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".
Settling Down
Jerry Cantrell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Found a sickness that was mine
Chose a life out on the run
All alone inside this game
Until I'm done
Sometimes I don't think I can trust myself no more
Seems I've failed you all my life
Youthful dreams you'd be my wife
If there never is again
You were the one
Sometimes I don't think I can trust myself no more
So I don't feel that I can love you anymore
On this settling down
Oh I better lay down and rest awhile
On this settling down
Oh I better lay down and rest awhile
Sometimes I don't think I can trust myself no more
And I don't know if I can love you anymore
On this settling down
Oh I better lay down and rest awhile
On this settling down
Oh I better lay down and rest awhile
And I say no
The lyrics of Jerry Cantrell's "Settling Down" revolve around the singer's struggle with his own personal demons that prevent him from committing to a stable life with a partner. He acknowledges the sickness that consumes him, causing him to live a life on the run, never settling down. He feels guilty for not being able to fulfill his youthful dreams of having a committed long-term relationship and having his partner become his wife. The singer recognizes the trust issues he has that make it difficult for him to love and be loved. The chorus highlights the inner turmoil of the singer, realizing that he cannot love his partner anymore because of his personal struggles.
The song's title, "Settling Down," is a paradox. The singer doesn't want to settle down, but he's singing about it. The idea of this paradox is further conveyed in the lyrics through the repetition of the phrase, "On this settling down," as if the singer is trying to convince himself that he wants to settle down, but he can't seem to do it. The song has a melancholic and introspective tone, and the lyrics are reflective of the singer's emotional state.
On the whole, "Settling Down" is a powerful song about emotional conflict and difficulty in making real commitments. It is a song that many people can relate to, as many go through similar struggles when it comes to forming long-lasting relationships. The lyrics show a deep understanding of the complexities of human relationships and how they can be impacted by personal struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Though you're always on my mind
Despite your constant presence in my thoughts
Found a sickness that was mine
Discovered something unhealthy within myself
Chose a life out on the run
Selected a lifestyle of constant movement
All alone inside this game
Completely isolated within this lifestyle
Until I'm done
Until the end of this solitary existence
Sometimes I don't think I can trust myself no more
Occasionally, I lose faith in myself and my actions
Seems I've failed you all my life
It appears that I have disappointed you constantly
Youthful dreams you'd be my wife
As a young person, I had imagined you as my future spouse
Before I fall into the sun
Before I reach the end of my life
If there never is again
If we are unable to reunite in the future
You were the one
You were the person I loved and wanted to be with
So I don't feel that I can love you anymore
Therefore, I do not believe that I am capable of loving you any longer
On this settling down
During this period of finding a stable life
Oh I better lay down and rest awhile
I should take a short break and relax
And I say no
I decline or disagree
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.