My Wave
Encyclopedia
"My Wave" is a song by the American rock
band Soundgarden
. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell
and music co-written by Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil
, "My Wave" was released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown
(1994). The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
and music co-written by Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil
. The tuning, as with many Soundgarden songs is unorthodox—E-E-B-B-B-B. The song regularly interchanges the keys of E minor
and B Mixolydian
. The song also features the use of a bass wah pedal by Ben Shepherd. "My Wave" as a musical piece is very typical of Soundgarden's style. Predominantly in 5/4, a particularly irregular time signature for rock music, the song changes, intersperses and juxtaposes time signatures freely. The effect created is both authoritatively erratic and characteristic of the band, even classically so. Guitarist Kim Thayil
has said that Soundgarden usually did not consider the time signature of a song until after the band had written it, and said that the use of odd meters was "a total accident."
. In Canada
, the song reached the top 70 on the Canadian Singles Chart
.
Jon Pareles
of The New York Times
said, "Amid its warring left- and right-channel guitars, "My Wave" includes a drum break harking back to Abbey Road."
"My Wave" appeared in the trailer for the 1994 film, The Endless Summer II
. The song is featured on the soundtrack for the 2004 film, Riding Giants
. It later appeared in a 2007 advertisement for the sixth season
of the popular television series, 24
.
for "My Wave" was co-directed by Henry Shepherd (bassist Ben Shepherd
's brother), who would later direct the international version of the music video for "Pretty Noose
", and Doug Pray
. The video largely consists of performance footage of the band filmed in Calgary
, Alberta
on August 11, 1994 at Max Bell Arena
. It also features scenes of a child riding his bicycle around a city. The video was released in October 1994. MTV
decided not to put the video into its rotation. It is available on the CD-ROM
Alive in the Superunknown
.
", "My Wave", and "Fell on Black Days" singles.
and Kim Thayil
, except where noted:
Promotional CD (US)
CD (Australia)
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
and music co-written by Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil is an American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based grunge band Soundgarden, which he cofounded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984...
, "My Wave" was released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown
Superunknown
Superunknown is the fourth album by American grunge band Soundgarden, released on March 8, 1994 through A&M Records. Soundgarden began work on the album after touring in support of its previous album, Badmotorfinger...
(1994). The song peaked at number 11 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Composition
"My Wave" features lyrics written by frontman Chris CornellChris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
and music co-written by Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil is an American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based grunge band Soundgarden, which he cofounded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984...
. The tuning, as with many Soundgarden songs is unorthodox—E-E-B-B-B-B. The song regularly interchanges the keys of E minor
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on the note E. The E natural minor scale consists of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. The E harmonic minor scale contains the natural 7, D, rather than the flatted 7, D – to align with the major dominant chord, B7 .Its key signature has one sharp, F .Its...
and B Mixolydian
Mixolydian mode
Mixolydian mode may refer to one of three things: the name applied to one of the ancient Greek harmoniai or tonoi, based on a particular octave species or scale; one of the medieval church modes; a modern musical mode or diatonic scale, related to the medieval mode.-Greek Mixolydian:The idea of a...
. The song also features the use of a bass wah pedal by Ben Shepherd. "My Wave" as a musical piece is very typical of Soundgarden's style. Predominantly in 5/4, a particularly irregular time signature for rock music, the song changes, intersperses and juxtaposes time signatures freely. The effect created is both authoritatively erratic and characteristic of the band, even classically so. Guitarist Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil is an American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based grunge band Soundgarden, which he cofounded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984...
has said that Soundgarden usually did not consider the time signature of a song until after the band had written it, and said that the use of odd meters was "a total accident."
Release and reception
"My Wave" peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 18 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the song reached the top 70 on the Canadian Singles Chart
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
.
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said, "Amid its warring left- and right-channel guitars, "My Wave" includes a drum break harking back to Abbey Road."
"My Wave" appeared in the trailer for the 1994 film, The Endless Summer II
The Endless Summer II
The Endless Summer II is a 1994 film directed by Bruce Brown and is a sequel to his 1966 film The Endless Summer. In The Endless Summer II, surfers Pat O'Connell and Robert "Wingnut" Weaver retrace the steps of Mike Hynson and Robert August. It shows the growth and evolution of the surfing scene...
