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.
I've Seen All This World I Care To See
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
drawn to my world of make belive
this world is filled with so much sorrow
and ive seen all this world i care to see...
i watch as castles fall around me
ungrumbled ruins of my home
this world is filled with much unhappiness
seeds that thrive in loveless gardens
fruits of such will bitter be
fields of hate and greed surround me
and ive seen all this world i care to see...
care to see...
care to see...
seeds that thrive in loveless gardens
fruits of such will bitter be
fields of hate and greed surround me
and ive seen all this world i care to see...
The lyrics of Alice in Chains's song "I've Seen All This World I Care To See" evoke a feeling of despair and disillusionment with the world. The singer seems to have lost all hope and retreated into a world of make-believe, where they don't have to face the harsh realities of life. They describe the world as being full of sorrow, unhappiness, hate, and greed, and have seen enough of it to not want to see anymore. The imagery of castles falling around them further emphasizes the idea of a world in decline, where everything they once held dear has disintegrated.
The lyrics also touch upon the consequences of living in a loveless world. The singer talks about seeds that thrive in loveless gardens, and the bitter fruits that they bear. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the pain and suffering that arise from relationships devoid of love and compassion. The fields of hate and greed that surround them also suggest a moral decay, where people are willing to harm others for their own gain.
In conclusion, the lyrics of "I've Seen All This World I Care To See" speak to the disillusionment and despair that can arise from living in a world filled with pain and suffering. The singer retreats into a world of make-believe, unable to face the harsh realities of life, and sees the world as being in a state of decline, where everything they once held dear has disintegrated. The lyrics also touch upon the consequences of living in a loveless and morally decayed world.
Line by Line Meaning
i close my eyes and watch the darkness
I shut my eyes to detach from the world and immerse myself in my own thoughts.
drawn to my world of make believe
My own imagination is a preferable escape from reality.
this world is filled with so much sorrow
The real world is full of grief and suffering.
and ive seen all this world i care to see...
I've experienced my fill of reality and don't want to witness any more.
i watch as castles fall around me
I observe the decay of things I once held dear and cherished.
ungrumbled ruins of my home
The destruction of my past surroundings is now silent and complete.
this world is filled with much unhappiness
The world is plagued with depressing and unpleasant things.
so many people so long
Enduring the misery of existence is too difficult for some.
seeds that thrive in loveless gardens
Loveless and barren environments create empty and bitter outcomes.
fruits of such will bitter be
A lack of love will result in unpleasant and undesirable consequences.
fields of hate and greed surround me
My surroundings are consumed by malice and selfishness.
care to see...
I don't want to witness any more of this world's suffering.
care to see...
I'm disinterested in seeing anything more from this reality.
Contributed by Evan Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Neha Motwani
I close my eyes and watch the darkness
Withdraw to my world of make believe
This world is filled with so much sorrow
And I've seen all this world I care to see
I watch as castles fall around me
From crumbled ruins of my own
This world is filled with much unhappiness
So many people so alone
Seeds that thrive in loveless gardens
Fruits of such will bitter be
Fields of hate and greed surround me
And I've seen all this world I care to see
Drog
I close my eyes and watch the darkness
Withdraw to my world of make believe
This world is filled with so much sorrow
And I've seen all this world I care to see
I watch as castles fall around me
From crumbled ruins of my own
This world is filled with much unhappiness
So many people so alone
Seeds that thrive in loveless gardens
Fruits of such will bitter be
Fields of hate and greed surround me
And I've seen all this world I care to see
A Cannabis OG
Shit If you asked me to pick a favorite guitarist Id be hard pressed not to say Jerry Cantrell. His sound can be so thick and heavy with a gloomy heavyness and they can also be so acoustic and beautiful it all still gives me goosebumps almost 30 years later. Alice in Chains will never get old Ill be listening till im dead
Thor
God, as I grow up this just hits different. Like, I'm still a teen and have a long way to grow up but as I get older this just continues to hit me more and more.
"Seeds that thrive in loveless gardens
Fruits of such will bitter be
Fields of hate and greed surround me
And I've seen all this world I care to see"
I love the lyrics. just wonderful and total ear candy, hella relatable for me. there's just something so haunting about it that I love.
bvs56
Brother, I hope this song never makes complete sense to you. I wouldn't wish that on anybody.
lucrese1
ONE WORD: BEAUTIFUL!!! Jerry can sing and play anything he wants!
Lillan Thompson
Happy Birthday Jerry 🎂
Monkeyliver19
Lonnie Havard he actually was in the black gives way to blue days
iPSLee
That's 9 words.
Monkeyliver19
Dz ntz no lol
Salva Tiziana
Jerry and the way he expresses everything only by singing. That’s it.
Monkeyliver19
And guitar. How could you leave that out lol