“Hands All Over” is Soundgarden’s second released single from their second studio album, Louder Than Love.
Lead vocalist Chris Cornell, the song’s sole lyricist, confirmed that the song was mainly discussing how humankind is collectively destructive to the environment:
It’s just sort of an environ...
[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, like 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
Hands All Over was written by Kim Thayil & Chris Cornell.
Hands All Over was produced by Soundgarden & Terry Date.
Soundgarden released Hands All Over on Tue Sep 05 1989.