Like a Stone

"Like a Stone" is a song by the American rock supergroup Audioslave, released as the second single from their eponymous debut studio album Audioslave on January 20, 2003. The song topped both the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts, and reached number 31 on the Hot 100 chart, making it their biggest US hit. "Like a Stone" has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It became the fifth best performing alternative song on the Alternative Songs chart of the decade and the eighth best performing rock song on the Mainstream Rock chart of the decade.

"Like a Stone"
Single by Audioslave
from the album Audioslave
ReleasedJanuary 20, 2003 (2003-01-20)[1]
Recorded2001–2002
Genre
Length4:54 (album version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Audioslave singles chronology
"Cochise"
(2002)		 "Like a Stone"
(2003)		 "Show Me How to Live"
(2003)
Music video
"Like a Stone" on YouTube
Audio sample
  • file
  • help

Background and composition

Bassist Tim Commerford claimed that the song is about an old man waiting for death, who sits in a house alone after all his friends and family have passed on, waiting to be reunited with them.[4][5][6] However, while Commerford originally thought it was a song about love and romance,[4] the band's singer and songwriter Chris Cornell explained that "It's a song about concentrating on the afterlife you would hope for, rather than the normal monotheistic approach: You work really hard all your life to be a good person and a moral persona and fair and generous, and then you go to hell anyway."[7]

The melancholy tone and certain parts of the lyrics of "Like a Stone" have prompted some to wonder if Cornell wrote the song about the late Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley, who died in April 2002. Cornell denied this, saying "No. I'm not one of those guys where, like, something happens and then I go run around, 'Ooh, 9/11, and now it's 9/12, let me write about that. I wrote the lyrics before he died. [...] You can misinterpret that stuff pretty easy, but I don't tend to sit down and plan on writing about a specific issue. They come up or they don't."[8]

Music video

The music video for "Like a Stone" was filmed in January 2003[9] and released on February 22, 2003.[10] It was conceived and directed Meiert Avis, a Grammy-winner who has also directed videos for State Radio, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, J-Lo and many others.[11] The video was produced by Oualid Mouaness, edited by Jim Rhoads and set in an old Spanish mansion in Silver Lake, Los Angeles where Jimi Hendrix once lived and wrote music in.[11] Commerford's then 1-year-old son, Xavier was featured in the video. It shows the band performing inside the mansion where they also set up a recording booth.[12] According to Avis, the strange green/blue color palette of the video was to suggest bruising and abuse.[11]

The music video reached over 1 billion views on YouTube in October 2022.[13]

UK CD single: track listing

A CD single version of "Like A Stone" released in the United Kingdom in 2003 contained the following tracks.[14] All lyrics written by Chris Cornell; all music composed by Audioslave, except "Super Stupid" written by George Clinton, Eddie Hazel, Billy Bass Nelson and Tawl Ross.

  1. "Like a Stone" – 4:54
  2. "Like a Stone" (live on BBC Radio 1) – 4:58
  3. "Gasoline" (live on BBC Radio 1) – 4:45
  4. "Set It Off" (live on Late Show with David Letterman) – 4:01
  5. "Super Stupid" (live on BBC Radio 1)
  6. "Like a Stone" (music video)

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for "Like a Stone"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[29] Gold 35,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[30] Gold 20,000‡
United States (RIAA)[31] Gold 500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "FMQB Airplay Archive: Modern Rock". Friday Morning Quarterback Album Report, Incorporated. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  2. Cosores, Philip (July 4, 2017). "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best". Consequence of Sound. p. 10. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  3. Loudwire Staff (October 2, 2020). "The 66 Best Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century". Loudwire. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  4. Irwin, Corey (November 18, 2022). "20 Years Ago: Audioslave Arrives With Powerhouse First Album". Ultimate Classic Rock. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  5. Audioslave (DVD). Interscope Records/Epic Records. July 29, 2003.
  6. "Songfacts - Like A Stone by Audioslave". Songfacts. Archived from the original on May 6, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2007.
  7. "The Audioslave Fan Forum - Audioslave FAQ". audioslaved.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved May 14, 2007.
  8. "AUDIOSLAVE Select 'Like A Stone' As Second Single". Blabbermouth.net. December 11, 2002. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  9. "AUDIOSLAVE Film New Video, Hit The Road". Blabbermouth.net. January 8, 2003. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  10. "AUDIOSLAVE: 'Like A Stone' Video Posted Online". Blabbermouth.net. February 22, 2003. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  11. Avis, Meiert (April 13, 2014). "Audioslave - Like A Stone – Meiert Avis". meiertavis.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  12. "Audioslave - Like a Stone (Official Video)". YouTube. October 25, 2009. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  13. Rowley, Glenn (October 12, 2022). "Audioslave's 'Like a Stone' Joins YouTube's Billion Views Club". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  14. "CD single - Audioslave". 45worlds. Archived from the original on January 24, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  15. "Audioslave – Like a Stone". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  16. "Audioslave – Like a Stone". Top Digital Download. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  17. "Audioslave – Like a Stone". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  18. "Audioslave Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  19. "Audioslave Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  20. "Audioslave Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  21. "Audioslave Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  22. "Audioslave Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  23. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  24. "Audioslave Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  25. "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2003". Crowley Broadcast Analysis. April 3, 2018. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
  26. "DISCOS DEL 2003 PARA RECORDAR". El Tiempo (Colombia). Archived from the original on January 31, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  27. Pedro. "Longbored Surfer - 2003". LongboredSurfer.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  28. "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  29. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2017 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  30. "Portuguese single certifications" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  31. "American single certifications – Audioslave – Like a Stone". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
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