“Waiting for the Sun” by Soundgarden

Of course on a track like this (“Waiting for the Sun”), the vocalist is not referring to “the sun” literally. Well he does to some extent, as the narrative is based on a seasonal metaphor. In other words, he and likeminded individuals are greatly looking forward to the onset of Spring. 

That is what he means, on the surface, by “waiting for the sun”, i.e. the beginning of a fresh season of rebirth. Indeed “Spring” itself is often in song as a symbolic device. And what it points to in this particular case, as it generally does, is some type of positive change.

And to note, this is a song that was originally dropped back during the early 1970s. Moreover the vocalist makes yet another allegorical statement, referring to “freedom’s shore”. 

So taking those two factors into consideration, we can postulate that this was actually The Doors’ version of a protest song, or what have you. That is to say that they were likely speaking to the prevailing issues of that day, such as social equality. But on a macrocosmic level, this is one of those songs that also speaks to the concept of the world becoming a better place in general. So the sentiment expressed therein is based on a vision, if you will.

Shattered Sun

Indeed a couple of times, the vocalist actually makes a reference to “the shattered sun”. And such is representative of the reality of the situation, that socially things are not as ideal as he would and others like them to be. 

So as far as a thesis sentiment goes, arguably it would be one of hope. Once again using the analogy of “the sun”, the singer is able to perceive that the world, as it stands now, is wanting. But he would also prefer to live in a “scattered sun”, i.e. a society in which the possibility of getting things right ultimately exists, as opposed to no sun at all.

Release Date of “Waiting for the Sun”

This is a cover of a song The Doors originally dropped on 9 February 1970 as part of their album “Morrison Hotel”. And prior to that, in 1968, they also released an album entitled “Waiting for the Sun”.

Soundgarden’s version came out 25 November 2011 as part of an exclusive EP they dropped entitled “Before the Doors: Live on I-5”. However, it is not a straight-up tribute to The Doors, as its name may imply. Instead out of the five tracks featured, “Waiting for the Sun” is the only one attributed to Jim Morrison and co.

The Doors

The Doors were one of the most prominent American rock bands of the late-1960s and early-1970s, who were led by the aforementioned Jim Morrison (1943-1971). Their biggest hit would be a track called “Light My Fire” which the guys dropped in 1967. 

Morrison unexpectedly passed away in mid-1971. And although The Doors remained active for a couple of years after, his passing effectively ended their run.

Soundgarden

Meanwhile Soundgarden is a more recent phenomenon in rock history, having formed during the mid-1980s. Their most recognizable hit would perhaps be 1994’s “Black Hole Sun“.

And similar to Jim Morrison their own frontman, Chris Cornell (1964-2017), left the mortal plane in a fashion that caught many people unawares. But in the latter case, it was actually death by suicide.

Who wrote “Waiting for the Sun”?

“Waiting for the Sun” was written by the late Jim Morrison.