imported>SpaceHelmetX1: trivial, video game appearances aren't notable in song-related articles

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trivial, video game appearances aren't notable in song-related articles

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{{Short description|1994 single by Soundgarden}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Spoonman
| cover = Spoonman.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = [[Soundgarden]]
| album = [[Superunknown]]
| B-side = Cold Bitch
| released = {{start date|1994|2|14}}
| recorded =
| studio = [[Studio X|Bad Animals]] ([[Seattle|Seattle, Washington]])
| genre =
* [[Grunge]]
* [[hard rock]]
* [[alternative rock]]
| length = 4:06
| label = [[A&M Records|A&M]]
| writer = [[Chris Cornell]]
| producer = {{hlist|[[Michael Beinhorn]]|Soundgarden}}
| prev_title = [[Rusty Cage]]
| prev_year = 1992
| next_title = [[The Day I Tried to Live]]
| next_year = 1994
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|T0_zzCLLRvE|"Spoonman"}}}}
}}

"'''Spoonman'''" is a song by American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Soundgarden]]. Written by frontman [[Chris Cornell]], it was released on February 14, 1994, as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, ''[[Superunknown]]'' (1994). The name was inspired by Seattle street performer [[Artis the Spoonman]], who plays [[spoons (musical instrument)|spoons]] on the song and also appears in the video.

"Spoonman" peaked at No. 3 on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Album Rock Tracks]] chart and No. 9 on ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Alternative Airplay|Modern Rock Tracks]] chart. The song was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album, ''[[A-Sides (Soundgarden album)|A-Sides]]'', as well as on the 2010 compilation album, ''[[Telephantasm]]'', while a remixed version by [[Steve Fisk]] appears on the "[[Black Hole Sun]]" and "[[My Wave]]" singles.

==Origin and recording==
"Spoonman" was originally written for the [[Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack|soundtrack]] to the 1992 film ''[[Singles (1992 film)|Singles]]''. At that time, Soundgarden, along with [[Pearl Jam]], were working on the soundtrack for the film. Pearl Jam's bass guitarist, [[Jeff Ament]], had been put in charge of creating the name for a fictional band that would appear in the film. Before finally choosing Citizen Dick for its name, Ament had compiled a list of potential names, which included the name "Spoonman". The name was inspired by [[Artis the Spoonman]], a [[busking|street performer]] from Santa Cruz, California, and later Seattle, Washington, who plays music with a set of [[spoon (musical instrument)|spoons]]. Soundgarden's vocalist and songwriter, [[Chris Cornell]], eventually used the names on the list to create songs for the film. "Spoonman" was among these, and an acoustic version was created from it. This early version of the song is played during a scene in the film in which a poster advertising a Citizen Dick show is stapled to a lightpost.<ref>Prato, Greg. [{{AllMusic|class=song|id=t2762490|pure_url=yes}} "Spoonman > Review"]. ''[[AllMusic]]''. Retrieved on August 1, 2008.</ref>

Rather than just leave the song on the film's soundtrack, Soundgarden began working on an electric version of "Spoonman". The song's inspiration, Artis the Spoonman, played a prominent role in the song. The final version of the song has Artis the Spoonman playing his spoons as part of the song's bridge. Drummer [[Matt Cameron]] also plays pots and pans on the song<ref>[http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/making_5-94.shtml "Soundgarden"]. ''Making Music''. May 1994.</ref> and bass guitarist, [[Ben Shepherd]], performs backing vocals.

