Like a Stone
2003 single by Audioslave
title: "Like a Stone" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["2002-songs", "2003-singles", "audioslave-songs", "songs-written-by-chris-cornell", "song-recordings-produced-by-chris-cornell", "song-recordings-produced-by-rick-rubin", "songs-about-death", "epic-records-singles", "interscope-records-singles", "music-videos-directed-by-meiert-avis"] description: "2003 single by Audioslave" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like_a_Stone" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 2003 single by Audioslave ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Like a Stone |
| cover | audioslave_like_a_stone.png |
| type | single |
| artist | Audioslave |
| album | Audioslave |
| released | April 2003 |
| recorded | 2001–2002 |
| * Alternative rock{{cite magazine | url |
| * hard rock{{cite web | last |
| * post-grunge{{cite magazine | url |
| length | (album version) |
| label | |
| writer | |
| producer | |
| prev_title | Cochise |
| prev_year | 2002 |
| next_title | Show Me How to Live |
| next_year | 2003 |
| misc | |
| type | single |
| file | Audioslave_-_Like_A_Stone.ogg |
| :: |
| name = Like a Stone | cover = audioslave_like_a_stone.png | type = single | artist = Audioslave | album = Audioslave | released = April 2003 | recorded = 2001–2002 | genre =
- Alternative rock
- hard rock
- post-grunge | length = (album version) | label = | writer = | producer = | prev_title = Cochise | prev_year = 2002 | next_title = Show Me How to Live | next_year = 2003 | misc = | type = single | file = Audioslave_-_Like_A_Stone.ogg "Like a Stone" is a song by the American rock supergroup Audioslave, released as the second single from their eponymous debut studio album Audioslave in April 2003. The song topped both the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts, and reached number 31 on the Hot 100 chart, making it their biggest US hit.
Background and composition
Bassist Tim Commerford claimed that the song is about an old man waiting for death, who sits in a house alone after all his friends and family have passed on, waiting to be reunited with them. However, while Commerford originally thought it was a song about love and romance, the band's singer and songwriter Chris Cornell explained that "It's a song about concentrating on the afterlife you would hope for, rather than the normal monotheistic approach: You work really hard all your life to be a good person and a moral persona and fair and generous, and then you go to hell anyway."
The melancholy tone and certain parts of the lyrics of "Like a Stone" have prompted some to wonder if Cornell wrote the song about the late Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley, who died in April 2002. Cornell denied this, saying "No. I'm not one of those guys where, like, something happens and then I go run around, 'Ooh, 9/11, and now it's 9/12, let me write about that. I wrote the lyrics before he died. [...] You can misinterpret that stuff pretty easy, but I don't tend to sit down and plan on writing about a specific issue. They come up or they don't."
Music video
The music video for "Like a Stone" was filmed in January 2003 and released on February 22, 2003. It was conceived and directed by Meiert Avis, a Grammy-winner who has also directed videos for State Radio, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, J-Lo and many others. The video was produced by Oualid Mouaness, edited by Jim Rhoads and set in an old Spanish mansion in Silver Lake, Los Angeles where Jimi Hendrix once lived and wrote music in. Commerford's then 1-year-old son, Xavier was featured in the video. It shows the band performing inside the mansion where they also set up a recording booth. According to Avis, the strange green/blue color palette of the video was to suggest bruising and abuse.
The music video reached over 1 billion views on YouTube in October 2022.
UK CD single: track listing
A CD single version of "Like A Stone" released in the United Kingdom in 2003 contained the following tracks. All lyrics written by Chris Cornell; all music composed by Audioslave, except "Super Stupid" written by George Clinton, Eddie Hazel, Billy Bass Nelson and Tawl Ross.
- "Like a Stone" – 4:54
- "Like a Stone" (live on BBC Radio 1) – 4:58
- "Gasoline" (live on BBC Radio 1) – 4:45
- "Set It Off" (live on Late Show with David Letterman) – 4:01
- "Super Stupid" (live on BBC Radio 1)
- "Like a Stone" (music video)
Charts
Weekly charts
::data[format=table title="2003 weekly chart performance for "Like a Stone""] | Chart (2003) | Peak position | |---|---| ::
::data[format=table title="2017 weekly chart performance for "Like a Stone""] | Chart (2017) | Peak position | Canada Digital Song Sales (Billboard) | |---|---|---| | 43 | | | ::
Year-end charts
::data[format=table title="2003 year-end chart performance for "Like a Stone""]
| Chart (2003) | Position | Brazil (Crowley) | Colombia (B & V Marketing) | US Billboard Hot 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 96 | ||||
| :: |
::data[format=table title="2017 year-end chart performance for "Like a Stone""]
| Chart (2017) | Position | US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard) |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | ||
| :: |
Certifications
References
References
- "Great Rock discography".
- Cosores, Philip. (July 4, 2017). "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best".
- Loudwire Staff. (October 2, 2020). "The 66 Best Hard Rock Songs of the 21st Century".
- Geffen, Sasha. (October 7, 2013). "In Defense of Post-Grunge Music".
- Irwin, Corey. (November 18, 2022). "20 Years Ago: Audioslave Arrives With Powerhouse First Album".
- (July 29, 2003). "[[Audioslave (DVD)". [[Interscope Records]]/[[Epic Records]].
- "Songfacts - Like A Stone by Audioslave". Songfacts.
- "The Audioslave Fan Forum - Audioslave FAQ". audioslaved.com.
- (December 11, 2002). "AUDIOSLAVE Select 'Like A Stone' As Second Single".
- (January 8, 2003). "AUDIOSLAVE Film New Video, Hit The Road".
- (February 22, 2003). "AUDIOSLAVE: 'Like A Stone' Video Posted Online".
- Avis, Meiert. (April 13, 2014). "Audioslave - Like A Stone – Meiert Avis".
- Kennelty, Greg. (2022-10-12). "AUDIOSLAVE's "Like A Stone" Video Passes One Billion Views On YouTube".
- (October 25, 2009). "Audioslave - Like a Stone (Official Video)".
- Rowley, Glenn. (October 12, 2022). "Audioslave’s ‘Like a Stone’ Joins YouTube’s Billion Views Club".
- "CD single - Audioslave".
- "Audioslave Chart History (Canadian Digital Song Sales)".
- (April 3, 2018). "Brazilian Top 100 Year-End 2003". [[Crowley Broadcast Analysis]].
- "DISCOS DEL 2003 PARA RECORDAR". El Tiempo (Colombia).
- Pedro. "Longbored Surfer - 2003". LongboredSurfer.com.
- "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard.
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