Those Certain Songs: Preaching the End of the World – Chris Cornell (1999)

There are certain songs that just resonate with you. Whether that song recreates a moment in time or is just one that you really like, these songs are the songs that helped create the person you are and were a constant companion in the journey called life.

Today we continue exploring those songs in my life and what they mean to me. This is Those Certain Songs. Today’s song, Preaching the End of the World

The Song:

Title: Preaching the End of the World

Artist: Chris Cornell

Album: Euphoria Morning

The Lyrics:

Hello, I know there’s someone out there who can understand
And who’s feeling the same way as me
I’m twenty four and I’ve got everything to live for
But I know now that it wasn’t meant to be
’cause all has been lost and all has been won
And there’s nothing left for us to save
But now I know that I don’t want to be alone today
So if you find that you’ve been feeling just the same

Call me now it’s alright
It’s just the end of the world
You need a friend in the world
’cause you can’t hide
So call and I’ll get right back
If your intentions are pure
I’m seeking a friend for the end of the world

I’ve got a photograph, I’ll send it off today
And you will see that I am perfectly sane
Not for a lifetime or forever and a day
’cause we know now that just won’t be the case

There will be no commitment and no confessions
And no little secrets to keep
No little children or houses with roses
Just the End of the world and me
’cause all has been gone and all has been done
And there’s nothing left for us to say
But we could be together as they blow it all away
And we can share in every moment as it breaks

What it means to me:

It was 1999 and I was leaving home for the second time in my life to start what was to be my life. I had no idea that, some 20 years later I would still remember the trip to the city in a truck filled with the few belongings I managed to scrape together. Me, My mom,dad, sister and a family friend all loaded up the friends truck, heading nearly 200 miles away from my home town to drop me off at a place that would, literally, mark the last time I would live in the town I grew up in.

Every time I hear this song, I remember that specific move. I was around 19 or 20 at the time, and alone for the first time in my life. No family within 100 miles, no friends, a new job, a new apartment and no clue. After a few nights in that apartment, I would learn that the area of town I had moved into was run by several gangs and on hindsight, frankly, I was lucky to have survived there as long as I did. At the time I was naive, innocent and, being both of those things, too stupid to be scared of anything. Not having a car, I would walk through the rough neighborhoods to and from work despite the time of day or the gun shots echoing down the streets. The police sirens were as common as the caw of a grackle but the words of my father echoed in my ears ‘if you don’t look for trouble, it won’t look for you’. I never did, and it only flirted with me.

That was the town that I had my first real relationship, although we didn’t realize that’s what we were in at the time. After that relationship petered out I would end up in a more serious relationship that, while it didn’t last long, it would change my life. All along, this song was there reminding me that I was seeking a friend at the end of the world and that friend was not all that far away. I look back at this time and marvel at how little I knew about the times that would come and what those few years would do for me and my future. Everyone goes through events that help to shape them into the adults they become and, if they are lucky, they make it through relatively unscathed. I still wear my scars like badges of honor even though not all of them are visible.

The Song itself is from someone who I regret not seeing in concert, one Chris Cornell. I had been a fan of Cornell’s for years, first discovering him through my love of Nirvana, when Cornell was in the incredible rock band, Soundgarden. Although the album Preaching the End of the World came from was a vast departure from his early work, it was a reminder to me of how lonely and challenging the world could be but at the same time how hopeful it was. The song is about someone who reminds them self that, even though they are lonely, there is someone out there for them. That, no matter how bad things may feel at the moment, the singer has his whole life is in front of him. It is about the heartbreak of a breakup and the shock of losing a job, it is about looking into a crowd and knowing that the person you need is out there, somewhere, and you just need to find them. It is about discovering that you must find yourself before you find that person.

I was truly alone for the first time in my life when I first heard this song but, every step of the way, Cornell was there urging me on, reminding me that I was not the only person feeling alone, or scared, or just in need of a hug and, somehow, that reminder helped me get through some tough times. I wish I had had a chance to thank him for how his music helped me get through some of the toughest times in my life.

Late to the Game 10/24/2020

Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed Those Certain Songs. If you would like to read more about music you can find my Music Reviews Here.

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