==Composition==
"Spoonman" is a [[grunge]],<ref>{{cite news |author=David Accomazzo |date=January 30, 2014 |title=An entertaining 20 years: Looking back at Boulder's music history |url=http://www.boulderweekly.com/article-12280-an-entertaining-20-years-looking-back-at-boulderrss-music-history.html |access-date=January 5, 2016 |work=Boulder Weekly}}</ref> [[hard rock]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |date=January 4, 2010 |title=Soundgarden's Chris Cornell Announces Reunion |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1628964/soundgardens-chris-cornell-announces-reunion/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141120200934/http://www.mtv.com/news/1628964/soundgardens-chris-cornell-announces-reunion/ |archive-date=November 20, 2014 |access-date=January 5, 2016 |work=MTV News}}</ref> and [[alternative rock]] song,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stern |first=Mike |title=Woohoo: Five 90's Alternative Rock Songs That Picked Up the Pace |url=https://www.accuradio.com/page/woohoo-upbeat-90s-alternative/ |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=[[AccuRadio]]}}</ref> performed in [[drop D tuning]]. The main riff was written in [[septuple meter]], in {{music|time|7|4}} time.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pattillo|first=Alice|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/10-awesome-metal-riffs-with-odd-time-signatures|title=10 awesome metal riffs with odd time signatures|website=[[Metal Hammer]]|date=October 1, 2020|access-date=January 19, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/chris-cornell-15-essential-songs-114919/soundgarden-spoonman-1994-115116/|title=Chris Cornell: 15 Essential Songs|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=May 8, 2017|access-date=January 20, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/top_5_amazing_mainstream_rock_songs_with_weird_time_signatures.html|title=Top 5 Amazing 'Mainstream' Rock Songs With Weird Time Signatures|website=[[Ultimate Guitar]]|date=June 27, 2021|access-date=January 19, 2023}}</ref> The chorus is {{music|time|4|4}} and part of the spoon solo is in {{music|time|3|4}}. The 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".<ref>Rotondi, James. "Alone in the Superunknown". ''[[Guitar Player]]'', June 1994.</ref>

==Lyrics==
Due to the Pacific Northwest's notoriety for its drug culture amongst musicians at the time, particularly in the [[grunge]] scene, the song has been rumored to be about [[heroin]] use since its release, however Cornell always denied this.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/usa-today-soundgarden-spoonman/170264563/|title=Sounds Of Soundgarden|work=USA Today|page=9|date=February 24, 1994}}</ref>

In a 1994 interview Cornell said:
{{cquote|It's more about the paradox of who [Artis] is and what people perceive him as. He's a street musician, but when he's playing on the street, he is given a value and judged completely wrong by someone else. They think he's a street person, or he's doing this because he can't hold down a regular job. They put him a few pegs down on the social ladder because of how they perceive someone who dresses differently. The lyrics express the sentiment that I much more easily identify with someone like Artis than I would watch him play.<ref>[http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/request_10-94.shtml "Interview with Chris Cornell"]. ''Request'', October 1994.</ref>}}

==Release and reception==
The band played "Spoonman" while on its 1993 tour with [[Neil Young]].<ref>Genovese, Robin. [http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/chart_6-96.shtml "Soundgarden"]. ''[[Chart (magazine)|Chart]]'', June 1996.</ref> With hype building around the band's upcoming album, ''Superunknown'', Soundgarden released the single in 1994, a month before the album's release, with a previously unreleased B-side titled "Exit Stonehenge". On the choice of "Spoonman" as the album's first single, Shepherd called it a "great first choice", adding that "it just jumps out at you instantly". Shepherd said, "You know how you listen to a record and there is one song that literally seems to leap out of the speakers—well, 'Spoonman' did that to me."<ref>Masters, Drew. [http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/meat_3-94.shtml "Soundgarden"]. ''M.E.A.T. Magazine'', March 1994.</ref> Shortly after the single's release, the song became widely popular, reaching high positions on rock charts. The song peaked at No. 3 on ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Album Rock Tracks]] chart and No. 9 on ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Alternative Songs|Modern Rock Tracks]] chart. At the [[Grammy Awards of 1995|1995 Grammy Awards]], "Spoonman" received the award for [[Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance|Best Metal Performance]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rebelmusicteacher.com/blog/2017/5/18/changing-meter-in-soundgardens-spoonman|title=May 18 The Spoons Are Shifting: Changing Meter in Soundgarden's "Spoonman"|date=May 18, 2017 }}</ref>

