wait To never be with you again And I can’t wait To lead a life that you’re not in”
I interpret this to mean the relationship is over and he cannot wait to be away from someone. Although it is followed up with “from time to time,” maybe it just feels that way at times.
I love these lyrics:
“Never thought that falling for you only meant Falling down”
Some people have suggested it was a metaphor for drugs, which can work if personally impacted by that issue, but I don’t feel that was the intended meaning. Chris spoke about the song in his NPR interview:
“It’s interesting, because lyrically, it’s not particularly joyful. It’s a song everyone will relate to, but I’m not really sure, emotionally, where it’s coming from. I’m not really declaring myself in it, and the character that’s singing it isn’t really declaring himself in it — other than just saying, “I look forward to waking up without you around ever again.” And that’s not really romantic, but it’s not really an empowering statement either.” From https://www.npr.org/2015/09/13/439262615/maybe-sincerity-is-the-new-punk-chris-cornell-on-embracing-space
Track 8
| Higher Truth | Chris Cornel | 5:06 |
I spent some time trying to figure out the “higher truth” of this song, but the higher truth is that this is an even more difficult task. To me, in my tiny brain, it seems to be about someone trying to convince someone else to take the “higher truth,” perhaps a belief in God or a higher spiritual belief in something greater, to take a better path. The lyrics say you can set the world on fire, fill the world with pain, make a promise, then break it, but they imply you will always come back looking for the “higher truth.”
I love the way it is sung, especially how he goes higher in tone with each bar when singing the hook. This one is fairly difficult to sing along with, but I do like to sing along with the chorus.
Track 9
| Let Your Eyes Wander | Chris Cornel | 3:42 |
This is a really beautiful and sad song. It appears to be about a rocky relationship with someone who has wondering eyes, so to speak.
So let your eyes wander Wild and free Sooner or later You will look back To me
He has the confidence to let your eyes wander and knows that they will gaze up at him again at some point. I believe it’s more about freeing someone to look around out in the world to see if they can find someone better, knowing in the end they will return to where they started. It is not a song that I would sing along with. I love hearing Chris’ pure, smooth vocals on this track.
Track 10
| Only These Words | Chris Cornel | 3:29 |
This song has a reminiscent or nostalgic quality. The music playing in the background reminds me of the hit song by American Idol winner Phillip Phillips called “Home.” I don’t know what it is about that melody, but I really do like it.
This is another beautiful, touching song. I believe it is about a dream he had about his daughter. The metaphor is the dream that she was born in a castle to a king and a queen, and “only these words” matter to him, the words, “I Love You.” No matter what words she utters, only these words matter.
At the end of the song, he awakens from the dream, and there is no castle, no king, and no queen—perhaps a metaphor for divorce—but still, the only words that matter to him are “I Love You,” and the song goes on to say his princess will find her prince, and he will say “I Love You.” It’s really a sad song when it’s put in the context of Chris having passed away but knowing is daughter will be loved and that someone will continue to tell her, “I love you,” even if he can no longer do so.
Quoting:
Vicky Cornell, caption to daughter Toni: Your dad would be so proud of the smart, strong, beautiful, and confident woman you are growing up to be. You are so very loved, and you give so much love, freely and unconditionally. Your first sentence was “I love you” to your baby brother when you first met him. As your dad so perfectly sang and what it’s always all about – “Only these three words repeating…I love you…” From https://liveforlivemusic.com/news/chris-cornell-only-these-words/
Every time I listen to this song, tears come to my eyes. It’s hard to articulate why this happens, but it is indicative of the beauty and tenderness of the song. From the eyes of a parent, it is easy to understand why you would always want your child to know that you love them and that someone will always be there to say only these words, “I Love You.”
Track 11
| “Circling” | Chris Cornel | 3:28 |
“Circling around the drain Hope that I make it home I never felt so far away Dark is the heart That wanders”
Reading the above lyrics makes me think it could also be about going to dark places related to drug addiction.
It has the best ending of any song on the CD; humming it out in the end. It is so awesome!
Track 12
| Our Time In The Universe | Chris Cornel | 4:21 |
There are no hidden meanings in this song. To me, this means that right now is our time in the universe; seize it and live for the day. Simple as that. The chorus is nice to sing along with.
Track 13
| Bend In The Road | Chris Cornel | 3:37 |
This is sort of a depressing song but, at the same time, somehow uplifting. It seems straightforward enough. It’s soulful, and it even has a harmonica playing. I believe that’s the only song on the album with that instrument. It certainly is not suitable for singing along. He says to put a bend in the road because he is getting tired of straight lines. He wants something to look at, whether it be a river, a mountain, or a forest—just something to break up the monotony. I believe it perfectly sets up the next song.
