Although this track was released on their classic 1994 album “Superunknown” I remember hearing it in late 1993. Below is an explanation of the the lyrics taken from Request Magazines 1994 interview with Soundgarden’s lead singer Chris Cornell (**Note Artis is the real life spoonman):
“It’s more about the paradox of who [Artis] is and what people perceive him as. He’s a street musician, but when he’s playing on the street, he is given a value and judged completely wrong by someone else. They think he’s a street person, or he’s doing this because he can’t hold down a regular job. They put him a few pegs down on the social ladder because of how they perceive someone who dresses differently. The lyrics express the sentiment that I much more easily identify with someone like Artis than I would watch him play”
Be sure to check out the video’s below and enjoy this classic!
