Lyric discussion by boopberry 

Cover art for Scalpel lyrics by Alice in Chains

I think it is about the struggle to give up taking drugs. Been down both roads before...there is pleasure and pain in taking and staying off drugs. The hope is false as there is an inevitable fear of not staying off and taking them again. It is a pain suffered alone and which is hidden from the world. Just my thoughts :-)

My Interpretation

Since Black Gives i dont listen Alice in Chains. Then i give a second chance to The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here and i get hooked again with AICH. I find this album truly superior than BGWTB. The power of Scalpel is evident. Is a great song! The voices make an excelent journey and emotive as i never heard before. Te message in this song is the vision of someone who is evaluating things in the past and now have more persepctive of things.