Released: September 5, 1989

Songwriter: Kim Thayil Chris Cornell

Producer: Soundgarden Terry Date

[Intro]
Ah...
Don't touch me!

[Verse 1]
Hands all over the eastern border
You know what, I think we're falling from composure
Hands all over western culture
Ruffling feathers, turning eagles into vultures
Yeah, into vultures

[Chorus 1]
Got my arms around baby brother
Put your hands away, you're gonna kill your mother
Gonna kill your mother
Kill your mother
And I love her, yeah
I love her

[Verse 2]
Hands all over the coastal waters
The crew men thank her, then lay down their oily blanket
Hands all over the inland forest
In a striking motion, trees fall down like dying soldiers
Yeah, dying soldiers

[Chorus 1]
Got my arms around baby brother
Put your hands away, you're gonna kill your mother
Gonna kill your mother
Kill your mother
And I love her, yeah
I love her
I love her

[Verse 3]
Hands all over the peasant's daughter
She's our bride, she'll never make it out alive
Hands all over words I utter
Change them into things you want to, like balls of clay
Put your hands away

[Chorus 2]
Yeah, put your hands away
Put your hands away
Gonna kill your mother, gonna kill your mother
Gonna kill your mother
And I love her
And I love her
Yeah, I love her
I love her
And she loves me

[Outro]
Yeah
Yeah
Hey, hey, hey

Soundgarden

One of the biggest rock bands out of Seattle, Soundgarden was formed in 1984 by singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Matt Cameron became the band’s full-time drummer in 1986, while bassist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990. While one of the creators of the Grunge alternative rock and the first to sign to a major label, they only rose to stardom once the genre was popularized by Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains in the early 90s. After achieving great success with 1994’s Superunknown, the band decided to call it quits three years later due to internal squabbles. Eventually they reunited in 2010, releasing new album King Animal two years later. Frontman Chris Cornell committed suicide in a Detroit hotel room on May 17, 2017. He was 52 years old.

From the albums