Your Decision

This is exactly how I interpret this song, also. I, too, have seen the video. The song makes me sad, but it also kind of gives me hope. We ALL have the choice to either give in to temptation or resist and rise above. I relate to this song on a very personal level. Several months ago, I gave in to a temptation, which led to incredible regret and heartache. All I could do was seek forgiveness, learn from it, and move on. It could've turned out much worse, but it's devastating to realize you've just made the biggest mistake of your life. I certainly hope and pray I never make a bigger one. <br /> I also really appreciated your reference to scripture. As soon as I got done reading your post, I went and looked up the verse. I never would've imagined when I woke up this morning that a comment on an Alice and Chains song would be the thing that led me to my bible today. Thank you for posting. I'd say you hit the nail right on the head with your interpretation. At least, that's what this song means to me....After all, isn't music supposed to be embraced on a personal level? If not, then what's the point?

@JC98SS Oh my goodness!!! HOW TRUE!!!! That's a wonderful comment. This immediately made me think back to a time where I was the happiest in my life. Or at least I thought... I was making a food delivery to a coffee shop in Prophetstown, IL, and my tractor-trailor was parked in the back ally. When I attempted to drop my ramp I noticed that it would have blocked an already open garage door. The man happened to see me when I pulled up for the restaurant's food order. I pulled my truck up a few feet as to not be in his way. And with each trip in and out of my trailer I found myself having a conversation with this man who was working on a car. Evidently, he was a religious man because his every word was in a way that could be described as a man of God. Long after making the delivery I was having good conversation with this man. Before leaving he said that all of our lives are like a line. He then threw the set of keys he had in his hand across the garage floor. All I could see at first was the key chain. I think it was a rabbit's foot, eight ball, or something like that. But yea! He said to picture a long line. "Your life represents that line," he said. "And that each of us starts on one end (the beginning) and we will eventually end at the other. He further went on to say that the easiest way or the most convenient, less harmful way is from point to point. But there are many branches in which to choose from. We all will get there in the end. But how we get there is by our choosing. I've lived long enough to know that I am not proud of all the things that I've done with my life. But life itself has taught me that great lesson. THANKS FOR SHARING!!!

@JC98SS Oh my goodness!!! HOW TRUE!!!! That's a wonderful comment. This immediately made me think back to a time where I was the happiest in my life. Or at least I thought... I was making a food delivery to a coffee shop in Prophetstown, IL, and my tractor-trailor was parked in the back ally. When I attempted to drop my ramp I noticed that it would have blocked an already open garage door. The man happened to see me when I pulled up for the restaurant's food order. I pulled my truck up a few feet as to not be in his way. And with each trip in and out of my trailer I found myself having a conversation with this man who was working on a car. Evidently, he was a religious man because his every word was in a way that could be described as a man of God. Long after making the delivery I was having good conversation with this man. Before leaving he said that all of our lives are like a line. He then threw the set of keys he had in his hand across the garage floor. All I could see at first was the key chain. I think it was a rabbit's foot, eight ball, or something like that. But yea! He said to picture a long line. "Your life represents that line," he said. "And that each of us starts on one end (the beginning) and we will eventually end at the other. He further went on to say that the easiest way or the most convenient, less harmful way is from point to point. But there are many branches in which to choose from. We all will get there in the end. But how we get there is by our choosing. I've lived long enough to know that I am not proud of all the things that I've done with my life. But life itself has taught me that great lesson. THANKS FOR SHARING!!!

@JC98SS Exactly, Love it God Bless!!

