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.
Down In A Hole
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I give this part of me for you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers
In a tomb, in bloom
Down in a hole and I don't know if I can be saved
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
I was supposed to be
Look at me now a man
Who won't let himself be
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, losin' my soul
I'd like to fly, but my wings have been so denied
Down in a hole and they've put all the stones in their place
I've eaten the sun so my tongue
Has been burned of the taste
I have been guilty of kicking myself in the teeth
I will speak no more of my feelings beneath
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, losin' my soul
I'd like to fly but my wings have been so denied
Bury me softly in this womb
Oh I want to be inside of you
I give this part of me for you
Oh I want to be inside of you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers in a tomb (oh I want to be inside of you)
Oh I want to be inside
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, losin' my soul
Down in a hole, feelin' so small
Down in a hole, outta control
I'd like to fly but my wings have been so denied
"Down in a Hole" is a song about feeling trapped and helpless. The first verse, "Bury me softly in this womb, I give this part of me for you, Sand rains down and here I sit, Holding rare flowers In a tomb, in bloom," suggests a desire to be reborn, to start over again, to have a new beginning, and to leave behind what has happened in the past. However, the repetition of "down in a hole" in the chorus suggests a feeling of being trapped and unable to escape from the situation that the singer finds themselves in. The lyrics in the second verse, "I've eaten the sun so my tongue has been burned of the taste, I have been guilty of kicking myself in the teeth," suggest that the singer has struggled with their own feelings of shame and guilt, and that they have become their own worst enemy.
The final verse, "Bury me softly in this womb, Oh I want to be inside of you, I give this part of me for you, Oh I want to be inside of you, Sand rains down and here I sit, Holding rare flowers in a tomb (oh I want to be inside of you), Oh I want to be inside," suggests a longing for comfort and safety, but also a desire to escape from the pain and suffering that the singer is experiencing. The song is a powerful and emotional reflection on the highs and lows of life, and the ways in which we can sometimes feel trapped and powerless.
Line by Line Meaning
Bury me softly in this womb
I surrender myself to you completely, vulnerable and trusting.
I give this part of me for you
I offer myself, my essence and all I have, to you.
Sand rains down and here I sit
Time moves on as I remain still, surrounded by the inevitability of change and decay.
Holding rare flowers in a tomb, in bloom
Amidst decay and death, there is still beauty to be found, even if it is fleeting.
Down in a hole and I don't know if I can be saved
I am in a dark and hopeless place, unsure if there is any way out or chance for redemption.
See my heart I decorate it like a grave
My heart and soul are consumed by pain and grief, to the point of becoming a place of mourning and death.
You don't understand who they thought I was supposed to be
People have defined and judged me, but they don't truly know my essence or my struggles.
Look at me now a man, who won't let himself be
Despite enduring pain and hardship, I still choose to remain true to myself, refusing to become someone else to please others.
Down in a hole, feeling so small
I am overwhelmed by the darkness and confinement of my situation, feeling insignificant and powerless.
Down in a hole, losing my soul
My sense of self and purpose is slipping away, consumed by despair and hopelessness.
I'd like to fly, but my wings have been so denied
I long for freedom and escape from my struggles, but feel trapped and held back by circumstances outside of my control.
Down in a hole and they've put all the stones in their place
I am weighed down and confined by the expectations and judgments of others, unable to escape or break free.
I've eaten the sun so my tongue has been burned of the taste
I have endured so much pain and devastation that even the brightest and most beautiful things in life feel like they have turned to ash.
I have been guilty of kicking myself in the teeth
I have hurt myself and sabotaged my happiness and well-being, adding to my own misery.
I will speak no more of my feelings beneath
I am tired of being consumed by my pain and struggles, and choose to no longer dwell on them or express them.
Down in a hole, feeling so small
Once again, I am overwhelmed and imprisoned by the darkness and despair of my situation.
Down in a hole, losing my soul
My sense of self and hope is continuing to slip away, leaving me with a deep and pervasive emptiness.
Oh, I want to be inside of you
I crave a deep and intimate connection with another person, to fill the void inside of me and find some sense of meaning and purpose.
Down in a hole, out of control
I am spiraling deeper into darkness and chaos, losing hold of everything that once gave me stability or meaning.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Cantrell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@robertoc.dominguez6856
[Intro: Jerry Cantrell]
Bury me softly in this womb
I give this part of me for you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Holding rare flowers in a tomb, in bloom
[Verse 1: Layne Staley]
Down in a hole and I don't know if I can be saved
See my heart, I decorate it like a grave
You don't understand who they thought I was supposed to be
Look at me now, a man who won't let himself be
[Chorus: Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell]
Down in a hole
Losin my soul
Down in a hole
Losin' control
I'd like to fly
But my wings have been so denied
[Verse 2: Layne]
Down in a hole and they've put all the stones in their place
I've eaten the sun so my tongue has been burned of thе taste
I have been guilty of kicking myself in thе teeth
I will speak no more of my feelings beneath
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[Chorus: Layne and Jerry]
Down in a hole
Losin' my soul
Down in a hole
Losin' control
I'd like to fly
But my wings have been so denied
[Bridge: Jerry and Layne]
Bury me softly in this womb
Oh, I wanna be inside of you
I give this part of me for you
Oh, I wanna be inside of you
Sand rains down and here I sit
Oh, I wanna be inside of you
Holding rare flowers in a tomb, in bloom
Oh, I wanna be inside
[Chorus: Layne and Jerry]
Down in a hole
Losin' my soul
Down in a hole
Feelin' so small
Down in a hole
Losin' my soul
Down in a hole
Out of control
I'd like to fly
But my wings have been so denied
@GetYourPull18
the people that attended that concert are some of the luckiest individuals alive
@CynthiaB82
That would amazing if any one of those who attended commented on here and told us how the experience was for them.
@kryssme88
I agree man. It’s heartbreaking to know I will never see my favorite artist perform live.
@pdmsc40
I AGREE 💯
@deerslayer5727
@@murkyevening your right they were. .
@ABR11hour
Agreed, I would've killed to be able to see that performance live. They were immaculate!
@SS-gx7tg
A heroin addict knowing he's in too deep and his fate is sealed, sitting here singing the song of his life with three of his strongest believers playing by his side, all 4 clearly connected in the moment. Easily one of the most powerful performances you'll ever see in this lifetime, or any other
@rudafitness9870
Eloquently put
@sagerdood
Wow. I was thinking the same. He was hurting so badly.
@dagger-pg3sv
... Well said. Tragic topic but beautiful song lyrically & musically ...