“Be Yourself” by Audioslave
According to Audioslave’s lead vocalist Chris Cornell, who is recognized as the primary writer of this song, its theme is premised on mistakes he has made in the past. But honestly the lyrics aren’t necessarily introspective. Rather they are primarily focused on the idea of different people having different dispositions/personalities. For instance, some may be more privy to attend a wedding while others a funeral. Or via social interactions, some may see positivity “in everyone” while others “only pain”. Or one particular type of man may be keen to committing himself to a romantic relationship, while another is not. And this is all meant to lead back to the titular idea of ‘being yourself’.
In other words, Cornell is not judging people for being different. Instead he acknowledges these differences as being natural. Indeed he concludes by basically stating that we are powerless in terms of being another other than who we actually are.
Be true to yourself
So you can say that this song is philosophical in its approach. And its intended purpose is to encourage listeners to stay true to themselves. For at the end of the day, there are certain things in life which we all have to deal with. And in that regard, Cornell believes that if a person remains optimistic, then “everything will end up alright”. And it is the section of the song where this sentiment is expressed, in the bridge, that we can say is actually the introspective part, considering that the singer seems to be relaying this idea based on his own life experiences.
Facts about “Be Yourself”
This is one of Audioslave’s best-known tunes, considering that it topped Billboard’s Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock listings. In addition to that, it charted in Brazil and scored a number one on Canada Rock Top 30.
The song was released on 2 February 2005. It served as the lead single from the band’s second album, “Out of Exile”. The label behind its publication is Interscope Records.
“Be Yourself” has been utilized by some major media franchises, most notably World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
The music video to the song was made under the direction of respected director Francis Lawrence. Chris Cornell has stated that it was conceptualized after the 1970 Beatles’ documentary “Let It Be”.
Cornell wrote “Be Yourself” along with his band mates Brad Wilk, Tom Morello and Tim Commerford.
And the song was produced by music icon Rick Rubin, who has worked extensively with Audioslave.
