Although widely associated with grunge music, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal elements. Since its formation, Alice in Chains has released five studio albums, three EPs, three live albums, four compilations, two DVDs, 31 music videos and 29 singles. The band is known for its distinctive vocal style, which often included the harmonized vocals between Staley and Cantrell (and later between Cantrell and William DuVall). Cantrell started to sing lead vocals on the 1992 acoustic EP Sap, and his role continued to grow in the following albums, making Alice in Chains a two-vocal band.
Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, along with other Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. The band was one of the most successful music acts of the 1990s, selling over 20 million records worldwide, and over 14 million records in the US alone, with two No. 1 albums and six Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart. The band has had 16 Top 10 songs on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, 5 No. 1 hits, and nine Grammy Award nominations. Their debut album, Facelift, featuring the hit single "Man In The Box", was released in 1990 and has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA, selling over two million copies. In 1992, the band's second album, Dirt, was released to critical acclaim and was certified quadruple platinum. Their second acoustic EP, Jar of Flies, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1994, becoming the first ever EP and first Alice in Chains release to top the charts, and it has been certified triple platinum by the RIAA. The band's third album, Alice in Chains debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1995 and has been certified double platinum.
Although never officially disbanding, Alice in Chains was plagued by extended inactivity from 1996 onwards due to Staley's substance abuse, which resulted in his death in 2002. The band reunited in 2005 for a live benefit show, performing with a number of guest vocalists. They toured in 2006, with William DuVall taking over as lead vocalist full-time. The new line-up released the band's fourth studio album, Black Gives Way to Blue, in 2009, which received gold certification by the RIAA and two Grammy nominations. Their fifth studio album, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, was released in 2013 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The band toured extensively and released several videos in support of these albums.
Their sixth studio album, Rainier Fog, would be released in 2018, through BMG records, making it their first big release on the new label. Rainier Fog would end up debuting at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, making it yet another powerful addition to the band's already impressive discography.
Although Alice in Chains has been labeled grunge by the mainstream media, Jerry Cantrell identifies the band as primarily heavy metal. He told Guitar World in 1996, "We're a lot of different things ... I don't quite know what the mixture is, but there's definitely metal, blues, rock and roll, maybe a touch of punk. The metal part will never leave, and I never want it to". The Edmonton Journal has stated, "Living and playing in Seattle might have got them the grunge tag, but they've always pretty much been a classic metal band to the core."
Over the course of their career, the band's sound has also been described as alternative metal, sludge metal, doom metal,drone rock, hard rock, and alternative rock. Regarding the band's constant categorization by the media, Cantrell stated "When we first came out we were metal. Then we started being called alternative metal. Then grunge came out and then we were hard rock. And now, since we've started doing this again I've seen us listed as: hard rock, alternative, alternative metal and just straight metal. I walked into an HMV the other day to check out the placement and see what's on and they've got us relegated back into the metal section. Right back where we started!". Drummer Sean Kinney rejects the grunge label, stating in a 2013 interview "I mean, before we first came out there was no grunge, they hadn’t invented that word. Before they invented the word grunge we were alternative rock and alternative metal and metal and rock, and we didn’t give a shit whatever, we were a rock and roll band!". According to Mike Inez, they were always the metal stepchildren of the Seattle scene.
Jerry Cantrell's guitar style combines "pummeling riffs and expansive guitar textures" to create "slow, brooding minor-key grinds". He is also recognized for his natural ability to blend acoustic and electric guitars. While down-tuned, distorted guitars mixed with Staley's distinctive "snarl-to-a-scream" vocals appealed to heavy metal fans, the band also had "a sense of melody that was undeniable", which introduced Alice in Chains to a much wider audience outside of the heavy metal underground.
According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic, Alice in Chains' sound has a "Black Sabbath-style riffing and an unconventional vocal style". The band has been described by Erlewine as "hard enough for metal fans, yet their dark subject matter and punky attack placed them among the front ranks of the Seattle-based grunge bands". Three of the band's releases feature acoustic music, and while the band initially kept these releases separate, Alice in Chains' self-titled album combined the styles to form "a bleak, nihilistic sound that balanced grinding hard rock with subtly textured acoustic numbers".
Alice in Chains is also noted for the unique vocal harmonies of Staley (or DuVall) and Cantrell, which included overlapping passages, dual lead vocals, and trademark harmonies typically separated by a major third. Cantrell said it was Staley who gave him the self-assurance to sing his own songs. Alyssa Burrows said the band's distinctive sound "came from Staley's vocal style and his lyrics dealing with personal struggles and addiction". Staley's songs were often considered "dark", with themes such as drug abuse, depression, and suicide, while Cantrell's lyrics often dealt with personal relationships.
