i fully agree with the amphibian. a relationship that's not going too well.
the more i hear about Staley, Alice in Chains, and the grunge scene the more i feel unworthy to try to interpret it. We only hear such a fraction and its usually the bad stuff, and we try to make inferences about these guys as people and their messages.. Mad Season was another very sad story. These guys (made up of a member each of Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees, Alice in Chains, and John Baker Saunders - whose death in 1999, also from a heroin overdose, pretty much closed the door on any further work.
Having said that, if this was written by Layne, i think this is about his relationship with Jerry Cantrell. Although the two were apparently close, there was a lot of tension between them because of Layne's addictions and difficulty in getting him to work; Jerry on the otherhand seems like a bit of a workaholic by comparison (AiC had a tendency for short albums, whereas Cantrell's album Degradation Trip has 25 songs!)
It seems Layne joined Mad Season in a time when things weren't too peachy at the Alice camp, he needed to get away: "For clear space and soundess of mind/I've let you play me for some time"
"continue to pretend that I'm blind" - I think (perhaps understandably) Jerry minimised the influence Layne had in Alice, writing most of the songs, bugging him to get clean and get in the studio. But it was Layne's band too, and I think he felt that Jerry was ignoring his efforts.
"How is you're feeling so uneasy?/How is it that I feel fine"... I think Layne took the fact that Jerry was bothered by his wanting to join this sideproject as an admission of guilt almost. I think Jerry was really just trying to keep the band in one piece.
"I'm above/Over you I'm standing above/Claiming unconditional love/
Try to keep bad blood in the past...I have strength enough...to forgive/I desire peace where I live"
Layne feels like he's taking the moral high road by walking away, therefore he feels like he's "above" Jerry. He thinks Jerry doesn't get it because he isn't seeing it from a neutral angle: "Behind the unwhole truth you hide". But he also desires to work things out, and he still considers himself a part of Alice, "peace where I live", loves those guys unconditionally, he forgives them.
Anyways i expect its actually nothing like that I haven't done my research its just what I get out of the lyrics.
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6 I agree, that's what I thought when I first heard it. However for the chorus part I would say that he says it from the Jerry's perspective:
"I'm above/Over you I'm standing above:
He feels like Jerry looks down at him because of his struggles, inability to get clean and work; doesn't really relate to him on a personal level, possibly sees him as a weak person;
"Claiming unconditional love"
That actualy might refer to "No Excuses" song, which is known to be written by Jerry about their relationship, particullary verse "And if we change, well, I Love you anyway "....
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6 I agree, that's what I thought when I first heard it. However for the chorus part I would say that he says it from the Jerry's perspective:
"I'm above/Over you I'm standing above:
He feels like Jerry looks down at him because of his struggles, inability to get clean and work; doesn't really relate to him on a personal level, possibly sees him as a weak person;
"Claiming unconditional love"
That actualy might refer to "No Excuses" song, which is known to be written by Jerry about their relationship, particullary verse "And if we change, well, I Love you anyway ".
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6. I THINK IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH HIS ADDICTION THAN IT DOES Alice. I've read their book and it gives you more understanding. There was not much tension between him and Alice. He left on his own
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6. I THINK IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH HIS ADDICTION THAN IT DOES Alice. I've read their book and it gives you more understanding. There was not much tension between him and Alice. He left on his own
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6 I read your interpretation and you may be onto something. The more I delve into AIC and Jerry and Layne\'s relationship (yes I study this stuff!), while they were besties in the beginning, equal in talent--though in a different way--but Jerry was VERY driven, and very much a perfectionist. He wanted to be the BEST. He wanted to be in a very successful band so was pushing the guys to that level. Not sure what Sean and Mike felt about it, but I\'m sure it bothered Layne, who was much more of a "flibbertygibbet," always wanting to do his...
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6 I read your interpretation and you may be onto something. The more I delve into AIC and Jerry and Layne\'s relationship (yes I study this stuff!), while they were besties in the beginning, equal in talent--though in a different way--but Jerry was VERY driven, and very much a perfectionist. He wanted to be the BEST. He wanted to be in a very successful band so was pushing the guys to that level. Not sure what Sean and Mike felt about it, but I\'m sure it bothered Layne, who was much more of a "flibbertygibbet," always wanting to do his own thing no matter what. I think eventually Jerry became too much of a taskmaster in Layne\'s eyes, so when Mad Season came along he jumped at the chance for something creative and different than AIC. Subsequently, in interviews Jerry literally confirmed all that, talking about how it felt like his BFF f***ed his girlfriend! And consequently, in his solo albums, Jerry is obviously in excruciating mental and emotional pain, and he\'s desperately trying to atone for the pain he put Layne through, and frankly, really beating himself up, lyrically.
i fully agree with the amphibian. a relationship that's not going too well.
the more i hear about Staley, Alice in Chains, and the grunge scene the more i feel unworthy to try to interpret it. We only hear such a fraction and its usually the bad stuff, and we try to make inferences about these guys as people and their messages.. Mad Season was another very sad story. These guys (made up of a member each of Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees, Alice in Chains, and John Baker Saunders - whose death in 1999, also from a heroin overdose, pretty much closed the door on any further work.