@JC98SS I was with you on this until the very end, my friend. You talk about decisions and about listening to that "little voice" we all have inside us. As children we have this voice and we are taught to ignore it in favor of self-interest. I think this is because we learn to expect authority to tell us how to behave. We don't want to listen to what we all know is right when it doesn't directly benefit us. Expecting some vague idea of god, or scripture to dictate that to us IS the mistake. We need to learn to listen to that voice and recognize that voice IS US, not some mystical, supernatural entitiy in control of everything, yet somehow also granting us free will? I'm not trying to start a debate on the existence of god. I'm just saying that we don't need to be told how to behave, or what's right. We all already know, and we need to start holding ourselves accountable, and then each other, on a human level, instead of dividing ourselves by race, color and religion. 1 Corinthians 10:23, taking in context is really great advice, and there's plenty of good advice in the BIble. That said, the beneficial wisdom in ancient scripture is incidental and clearly not written by people who knew the future. Why not take what is good and leave the rest, from ALL scripture, in all religions and keep refining those ideas based on what works and what doesn't instead of clinging to ancient words that no longer apply? So much of scripture isn't followed by believers anyway, which indicates to me we already do this on some level. The problem is when it gets a little scary, or even just uncertain, we fall back on letting other people do our thinking, or just not thinking at all. I would think an all-powerful creator who granted us the ability to think critically and make decisions would want us to think for ourselves and work things out with each other based on what we know works instead of just blindly following... I don't know your beliefs so forgive me if I've made assumptions that are totally wrong. I completely agree with the sentiment and the end result of what you're saying. I'm saying how we get to that result could be a lot more inclusive, if we could just get past the dogma. What do you think?

@JC98SS I appreciate ur interpretation. makes me think tho... taking a cookie from the jar isn't inherently 'wrong.' we are made to feel so many things are wrong or right but in reality it's all neutral. right and wrong is the meaning we assign to it. and if someone is constantly being told what they do is wrong, it messes with ones head.

@JC98SS yes, THANK YOU. This song is in no way about Layne-Jerry would NEVER write this way about Layne as these lyrics are scathing. It is very obviously about Mike Starr- I even read an interview where Jerry declined to say what the song was about because “he’s not in that place anymore.” The interview took place after Mike died, so I’m guessing that’s why. Yet Jerry usually admits to the songs he wrote about Mike and Layne that are more positive (ex-“Black Gives Way to Blue”)

@RockChickie I have not seen the video but from the lyrics I think it is very much about Layne and Mike. Perhaps the lyric you speak of is more to Layne though, who pretty much and single handedly 'broke the Chains' so to speak with his addiction and the way he decided to live his life. Though Layne died in 2002, it is written that he really fell into a hole of addiction many years earlier. He last performed with AIC in 1996, and hadn't spoken to any of them for several years before he died. So when I read the line "And here you stand before us all and say it's over" and "It's your decision" I think its ceding control to Layne. It's clearly a multiple layered meaning, its his decision how to live his life, its his decision how to handle his pain/problems, and there was nothing anyone else could do it was his decision and death that led to the AIC breaking up. <br /> <br /> "Nobody plans to take the path that takes you lower" (double meaning, bring you down and also lower into your grave) but the line "here you stand" line is powerful to me because it is not really him, it is him in his death standing there saying its over. Its him in his death, his eternal legacy and his persona and his importance to the band and all that. The band may have wanted to go on and make more music together but it was his decision and everyone else had to go along with it. They gave him the power to decide for them. That's how i read it at first, anyway with my limited understanding of events. <br /> <br /> You could be right about the "fears become your god" part going to Mike. Mike's death was very sad too, and I know less about it though I do recall he was on TV with that counselor from Thelonious Monster and Dr Drew etc. surely there are many parts of this song that goes over my head but my first reading I thought of Layne.

@RockChickie Notably, this comment was made before Mike Starr's death, so it was recognizable as being possibly about him even before then.

I'll fix anything that needs fixing as soon as the album hits the shelves...

If you don't think these lyrics are right why don't you suggest alternatives? Everyone would be much better off.

the video also shows them sitting in the room; watching it happen....I think they are showing their sorrow for not stopping it as well.

Anyone ever notice the chords and rhythm are strikingly similar to "Polly" by Nirvana?