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| Alice in Chains – Hate To Feel Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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I guite agree with you that not every song was about drugs or addiction. I think people just think of Layne as an addiction, but no one is "just" an addiction, and certainly not Layne Staley. He was a masterful poet, and yes, I do believe he chose words very carefully and not just because they rhymed. This is one of my favorite songs, and it's a song that Layne wrote the lyrics AND music to. It's interesting to see how he performed it live. |
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| Alice in Chains – Confusion Lyrics
| 14 years ago
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This song changes with each verse.
In the first verse, he's saying that he can't give because he is causing grief, that he is consumed by hatred, and that he is taking this out on his loved one. She is still reaching out to him because she loves him, but he runs away. She falls and gets hurt because of his actions. He runs away because he is hurt. His very idea of love is confused, and he's really afraid. He knows he's hurting her, and maybe he hates himself for it. It's his "disease." That's what the chorus is about.
Come to the second verse. There she is, and she thinks of love while he is just waiting and hating all the more. He can't help it. There is so much hate inside perhaps because of his upbringing. But he falls this time, not her, and he is on skinned knees because he is hurt.
Now they share the pain of loving each other at this point. He realizes that he loves her, and she loves him. He can give of himself now. "Now there's time to give it all..." He put his fears behind him again (fears of being rejected, fears of not being loved, that CORE in which he must've hurt). They both will crawl with skinned knees but together.
So it's definitely a love song about hurting those we love and those we love hurting us.
It's not about addiction so much. Maybe people focus too much on Layne's songs as being those of an addict. I can say from personal experience that there are reasons why people use to begin with, and this is the deeper question. Layne must have felt so much pain in his life, but Demri was his bright spot in so many ways I'm sure. "Love, Hate, Love" had to do with his love for Demri similarly. He says this live by alluding that to a special little girl (Demri was short.).
Layne was SO honest in his songs. Is there anyone like that these days?
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| Nirvana – D-7 (Wipers cover) Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I think that this captures the meaning actually. I mean, the song resonates with you, so you really do understand how the meaning is, but it is of course applied to your life. A song is about emotion, a moment in time, an experience, a feeling...Each circumstance may be different, but if the song resonates, there is a reason. |
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| Alice in Chains – I Stay Away Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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Even Dirt's lyrics aren't so much about drugs as they are about his emotional experiences living life...Rubio described the album as depicting awaking from a nightmare.
It's a shame that people label him a junkie and can only see things through that lens. I think it drove him mad at times! |
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| Alice in Chains – I Stay Away Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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That interpretation would be consistent with his life and other lyrics, particularly "Core," in which he says
"...
You are blamed for all that is a mystery
whithin myself -- Burning
Oh, I pray that I might someday
Throw a blanket over that angry child
If the strength is found within the
Core of my being
His tears soak my heart and weight
it down
I am tired, I am numb, and I am so
very, very lonely.
I am . . ."
I also think about Angry Chair's quote "Weight of my heart, not the size..."
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| Alice in Chains – I Stay Away Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I think it's about his mom. I say that after reading "Core" and having read his biography....But I'm sure it's open to interpretation. |
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| Alice in Chains – Head Creeps Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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You are right about the guitar, bass, vocals, and percussion working together really well. I think this has to do with the fact that Layne wrote this song by himself. He was also a drummer. He gave drum lessons when he was a teenager.
He said in a 1996 recording of an interview that he had worked on a solo album and by that point had finished it halfway. I hope one day we can hear what he had in mind or at least what he had finished by the time of his death. I have heard also that he was not able to do anything with the solo album because of his contract with Sony/Columbia. If anyone knows about that, please enlighten me. |
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| Alice in Chains – Frogs Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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It wouldn't be August 7th. He is saying 7 AM on a Tuesday in August, and that next week he will turn 28. I looked up on a calendar for 1995, and his birthday that year (8/22/95) fell on a Tuesday, so he was speaking the week before that. |
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| Alice in Chains – Frogs Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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That's interesting the differences between the two. From what I understand, Layne had gotten off heroin by 1996. He said that he slipped while he was in Kansas City on tour in July of that year. |
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| Alice in Chains – I Can't Remember Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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Ductape,
You are right. I was just reading Layne Staley: Get Born Again, and Layne references this song when he is talking about the pain of growing up in his family. |
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| Mad Season – Long Gone Day Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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I really like what you have to say here. This is one of his most personal songs (despite the fact that he didn't write all of the lyrics to this song). |
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| Mad Season – Long Gone Day Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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No, it's not about Jerry and him. If you read the liner notes of Above, the album this song came from, he mentions who was there that summer.
