Lifeless Dead
Mad Season Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Lifeless dead, that unclean bed
Till or when her hunger's fed
How he'd wished that they would wed
"I promise on our love" she said
Promises were never kept
Alone on dirty floor he slept

Yeah, lifeless dead

And although he'd not accept
She was gone and so he wept
Then a demon came to him
"You must know I'm gonna win"

Yeah, lifeless dead

He said, she said
She led him dead
He said "we bled"
She said "not fed"

Lifeless dead, lifeless dead
Lifeless dead, lifeless dead
Lifeless dead, lifeless dead
Lifeless dead, lifeless dead
Lifeless dead, lifeless dead




Lifeless dead, lifeless dead
Lifeless dead, lifeless dead

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mad Season's song "Lifeless Dead" paints a vivid picture of a man who is used, abused, and left alone. The opening lines allude to the bed being unclean, indicating that it is not only a physical space but also a metaphorical representation of his life. The singer is left feeling lifeless and dead, hence the repetition of the phrase "lifeless dead" throughout the song. He longed for a deeper connection with the woman in question, who was only interested in him as long as he could provide for her. She made promises that she never intended to keep, and in the end, he was left alone on a dirty floor.


The second half of the song highlights the appearance of a demon, which is metaphorical for his darkest desires and inner demons. The demon is a manifestation of his rage, anger, and hopelessness, which stems from his feelings of betrayal and abandonment. The demon reminds the singer that he will never win this battle, that he is lifeless and defeated. The lyrics "He said, she said, she led him dead" further highlight the singer's feelings of confusion, resentment, and despair.


Line by Line Meaning

Lifeless dead, that unclean bed
The singer describes the bed as unclean and lifeless, possibly referencing a former intimate relationship that has ended in a painful way.


Till or when her hunger's fed
The singer implies that the other person involved in the relationship only showed up when they needed something, as if they were hungry for something.


How he'd wished that they would wed
The singer expresses a desire for a deeper commitment or partnership than what they currently have.


"I promise on our love" she said
The other person involved in the relationship made promises that they were unable to keep and used love as a bargaining chip.


Promises were never kept
As mentioned earlier, the other person was not trustworthy and their promises never came to fruition.


Alone on dirty floor he slept
After being wronged, the singer was left alone and in a degenerate state, possibly referencing addiction or depression.


Yeah, lifeless dead
The singer repeats the phrase 'lifeless dead' to emphasize the bleakness and hopelessness of the situation.


And although he'd not accept
The artist is still in denial about the situation and has not yet come to terms with what has happened.


She was gone and so he wept
The other person has left, leaving the artist feeling lost and emotional.


Then a demon came to him
The artist’s state of mind has deteriorated and they start to see things that are not there.


"You must know I'm gonna win"
The demon is taunting the singer and implying that they cannot win against him.


He said, she said
The artist starts to trivialize the situation and engage in petty squabbles about who did what.


She led him dead
The other person led the singer to their destruction.


He said "we bled"
The singer acknowledges that they both played a part in the unhealthy relationship and were both damaged.


She said "not fed"
The other person denies any wrongdoing and places the blame solely on the singer.


Lifeless dead, lifeless dead
The artist repeats the phrase 'lifeless dead' to remind the listener of the despair and hopelessness of the situation.


Lifeless dead, lifeless dead


Lifeless dead, lifeless dead


Lifeless dead, lifeless dead


Lifeless dead, lifeless dead


Lifeless dead, lifeless dead


Lifeless dead, lifeless dead




Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Barrett Martin, John Saunders, Layne Staley, Mike McCready

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Svirre4ull

Lifeless dead, that unclean bed
Till or when her hunger's fed
How he'd wished that they would wed
"I promise on our love" she said
Promises were never kept
Alone on dirty floor he slept

Yeah, Lifeless Dead

And although he'd not accept
She was gone and so he wept
Then a demon came to him
"You must know I'm gonna win"

Yeah, Lifeless Dead

He said, she said
She led him dead
He said we bled
She said not fed

Lifeless Dead, Lifeless Dead (x7)



@dgranite50

Born & raised in SeaTown, I was fortunate to see everyone from
Mother Love Bone, Nirvana, PearlJam, Soundgarden, MudHoney,
SuperSuckers, Melvins, Screaming Trees, Candlebox, Temple of the Dog,
Alice in Chains in the late 80's thru mid 90's and this show, Mad
Seasons, standing just left of center balcony level. watching many
different band members from different bands descend down into their own
abiss and prisons, weakening physically, emotionally, and vocally, but
this was a very special night and show whereas a mutual appreciation
between band and audience grew as the night progressed, and you could
see a light on in Layne that i hadnt seen in some earlier AIC shows. It
was truly a magically time to be alive, and to witness one of Rock's
all time greats taken too soon from us.Enjoy and if you are suffering
and dealing with addiction or mental health, talk to someone, be
proactive and know there is hope and a better way to live!



All comments from YouTube:

@jamesclark8478

Mad Season is such a wonderful little piece of music history.

@definitelynosebreather

It's sad they only had so few songs :/ on a positive note, though, I'm glad they existed.

@jekku4688

apparently they came up with 18 new tracks in the hopper....but at that point Layne was beyond being able to help write lyrics, let alone sing. More amazing music lost to DRUGS. It's infuriating.

@Victor_Miktor_Nvdmk_Sharpak

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lALvreKkW5w&ab_channel=DT

@pamshearer8624

So very true.... He seemed so much more relaxed in this band wish they could have made many more records back then.

@manwithtwoeyes6911

goddamn. This camera quality is 20 years ahead of its time.

@thomaspatrickparker6648

This was probably recorded on film still since digital wasn't really a thing yet. Film can look just as good as modern digital but you have to take time in restoring it, which most people won't do.

@metallicamadsam

@Thomas Patrick Parker the sound is also crisp. a absolute gem recording.

@revilhunter

Is there more footage of Layne in HD? i don't think i know about any other than this concert

@sejaaguia8020

@William Oliveira The Unplugged?

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