Jesus Christ Pose

Last updated

"Jesus Christ Pose"
Jcp6.jpg
Single by Soundgarden
from the album Badmotorfinger
B-side "Stray Cat Blues"
"Into the Void (Sealth)"
"Somewhere"
Released1991
RecordedMarch and April 1991
Genre
Length5:51
Label A&M
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Soundgarden singles chronology
"Room a Thousand Years Wide"
(1990)		"Jesus Christ Pose"
(1991)		"Outshined"
(1991)
Music video
"Jesus Christ Pose" on YouTube

"Jesus Christ Pose" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden, released in 1991 as the first single from the band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger (1991). The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides .

Contents

Origin and recording

"Jesus Christ Pose" features lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music co-written by Cornell, drummer Matt Cameron, bassist Ben Shepherd, and guitarist Kim Thayil. Some see the song as defining the "essence" of Soundgarden, as it is credited to all four band members. Cameron said, "As soon as I played this pattern everyone dove right in, and within an hour we had the guts of the song. The approach we took on this one was pure assault of the senses. Canadians dance to this song." [1]

According to a Rolling Stone interview, Kim Thayil explained the origin of this song:

[It] was definitely a jam at rehearsal. I think Ben was just jamming up this loud and blurry, detuned bass line flopping around there. And Matt starts making it precise and coherent; Matt's drum part is insane – it's so fast and coordinated. And I picked up my guitar, thinking, "What the hell are they doing?" It took me a while to figure out what's going on rhythmically and where to punctuate the one, so what I start hearing is that swirling, kamikaze bat [guitar] sound at the beginning. And that was a groove. Then I revisit the feedback and beneath-the-bridge guitar squeals that I used to do in '84 and '85. I did that mostly out of necessity because I really didn't understand what it was Ben and Matt were playing; it was just too fast and involved. Eventually, Matt and Ben lost each other, so we recorded it. Chris takes it home. We loved the groove, the action and dynamic of it. So Chris takes a recording home and works lyrics and around the lyrics finds a chorus. So he writes a couple other sections to help flesh out the arrangement dynamic and give room for the vocals. He brought that to rehearsal and we're like, "Holy shit, this crazy, insane car wreck is now a song." [2]

Composition

Gnome-mime-audio-openclipart.svg
"Jesus Christ Pose" sample
The song "starts with a kind of free-jazz throwdown and moves quickly into the realm of rockdom." [3]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Musically, "Jesus Christ Pose" has been described as grunge [4] and alternative metal. [5] It was performed in the key of D minor, with the guitars in drop D tuning, in 4/4 time at a tempo of 134 beats per minute. [6] Regarding the song, Thayil said, "The song's groove reminds me of helicopter blades. I bent the strings at the beginning and end of the song." [7] The band explained that the lyrics for "Jesus Christ Pose" concern the exploitation of religion for personal benefit. The song is a criticism of how public figures use religion, particularly the image of Jesus Christ, to portray themselves as being "better" than others, or as "martyrs". Chris Cornell specifically mentioned Jane's Addiction's frontman Perry Farrell [8] as an influence on the song, explaining, "It became fashionable to be the sort of persecuted-deity guy." [9] In an interview with Spin magazine in 1992, Cornell explained the term "Jesus Christ Pose":

You just see it a lot with really beautiful people, or famous people, exploiting that symbol as to imply that they're either a deity or persecuted somehow by their public. So it's pretty much a song that is nonreligious but expressing being irritated by seeing that. It's not that I would ever be offended by what someone would do with that symbol. [10]

Release and reception

"Jesus Christ Pose" was released as a single in 1991 in various versions with the previously unreleased B-sides "Stray Cat Blues" and "Into the Void (Sealth)". Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in the United Kingdom.

Greg Prato of AllMusic said, "In addition to Cornell's biting lyrics and vocals, the rest of the band helped fuel unquestionably one of Soundgarden's most vicious and venomous rockers. Breakneck guitar riffs do battle with sledgehammer drumming for most of the song's five minute and 50 seconds." [11] Gina Arnold of Entertainment Weekly stated, "On songs like the cynical 'Jesus Christ Pose' ... Soundgarden sound a hell of a lot smarter than their peers, who seldom get beyond extolling booze, girls, and cars." [12]

The song is featured on the soundtrack for the 1994 film, S.F.W. "Jesus Christ Pose" is available as downloadable content for the Rock Band series as a master track. [13] A live performance of "Jesus Christ Pose" can be found on the "Black Hole Sun" single and the compilation album Telephantasm . A performance of the song is also included on the Motorvision home video release.

