I Am The Highway
September 16, 2007Listening to: I am the Highway – Audioslave
Currently Reading: The lyrics to the above song
I Am The Highway
Audioslave
Pearls and swine bereft of me
Long and weary my road has been
I was lost in the cities
Alone in the hills
No sorrow or pity for leaving I feel
I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky
Friends and liars don’t wait for me
I’ll get on all by myself
I put millions of miles
Under my heels
And still too close to you
I feel
I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky
I am not your blowing wind
I am the lightning
I am not your autumn moon
I am the night
The night
I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky
I am not your blowing wind
I am the lightning
I am not your autumn moon
I am the night
The night
—–
So it took me a few listens to the song to figure out what it may mean. It sounds as though he has been taken for granted in a past relationship and the song may be him basically trying to emancipate himself by telling himself that he is not just a pair of fecking wheels, he is the (metaphorical) highway.
The first line where he makes a reference to pearls and swine is an indication of the fact that you don’t throw pearls to swine because they may be trampled underfoot, swine do not appreciate things of beauty – making the first pointer towards someone who has been underappreciated.
It goes on to describe a feeling of desolateness, of “being lost in the hills and the cities” – something akin to depression.
The next line however, is almost making up for the depression, “no sorrow or pity for leaving I feel” – as though he may have had a long journey and most of the time, he loses his way, but he feels no regret for leaving, probably because he’s better off anyway.
Although this could also be his revelation of the fact that though he has left, the person he has left, does not feel his absence as much as he/she should.
From what I can interpret is the fact that he’s been trying to move on, he’s had a long struggle and still feels like he has a long way to go – I put millions of miles under my heels, and still too close to you I feel , which is something I can relate to – you may go a long way in trying to put something behind you and sometimes things happen where you realise that there are some things you can never truly put behind you.
The final verse is so powerful, it’s his final proclamation of everything that he is, and everything he is not.
I am not your (fucking) carpet ride, I am the (bleeding) sky (bitch). Which is just the way I feel the words of the song.
This is just my interpretation of the song; there are of course so many others – lots of people see a religious theme and true enough, Chris Cornell places a Christian slant to a lot of his music but this is just my way of seeing it.
A powerful song of emancipation.
A definite must listen if you like this kind of stuff.
If anyone has any ideas about what he sings about, lemme know. I’m curious to what he could be singing about here.
Cheers.
A deep and meaningful song, no doubt.
awesome interpretation!
My thoughts:
3 things:
I am not ur retarded wheels, for u to use to get urself around, i am a TOOL FAR GREATER, not wheels, but a HIGHWAY. The sky is a tool far superior to a flying carpet. The lightning far greater than the random blowing wind, and TOTALLY seperate. i dont think hes saying “im not how you travel(wheels), Im where U GO”…i think he IS saying: “Im not a petty tool, i am a far superior, greater, and under-realized/under-appreciated tool, such as the incredible highway itself.
also i strongly think:
“I was lost in the cities, Alone in the hills, No sorrow or pity for leaving I feel” =he has no friends, and is the kind of guy who would wander alone into cafes at night, or walk through big cities at two in the morning when no one was awake. no friends=no feelings of sorrow for leaving. && no pity because he felt so much beyond everyone, above swine, that he couldn’t care less. even though he really did.
& it does sound like he had a relationship problem, but maybe “still too close to you i feel” can be applied in a broader sense. he hates ALL people, he had no friends, he kept to himself during his childhood, locked himself in his room, practicing guitar to express his coiled up emotions of hate for swine. i feel even if it were like a bad relationship, he would take it out on everyone, not just the girl.
but anyways i think you hit right on! love the song! great interpretation!
Yutaru,spot on! What is so awesome about this song is the fact that it can be personalised in so many waysm depending on the individual’s perspective. Guess that is what makes Chris Cornell a brilliant artist. Thank you for your thoughts