"He's a street musician, but when he's playing on the street, he is given a value and judged completely wrong by someone else," Cornell continued. "They think he's a street person, or he's doing this because he can't hold down a regular job. They put him a few pegs down on the social ladder because of how they perceive someone who dresses differently. The lyrics express the sentiment that I much more easily identify with someone like Artis."