Los paisajes lúgubres de Chris Cornell

La genialidad siempre rayando con la locura. Esa pareciera ser una constante en un género como el rocanrol en el que los excesos, la vida acelerada y el estatus de ídolos masivos que han llevado muchas de sus grandes figuras, terminan en historias trágicas que siempre se repiten para recordarnos que estar en lo más alto no significa necesariamente ser feliz o estar sano mentalmente.

Un ejemplo claro de esto es el movimiento grunge que se formó en Seattle, Washington, a finales de los ochenta. Un género furioso musicalmente y líricamente nihilista, alienado de la sociedad y depresivo, en el que figuras de culto -y letristas- como Kurt Cobain y Layne Staley acabaron su paso por esta tierra en momentos muy bajos de sus vidas después de intentar rehabilitarse sin mayores resultados. A esa lista se sumó ahora Chris Cornell, un personaje que si bien sufría de ansiedad desde pequeño, según los que estuvieron con él, no mostraba mayores indicios de querer colgarse en un cuarto de hotel en pleno regreso de Soundgarden y ya con 52 años encima.

Solo él sabrá sus razones para haberse quitado la vida, pero atrás deja una obra extensa y que acompañó a personas alrededor del mundo en las malas y las peores. Y aparte de su voz icónica de barítono, quedarán inmortalizadas esas letras oscuras en las que pintó sus propios paisajes de la vida y la muerte en pleno auge de Soundgarden y Temple Of The Dog durante los noventa y que se han cantado a grito herido miles de veces.

A modo de homenaje a su memoria, decidimos ilustrar algunas de ellas desde nuestra propia interpretación.

***

Please, mother of mercy
Take me from this place
and the long winded curses
I keep here in my head
Words never listen
and teachers, oh, they never learn
but I'm warm from the candle
though I feel too cold to burn
He came from an island
and he died from the street
and he hurt so bad like a soul breaking
but he never said nothing to me

So say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven…
So say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven…

New, like a baby
Lost, like a prayer
The sky was your playground
but the cold ground was your bed
I said poor stargazer
She's got no tears in her eyes
but smooth like a whisper
She knows that love heals all wounds with time
Now it seems like too much love is never enough
Yeah, you better seek out another road
'cause this one has ended abrupt

So say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven…
So say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven…
I never wanted to write these words down for you
with the pages of phrases of all the things we'll never do
So I blow out the candle
and I put you to bed
Since you can't say to me now
how the dogs broke your bone
there's just one thing left to be said

So say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven…

So say hello to heaven, heaven, heaven…

Stretch the bones over my skin
Stretch the skin over my head
I'm going to the holy land
Stretch the marks over my eyes
Burn the candles deep inside
Yeah you know where I'm coming from

Give up to greed, you don't have to feed me
Give up to fate, you don't have to need me
So let it go, let it go, won't you let it
Drown me in you, drown me in you, drown me in you

Slip down the darkness to the mouth
Damn the water burn the wine
I'm going home for the very last time

So throw it away, you don't have to take me
Make no mistakes I'm what you make me
So let it go, let it go, won't you let it
Drown me in you, drown me in you, drown me in you

I see you turn around and burning down
The feeling starts to sink
I feel the hurt surround me
Please dissolve me
She's resolved to be

Heal my wounds without a trace
Seal my tomb without my face
I'm going to the lonely place

Give up to greed, you don't have to feed me
Give up to fate, you don't have to need me
So let it go, let it go, won't you let it
Drown me in you, drown me in you, drown me in you

In my eyes, indisposed
In disguises no one knows
Hides the face, lies the snake
The sun in my disgrace
Boiling heat, summer stench
'Neath the black the sky looks dead
Call my name through the cream
And I'll hear you scream again Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come (won't you come) Stuttering, cold and damp
Steal the warm wind tired friend
Times are gone for honest men
And sometimes far too long for snakes
In my shoes, a walking sleep
And my youth I pray to keep
Heaven sent hell away
No one sings like you anymore Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun) Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun) Hang my head, drown my fear
Till you all just disappear Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come Black hole sun
Won't you come
And wash away the rain
Black hole sun
Won't you come
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come (black hole sun, black hole sun)
Won't you come
Won't you come

Mountains all around
Altogether we stumble
Eleven million clowns
Every one with a razor out

And the smoke lies on the valley floor
And the blood dries while we spill some more

Once we were the end
The end of the long road
Leading to the start
Of the ever-invading crowds

And the smoke lies on the valley floor
And the blood dries while we spill

Endless summer, needless space,
Fill it all up with a void

Mountains all around
Altogether we tumble down

And the smoke lies on the valley floor

And the blood dries while we spill some more

If I could hug my love, could I try
For your wings to cover me and let them fold
Half alive I hurt the most brilliant lie
Sleepless eyes, close the light
And rest your mind while you burn

Can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood lets running from a big day

Cry on black rain, cry on black rain
Cry on black rain

If I could hug my love could I try
for your wings to cover me unless I fall
Sleepless eyes, close the light
And rest your mind while you burn

You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face
Feeding on the blood lets running from a big day

Cry on black rain, Cry on black rain
Cry on black rain

You can't stutter when you're talking with your eyes
By cutting out your tongue you save face

Feeding on the blood lets running from a big day

***

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Un agradecimiento especial a Nicolás Santos por su ayuda en la curaduría de este homenaje ilustrado.