Track 14
| “Wrong Side” | Chris Cornel | 5:13 |
The CD peaked with this song. What I love about it is that it tells three distinct stories, all related to how the subject of the song found trouble one way or another, all tragic. It starts with this terrific line:
“trouble found me right away My close companion since that day”
The chorus is really catchy and great to sing along with. The music has sort of a spaghetti western feel. As with many of his tunes, this one has so much depth, which helps elevate it and showcase the moving acoustical tones of a master. As I was listening closely to this song, I discovered Chris was overdubbing his voice on the chorus, slightly offset by a few milliseconds. I had never noticed that before.
Love the lyrics:
“Whichever way the wind is blowing No matter where the river bends I’m on the side of wrong again”
He just cannot escape being on the wrong side. Terrific song.
Track 15
| Misery Chain | Chris Cornel | 4:42 |
This is a really beautiful, deep, and emotional song. In the slow parts of the song, I can easily imagine it also being a James Bond sort of theme, although it is probably too much of a downer. One of the themes of the song is the question of “when we are gone.”
“Stories told, will they speak of us well? God only knows”
Imagine if all your misery or all misery possible was wrapped up in a “misery chain,” and taking one link out of the misery chain and looking at it to remind you what the actual misery chain looks like when it appears. The lyrics at the end of the song go on to describe a situation where the subject falls to low depths and someone may try to give him the misery chain. It’s an interesting concept.
I find Chris’s voice soothing and, for me, it evokes feelings of sadness, but in the end, he essentially says to keep giving away the links until every trace of the misery chain is gone. It’s a soulful, haunting song, not one that I would sing along with.
“Misery Chain” is on the soundtrack of the Academy Award-winning film “12 Years a Slave.”
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WbrV1gjiEo
“I was moved by this film and the story in a way that transcends any film experience I have ever had. I was inspired to write a hundred different songs, but finally landed on one based on what I believe is an extremely important message I took from this man’s journey. Compassion, basic human rights and love must be our priorities above race, religion or commerce. Every generation needs a reminder of that simple idea.” – Chris Cornell From https://chriscornell.com/new_chris_cornell_song_misery_chain_featured_on_12_years_a_slave_soundtrack/
I had never seen or heard the version featuring Joy Williams; it is so awesome, moving, and beautiful.
[HD] Chris Cornell – “Misery Chain” (Feat. Joy Williams) 12/16/13 David Letterman
Track 16
| Our Time In The Universe (Remix) | Chris Cornel | 3:58 |
This is simply a repeat of track 12 with some musical fluff thrown in. My ears are not refined enough to tell the difference between the two tracks. I will say that it is a great song and a great way to end the CD on more of an uplifting note.
Notes from Chris Cornell Shows His Tender Side YT video: From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNisXD8Z1vU “[in] five years I might say which was your most personal album, I might very well say, well Higher Truth was, obviously” “To create the intimacy of an acoustic album there had to be real stories, had to have a beginning a middle and an end” “It’s not as metaphor laden as lyrics that I’ll often write.”
Conclusion:
This album was a long time coming. He wanted to do a more acoustic first album. It had to work acoustically first. He said some of the more memorable songs written in his life would be able to tell us where they came from or what he was talking about.
This is an amazing CD, one of Cornell’s absolute best, released some 16 years after his first solo debut, “Euphoria Mourning.” What I love most about it is how the majority of the songs are slower and use just a few instruments. In other words, I love the acoustics. This allows us to really hear his pure voice and helps connect us to him.
More albums:
I wish there were about four or five more CDs released just like this because I cannot get enough. I feel like we are blessed to have these solo works of art available for our listening pleasure, a legacy that will live on far beyond my time on this planet.
In my opinion, I would rank this CD just behind his freshman effort, “Euphoria Mourning.” As much as I love it, I still prefer “Euphoria Mourning,” perhaps because I heard it first and have played it many more times.
My Opinion:
These reviews are strictly my opinion, and I understand that many of these songs can and do mean different things to different people. I would be interested to hear your opinion. Perhaps I got it wrong on a few songs? I’d be interested to know how Chris and his music impacted you and what his songs and/or album mean to you as well! So please don’t be afraid to leave your opinion in the comments.
*****
Highly Recommended
Chris Cornell – Carry On – Track-By-Track-CD-Review
Chris Cornell – Euphoria Mourning Track-By-Track CD Review
Postscript: Why did I choose track 14 over track 10? (08/12/2023) (Hit play on the blue bar to listen):
