Chris Cornell

When I met my wife Vicky's family, I had to go out of my way to convince them, to show them, that I wasn't anything like their idea of a musician. ”

I'm interested in where I'm going and the people I am there to see. Going to Cuba was a great example of that, and the succession of going into Cuba, which is not a very easy place to get into, and playing music for people who have never seen a live rock concert outdoors like that. ”

In spite of my lack of education, I didn't lack direction. ”

I got a GED based on Catholic school seventh-grade education, really. I didn't make it that far. ”

It's about trying to step out of being patterned and closed off and reclusive, which I've always had a problem with. It's about attempting to be normal and just go out and be around other people and hang out. I have a tendency to sometimes be pretty closed off and not see people for long periods of time and not call anyone. ”

I just kind of went into the blue-collar workforce at a really young age and discovered music, in terms of being a musician, around the same time. The good news is, I was probably 17 when I knew that's what I was going to do with the rest of my life, no matter what that meant. ”

The sense of anger I had when I was younger is something I thought would never go away. Over time, it's something you get almost bored with. ”

I've always had a really difficult time with loss. ”

Superunknown' was one of the most dramatic shifts in what we were doing musically. I don't think I realized it at the time. ”

In the beginning of Audioslave, I was very honest. I said, 'We make great albums and write great albums - but don't be under the impression I'm going to be a lyricist that writes anything other than what strikes me as inspiring in the moment.' The lyrics weren't going to be focused politically. ”