Music video

The music video for "Jesus Christ Pose" was directed by Eric Zimmerman, who would later direct the music video for "Rusty Cage". [14] The video's intro adapts John 3:16; "And God So Loved Soundgarden He Gave Them His Only Song". The video features the band members wandering around a desert interspersed with various images of crosses, cyborgs, a crucified girl, a crucified skeleton and even vegetables crucified in human form. Thayil said, "A lot was chosen by the director Eric Zimmerman, and we checked it out and decided what we liked and didn't like." [14] Cornell said, "It was a pretty unanimous decision by the band to have a woman being crucified in the video ... As a visual, it's powerful and it's also challenging to people, because women basically have been persecuted since before recorded history, and it would almost make more sense than seeing a man on it." He also added, "There's upside down crosses and right-side up ones. But there's certainly no blatant direction as far as religious conviction in the video." [14]

Thayil said that the video was one of the few Soundgarden videos the band was satisfied with. [15] He stated that "on the "Jesus Christ Pose" video we did a lot of experimenting at different kinda fun, cool things. I guess it seems fun to me because I didn't end up getting disappointed by it." [16] The video was released in October 1991. [17]

Controversy

"Jesus Christ Pose" garnered attention when MTV banned its corresponding music video in 1991—the channel has not shown it in its entirety since. The song and its video outraged many listeners, who perceived it as anti-Christian, resulting in the band receiving death threats because of it during a UK tour in the early 1990s. [18] Thayil stated that the song and video "never got any airplay because of the references to Jesus. And MTV wouldn't play the video because they didn't like the idea of a girl on the cross. There are no guitars in the video at all. There's not even a picture of a guitar in the video. It's like this hard, rock-fast, punk-metal video that has no instruments in the whole thing. And it's a six minute video!" [7] Cornell additionally attributed the video's lack of airtime due to its length, comparing MTV's programming at the time to that of a commercial radio station. [19]

Track listing

Promotional CD (US) and 12" vinyl (UK)

  1. "Jesus Christ Pose" (Matt Cameron, Chris Cornell, Ben Shepherd, Kim Thayil) – 5:51

12" vinyl (UK)

  1. "Jesus Christ Pose" (Cameron, Cornell, Shepherd, Thayil) – 5:51
  2. "Stray Cat Blues" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) – 4:46

12" vinyl (UK), CD (UK), and 12" vinyl (UK)

  1. "Jesus Christ Pose" (Cameron, Cornell, Shepherd, Thayil) – 5:51
  2. "Stray Cat Blues" (Jagger, Richards) – 4:46
  3. "Into the Void (Sealth)" (Chief Sealth, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward) – 6:37
  4. "Somewhere" (Shepherd) – 4:21

Promotional 7" vinyl (US) and promotional 12" vinyl (US)

  1. "Jesus Christ Pose" (Cameron, Cornell, Shepherd, Thayil) – 5:51
  2. "Drawing Flies" (Cameron, Cornell) – 2:25

Chart positions

Chart (1992)Position
UK Singles (OCC) [20] 30

Accolades

PublicationCountryAccoladeYearRank
Kerrang! United Kingdom "100 Greatest Singles of All Time"[ citation needed ]200295
Kerrang!United Kingdom"666 Songs You Must Own (Grunge)" [21] 20042
Q United Kingdom"The Ultimate Music Collection" [22] 2005*

* denotes an unordered list

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soundgarden</span> American rock band

Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially by Scott Sundquist, and later by Matt Cameron in 1986. Yamamoto left in 1989 and was replaced initially by Jason Everman and shortly thereafter by Ben Shepherd. The band dissolved in 1997 and reformed in 2010. Following Cornell's death in 2017, Thayil declared in October 2018 that Soundgarden would not continue, though they did reunite in January 2019 for a one-off concert in tribute to Cornell. Cornell, Thayil, and Cameron appeared on all of the band's albums.

