Alice in Chains – Hate To Feel

"Hate To Feel" as written by and Michael Starr Layne Staley....
What's gone wrong, I can't see straight
Been too long, so full of hate

What the fuck will it take
Drown myself in my wake
Another shaggy D.A
Now a dog, shake my leg
Plastic man, paper face
Candy heart, what a waste
Got to change, set a date
Eat my cake, lick my plate

Stare at me with empty eyes
And point your words at me
Mirror on the wall will show you
What you're scared to see

I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)

So climb walls
Thin my blood now
And I crawl, back to bed now

What the hell, got to rest
Aching pain in my chest
Lucky me, now I'm set
Little bug for a pet
New Orleans, got to get
Pin cushion medicine
Used to be curious
Now the shit's sustenance

All this time I swore I'd never
Be like my old man
What the hey it's time to face
Exactly what I am

I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)

What the hell, got to rest
Aching pain in my chest
Lucky me, now I'm set
Little bug for a pet
New Orleans, got to get
Pin cushion medicine
Used to be curious
Now the shit's sustenance

All this time I swore I'd never
Be like my old man
What the hey it's time to face
Exactly who I am

I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)

I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)


Lyrics submitted by Ice

"Hate To Feel" as written by Michael Starr Layne Staley

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Hate To Feel song meanings
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40 Comments

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  • +8
    General CommentThis is about Layne's unhealthy drug filled relationship with his father.

    "All this time I swore I'd never be like my old man" - as a teenager, layne rarely saw his dad and swore to himself that he'd never use drugs and become a failure like his father.

    After Layne became famous, his father who he hadnt seen in 22 years, came back and used him for drugs. Layne was trying to change his life around and come clean but he wanted his father to accept him so he started doing drugs again with his old man.
    GoD-Likeon March 15, 2006   Link
  • +2
    My InterpretationI absolutely love AIC lyrics, in this song I see a struggle to be clean. When you first do, all emotions suppressed come in a flood. Dope sick isn't the hard part, it's dealing with all that hate for what you've become. "so climb walls, thin my blood now, and I crawl back to bed now" sounds like detoxing...as well as the "aching pain in my chest." Then they go into how it starts as curiousity and before you know it "now the shits sustanence" meaning it's keeping him alive... Numbing his hate turned him into what he hates... And being sober makes you stare that reality in the face...
    caityveinson October 12, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI'm sure this song is about regret and drugs and degredation trips, as are most alice songs. Layne at this point is describing his denial and confusion as he's slowly degrading himself with drugs and past suffering. he feels as if he doesn't deserve to live, because he is just another junkie...a machine with a constant ritual. "new orleans gotta get pincushion medicine(refers to heroin) used to be curious. now the shit's substanance". he explains how he got to be an addict in this line. he also hints that his father may have had a drug problem as well "all this time i swore i'd never be like my old man. what the hey, it's time to face exactly who i am".
    SwornToTheBlackon August 19, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General CommentThe song has a unique rythym to it. Really catchy song, one of my favorite AIC songs which is saying alot.
    Muzzyon March 22, 2003   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI don't think it's about suicide (although it's possible). When you take heroin, you become numb to the world.

    Looking at the lyrics to Dirt, it feels like a miracle that Staley didn't kill himself. I guess he did end up killing himself with drugs. He was such an amazing artist.
    PGMon January 31, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment"Plastic Man, Paper Face."

    I always thought this showed how messed up he was with drugs that he was not a real person, basically.

    "Candy heart, what a waste"

    I think that line shows that he knew he was a good guy but the drugs overtook him, what a waste.

    Those are favorite lines.
    Dirt689on October 25, 2006   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Commentawesome song. i think he is saying simply he hates to feel exactly as the song name says. everything sucks and he goes to herroin to make it better.
    danisgod25on July 21, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Commenti dont really kno what the whole song is about...i just got this part figured out:

    Mirror on the wall will show you
    What you're scared to see

    its saying that the person is scared of themself, and they are scared to face what they are.
    Nirvanafreak94on August 06, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General CommentYeah pin cushion medicine, heroin.

    The way the song is put together, absolutely beautiful.
    Im_Nexton September 10, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Commentlove the ending to this song blast it as loud as you can as it is a great intro to angry chair.
    aicdirt27on February 25, 2005   Link

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