Soundgarden - Burden in My Hand Meaning

Song Released: 1996

Burden in My Hand Lyrics

Follow me into the desert
As thirsty as you are
Crack a smile and cut your mouth
And drown in alcohol
Cause down below the truth is lying
Beneath the riverbed
So quench yourself and drink the water
That flows below her head

Oh, no there she...

1. anonymous

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   Aug 3rd 2023 !⃝

   I think it is about alcoholism. "Follow me into the desert as thirsty as you are" dry out man. " Drown in alcohol" obviously alcohol right there. "I shot my love today" relapse and drinking again, taking a shot of liquor. "Would you cry for me" family despair. "I lost my head again, would you lie for me" lots of possibilities, like tell my boss I'm sick, etc. "Kill your health and kill yourself, and kill everything you love" later stage alcoholism where one dies at the end. It goes on and on.
   Definably alcoholism, to me.
2. anonymous

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   May 17th 2022 !⃝

   Chris Cornell said in multiple interviews that "Burden In My Hand" was his update of "Hey Joe" by Jimi Hendrix. Those were his exact words on it.
   
3. HumBull

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   Aug 20th 2020 !⃝

   I think I read that this song kind of wrote itself while Chris was playing guitar. I interpret it as the story of a socio/psychopath who loses control and murders a woman who he conned into the dessert. He buries her in a dry riverbed and takes a drink of water while she lay dead in the dust. He then unemotionally considers if he can get away with it.
4. anonymous

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   May 9th 2020 !⃝

   It's about quitting drinking. The drink is the "burden in my hand", the love I shot today (when it is given up). Follow me into the dessert is referring to entering sobriety. I lost my head again - stressing out from no drink. Left her(the drink) in the sand (time) ie left her/it behind
   
5. anonymous

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   May 9th 2020 !⃝

   It's about quitting drinking. The drink is the burden in my hand, the love I shot today when I give it up.Follow me into the dessert is referring to sobriety. I lost my head again - stressing out from no drink
   
6. anonymous

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   Feb 26th 2019 !⃝

   Religion. The world is a burden in hand of God. We all are with the weight of our sins which becomes heavier in Gods hand and us being the little pigs. I think Chris Cornell always struggled with God throughout his entire life. It reminds of some of his other dark sings he's done with AudioSlave.
7. anonymous

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   Apr 26th 2018 !⃝

   My opinion is its on addiction, drugs/alcohol.. kill your health and kill yourself and kill everything you love (relationships/friends) if you live you can fall to pieces and suffer with my ghost.. (try and live with regret and lonliness knowing what you lost from your own doing)
8. anonymous

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   Jan 24th 2018 !⃝

   I saw an interview, where Chris Cornell said he wrote the song because he wanted a cool song like Johnny Cash had about shooting his woman down.
9. anonymous

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   Sep 20th 2017 !⃝

   It's a reference, also, to the relationship between Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley and his longtime girlfriend Demri Parrott, the ladder of whom died within weeks or months of the release and immediate success of "Burden". Demri is the model on the cover of AIC's 1994 released platinum album Dirt. Do research and derive your own conclusion.
10. anonymous

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    May 20th 2017 !⃝

    Shot my love = heroin
11. anonymous

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    Sep 13th 2014 !⃝

    It's about the band breaking up, hence "shot my love today".
12. anonymous

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    May 31st 2014 !⃝

    Alcohol Addiction. The dessert- being "dry or drying out" a term for sobriety. the burden is the bottle.
13. anonymous

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    Nov 27th 2012 !⃝

    It might be about a relationship. THe first verse basically says trust me follow me everything will be alright. The refrain is about how she betrays him and asking for people to see it from his side. The second verse is about how he cant find love its not for him and he should just give up. Thats what i get out of it anyway
14. anonymous

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    Apr 21st 2012 !⃝

    i think it either refers to being addicted to any drug or literally killing his girlfriend and burying her in the desert or both
15. anonymous

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    Jan 13th 2011 !⃝

    I think "his love" refers to drugs/alcohol here. And the song is about battling addiction. If you've ever been there, the song is quite clear in it's meaning.
    I shot my love , I lost my head again (relaspe) go back and listen to each line and you'll see the story he's telling!