He lasted a lot longer than a lot of his fellow grunge-ites did.
The power in the impact of Stone Temple Pilots is incredible. The weight of their rock-hard music and crushing vocals is flattening, destructive even. Darkness and depression permeate the lyrics of Scott Weiland. Feelings of confusion, want, inadequacy, hurt, pain, sorrow, broken-heartedness, and chaos are strongly empathized (and even emphasized) in Stone Temple Pilots.
And yet, simultaneously, a subtle sort of determination. Confidence. A refusal to give in, no matter how bad the pain gets.
Scott's lyrics truly did reflect his character.
The music of STP, as well as the poetry of Scott Weiland, delivered this sort of message of personal acceptance. To accept the challenges that were littered throughout all life by a sick, materialistic, ignorant society. To come to peace with, and gain an understanding of human nature. A determination to wrestle to find something real, beautiful, and true in a bleak world. A confidence in one's self, despite natural flaws.
They encouraged their millions of worldwide fans to struggle with them. Because it was the only good kind of acceptance that there was.
Human acceptance. Rather than societal acceptance.
HOWEVER... they were honest about the prices of living something greater than a typical, ordinary life as well. Because they wanted to be HONEST. They had already seen through too many lies permeating their society, and they were too disgusted to lie just like the rest of the world.
So they told all. The cost of fame, the price of popularity, the loneliness and sorrow in living a lonely life in a big, sad world. The lacking, the missing pieces-- the scars made along the way.
The dark, the depressing. The realistic.
And Scott fought all of that darkness. Every day. Even in himself. And still had the courage to sing all along the way.
Like I said: he could say a whole lot more than his fellow early-alternative-artists can.
Their music-- and I daresay Scott's life-- was a crusade to find beauty and truth in all the ugly lies. To create a haven in a cruel world. To provide something real to a plastic culture. And they fought and fought and fought, and they never gave up.
He never gave up.
And their music came to be this perfect balance, this impeccable yin-yang of the most depressing... and the most beautiful.
And with all the strength Scott had, he struggled through it for about 25 years just so he could let all the extraordinary people left in the world know that THEY ARE NOT ALONE.
Even if he felt like he was the whole time.
And the realistic beauty, the sacrifice that is Stone Temple Pilots will now forever be a fount of acceptance and honesty in a dark world.
Scott Weiland, may you truly rest in peace.
"Forward yesterday,
Makes me wanna stay.
What they said was real;
Makes me wanna steal.
Livin' under house--
Guess I'm livin, I'm a mouse.
All's I gots is time,
Got no reason, just a rhyme.
Take time for a wounded hand,
Cuz it likes to heal!
Take time for a wounded hand,
Cuz I like to steal!
Take time for a wounded hand,
Cuz I like to heal, I like to steal...
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
Feelin uninspired...
Think I'll start a fire.
Everybody run--
Bobby's got a gun.
Think you're kinda neat,
Then she tells me I'm a creep.
Friends don't mean a thing;
Guess I'll leave it up to me.
Take time for a wounded hand,
Cuz it likes to heal!
Take time for a wounded hand,
Cuz I like to steal!
Take time for a wounded hand,
Cuz I like to heal, I like to steal...
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
Take time for a wounded hand,
Cuz it likes to heal!
Take time for a wounded hand,
Cuz I like to steal!
Take time for a wounded hand,
Cuz I like to heal, I like to steal...
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
I'm half the man I used to be--
This I feel as the dawn, it fades to gray.
Half the man I used to be..."
-- Creep, from the album Core
Thanks for reading,
UNWANTED NOISE
p.s. stay tuned for Primus
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