He also has a solo career, having released the albums Boggy Depot in 1998 and Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 in 2002. Cantrell has also collaborated and performed with Heart, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Pantera, Circus of Power, Metal Church, Gov't Mule, Damageplan, Pearl Jam, The Cult, Stone Temple Pilots, Danzig, Glenn Hughes, Duff McKagan and Deftones, among others.
Cantrell was named "Riff Lord" by British hard rock/metal magazine Metal Hammer in 2006. Guitar World Magazine ranked Cantrell as the 38th out of "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time" in 2004, and the 37th "Greatest Guitar Player of All Time" in 2012. Guitar World also ranked Cantrell's solo in "Man In The Box" at No. 77 on its list of "100 Greatest Guitar Solos" in 2008.
He also contributed to the soundtrack of The Cable Guy (1996), John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) and Dark Nights: Metal (2018), and has made cameos in films such as Jerry Maguire (1996), Rock Slyde (2009) and Deadwood: The Movie. Cantrell also acted in the Alice in Chains mockumentaries The Nona Tapes (1995) and AIC 23 (2013).
Cantrell is a recovering addict and alcoholic and has been sober since 2003. He was awarded the 2012 Stevie Ray Vaughan Award from MusiCares, for his work helping other addicts with the recovery process. Cantrell said in his acceptance speech, "I crash landed here almost 9 years ago, in Los Angeles. Sean [Kinney] was at the door with my brother, so my choices were open the door and go to rehab or jump out the back window down a cliff into some black berry bushes. That’s the choice I took. Luckily they caught me because I couldn’t go anywhere, I was kind of stuck in a bush at the bottom of a cliff bleeding, and I ended up here. I didn’t intend to get here but I’m very grateful I am here, and it took a lot of people to help me get here. It's been an amazing day. It's overwhelming. I'm as imperfect as they come. I just don't get high today and wake up the next morning and try and do the same thing. A lot of people stand and get the fuck back up after falling. Some people don't get that chance. My band's been a harsh example of that – what happens when you don't deal with it." Cantrell and his Alice in Chains bandmates played a five-song set at the awards event and Cantrell stated, "We really miss Layne [Staley] and Mike [Starr], and we carry them with us in our hearts".
Psychotic Break
Jerry Cantrell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Reside in darkness, thrive where most won't go
Adrift, I curse this gift
And hope you never know
Feel like a psychotic break comin' on
Snapping two by fours
Punching holes in dry wall
Feel like a psychotic break comin' on
Chalking up my dead friends
And loved ones long gone
I feel the fear take hold
Reside in darkness, thrive where most won't go
Adrift, I curse my gift
And hope you never know
Feel like a psychotic break comin' on
Snapping two by fours
Punching holes in dry wall
Feel like a psychotic break comin' on
Thinking 'bout my dead friends
Whose voices ring on
The lyrics of Jerry Cantrell's song "Psychotic Break" depict the artist grappling with inner turmoil, manifesting itself in the form of a looming sense of fear and restlessness. The first few lines imply that the artist is resigned to finding comfort in darkness and in exploring the uncharted territories of the mind, even if it means going to places that are not necessarily safe or comforting. The artist then expresses his frustration with the gift of creativity that seems to come with the subtle caveat that it will be paired with the constant struggle of managing one's own mental state.
The next verse finds the artist in the throes of a possible psychotic break. The imagery of snapping two-by-fours and punching holes in drywall serves to illustrate the anger and desperation that the artist is feeling, while the reference to dead friends and loved ones "long gone" suggests a sense of isolation and loneliness. The repetition of the line "Feel like a psychotic break comin' on" emphasizes the sense of urgency and danger that the artist is feeling.
The final chorus echoes the first one, suggesting that the artist is in a seemingly endless cycle of grappling with his inner demons. Overall, "Psychotic Break" is a raw, honest depiction of the struggles of an artist attempting to balance his creativity with his mental health.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel the fear take hold
I feel overwhelmed with fear
Reside in darkness, thrive where most won't go
I am comfortable with dark and scary places where others won't venture
Adrift, I curse this gift
I feel lost and alone, and I am angry about my abilities
And hope you never know
I hope others never experience what I am going through
Feel like a psychotic break comin' on
I feel like I am about to lose control of my mental health
Snapping two by fours
I am experiencing outbursts of anger, breaking things in my environment
Punching holes in dry wall
I am hitting walls in a destructive manner
Chalking up my dead friends
I am thinking about my deceased friends and loved ones
And loved ones long gone
I am feeling the pain of losing people who were once close to me
Thinking 'bout my dead friends
I am reminiscing and contemplating about the people I have lost
Whose voices ring on
Their memories and impact on me continue to resonate and affect me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jerry Cantrell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Duff787
on Dickeye
It's all about Layne. Jerry was pissed that he recorded with mad season. Born traitor. Layne and Jerry did lots of drugs together. Only thing he came here looking for. Injected concrete is a not so subtle reference to what dealers cut heroin with. Layne frequently shot up between his toes to hide track marks. Hide bloody feet.