This is also talked about in Adriana Rubio's biography of Layne Staley called Get Born Again. |
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| Alice in Chains – Died Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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Good point. It's important to remember that Layne was told that his dad was dead. That really fucked with him, especially when he later on found out that his dad was alive.... |
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| Alice in Chains – Get Born Again Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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You are right. In fact, in a radio interview that the band had done, Layne was asked specifically about the meaning about this song, and he said, "Religious hypocrisy..." |
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| Pearl Jam – 4/20/02 Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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That's not when he died. That's when Eddie found out about his death. His body was discovered on 4/19, I think, and he had been dead a while. |
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| Pearl Jam – 4/20/02 Lyrics
| 15 years ago
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He has a good point, too. Yet, why isn't Layne given much more credit for his contributions? That's what he wanted. He wanted recognition for his talents, not his addiction. |
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| Mad Season – River of Deceit Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I do think this referring to Khalil Gibran and the quote given earlier. He is saying that you have to go through the pain. Perhaps for him cutting off his pride was (for him) continuing to use drugs. But the meaning is more general than that. To say this poem is about drugs misses the point, in my opinion. He is talking about being true to himself. "A head full of lies is the weight, tied to my waist" The lies we tell ourselves (not just about drugs, but about everything) they cause us to drown. We drown in deceit, and thus we are never truly born. We never become what we are meant to be. Rivers are beautiful things, yet the always flow down into the ocean. He is saying that we have to get out of that. His skin is a reference to how he appears to the outside world, what he sees when he looks in the mirror. But being true to himself (which was very important throughout his lyrical work), would lead him to be beautiful on the outside as well as on the inside, thus the comment about the "beautiful shell for all to see."
Layne was really concerned about receiving recognition for his talents. I think he wanted people to enjoy his art. He created quite a lot of art when he was holed up in that apartment for so long.
I believe that this song really does embody the essence of the Gibran quote about pain, and I think that's how Layne ultimately felt about it. For him specifically, the pain did deal a lot with his family, his expectations, his disappoinments, and of course, his addiction. But the message, like Gibran's, is universal.
Layne Staley is one of the most important poets of our time. Maybe one day the rest of the world will come to see it, but it is true nevertheless.
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| Mad Season – River of Deceit Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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That is so beautiful. Gibran is amazing (and so is Layne). Thanks so much for sharing that.
I think that Layne took this message to heart when he wrote this song. |
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| Mad Season – River of Deceit Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I remember my mother told me that she had read that book when she was a teenager. I read it myself then. It was a beautiful book. This song makes me want to read it again.
How did you find out about him and the philosophy? That's interesting, yet it doesn't surprise me. |
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| Alice in Chains – Hate To Feel Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I just want to add that back in the 90s, a lot of people I know who were f**ked up individuals were always wanting to go to New Orleans. So I'm sure that going to New Orleans was exactly what he didn't need (or did need from the standpoint of addiction.) |
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| Alice in Chains – Hate To Feel Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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Amen. What a good review.
In any case, there are plenty of heroin addicts who don't have the talent that Layne did. What was amazing about Layne was his ability to write this song and describe what it was like for him dealing with all of this. We should remember him for his abilities, not his addictions.
He was a very private person, but he was also honest. |
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| Alice in Chains – Hate To Feel Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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It's not just using to not be sick. Heroin robs you of your ability to feel things like love. And you can't ever quit thinking about it, no matter how long you are sober, it seems (from what I understand).
It is possible to get over the withdrawal symptoms. That's not why people stay hooked, in my opinion. There are medications that help with that. But it doesn't cure the craving. |
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| Alice in Chains – Hate To Feel Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I believe he was a good guy at heart. As far as "what a waste" goes, that seems to be what I hear a lot from other people. I think that Layne cared too much what other people thought about him, when really he had just been curious at first "Used to be curious..."
