Ty Cobb - Soundgarden

Artist: Soundgarden
Song: Ty Cobb
Year: 1996
Album: Down On The Upside

The fourth single from Down On The Upside was "Ty Cobb". It remains the last burst of energy from the now defunct band Soundgarden. Originally titled. "Hot Rod Death Toll", the song was renamed "Ty Cobb" because it reminded bassist and co-writer Ben Shepard of the ballplayer Ty Cobb.

I was privileged enough to see Soundgarden on the 1996 Lollapalooza tour. They were there at the insistance of Metallica. They performed right before Metallica each night. I saw the show at the Winnebago County Fairgrounds in Illinois. Let's just say the people of Pecatonica were not ready for people traveling from all over the state to converge on their little town. It's out of the way and the signs are practically hidden from the main road.

By the time Soundgarden came on, the sun was making the last of its presence known. After a day of hot sun with no shade and very little refreshment, I was ready to call it quits. I still had a three to four hour drive ahead of me. Soundgarden gave it their all and when "Ty Cobb" came on, the crowd ate it up and moshed their brains out.

When Metallica went on, I had a raging headache from sun exposure and dehydration. There was water available for close to $5 a bottle. That's steep today, but in 1996, it was highway robbery. The next year Lollapalooza returned to Tinley Park and then it disappeared for almost a decade. I have fond memories of that day, but I don't ever want a repeat of that day. I didn't get home until 4:30 in the morning and my day of driving and concert going started 23 hours earlier. Still, I'm happy I went.

Lyrics:
I'm sittin' in a magic hat with smoke and mirrors and tire rubber fires
Watch me disappear
What made it slow you down?
Sucking on a ball and chain
Another motherfucker goes down the drain
Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all
Just add it up (To the hot rod death toll)
Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all
Just add it up (To the hot rod death toll)

Sick in the head, sick in the mouth
And I don't hear a word you say
Not a bit and I don't give a shit
I got the glass, I got the steel
I got everything
And now I need is your head on a stake
Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all
Just add it up (To the hot rod death toll)
Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all
Just add it all up (To the hot rod death toll)

Hard headed fuck you all (Hard headed)
Hard headed fuck you all (Hard headed)
Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all

Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all
Hard headed fuck you all
Just add it up (To the hot rod death toll)
(To the hot rod death toll)
(To the hot rod death toll)
(To the hot rod death toll)
(To the hot rod death toll)