Outside the United States, the single was released commercially in Australia, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom. In Canada, the song reached No. 12 on the Canadian [[RPM (magazine)|singles chart]], reached the UK Top 20, peaked at No. 23 on the Australian Singles Chart, reached the top 30 in Ireland and the top ten in New Zealand. In 2017, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' ranked the song No. 12 on its list of the 15 greatest Soundgarden songs,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/soundgarden-best-songs-chris-cornell-7800864/|title=The 15 Greatest Soundgarden Songs: Critic's Picks|first=Andrew|last=Unterberger|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=May 18, 2017|access-date=April 12, 2022}}</ref> and, in 2021, ''[[Kerrang!|Kerrang]]'' ranked the song No. 5 on its list of the 20 greatest Soundgarden songs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kerrang.com/the-20-greatest-soundgarden-songs-ranked|title=The 20 greatest Soundgarden songs – ranked|first=Sam|last=Law|work=[[Kerrang!|Kerrang]]|date=May 10, 2021|access-date=April 12, 2022}}</ref>

==Music video==
The music video for "Spoonman" was directed by Jeffrey Plansker (under the alias "John Smithey").<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.twistfilms.net/team/salvatore-totino|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130112023820/http://www.twistfilms.net/team/salvatore-totino|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 12, 2013|title=Salvatore Totino|access-date=June 22, 2008|publisher=Twist Films}}</ref> The video features Artis prominently, making him the focus of the video instead of the band, who are shown only in black-and-white still photographs. Cornell can be seen in some photographs wearing a fork necklace given to him by [[Shannon Hoon]], which he also wore in the video for "[[Black Hole Sun]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theseconddisc.com/2013/04/10/more-rain-blind-melons-debut-expanded-by-ume-with-unreleased-ep/|title=More Rain: Blind Melon's Debut Expanded by UMe with Unreleased EP
|first= Mike|last=Duquette |website=The Second Disk|date=April 10, 2013}}</ref>

In an interview with ''[[Hit Parader]]'' magazine in 1994, Chris Cornell said about the music video:
<blockquote>I think we were fairly smart with "Spoonman" in that you really don't see us that much in the video. You see various pictures of us, but it's not quite the same as having us in your living room all the time. We're trying to maintain some degree of mystique about Soundgarden, I guess. I remember back when I was a kid, long before MTV, and the only way to see my favorite bands was to go to their concerts. It was an incredible experience. MTV has helped a lot of bands, but they've also helped rob a lot of groups of that special mystique. It's tough when you can see a great rock band on TV one second, then hit the clicker and be watching a soap opera or a sitcom the next. That's what rock and roll has become for some people.<ref>Hughes, Keith. [http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/hp_10-94.shtml "Soundgarden: Their Shining Hour"]. ''[[Hit Parader]]'', October 1994.</ref></blockquote>

==Track listings==
All songs were written by [[Chris Cornell]], except where noted.

'''CD (Europe) and 12-inch vinyl (Europe)'''
# "Spoonman" – 4:06
# "Fresh Tendrils" ([[Matt Cameron]], Cornell) – 4:16
# "Cold Bitch" – 5:01
# "Exit Stonehenge" (Cameron, Cornell, [[Ben Shepherd]], [[Kim Thayil]]) – 1:19

'''Cassette (UK) and 7-inch vinyl (UK)'''
# "Spoonman" – 4:06
# "Fresh Tendrils" (Cameron, Cornell) – 4:16

'''CD (Germany)'''
# "Spoonman" (edit) – 3:51
# "Cold Bitch" – 5:11
# "Exit Stonehenge" (Cameron, Cornell, Shepherd, Thayil) – 1:19

'''CD (Australia and Canada)'''
# "Spoonman" – 4:06
# "Cold Bitch" – 5:01

==Personnel==
Personnel adapted from ''Superunknown '' liner notes

'''Soundgarden'''
* [[Chris Cornell]] – vocals, rhythm guitar
* [[Kim Thayil]] – lead guitar
* [[Ben Shepherd]] – bass, additional vocals
* [[Matt Cameron]] – drums, percussion, pots and pans<ref name=P&P>[http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/making_5-94.shtml "Soundgarden"]. ''Making Music''. May 1994.</ref>

