Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1990
Room a Thousand Years Wide
Buy Room a Thousand Years Wide now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Room a Thousand Years Wide
| cover = Roomathousandyears.gif
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Soundgarden
| album =
| B-side = H.I.V. Baby
| released = September 1, 1990
| recorded = 1990 (single version)
MarchApril 1991 ('Badmotorfinger' version)
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 4:15 (single version)
4:06 ('Badmotorfinger' version)
| label = Sub Pop (single version)
A&M ('Badmotorfinger' version)
| writer = Matt Cameron, Kim Thayil
| producer = Stuart Hallerman (single version)
Terry Date, Soundgarden ('Badmotorfinger' version)
| prev_title = Hands All Over
| prev_year = 1989
| next_title = Jesus Christ Pose
| next_year = 1991
| misc =
}}
"'Room a Thousand Years Wide'" is a song by the 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 through Sub Pop. A re-recorded version later appeared on the band's third studio album, 'Badmotorfinger' (1991).
Origin and recording
"Room a Thousand Years Wide" is one of the few Soundgarden songs written without any input from frontman Chris Cornell. The song features lyrics written by guitarist Kim Thayil and music written by drummer Matt Cameron. It was also the first Soundgarden song to be recorded and released with bassist Ben Shepherd. Both the original and re-recorded version of the song that is featured on 'Badmotorfinger' include the addition of a horn section featuring Scott Granlund (saxophone) and Ernst Long (trumpet). The song is in 6/4 time.
Lyrics
Thayil on "Room a Thousand Years Wide":
I really liked the music to the song and it needed words, and since no one else pursued it, I decided to. It's not really about things that have actually happened to me. It's more about experience in general. I've heard a lot of good ideas from people telling me what it's about. They said it's about God, Satan, Jesus, Satan, both, it's religious, it isn't religious ... The truth is, it's just me.Nicholson, Kris. [http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/paper_2-92.shtml "Angry Young Men"]. 'The Music Paper'. February 1992.
Release
"Room a Thousand Years Wide" was released as a single in 1990 with a previously unreleased B-side titled "H.I.V. Baby". It was released as a 7" through Sub Pop's 'Single of the Month' club a full year before the release of 'Badmotorfinger'. The original version recorded for Sub Pop appears on the Deluxe Edition of the band's 2010 album 'Telephantasm'.
Live performances
A performance of the song can be found on the 'Motorvision' home video release.
Track listing
#"Room a Thousand Years Wide" (Matt Cameron, Kim Thayil) 4:15
#"H.I.V. Baby" (Ben Shepherd, Chris Cornell) 4:58
References
Category:1990 singles
Category:Soundgarden songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Chris Cornell
Category:Song recordings produced by Matt Cameron
Category:Song recordings produced by Terry Date
Category:Songs written by Matt Cameron
Category:1990 songs
Category:Songs written by Kim Thayil
Category:Sub Pop singles
Category:A&M Records singles
Category:Doom metal songs
Buy Room a Thousand Years Wide now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1990