It was released as streaming only on December 18th, 2012 via YouTube, and as as a downloadable single on January 8th, 2013. The band released snippets of the lyrics on Instagram, one phrase at a time, leading up to the reveal of the final track. They encouraged users to submit photos with the lyrics in mind, and they'd be included in a fan-made lyric video.
Hollow
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pulling against a closing out
Easy to feed off a weaker thing
Harder to say what I really mean
Hollow as a mountain all tunneled and drilled below
Hollow as a mountain crowned with a cold, blue sky
Don't even matter anyway
Bleeding impressions where you were tied
Can't really say how you lost your mind
Hollow as a mountain all tunneled and drilled below
Hollow as a mountain crowned with a cold
Hollow as a mountain all tunneled and drilled below
Hollow as a mountain crowned with a cold, blue sky
Silence so loud, silence
I can't tell my up from down
Silence so loud, silence
I can't tell my uṗ from down
All of the faces life can show
Withered and ugly the one you know
Hollow as a mountain all tunneled and drilled below
Hollow as a mountain crowned with a cold, blue sky
Silence so loud, silence
I can't tell my up from down
Silence so loud, silence
I can't tell my up from down
The lyrics of "Hollow" by Alice in Chains portray a sense of defeat and emptiness that comes with feeling disconnected from oneself and the world around them. The opening lines "Turning in circles, slowing down/Pulling against a closing out" may suggest a desire to break free from the constraints of life and the feeling of being stuck. The next line "Easy to feed off a weaker thing/Harder to say what I really mean" refers to the difficulty in expressing oneself and needing to rely on others' weaknesses to feel powerful.
The imagery of the "Hollow mountain" suggests a void where something once was, now only a shell of its former self. The line "All of your colors turn to grey/Don't even matter anyway" may reflect a loss of vitality and a sense of apathy towards life. The following lines "Bleeding impressions where you were tied/Can't really say how you lost your mind" imply a traumatic event or a prolonged period of mental distress.
The repetition of "Silence so loud, silence/I can't tell my up from down" emphasizes the overwhelming feeling of being lost and disconnected, where one's thoughts become indistinguishable from the external world. The final lines "All of the faces life can show/Withered and ugly the one you know" suggest a disillusionment with people and society.
Overall, "Hollow" conveys a feeling of despair and detachment, where the world seems bleak and hope is hard to find.
Line by Line Meaning
Turning in circles, slowing down
Feeling stuck and aimless, losing momentum
Pulling against a closing out
Struggling to resist inevitable endings or closures
Easy to feed off a weaker thing
It's tempting to take advantage of those who are vulnerable or powerless
Harder to say what I really mean
Expressing oneself truthfully and honestly is difficult and uncomfortable
Hollow as a mountain all tunneled and drilled below
A metaphor for the feeling of emptiness or lack of substance
Hollow as a mountain crowned with a cold, blue sky
Even in the midst of beauty and grandeur, there can be a sense of hollowness or despair
All of your colors turn to grey
The vibrancy and joy in life fades away, leaving everything dull and lifeless
Don't even matter anyway
Nothing seems to have significance or value anymore
Bleeding impressions where you were tied
Emotional wounds left behind from past relationships or experiences
Can't really say how you lost your mind
Feeling disconnected from reality or sanity, unable to pinpoint how it happened
Silence so loud, silence
The absence of noise or words can feel overwhelming and suffocating
I can't tell my up from down
Feeling completely disoriented and lost, without any sense of direction or stability
All of the faces life can show
Experiencing the full range of life's emotions and challenges
Withered and ugly the one you know
The familiar or comfortable parts of life can also decay and lose their beauty
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jerry Cantrell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dasein
@Joe Taylor I was waiting to run into one of these comments.
Take a look at the songs and lyrics attributed to Layne contra Jerry. Jerry is by far a better writer. Almost all of AIC's best songs are written by Jerry, songs and lyrics.
While I revere Layne and while I believe he had a huge reservoir of untapped potential, I believe he was too deep in partying and drug use to be a great lyricist or musician.
Someone has to rebut the bullshit line about "more song credits means Layne is greater than Jerry" because it couldn't be further from the truth.
Jerry has always been the creative genius of AIC and had AIC lost Jerry instead of Layne, they would cease to exist, because Jerry is AIC. It's a shame he doesn't write songs how he used to.
Daniel Rodriguez
lyrics:
[Verse 1]
Turning in circles, slowing down
Pulling against a closing out
Easy to feed off a weaker thing
Harder to say what I really mean
[Chorus]
Hollow as a mountain
All tunneled and drilled below
Hollow as a mountain
Crowned with a cold
Blue sky
[Verse 2]
All of colors turn to grey
Don't even matter anyway
Bleeding impressions where you were tied
Can't really say how I lost your mind
[Chorus x2]
Hollow as a mountain
All tunneled and drilled below
Hollow as a mountain
Crowned with a cold
Blue sky
[Bridge]
Silence! So loud! Silence!
I can't tell my up from down
Silence! So loud! Silence!
I can't tell my up from down
All of the faces life can show
Withered and ugly, the one you know
[Chorus]
Hollow as a mountain
All tunneled and drilled below
Hollow as a mountain
Crowned with a cold
Blue sky
[Bridge]
Silence! So loud! Silence!
I can't tell my up from down
Silence! So loud! Silence!
I can't tell my up from down
Tarek Wayne
I think I might even like the new Alice in Chains better...
I'm really blown away, I'm just discovering their new catalogue.
Yes, I grew up with them in the 90s.
Somehow when Duval and Cantrell harmonise, they summon Layne.
Upon listen to this new incarnation and Jerry's solo stuff, it's clear he is the architect behind the AIC sound.
What a joy to have all this new material to listen to, more so in this day and age❤️
Addendum: to be clear, I still prefer Layne's voice to William's.
I think Layne's resonance was more open while Duval's sounds maybe a little nasal or squashed on the higher stuff. I need to check out more before I stand behind that statement.
However, the sum total of the new line up is producing an absolutely epic sound that for me is the logical evolution of the band.
Jason Topo
Few bands come back harder than ever after a frontman's death. But Alice In Chains did it.
Jekku
While it was a group effort (thank you Sean Kinney for making that phone call!), I think Jerry wanted it most of all. I'm guessing he felt like he was floundering out there in his solo gig (successfully floundering, don't get me wrong) because the real love of his life - Alice in Chains - was no more after Layne passed. And I think that's why they kept the AIC name too - the cache' of name recognition, and perhaps to honor Layne as well, since he came up with the name!
Holly Hayes
Jerry was the main songwriter; Layne was just the singer. Layne also encouraged Jerry to sing more because he was shy - however, Layne loved his voice. He likely wouldn't have been a singer if not for Layne and his encouragement. 🤘🎸☺️
William Rogers
Nobody has or will ever be the voice of Alice like Layne Staley, and Jerry is a harmonizer, not hating on it, just should have changed name. Alice in Chains died with Layne
Frank Herfjord
@Mike P. Joy Division/New Order takes the cake.
Kirsten Kemp
Didn't they just. And in such style too.
Arthur Diniz
You can not put Alice In Chains in any genre. They have their unique sound, they are just them.
Greg Zee
not grunge not rock not metal just them
Kalvin Watters
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh cool. They’re grunge though.
Buttstuff
@Mystic Cavern is wikipedia the authority on musical classification now?