'''Additional musicians'''
* [[Artis the Spoonman]] – spoons

==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Chart (1994)
! Peak<br/>position
|-
{{single chart|Australia|23|artist=Soundgarden|song=Spoonman|access-date=November 6, 2016}}
|-
|Australia Alternative ([[ARIA]])<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 6, 1994 |url=https://postimg.cc/8J4PCbT8 |title=Alternative Charts Top 20 |magazine=[[ARIA Report]] |issue=212 |page=11 |access-date=May 6, 2024}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|12|artist=Soundgarden|chartid=2484|access-date=November 6, 2016}}
|-
|[[European Hot 100 Singles]] ''([[Music & Media]])''<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 12, 1994 |title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1994/MM-1994-03-12.pdf |magazine=[[Music & Media]]| page=14 |access-date=August 3, 2018}}</ref>
|align="center"|47
|-
|Finland ([[Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref>{{cite book|first= Timo |last= Pennanen |year= 2006 |title= Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 |language= fi |edition= 1st |publisher= Tammi |isbn= 978-951-1-21053-5 |location= Helsinki}}</ref>
|align="center"|8
|-
|Iceland ([[Íslenski listinn|Dagblaðið Vísir Top 30]])<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/3540323?iabr=on#page/n11/mode/2up/search/spoonman%20soundgarden|title=Íslenski Listinn|newspaper=[[DV (newspaper)|Dagblaðið Vísir]]|language=is|page=10|date=March 24, 1994|access-date=October 5, 2019}}</ref>
|align="center"|3
|-
{{single chart|Ireland2|23|artist=Soundgarden|access-date=November 6, 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|New Zealand|10|artist=Soundgarden|song=Spoonman|access-date=November 6, 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Dutch100|37|artist=Soundgarden|song=Spoonman|access-date=November 6, 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Sweden|37|artist=Soundgarden|song=Spoonman|access-date=November 6, 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|20|artist=Soundgarden|artistid=26112|access-date=April 2, 2025}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|9|artist=Soundgarden|access-date=November 6, 2016}}
|-
{{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|3|artist=Soundgarden|access-date=November 6, 2016}}
|}

{|class="wikitable"
! Chart (2017)
! Peak<br/>position
|-
{{Single chart|Billboardrocksongs|18|artist=Soundgarden|access-date=4 November 2017}}
|-
|US Rock Digital Song Sales (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/soundgarden/chart-history/rkt/ |title=Soundgarden – Chart history – ''Billboard'' Rock Digital Song Sales |magazine=Billboard |access-date=November 4, 2017}}</ref>
|align="center"|11
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{|class="wikitable"
! Chart (1994)
! Position
|-
|US Album Rock Tracks (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA42-IA2|title=The Year in Music: Hot Album Rock Tracks|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=106|issue=52|page=YE-62|date=December 24, 1994|access-date=April 2, 2025}}</ref>
|align="center"|13
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Soundgarden|title=Spoonman|award=Gold|relyear=1994|certyear=2021|source=radioscope|access-date=May 20, 2025}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

==Release history==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Format(s)
!scope="col"|Label(s)
!scope="col"|{{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
!scope="row"|United Kingdom
|February 14, 1994
|{{hlist|7-inch vinyl|12-inch vinyl|CD|cassette}}
|rowspan="2"|[[A&M Records|A&M]]
|<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Single Releases|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=21|date=February 12, 1994}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|Japan
|March 2, 1994
|Mini-CD
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/72457/products/204573/1/|title=サウンドガーデン {{!}} スプーンマン|trans-title=Soundgarden {{!}} Spoonman|publisher=[[Oricon]]|language=ja|access-date=April 2, 2025}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{YouTube|Vl0X1WtQUIg|"Spoonman" (Official audio)}}

{{Soundgarden}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1994 singles]]
[[Category:1994 songs]]
[[Category:A&M Records singles]]
[[Category:Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Chris Cornell]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Matt Cameron]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Michael Beinhorn]]
[[Category:Songs about indigenous peoples]]
[[Category:Songs about real people]]
[[Category:Songs about musicians]]
[[Category:Songs written by Chris Cornell]]
[[Category:Soundgarden songs]]
[[Category:Spoons]]

Spoonman - Revision history

imported>SpaceHelmetX1: trivial, video game appearances aren't notable in song-related articles