The joke title Chris Cornell turned into an iconic 1990s anthem: “They put him a few pegs down”

Soundgarden turned Chris Cornell’s joke title ‘Spoon Man’ into a defining song on their 1994 album *Superunknown*. The track began as part of a fictional solo tape for the film *Singles*, but Cornell later developed it into a polished recording that became an enduring 1990s anthem.

The title came from a list of song names Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament devised for the film’s character Cliff Poncier. Cornell made songs from the titles as a joke, then revisited ‘Spoon Man’ while Soundgarden were preparing *Superunknown*. Its lyrics refer to street performer Artis the Spoonman and challenge the way people judge him for dressing differently; the song went on to sell more than five million copies.