That's the tragedy of his life! |
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| Alice in Chains – Hate To Feel Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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And what about his mom? She was the one who lied to him telling him that his father was dead which fucked him up. He later went on to try to find his dad later on when he found out that his dad was alive. So when his dad did finally come back into his life, it was disastrous. That's what he had wanted for so long, and when he finally got it, he realized he didn't want it after all....It's like his mother set that up for him. What a tortured soul! No wonder he felt so alone throughout much of his life! |
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| Alice in Chains – Hate To Feel Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I know what you mean. We are around the same age. I wish I could've gotten into them when I was younger when Layne was still alive, but I had no idea that they were this good. I liked the few songs I did hear on the radio. They are legendary, and it's too bad that they aren't better known. It bothers me that the publicity that they are getting is for the new album without Layne when the old stuff is what is the best. That's not ever talked about. Instead, this man with all of this talent (he wrote this song, for God's sake), gets so much disrespect and is basically labelled a junkie. Of course, it doesn't help that the Layne Staley Fund is focused on his addiction rather than his talents. All he ever wanted was to be recognized for his talents. |
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| Alice in Chains – Shame In You Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I guess I can't say exactly what the lyrics mean. But I do think it has to do with Layne's perceptions of what other people think of him, that they think of him as a junkie. He admits to that in the song, but he is saying that he is more than that. We are all God's children. What's important is inner peace. It's like he knows he is suffering, but he hasn't given up on God. I believe that deep inside that Layne was a very spiritual person. For me, it's the idea that somehow we must all suffer. God never said that we wouldn't go through suffering, but he promises us that we will not be alone in suffering. It's that sense of spirituality, real and heartfelt, not dogmatic, that I love so much in his poetry. |
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| Alice in Chains – Angry Chair Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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He was amazing. I'm curious about the work he did for his project solo album. One of the things that struck me about the whole "corporate prison" part was that he was restricted somehow from doing a solo album by the record company (Sony). I don't know all of the details about that. |
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| Alice in Chains – Angry Chair Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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That's really interesting.
So do you think it's true that AIC songs were trying to warn people away from drugs?
Also, do you think it's true that your brain chemistry gets permanently altered through long-term drug use?
Good luck to you! |
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| Alice in Chains – Angry Chair Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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Interesting that you say that. I haven't read the book, but from what I understand, one of the reasons that Layne worked so hard to become famous has to do with trying to get his Dad to come back into his life. Of course, when he did come back, it was disastrous because Layne's Dad was a junkie, and they ended up doing drugs together. His dad just wanted drugs, apparently. How awful is that?! So this song is probably about both his addiction and his dad. |
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| Alice in Chains – Angry Chair Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I'm just curious. One of the things I've come across when it comes to drugs, specifically heroin, but possibly others, is that people feel that the drugs permanently depleted their brain of certain chemicals, which is true whether they actually do the drugs or not. They also say that they always crave them. Is that true? I wish you the best with your recovery. |
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| Alice in Chains – Angry Chair Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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The losing his mind part of the song may have to do with heroin's depletion of brain chemicals. Many drug addicts I've come across online say that they don't ever feel the same after using (clean or not) the way they did before they used.
In a way, I have to agree with them because I was a severe DXM addict. Although it is not deadly in the same way that heroin and cocaine are, it did screw up my brain chemistry. |
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| Alice in Chains – Angry Chair Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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The genius of Layne's poetry is that it had so many layers of meaning so naturally. In any case, from what I understand, heroin addiction does produce major constipation. I think of Nirvana's song "Pennyroyal Tea." He may have meant something this mundane as you say, but his words never really mean one thing. It is as if we are taken from this context to look at his whole life.
I can't say that what you mention is what he had in mind, but it is possible. Ultimately, as he and others have said, it's not what THEY meant that matters, it's what you get out of it. That's why poetry is so powerful. |
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| Alice in Chains – Angry Chair Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I find that Layne's songs where he wrote both the lyrics and the music are among the most "freaky" in the AIC catalog. It would've been interesting to hear what he would've done with his solo album and also what he had done with it before he died. |
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| Alice in Chains – Angry Chair Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I don't think it's a song about a person who is condemned to die in an electric chair. You are right about that. But on the other hand, an electric chair may have to do with the sense of condemnation and impending death that he felt as a result of the fateful choice that he made, similar to someone who committed a crime and would suffer the consequences. |
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| Alice in Chains – Angry Chair Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I really like your interpretation here, especially the part about the heart and the feather. I'm sure he was aware of that. In any case, he may be saying that he has lived his life badly in some sense, but that he does have a big heart. I think that's true about him. It's like to him, it doesn't even matter because he is going to be punished anyway (hence the "angry chair").