Dirt
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Or lack of self control
I want you to kill me
And dig me under
I want to live no more
One who doesn't care
is one who shouldn't be
For me
I want to taste dirty
a stinging pistol
In my mouth, on my tongue
I want you to scrape me from the walls
And go crazy
like you've made me
One who doesn't care
is one who shouldn't be
I've tried to hide myself from what is wrong for me
One who doesn't care
is one who shouldn't be
I've tried to hide myself from what is wrong for me, for me
You, you are so special
You have the talent
to make me feel like dirt
And you, you use your talent
to dig me under
And cover me with dirt
One who doesn't care
is one who shouldn't be
I've tried to hide myself from what is wrong for me
One who doesn't care
is one who shouldn't be
I've tried to hide myself from what is wrong for me
The lyrics to Alice in Chains's "Dirt" depict a person who is overwhelmed with feelings of frustration, lack of self-control, and a desire to end their life. The lines "I want you to kill me and dig me under, I want to live no more" reveal the singer's desire to escape the pain they are feeling. They also express a willingness to give in to someone else's control, asking them to "scrape me from the walls and go crazy like you've made me."
Throughout the song, there is a recurring refrain about those who "don't care" being those who "shouldn't be." The singer seems to recognize that they have been hiding themselves from what is wrong for them, but they are unable to shake off the feelings of despair that have taken hold. The lines "I want to taste dirty, a stinging pistol in my mouth, on my tongue" suggest a desire for self-destructive behavior.
The verses and chorus of the song are interspersed with a spoken word section where the singer addresses someone else who they view as "special" and who has the ability to make them feel "like dirt." The lines "And you, you use your talent to dig me under and cover me with dirt" indicate that this person is contributing to the singer's feelings of worthlessness.
Overall, "Dirt" is a powerful and bleak song that explores the depths of depression and the desire for self-destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
I have never felt such frustration
I am experiencing an unprecedented level of annoyance and dissatisfaction
Or lack of self control
I am struggling to regulate my own behavior
I want you to kill me
I desire to be put out of my misery
And dig me under
I want to be buried underground
I want to live no more
I no longer want to continue living
One who doesn't care
is one who shouldn't be
Someone who lacks empathy is not fit to be around others
I've tried to hide myself from what is wrong for me
I attempted to shield myself from things that do not benefit me
I want to taste dirty
a stinging pistol
In my mouth, on my tongue
I want to consume something unpleasant or dangerous, like a gun
I want you to scrape me from the walls
And go crazy
like you've made me
I want someone to rescue me from a bad situation and, in turn, lose their own sanity
You, you are so special
You have the talent
to make me feel like dirt
You possess the ability to diminish my self-worth
And you, you use your talent
to dig me under
And cover me with dirt
You use your skills to further bury me and push me down
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Cantrell, Layne Staley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeffgoatley441
I have never felt such frustration
Or lack of self control
I want you to kill me
And dig me under
I want to live no more
One who doesn't care
is one who shouldn't be
I've tried to hide myself from what is wrong for me
For me
I want to taste dirty
a stinging pistol
In my mouth, on my tongue
I want you to scrape me from the walls
And go crazy
like you've made me
One who doesn't care
is one who shouldn't be
I've tried to hide myself from what is wrong for me
One who doesn't care
is one who shouldn't be
I've tried to hide myself from what is wrong for me, for me
You, you are so special
You have the talent
to make me feel like dirt
And you, you use your talent
to dig me under
And cover me with dirt
One who doesn't care
is one who shouldn't be
I've tried to hide myself from what is wrong for me
One who doesn't care
is one who shouldn't be
I've tried to hide myself from what is wrong for me
@SkormFlinxingGlock
This is without a doubt the darkest lyrical performance of all time. The bottom of the spiral.
@philyeary8809
The darkness at the heart of relationships and life, especially now.
@caseycarden1179
Listen to "Love hate love" by Alice in Chains if you think this is dark.
@capslock4959
@@caseycarden1179 I'm going to have to say dirt takes the darkness cake
@joqu6971
Cantrell is just so freakin awesome, that guitar just sings all by itself
@Memes.fun.shorts
So good with his wah pedal
@pikachuyoshipines1646
A song that’s about death, suicidal thoughts, a depressingly dark song helped me cope with my suicidal thoughts. I thank this band for being comforting in this troubling time I’ve been having
@aprielledawn
It's about his girlfriend Demri
@allgunsblazed9106
@@aprielledawn and also wanting to die , please don't dismiss that.
@RebelGodessRed90
That “One Who Doesn’t Care is One Who Shouldn’t Be.” hits so hard everytime. The whole song is so deep. ❤️❤️❤️💖💖💖