. The song is featured on the soundtrack for the 2004 film, Riding Giants
Riding Giants
Riding Giants is a 2004 documentary film directed and narrated by Stacy Peralta, a famous skater/surfer who helped define modern skateboarding. The movie traces the origins of surfing and specifically focuses on the art of big wave riding...
. It later appeared in a 2007 advertisement for the sixth season
24 (season 6)
Season Six, also known as Day 6, of the television series 24 premiered in the United States on Sunday, January 14, 2007, the UK on January 21, 2007 and in Australia on January 30, 2007.The season's storyline began and ended at 6:00 a.m...
of the popular television series, 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "My Wave" was co-directed by Henry Shepherd (bassist Ben Shepherd
Ben Shepherd
Ben Shepherd is an American musician, two-time Grammy Award Winner best known for playing bass in the grunge band Soundgarden from 1990 until the band's 1997 break-up...
's brother), who would later direct the international version of the music video for "Pretty Noose
Pretty Noose
"Pretty Noose" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Pretty Noose" was released in March 1996 as the first single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside . The song reached number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart...
", and Doug Pray
Doug Pray
Doug Pray is an American documentary film director, cinematographer, and editor who often explores unique subcultures in his films. His work includes Surfwise a portrait of the nomadic, 11-member Doc Paskowitz family ; Big Rig , a documentary about truck drivers; Infamy , a documentary about...
. The video largely consists of performance footage of the band filmed in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
on August 11, 1994 at Max Bell Arena
Max Bell Centre
The Max Bell Centre is an ice hockey arena, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in the community of Radisson Heights. It seats 2,121, for hockey, with a standing room capacity of over 3,000...
. It also features scenes of a child riding his bicycle around a city. The video was released in October 1994. MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
decided not to put the video into its rotation. It is available on the CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
Alive in the Superunknown
Songs from the Superunknown
Songs from the Superunknown is an EP by the American rock band Soundgarden. It was released on November 21, 1995 through A&M Records. It was released on the same day as the CD-ROM Alive in the Superunknown.-Overview:...
.
Live performances
Live performances of "My Wave" can be found on the "Black Hole SunBlack Hole Sun
"Black Hole Sun" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris finneran, "Black Hole Sun" was released in 1994 as the third single from the band's fourth studio album Superunknown . It is arguably the band's most recognizable and most popular song, and remains a well...
", "My Wave", and "Fell on Black Days" singles.
Track listing
All songs written by Chris CornellChris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
and Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil
Kim Thayil is an American guitarist best known as the lead guitarist of the Seattle-based grunge band Soundgarden, which he cofounded with singer Chris Cornell and bassist Hiro Yamamoto in 1984...
, except where noted:
Promotional CD (US)
- "My Wave" – 5:12
CD (Australia)
- "My Wave" – 5:12
- "SpoonmanSpoonman"Spoonman" is a song by the American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, "Spoonman" was released on February 15, 1994 as the first single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown . "Spoonman" is often credited as one of the songs that launched Soundgarden's career...
" (Steve FiskSteve FiskSteve Fisk is a Washington-based audio engineer, record producer and musician.Fisk joined the instrumental rock band Pell Mell in 1982. With vocalist Shawn Smith, he formed Pigeonhed, which released its first album in 1993....
remix) (Cornell) – 6:55 - "Birth Ritual" (demo) (Cornell, Matt CameronMatt CameronMatthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
, Thayil) – 5:50 - "My Wave" (live) – 4:34
- Recorded live on August 20, 1993 at Jones Beach AmphitheaterNikon at Jones Beach TheaterNikon at Jones Beach Theater is an outdoor amphitheatre, located at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, New York. It is one of two major outdoor arenas in the New York metropolitan area, along with PNC Bank Arts Center...
in WantaghWantagh, New YorkWantagh is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
- Recorded live on August 20, 1993 at Jones Beach Amphitheater
Chart positions
| Chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Mainstream Rock Tracks | 11 |
| US Modern Rock Tracks | 18 |
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
50 |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
66 |
| Chart (1995) | Position |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
46 |