Audioslave – Like A Stone lyrics

He was reading the bible in a roadside motel, reading of how after he dies he can continue on to a place that is comforting and recognizable(to heaven) if he is "good". He kept reading, and after reflecting on the meaning behind the stories, causing him to regret many things throughout his life.

The singer is in a motel room ("by a freeway"), reading. It is a "cobweb" afternoon (listen again and watch some video out-takes, plus the cd jacket) - "cobweb" meaning hazy, uncertain, dreary. This is subtle - in motel rooms you often find gideon bibles - however, the singer says he's reading a "book full of death" (which the bible is) however, he's reading how "if you we're good, we'll lay to rest, anywhere we want to go... " - so the lyrics above are wrong - it is not "and then we will wander". The importance of that is this: the bible does not say you can go "anywhere" - the bible is all about getting to heaven. He realizes that the book he is reading is false teachings - because he says, when he was younger he was taught the bible ("to a place i recall, i was there so long ago" - his youth and his upbringing) and he knows that god's house is the promise of salvation: "in your house i long to be"- meaning, god's house/salvation. He recognizes the false teachings, but he is conflicted because he feels that he's not on the path to salvation - "and i sat in regret, of all the things i've done. For all that i've blessed" (i. E. , the bad things he's embrased (drugs? Alcohol? Etc?) "and all that i've wronged" (relationships? Faith? Etc?), "in my dreams until my death, i will wander on". And that is why he says he is willing to wait "alone" and "like a stone" - meaning, on the one hand he knows that salvation is between him and god, him alone. He says he is willing to wait there alone, like a stone. However, he is scared - that is why he says he will "pray to the gods and the angels, like a pagan, to anyone who will take me to heaven" - that is, he still recognizes that heaven is the place he needs to get to in the end. He's asking for salvation. This song is a prayer.

He became lost in the book of death that foretold his lonely end. He became so lost that he could no longer save himself, and just wanted to be saved, and to return to the best feelings he had. With her, in her house. He became so lost that even his love was not immune to the incredible loneliness he had found, and all he could think to do was hope she returned to him. And so he would wait.

On a tangled up afternoon. Maybe bound... By the agoraphobia he faced... Or depression, dependency, whatever you want to call it. He dealt with different things at different times, like most of us but i also think the intention is also for mood. Thats why autoslave bassist said "i realized Cornell is a genius, not just stringing words together. He is always very deep. Nothing topical about him or anything he writes"

first of all these lyrics are made of greatness,Jim Morrison would be proud,well i believe he would,but to me they mean newness,escapement a realness i can not put into words myself,almost like a pain healer , and the vocalist nails it so effortlessly,and so dose the band,just so bloody unique,hope they still hang, ....i come here when sad or happy or so fucken blind,the song is allays fucken perfect to me