<i>Badmotorfinger</i> 1991 studio album by Soundgarden

Badmotorfinger is the third studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on October 8, 1991, through A&M Records. Soundgarden began the recording sessions for the album with new bassist Ben Shepherd in the spring of 1991. The album maintained the band's heavy metal sound, while featuring an increased focus on songwriting compared to the band's previous releases. AllMusic considered the album's music to be "surprisingly cerebral and arty"; alternative tunings and odd time signatures were present on several of the album's songs, and lyrics were intended to be ambiguous and evocative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rusty Cage</span> 1992 single by Soundgarden

"Rusty Cage" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Rusty Cage" was released in 1992 as the third single from the band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger (1991). The song became an instant hit and was released as a single in several different formats. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides and the 2010 compilation album Telephantasm.

<i>Songs from the Superunknown</i> 1995 EP by Soundgarden

Songs from the Superunknown is an EP by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was released on November 21, 1995, through A&M Records. It was released on the same day as the CD-ROM Alive in the Superunknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Thayil</span> American guitarist and songwriter

Kim Anand Thayil is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden, which he co-founded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984. Cornell and Thayil remained as the original members of the band until Cornell's death in 2017, and the band's subsequent split in 2018. Thayil was named the 100th greatest guitarist of all time by Rolling Stone in 2010, and the 67th greatest guitarist of all time by SPIN in 2012. Thayil has won two Grammy Awards as a member of Soundgarden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Cameron</span> American drummer

Matthew David Cameron is an American musician who is the drummer for the rock band Pearl Jam. He first gained fame as the drummer for Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden, which he joined in 1986. He appeared on each of the band's studio albums until its break-up in 1997. In 1998, Cameron was invited to join Pearl Jam's U.S. Yield Tour and then became a permanent member of the band. In 2010, Cameron became simultaneously a member of Pearl Jam and the reunited Soundgarden. He remained with Soundgarden until its disbandment after the death of lead singer Chris Cornell in 2017. Cameron, along with guitarist Kim Thayil and Cornell, is one of three members to feature on every Soundgarden studio album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Shepherd</span> American musician

Hunter Benedict Shepherd is an American musician best known as the bassist of rock band Soundgarden. Shepherd has won two Grammy Awards as a member of Soundgarden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Hole Sun</span> 1994 single by Soundgarden

"Black Hole Sun" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, the song was released in 1994 by A&M Records as the third single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994). Considered to be the band's signature song, it topped the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, where it spent a total of seven weeks at number one. Despite peaking at number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, "Black Hole Sun" finished as the number-one track of 1994 for that listing. Worldwide, the single reached the top 10 in Australia, Canada, France, and Ireland, while in Iceland, it reached number one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spoonman</span> 1994 single by Soundgarden

"Spoonman" is a song by the American band Soundgarden. Written by the band's frontman, Chris Cornell, "Spoonman" was released on February 14, 1994, as the first single from the band's fourth studio album Superunknown (1994). "Spoonman" is credited as one of the songs that launched Soundgarden's career into the mainstream. The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number nine on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. A remixed version of the song by Steve Fisk appears on the "Black Hole Sun" and "My Wave" singles. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album A-Sides and the 2010 compilation album Telephantasm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Room a Thousand Years Wide</span> 1990 single by Soundgarden

"Room a Thousand Years Wide" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by guitarist Kim Thayil and music written by drummer Matt Cameron, the song was released as a single in 1990 by Sub Pop. A re-recorded version later appeared on their third album, Badmotorfinger (1991).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outshined</span> 1991 single by Soundgarden

"Outshined" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Written by the band's frontman Chris Cornell, the song was released as the second single from their third studio album, Badmotorfinger (1991). It became the band's first single to reach the U.S. Mainstream Rock charts, where it peaked at number 45. It was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides, the 2010 compilation album, Telephantasm and the live album Live on I-5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blow Up the Outside World</span> 1996 single by Soundgarden

"Blow Up the Outside World" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Blow Up the Outside World" was released on November 18, 1996, as the third single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside (1996). The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, where it spent a total of four weeks at number one. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Wave</span> 1994 single by Soundgarden

"My Wave" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music co-written by Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil, "My Wave" was released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994). The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

"Slaves & Bulldozers" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. It is the third track on the band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger, released in 1991.

