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.
Them Bones
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I believe
Them bones are me
Some say
We're born into the grave
I feel so alone
Ah, ah, ah
Dust rise
Right on over my time
Empty fossil
Of the new scene
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones
Yeah
Toll due
Bad dream come true
I lie
Dead gone under red sky
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones
Them Bones by Alice in Chains is a grunge classic that portrays a sense of loneliness and inevitable mortality. The song kicks off with a simple but effective riff before Layne Staley's raw vocals pierce through the distorted guitars. The opening lines, "Ah, ah, ah, ah, I believe, Them bones are me," set the tone for the rest of the song. The idea behind these lyrics is that we are all ultimately made of bones, and one day, we will also become dust like those who have gone before us.
The verse "Some say, we're born into the grave" is another way of saying that we are all born to die. The notion of feeling alone is a recurring theme throughout the song, and we hear it again in "I feel so alone, gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones." The chorus, which repeats this line, emphasizes the inevitability of death. As the song progresses, we hear the ominous verse "Toll due, bad dream come true, I lie, dead gone under red sky" which suggests that death has come for the singer.
The song's lyrics are both poetic and philosophical, and it's easy to relate to the feelings they portray. Them Bones is a perfect example of grunge-era angst and offers an unforgettable musical experience to its listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah, ah, ah, ah
The song starts with an eerie sound that sets the tone for a dark and ominous theme.
I believe
Them bones are me
The singer is expressing his belief that he is no different from the dried-up bones around him. Death is inevitable, and one day he too will end up as a pile of them bones.
Some say
We're born into the grave
The lyrics suggest that some people believe that we are destined to die from the moment of our birth, as our life is essentially a countdown towards death.
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones
The singer is consumed by a feeling of loneliness and isolation. He is aware that one day he will also turn into bones, and that thought makes him even more alone.
Dust rise
Right on over my time
The dust rising over the singer's time represents the passing of his life. As he ages, time flies by and he is growing closer to his inevitable death.
Empty fossil
Of the new scene
The singer feels out of place and disconnected from the new generation. He is like a fossil, a thing of the past, a reminder of what was.
Toll due
Bad dream come true
The singer is feeling the toll of time and age, and he realizes that his fears and nightmares have become a reality. He is doomed to face the reality of his own mortality.
I lie
Dead gone under red sky
The singer is lying down, passive in the face of the inevitable. The red sky represents the end of his life, and he is already dead and gone.
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones
The repetition of these lines emphasizes the singer's feeling of loneliness and the inevitability of death. He cannot escape death or the feeling of isolation, and it is a bleak and dark realization.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Cantrell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Awge_aket
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
I believe them bones are me
Some say we're born into the grave
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones
Ah! Ah! Ahh!
Dust rise right on over my time
Empty fossil of the new scene
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones
Toll due, bad dream come true
I lie dead gone under red sky
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them
I feel so alone
Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones
@enobeeno8661
*Not even 5 seconds in*
Layne: AAH
Me: AAAAAAAA
@jafaroffmusic7876
I've legitimately jumped lol :D
@dimeghost243
Wtf😂😂😂
@nicholas2608
hashahahahahahah
@kar5834
That's the first song of the album... I think some people might have had heart attacks 💁😂
@magneteye
Scare tactic.
@obsidian2404
Fun fact: That “Oww!” “Ahh!” Was totally on the spot during that recording. Layne improvised it and they kept it in. Always thought that was cool!
@michigan2400
Dude .. He's saying I .... Like ..I believe . Them bones are me
@wyattownby2886
When does he say “Oww”?
@michigan2400
@@wyattownby2886 right ... He's saying " I .