Meaning of “Through Glass” by Stone Sour

Corey Taylor, who fronted Stone Sour back when it was active, is credited as the exclusive writer of “Through Glass”. And based on his explanation, “the glass” mentioned in the chorus would most likely be a television tube. 

In other words, he was inspired to write this song by some stuff he had seen on TV.  And even though Corey is very much a successful professional musician, this piece is meant to be critical of the music industry.

More specifically, while watching music videos in Europe in 2004, Taylor came to the hard realization that the industry, at least under his estimation, is woefully redundant. Or put otherwise, it’s as if its business model had become more about imagery than quality and meaningful content. 

“I’m looking at you through the glass
Don’t know how much time has passed
Oh, God, it feels like forever, but no one ever tells you
That forever feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head
‘Cause I’m looking at you through the glass
Don’t know how much time has passed
All I know is that it feels like forever, but no one ever tells you
That forever feels like home, sitting all alone inside your head”

And in his eyes, part of the problem was “America Idol-type shows”. Apparently the way he saw it, the advent of such programming led to a higher premium being placed on a singer’s popularity, if you will, than their actual ability to compose music.

So this song is meant to represent his rage against the machine in that regard. And the second verse does a sound job of relaying such an idea, that the vocalist is warning listeners against getting suckered into believing that something which looks “different” actually is. 

Basically he’s saying that the artists the industry puts out are akin to “mannequins”, i.e. conformist replications, rather than anything original. So the trick the industry plays is along the lines of changing the imagery while the type of artist underneath it remains the same, i.e. generic.  In fact later on in the bridge and outro, Corey even goes on to state that “the stars… lie to you”, implying that many of these musicians we look up to are intentionally dishonest.

So we’ll close by saying that Taylor, as a genuine musician who has made it big if you will, is not fond of the music industry at large. Or at least he wasn’t when he wrote this song.

Release Date of “Through Glass”

“Through Glass” was released as the 2nd single from Stone Sour’s second studio album “Come What(ever) May”. It was officially released on July 22 of 2006 through Roadrunner Records, an American record label.  

Other singles from the album include, “30/30-150” and “Sillyworld,” released as the 1st and 3rd singles respectively.

Credits

“Through Glass” was composed exclusively by Corey Taylor. American record producer Nick Raskulinecz, was also exclusively responsible for the song’s production.

The Comments’ Section of “Through Glass”

ELVIS MCFLY says:

“Man, Corey Taylor doesn’t pull any punches, does he? It’s clear he’s got some beef with the music industry and he’s not shy about airing it out in this track. He’s like, ‘hey, everything you see on TV, all these so-called unique artists, they’re just carbon copies, more about the show than the talent.’ It’s like a massive wake-up call to listeners to look beyond the smoke and mirrors.

The way he calls out those ‘American Idol-type shows’ as being part of the problem is seriously gutsy. He’s basically saying that popularity has overtaken talent, and that’s just not how music should be. It’s a rebellious stance against the norm and honestly, it’s refreshing.”

DIDIER says:

“It’s a trip to see such raw honesty. He’s saying, ‘Don’t fall for the razzle-dazzle, people. Look closer, question everything.’ This song feels like a rallying cry for authenticity and a plea for change in the industry.

The part where it says “the stars… lie to you” is a major gut punch. He’s saying these big names might not be all they’re cracked up to be. The dude’s got serious passion, and this song really brings to light his frustration with an industry that seems more about creating clones than fostering unique talent. Powerful stuff!”