Having said that, if this was written by Layne, i think this is about his relationship with Jerry Cantrell. Although the two were apparently close, there was a lot of tension between them because of Layne's addictions and difficulty in getting him to work; Jerry on the otherhand seems like a bit of a workaholic by comparison (AiC had a tendency for short albums, whereas Cantrell's album Degradation Trip has 25 songs!)
It seems Layne joined Mad Season in a time when things weren't too peachy at the Alice camp, he needed to get away: "For clear space and soundess of mind/I've let you play me for some time"
"continue to pretend that I'm blind" - I think (perhaps understandably) Jerry minimised the influence Layne had in Alice, writing most of the songs, bugging him to get clean and get in the studio. But it was Layne's band too, and I think he felt that Jerry was ignoring his efforts.
"How is you're feeling so uneasy?/How is it that I feel fine"... I think Layne took the fact that Jerry was bothered by his wanting to join this sideproject as an admission of guilt almost. I think Jerry was really just trying to keep the band in one piece.
"I'm above/Over you I'm standing above/Claiming unconditional love/ Try to keep bad blood in the past...I have strength enough...to forgive/I desire peace where I live"
Layne feels like he's taking the moral high road by walking away, therefore he feels like he's "above" Jerry. He thinks Jerry doesn't get it because he isn't seeing it from a neutral angle: "Behind the unwhole truth you hide". But he also desires to work things out, and he still considers himself a part of Alice, "peace where I live", loves those guys unconditionally, he forgives them.
Anyways i expect its actually nothing like that I haven't done my research its just what I get out of the lyrics.
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6 I agree, that's what I thought when I first heard it. However for the chorus part I would say that he says it from the Jerry's perspective: "I'm above/Over you I'm standing above: He feels like Jerry looks down at him because of his struggles, inability to get clean and work; doesn't really relate to him on a personal level, possibly sees him as a weak person; "Claiming unconditional love" That actualy might refer to "No Excuses" song, which is known to be written by Jerry about their relationship, particullary verse "And if we change, well, I Love you anyway "....
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6 I agree, that's what I thought when I first heard it. However for the chorus part I would say that he says it from the Jerry's perspective: "I'm above/Over you I'm standing above: He feels like Jerry looks down at him because of his struggles, inability to get clean and work; doesn't really relate to him on a personal level, possibly sees him as a weak person; "Claiming unconditional love" That actualy might refer to "No Excuses" song, which is known to be written by Jerry about their relationship, particullary verse "And if we change, well, I Love you anyway ".
That's my interpretation.
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6. I THINK IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH HIS ADDICTION THAN IT DOES Alice. I've read their book and it gives you more understanding. There was not much tension between him and Alice. He left on his own
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6. I THINK IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH HIS ADDICTION THAN IT DOES Alice. I've read their book and it gives you more understanding. There was not much tension between him and Alice. He left on his own
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6 I logged in here just to say how awesome your interpretation seems (to me). Thank you!
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6 I logged in here just to say how awesome your interpretation seems (to me). Thank you!
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6 I read your interpretation and you may be onto something. The more I delve into AIC and Jerry and Layne\'s relationship (yes I study this stuff!), while they were besties in the beginning, equal in talent--though in a different way--but Jerry was VERY driven, and very much a perfectionist. He wanted to be the BEST. He wanted to be in a very successful band so was pushing the guys to that level. Not sure what Sean and Mike felt about it, but I\'m sure it bothered Layne, who was much more of a "flibbertygibbet," always wanting to do his...
@SFy65B2G5rKbzps5acdHwQe6 I read your interpretation and you may be onto something. The more I delve into AIC and Jerry and Layne\'s relationship (yes I study this stuff!), while they were besties in the beginning, equal in talent--though in a different way--but Jerry was VERY driven, and very much a perfectionist. He wanted to be the BEST. He wanted to be in a very successful band so was pushing the guys to that level. Not sure what Sean and Mike felt about it, but I\'m sure it bothered Layne, who was much more of a "flibbertygibbet," always wanting to do his own thing no matter what. I think eventually Jerry became too much of a taskmaster in Layne\'s eyes, so when Mad Season came along he jumped at the chance for something creative and different than AIC. Subsequently, in interviews Jerry literally confirmed all that, talking about how it felt like his BFF f***ed his girlfriend! And consequently, in his solo albums, Jerry is obviously in excruciating mental and emotional pain, and he\'s desperately trying to atone for the pain he put Layne through, and frankly, really beating himself up, lyrically.