HUNGER STRIKE by Chris Cornell

"Hunger Strike"
I don't mind stealing bread
From the mouths of decadence
But I can't feed on the powerless
When my cup's already overfilled
Yeah

But it's on the table
The fire's cooking
And they're farming babies
The slaves are all working

Blood is on the table
The mouths are all choking
But I'm goin' hungry, yeah

I don't mind stealing bread
From the mouths of decadence
But I can't feed on the powerless
When my cup's already overfilled, mmm mmm

But it's on the table
The fire is cooking
And they're farming babies
The slaves are all working

And it's on the table
Their mouths are all choking
But I'm going hungry (going hungry)
I'm going hungry (going hungry)
I'm going hungry (going hungry)
I'm going hungry (going hungry)

I'm going hungry (going hungry)
I'm going hungry (going hungry)

Yeah, I don't mind stealing bread
(Mmm, I don't mind)
No, I don't mind stealing bread

I'm going hungry (going hungry)
I'm going hungry (going hungry, yeah)

“Hunger Strike” and “Wooden Jesus” were ideas that might have been a few months old, but I had never really finished writing or fully realized them. They didn’t feel like Soundgarden, so I didn’t really pursue them. But “Hunger Strike” came about because of an existential crisis that Soundgarden faced at that moment. We were sort of the first band [from Seattle] that had attention from labels in a meaningful way. There was a bidding war, which was unusual for any band from Seattle. We were living our dream, but there was also this mistrust over what that meant. Does this make us a commercial rock band? Does it change our motivation when we’re writing a song and making a record? “Hunger Strike” is a statement that I’m staying true to what I’m doing regardless of what comes of it, but I will never change what I’m doing for the purposes of success or money.

-Chris Cornell