<i>Motorvision</i> 1992 video by Soundgarden

Motorvision is a home video by the American grunge band Soundgarden. It was released on November 17, 1992.

<i>Telephantasm</i> 2010 greatest hits album by Soundgarden

Telephantasm is a compilation album by the American rock band Soundgarden. Featuring songs that span 23 years of the band's career, it was released on September 28, 2010, through A&M Records. The album was certified platinum by RIAA after its first day of retail availability based on the one million discs that were included in packages for the video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Rain (Soundgarden song)</span> Song by Soundgarden

"Black Rain" is a single by the American rock band Soundgarden, featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell and music written by bassist Ben Shepherd and guitarist Kim Thayil. The single debuted at number 24 and number 14 on the US Billboard Alternative Songs chart and the US Billboard Rock Songs chart respectively in August 2010. It is also Soundgarden's only song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #96. The song appears on the compilation album Telephantasm and on the music video game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and Guitar Hero Live. It was the first single that Soundgarden had released since 1997.

"Taree" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Written by bassist Ben Shepherd with lyrics by frontman Chris Cornell, the song appears as the seventh track on the band’s sixth studio album, King Animal (2012).

<i>King Animal Demos</i> 2013 EP by Soundgarden

King Animal Demos is a 10" vinyl EP by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was released on April 20, 2013 through Republic Records. It was released on Record Store Day on a special edition pink vinyl release in the United States, and a standard black edition in Europe.

<i>Before the Doors: Live on I-5 Soundcheck</i> 2011 EP by Soundgarden

Before the Doors: Live on I-5 is a Record Store Day exclusive 10" vinyl EP by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was released on November 25, 2011 through A&M Records.

References

  1. ↑ Peiken, Matt. "Soundgarden's Matt Cameron: Breaking New Ground". Modern Drummer . June 1994.
  2. ↑ "Soundgarden's 'Badmotorfinger' at 25: Kim Thayil Looks Back". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  3. ↑ Spencer, Lauren (October 1991). "Platter du Jour: Badmotorfinger". Spin .
  4. ↑ Ostroff, Joshua (August 2014). "Nine Inch Nails Is The Best Band Of The 90s (And The 2000s, Too)". The Huffington Post . Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  5. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo (November 2, 2017). "Chris Cornell Albums Ranked". Loudwire . Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Soundgarden 'Jesus Christ Pose' Guitar Tab". Musicnotes. December 3, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  7. 1 2 Gilbert, Jeff. "Primecuts: Kim Thayil". Guitar School. May 1994.
  8. ↑ Jesus Christ Pose. Chris Cuffaro. February 18, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Interview with Chris Cornell". Request. October 1994.
  10. ↑ Magnuson, Ann. "Sub Zep?" Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine . Spin . February 1992.
  11. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Jesus Christ Pose > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved on May 19, 2008.
  12. ↑ Arnold, Gina. "Badmotorfinger" Archived February 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine . Entertainment Weekly . September 27, 1991. Retrieved on October 28, 2008.
  13. ↑ "DLC Credits". RockBand.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2008. Retrieved February 8, 2008.
  14. 1 2 3 Soundgarden Rail Against the "Jesus Christ Pose" in New and Gripping Video. Levine Schneider Public Relations. October 30, 1991.
  15. ↑ Maloof, Rich. "Kim Thayil of Soundgarden: Down on the Upbeat" Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine . Guitar Magazine. July 1996.
  16. ↑ Thayil, Kim. "Soundgarden Television Interview". rage . ABC1.
  17. ↑ "Soundgarden music videos". Music Video Database. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2008.
  18. ↑ "I Don't Care About Performing for 20,000!". Raw. September 15, 1993.
  19. ↑ Cornell, Chris. "Interview with Chris Cornell". bFM, New Zealand. January 16, 1997.
  20. ↑ "Soundgarden: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  21. ↑ "666 Songs You Must Own (Grunge)". Kerrang! . Archived from the original on December 25, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
  22. ↑ "The Ultimate Music Collection". Q . Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.