Like a Stone — Audioslave
Songs of Recovery Reflections
A series exploring healing through music — personal reflections on songs and recovery.
Like a Stone — Audioslave
While I’ve always enjoyed dissecting songs and really diving into their lyrics and the why behind them, I’m not now, nor will I ever claim to know the actual intent the lyricist had in their creation. What I can do is describe to you what the words mean to me, and my interpretation of the emotion they incite in me. Because that in and of itself is what I love so deeply about music and lyrics, the fact that anyone and everyone can take a song and make it fit perfectly to their present situation in life, and find meaning to it and never be “wrong” in their analysis. With that being said, here is my examination of the lyrics to Like a Stone by Audioslave and what it makes me feel.
This song has so many underlying themes of addiction/recovery to it once you really take a peek at it’s lyrics. The first line “On a cobweb afternoon in a room full of emptiness, by a freeway I confess I was lost in the pages…” What I take from the beginning of this line is that feeling of isolation and detachment from not only our loved ones, but ourselves that addiction leaves. On the other end of the spectrum, the last part of this line suggests reattachment to our emotions, searching for meaning in things such as books, spirituality, or reflection; all things that recovery teaches us to turn to in the beginning to help fill the void left behind in us from our addiction.
The next line that really looks a lot like addiction/recovery to me is “In your house I long to be, room by room patiently, I’ll wait for you there like a stone, I’ll wait for you there alone.” This section to me has a certain duality to it, it sounds like both addiction AND recovery, all at once. It makes me think of waiting for the next fix while staying trapped in a cycle, still waiting for the “relief” we believe we can find in the isolation we make ourselves comfortable in while in active addiction. Yet at the same time, looking at it with a different lens, the “house” could symbolize a higher power, healing, or even inner peace. Recovery requires patience, sitting with oneself, and waiting “alone” without aching to numb yourself. It’s about finding that serenity in yourself through a power greater than yourself and becoming okay with being in your own skin/mind. It’s acceptance with our thoughts and feelings and finding peace in whatever state you find yourself in, good or bad.
The last line I’ll really put a focus on is “And on I read, until the day was gone. And I sat in regret of all the things I’ve done, for all that I’ve blessed and all that I’ve wronged. In my dreams until my death, I will wander on.” What I really compare this part to is the step where we learn to take our inventory. We’re taught to really take an honest look at both the positive and the negative while doing this, all traits and actions that make us who we are at our core. In doing this we’re taught accountability for ourselves and that giving yourself grace is never a bad thing. It reminds us that we’re human, and in being human, we’ll never be perfect, but what we will be is okay to “wander on” to live another day. And that maybe, moving forward, we’ll have the capacity to make better choices that can end up on the positive side of our next inventory.
Now, please keep in mind that this is simply my interpretation of this song, and that while I may hear the above when listening to it, you may hear something totally different. And that’s okay! That’s the actual beauty of it I think, having one simple song span across the world meaning different things entirely to different people. I love that any song meant for the masses can at the same time be deeply personal to the individual. Since my journey has taken me through the darkness of active addiction, I find that songs often resonate with me in a recovery-oriented way. Music has always had a way of carrying me through moments when I thought I couldn’t keep going. That’s why I love picking songs apart and weaving their lyrics into my everyday life, it gives the ordinary a deeper sense of meaning. And the final point I will make is this: if you really search for it, you can find the magic I find in music almost anywhere you look.
-written by Staff