13 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Artificial Red Lyrics
Artificial red, smoke, poison consumed
In the house of ill repute
Is this the way I spend my days
In recovery of a fatal disease?
On a cloud of pink has to grey
And I'm alone again, yeah
Someone to hold against my own
Alone, untouched is what I crave
Artificial Red, smoke, poison consumed
In the house of ill repute
Is this the place I search for love
When my need is within me, a gift from above?
In the house of ill repute
Is this the way I spend my days
In recovery of a fatal disease?
On a cloud of pink has to grey
And I'm alone again, yeah
Someone to hold against my own
Alone, untouched is what I crave
Artificial Red, smoke, poison consumed
In the house of ill repute
Is this the place I search for love
When my need is within me, a gift from above?
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
actually, the pink cloud turned to grey reference in this song as well as AIC's Would is specific to addiction recovery. Both songs represent Layne's ambilence toward drug use and recovery from drug use. In AA/NA, they specifically talk about the "pink cloud" people are on when they first come into recovery. You are just so darn happy to not be sick, in jail, broke, or what have you...However, once that feeling of relief goes away (and it does) the reality of life, what you have lost, where you have been, and the realization of the enormous amount of work you have ahead of you to truly "recover" from drug addiction (the fatal disease), that warm, fuzzy "pink cloud" feeling goes away. In fact, 12 steppers will often warn about relapse when they talk about the "pink cloud". Reality hasn't set in yet. When the pink cloud turns to grey is when you realize what a mess you've made. As in Layne's case, he couldn't beat those demons.. RIP Layne
@Summer03 It's from Angry Chair, not Would
@Summer03 It's from Angry Chair, not Would
He kinda explained that in the Rolling Stone article, when he first started drugs they were like his best friend, a pink cloud. But all the sudden they turned on him and his "best friend", his "pink cloud" turned to gray. Get it?
artificial red = methadone
yep, know it well.
LOL, every one gave up on this on =) This is one of his most brilliant songs.... Any whos spent time in MMT knows the lingo, artificial red is in fact, methadone. Poison & Smoke are just booze and nicotine. Layne never stopped drinking even though he was clean for Above and Tripod.
@WillowTheWisp Bang on there re the 'done'. Bitch of a drug, beats going back to prison....just.
@WillowTheWisp Bang on there re the 'done'. Bitch of a drug, beats going back to prison....just.
I think of this song as Angry Chair Part 2. Angry Chair is sort of about Laynes childhood and how it related to his adddiction and Artifical Red about his atempted recovery ("In recovery of a fatal disease? ") and regret and how it was making him more reclusive ("Alone, untouched is what I crave").
After reading a few of these comments and when they say a "cloud of pink" referers to the idea of getting clean in order get back on track in life but then goes to grey as reality of it sets. This reminded me of a chapter I had read in mark lanegan's memoir "Sing Backwards and Weep" about he was sitting in his apartment one day when Layne Staley has showed at his apartment unannounced after getting back from the drug therapy sessions he completed and reluctantly admitting to mark that he wanted to start using again.
"On a cloud of pink has to grey".... "Pink cloud has now turned to grey" These two similar lines are used in both this song and angry chair, anyone know what they meaOGIN or wat the connection is? please respnd if you do.
"On a cloud of pink has to grey".... "Pink cloud has now turned to grey" These two similar lines are used in both this song and angry chair, anyone know what they mean, or wat the connection is? please respnd if you do.
he is referring to Methadone . Liquid methadone is pink in color and when you come down everything really does seem grey and gloomy, even on the brightest of days . !
he is referring to Methadone . Liquid methadone is pink in color and when you come down everything really does seem grey and gloomy, even on the brightest of days . !
Again, this song is most likely about Layne's battle with drugs. "Is this the way I spend my days in recovery of a fatal disease". This part is a little heavier than the rest of the song, in his expression of fustration in fighting his battle. "0n a cloud of pink has turned to grey and I'm alone again", indeed very similar to the lyrics in Angry Chair. He's basically saying that he is in a constant state of sorrow and regret in his isolation.
Good call, I wasn't aware of the methadone connection or the matching lyrics with Angry Chair.
I think it is implied that he craves "someone to hold against my own" but he is looking in the wrong places, "the house of ill repute." This, paired with his addictions, make the song a confession of his feelings at the time.
His answer is in the last lyric- "My need is within me, a gift from above."