Ty Cobb (song)
Encyclopedia
"Ty Cobb" is a song by the American rock
band Soundgarden
. Featuring lyrics written by frontman Chris Cornell
and music written by bassist Ben Shepherd
, "Ty Cobb" was released in April 1997 as the fourth single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside
(1996). The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides
.
and music written by bassist Ben Shepherd
. Cornell and Shepherd play mandolin
and mandola
on the track. Cornell on the song:
said, "'Ty Cobb' sounds like it may fall apart at any second but it remains intact. That is an element that a lot of rock bands neglected. But punk rock has always had that element of barely being able to hold on to the steering wheel."
. He holds the all-time career batting record (.367), but he is also well-known for his womanizing, alcoholism and racism. The song is infamous for its 21 utterances of the word "fuck
," second only to "Big Dumb Sex" (36 utterances) among Soundgarden songs (in fact, these, along with Kyle Petty (Son Of Richard) which was a b-side of Fell On Black Days, were the band's only songs to ever use that word). Cornell on the song:
, the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, or the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart as the first three singles from Down on the Upside did, its B-side
, "Rhinosaur", also from the album, did chart on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart at number 19. Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in Australia
. It also contained a remix of "Rhinosaur" called "The Straw That Broke the Rhino's Back" which was created by Bill Rieflin. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly
said, "With its frenetic mandolin, "Ty Cobb"...is something like metal bluegrass."
and Chris Cornell
, except where noted:
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 written by 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...
, "Ty Cobb" was released in April 1997 as the fourth single from the band's fifth studio album, Down on the Upside
Down on the Upside
Down on the Upside is the fifth studio album by the American grunge band Soundgarden, released on May 21, 1996 through A&M Records. Following a worldwide tour in support of its previous album, Superunknown , Soundgarden commenced work on a new album...
(1996). The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, A-Sides
A-Sides
A-Sides is a compilation album by the American rock band Soundgarden with songs spanning the band's thirteen year career. It was released on November 4, 1997 through A&M Records.-Overview:...
.
Origin and recording
"Ty Cobb" 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 written by 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...
. Cornell and Shepherd play mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
and mandola
Mandola
The mandola or tenor mandola is a fretted, stringed musical instrument. It is to the mandolin what the viola is to the violin: the four double courses of strings tuned in fifths to the same pitches as the viola , a fifth lower than a mandolin...
on the track. Cornell on the song:
Well, Ben actually had the idea that he wanted to hear mandolin on that song, and so we called some people and they brought like, these older mandolins down for us to try, 'cause they thought they were really great, and then we picked them up and just played 'em, and that was about it, the first time we ever played them.
Composition
"Ty Cobb" begins with a quiet, 22-second intro before acquiring a frenetic pace throughout the rest of the song. Guitarist Kim ThayilKim 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...
said, "'Ty Cobb' sounds like it may fall apart at any second but it remains intact. That is an element that a lot of rock bands neglected. But punk rock has always had that element of barely being able to hold on to the steering wheel."
Lyrics
"Ty Cobb" was originally titled "Hot Rod Death Toll", but the lyrics reminded Shepherd of the infamous baseball player Ty CobbTy Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
. He holds the all-time career batting record (.367), but he is also well-known for his womanizing, alcoholism and racism. The song is infamous for its 21 utterances of the word "fuck
Fuck
"Fuck" is an English word that is generally considered obscene which, in its most literal meaning, refers to the act of sexual intercourse. By extension it may be used to negatively characterize anything that can be dismissed, disdained, defiled, or destroyed."Fuck" can be used as a verb, adverb,...
," second only to "Big Dumb Sex" (36 utterances) among Soundgarden songs (in fact, these, along with Kyle Petty (Son Of Richard) which was a b-side of Fell On Black Days, were the band's only songs to ever use that word). Cornell on the song:
It was basically coming from the frame of mind of some sort of hardcore pissed-off idiot, and that's why we titled it that. We weren't writing the song about Ty Cobb at all—I didn't even know anything about him. I was just thinking of a character who was a combination of a lot of people I've met and didn't like.
Release and reception
Although "Ty Cobb" did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, or the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart as the first three singles from Down on the Upside did, its B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
, "Rhinosaur", also from the album, did chart on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart at number 19. Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in Australia
Australia
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...
. It also contained a remix of "Rhinosaur" called "The Straw That Broke the Rhino's Back" which was created by Bill Rieflin. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said, "With its frenetic mandolin, "Ty Cobb"...is something like metal bluegrass."
Track listing
All songs written by Matt CameronMatt Cameron
Matthew David "Matt" Cameron is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the American rock bands Pearl Jam and Soundgarden...
and 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...
, except where noted:
- "Ty Cobb" (Cornell, Ben ShepherdBen ShepherdBen 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...
) – 3:05 - "Rhinosaur" – 3:14
- "Big Dumb Sex" (Cornell) – 4:11
- "Rhinosaur" (The Straw That Broke the Rhino's Back remix) – 3:43