'Am I Inside' is the last listed track on Sap. Written by Staley, the song… Read Full Bio ↴'Am I Inside' is the last listed track on Sap. Written by Staley, the song is wholly acoustic, and its arrangement is minimalistic. These qualities create a rarefied, darkly introspective atmosphere. Haunting melodies together with the singing of Ann Wilson (of Heart) complement Staley's lyrics, themed here on isolation and darkness. Lyrically, the song comments on freedom from external factors, with the irony being that in such a state one becomes subject to internal bondage.

I Am Inside
Alice in Chains Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Loneliness it shadows me, quicker than darkness
Crawls to the surface of my skin, visibly surrounded by it

Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free

Surrounded by empty souls, artificial courage used
And because so, once was mine
I walk this maze alone

Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free

The man's beside himself, man's below himself
Man's behind himself, Am I inside myself

Chaos and hate shadow me, pain it fills me up
Only one thing makes me feel, missing better half of me

Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free

The man's beside himself, man's below himself
Man's behind himself, Am I inside myself

Chaos and hate shadow me, hate it fills me up
Only one thing makes me feel, missing better half of me

Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free

The man's beside himself, man's below himself
Man's behind himself, Am I inside myself

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Alice in Chains's song I Am Inside describe a feeling of loneliness and darkness. The singer is surrounded by empty souls and artificial courage, which he himself once possessed. He walks through life feeling like he's trapped in a maze all alone. He describes feeling black inside and wonders if this is what freedom feels like. The chorus repeats "the man's beside himself, man's below himself, man's behind himself, am I inside myself" which can be interpreted as feeling lost or disconnected from oneself.

The second verse adds to the chaos and hate that surrounds him, describing how pain fills him up. The only thing that makes him feel whole is missing, which could be interpreted as a person or a feeling of completeness. The song ends with the same chorus repeating and the feeling of blackness and isolation staying constant.

Overall, the lyrics to I Am Inside capture the feeling of loneliness, darkness, and the struggle to find oneself. It's a poignant reflection on the human experience and a powerful representation of the grunge genre that defined the early 90s.

Line by Line Meaning

Loneliness it shadows me, quicker than darkness
The feeling of loneliness is ever-present, and it affects me faster than darkness would engulf me

Crawls to the surface of my skin, visibly surrounded by it
The feeling of loneliness is like a physical sensation that spreads over my skin, and it's so intense that it's clearly visible

Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
The only emotion I seem to feel is emptiness, and this feeling makes me feel free from any other emotions

Surrounded by empty souls, artificial courage used
The people around me seem to lack any real emotions, and they rely on fake courage to get by

And because so, once was mine
I used to have the same feeling of emptiness and reliance on fake courage as those around me

I walk this maze alone
I navigate through life's complexities all by myself

The man's beside himself, man's below himself
I am in a state of confusion and despair, feeling like I'm lost within myself

Man's behind himself, Am I inside myself
I feel like I am trapped within myself, unable to escape the chaos and emptiness within

Chaos and hate shadow me, pain it fills me up
My life is plagued by chaos and hatred, and it fills me with pain and agony

Only one thing makes me feel, missing better half of me
The only thing that brings me joy and satisfaction is the feeling of missing my better half, whatever that may be

Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
Once again, the only emotion I seem to feel is emptiness, and this feeling makes me feel free from any other emotions

The man's beside himself, man's below himself
I am still lost within myself, feeling confused and desperate

Man's behind himself, Am I inside myself
I am still trapped within myself, with no clear way of escaping the chaos and emptiness within

Chaos and hate shadow me, hate it fills me up
The feelings of chaos and hatred continue to overwhelm me, filling me with nothing but hatred

Only one thing makes me feel, missing better half of me
The only thing that brings me any happiness is the feeling of missing my better half, whatever or whoever that may be

Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
Once more, the feeling of emptiness is all-consuming, and it provides a strange sense of freedom

The man's beside himself, man's below himself
I remain lost and confused within myself

Man's behind himself, Am I inside myself
I am still trapped within myself, unable to escape the turmoil and emptiness within

Contributed by Samantha J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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