A lot of people like to belittle his songs in their meaning by saying that they are simply all about drugs or what have you, but his songs were about his life and his experiences. Clearly, his struggle against drug addiction and the toll that drugs took on his life were a major part of his life. But within that story, there are themes of hopelessness and hope, of weakness and strength, of sin and redemption. That's why Layne Staley is an important musician and poet of our times, a severely misunderstood and underappreciated one at that.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments. |
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| Alice in Chains – Angry Chair Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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When researching Layne's life, I came across a lot of testimonials from people who were drug addicts. They spoke about how heroin and other drugs rob your body of certain brain chemicals to where you are never the way you used to be. I think this song is about that. He's remembering back to when he younger, both to the good (when he could still feel in ways that he could not later) and to the bad (when he was punished).
Yet, he accepts what life has dealt to him. That's why the chorus sounds more upbeat, in my opinion. I also think it is interesting that the song's music was also written by Layne himself. He was a very talented songwriter, not just lyricist. It would've been interesting to hear his solo album which he discussed in an audio recording of an interview he gave in 1996. |
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| Alice in Chains – God Am Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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He is giving voice to his frustrations, like a frustrated prayer. It's not unlike David's pleas in the Book of Psalms. This is especially true because of the chorus when he is asking if he can be like God is, that is can he be forgiven for his mistakes. That's not to say that it doens't have another level of meaning regarding his addiction being his "god". I think that's also there, but Layne's god isn't heroin. I think that the use of capitalzation of the word "God" means he is referring to the creator. Just because he is frustrated and doesn't understand what he is going through, that doesn't meant that he has lost sight of something greater than himself. People that say the song doesn't have layers of meaning do not leave much room for interpretation and they essentially limit Layne's abilities. He was an incredibly gifted, eloquent and witty man. When worlds of like this come out, they are full of significance, full of meaning. The lyrics here are very real, very heartfelt; they come straight from the heart. |
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| Alice in Chains – Nutshell Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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Sliznut,
I always enjoy what you have to say.
Anyway, I think you are exactly right in your interpretation. Layne had a lot of courage to be himself and be open about his problems. He faced the ridicule of the media, but he had a powerful impact on many of us. That wouldn't have been possible had he not stayed true to himself. I feel like he wrote this song because as you said he wanted to live, but he was well aware of his own possible death due to his addiction. He also is saying that if he were not famous, he could just be himself and he wouldn't have to hide because no one would be looking. It's pretty creepy and sad and powerfully beautiful and full of light if you take this song and also listen to it reversed. Someone typed out the lyrics, approximately how it sounds in reverse, and it's something wonderful, yet tragic. In that sense, it really is a nutshell in that it does sum of so much of his life in one song. |
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| Alice in Chains – Sludge Factory Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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The crazy part was that one of the reasons that Layne worked hard to become famous and successful in music was that he thought his father would come back into his life, at least this is what I have heard. I guess sometimes we do get our wishes, but they don't always turn out the way we want them to. |
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| Alice in Chains – Frogs Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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Maybe, and I'm just guessing here, that brown also could signify a need to be grounded and avoid being high (as in the sky). |
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| Alice in Chains – Frogs Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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That's interesting that you mention those details.
I had several friends die from drug-related deaths. It's sad. He may also be realizing just how vulnerable he was.
Yet, he didn't die until about 7-8 years later. What was he doing in all of those years? |
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| Alice in Chains – Frogs Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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Good luck getting the rights to use it. Of course, you can write that you want to use it, but when it comes to making the movie, it may be another issue. You could always try the approach they took in Donnie Darko. They wrote the script with a certain song in mind, but they released the movie without it. They used an orchestral score there instead, if I recall correctly, and they then added the song in later when they got the rights. |
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| Alice in Chains – Frogs Lyrics
| 16 years ago
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I really like what you have to say here. I'm not an addict, at least not to something like heroin, yet I know what he is talking about because I made a lot of bad decisions in my life, and I have come to realize just how rare friendship is. I think that his poems/lyrics always mean more than one thing. For him, his situation may be partially caused by heroin, but this is almost incidental. I mean, what caused him to want to take it to begin with? Why was he so addicted? I ask myself those questions. I think that you are right more that he is coming to realizations, quite painful ones, about his own life.
I just hate like everything that he was not able to turn his life around. But I am thankful for what we do have from him. RIP Layne. |
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