I'm a 73 old white woman, believe it or not this is one of my favorite bands. Layne's voice was so soulful. I was so sad when he passed & the way he passed makes cry.
Why do old white people always feel the need to announce their age and race on black reaction videos?? I don't get it. I'm white too and in my 30's but I never felt the need to announce my race and age to everyone. I'm not being disrespectful or mean, it's just bizarre to me because race doesn't mean shit to me.
@@NatPat-yj2orthe reason I do is because people think I would rather listen to soft rock or country. My family think I'm nuts because I like long hair grunge.
I share your sentiments for Layne.. stay strong sister.. at least we have quite a few studio albums to choose from when we want to hear his timeless & powerful voice.. along with the unplugged album
It's about heroin addiction, which feels trapped and helpless - like a flood. The big mistake, relapse. Try to see it once my way... a desperate plea for empathy. The song was specifically written about the lead singer of Mother Love Bone, Andrew Wood (hence, the title Would?) who died of a heroin overdose in 1990. It's so sad because Layne Staley eventually succumbed to his own drug addictions years later.
True, Andrew died about a month before their first record was to be released. Pearl Jam emerged out of the ending of MLB. During those 6 months or so Jeff Ament did a short stint in War Babies.
Nailed it, but rather intentional or not I always saw the similarities he points about the Bible. Flood killing the giants. Soul desertion, which is how we came to have demon spirits. The spirit of the hybrid nephilim that torment any and everyone that they have a legal right too. Drug abuse gives them that right. You open the door for them to chain themselves to you.
He's talking about Andrew Wood who was a singer back in the Seattle 80's scene who overdosed and died...but the sad part is that he was also talking about himself a bit too
.....and you have to wonder (hindsight's 20/20) if Jerry was trying to send a subtle message to Layne about his own addiction, which tragically removed him - one of the world's most gifted vocalists - from the human experience.
It's also about people's quickness to judge drug addicts as being lazy scum that deserve what they get. Layne did take this very personally because he had already been fighting the monkey and the stigma.
Nice reaction, "Would" is a tribute to Andrew Wood a friend of Jerry's that died of a drug overdose. In a way you could read the lyrics as an eulogy for Andrew. In that same period 2 members of the band would also die of drug overdoses. Rip Lane and Mike. Would you take a shot? go into the flood (drugs) again even though you know it's the same trip it was before..........I made a big mistake.
You really need to watch the MTV Unplugged "down in a hole" song from Alice in Chains. Allice in Chains were underrated in my opinion unfortunately Layne Staley could not fight his demons and addiction took him and sadly we lost an amazing singer. Til this day down in a hole sends shivers down my spine especially the unplugged version because he was still an amazing singer even though he was highly addicted at that time. Sadly Mike Starr the bassist also lost his life to addiction, just a sad situation. Jerry Cantrell the guitarist/singer is amazing as well!
Rooster is written by the bands guitarist. It's about his dad during the Vietnam War. So you should do a reaction ti the song, it's a great song. It got father and son closer to each other.
Rooster was call sign given to his Dad's unit in Vietnam War...I guess was said his Dad's nickname by family was "rooster". But yes react to that song"ROOSTER"...sooo intense, powerful, cool, just my favorite ! WOW
Ok here it is.....This song is about Andrew Patrick WOOD, a pivotal figure in the Seattle grunge scene around the same time, was the lead singer of the band Mother Love Bone. About that time Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Sound Garden, and Alice in Chains were all rising to fame. Many bands from that era, including Candlebox with their hit song "Left Behind," have paid tribute to Wood. The late singer struggled with heroin addiction and entered rehab in 1989, tragically, he succumbed to an overdose before the band would release their album, "Apple".
Andrew wood. Died of a heroin overdose at maybe 22. Mother love bone. Pearl Jam b4 Pearl Jam. He wasn’t using then did and died sadly at 22. So a tribute from Jerry Cantrell to his friend Andrew wood.
It's about drugs. It was a tribute to their friend Andy Wood, double meaning. Andy was the singer for Mother Love Bone. Layne wrote a lot about heroin.
That's not a bad guess. Many of their songs aren't straight forward, which leaves them open to interpretation, but there's always a specific meaning. This is about the death of a close friend.
Layne is quite simply one of the greatest singers from any generation. Nutshell and Down In A Hole, both from Live Unplugged are a must see. Keep up the great reactions dude.🤘
'Would?' was written by AIC guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell about his friend Andrew Wood, singer of the fellow Seattle band Mother Love Bone... Wood died in 1990 from he+++n OD just as they had finished their first album, thus ending the band...(2 members formed Pearl Jam in 1991) Singer Chris Cornell wrote an entire album Temple of the Dog as a tribute to Andrew Wood. Cantrell felt that too many people judged the late singer unfairly... he didn't want to die; he was addicted and couldn't quit - he'd OD'd cos he made a big mistake. The lyrics were from the point of someone who has died from an OD asking not to be judged harshly by the living... It was tragic that AIC singer Layne Staley died from an OD in 2002.
Definitely listen to Rooster! It's more of a story telling song, and I think u would like that one way better! Nutshell, Down in a hole & Heaven beside you are a few of my other favs by them....Layne was also in a band called Mad Season....River of deceit is definitely worth checking out!
One thing you have to understand about grunge and metal music is that lots of songs lyrics are abstract and deliberately ambiguous so as many people as possible can read their interpretation into it and connect differently. But foremost with rock music the music always comes first and the lyrics second unlike rap. You gotta let go of that when listening to rock. Kurt Cobain has said he sometimes wrote completely non-sense lyrics that were more about the syllables being said to fit the music and were never meant to mean anything other than a general concept and not a linear thought progression in the lyrics.
This song is directly aimed at those who pass judgment on others who have not experienced what they're going through... Says Jerry Cantrell ( the songwriter and lead guitarist).. it's a dedication to Andrew Wood from mother Love Bone.
Love this song: good old grunge times! It was the first track on the soundtrack for the movie "Singles" which is a great time document of the 90ties Seattle Grunge scene.. ( Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell / Soundgarden and Alice in Chains have small cameo appearances in this movie! Check it out, its quite entertaining).
90's Alternative Layne Staley was considered the best lead singer of grunge. I think it was Chris Cornell and then Layne Staley. God Bless them both! R.I.P.🙏🏽👑♥️
One of the best bands to come out of the 90's. The song is about rebab and the aftermath of it. It was written for lead singer of Mother Love Bone, Andrew Wood who died of a heroine overdose. Sadly, Lane Staley (lead singer of Alice) also died of a heroine & cocaine overdose (speedball). He had died two weeks prior to them finding his body. RIP Lane, gone far too soon.
Legit my favorite song of all time. This music video changed my life at all of 14 years old. It’s over thirty years later and I still feel its influence. “Into the flood again, same old trip it was back then” is drug use/addiction. The “flood” is the high, and “trip” is self-explanatory. Lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell wrote this in reference to the OD death of Seattle singer Andrew Wood, who was an unfortunate early drug casualty.
One of the greatest movie soundtracks ever. All Seattle bands except for Smashing Pumpkins. To this day I can't call the better of the Singles soundtrack or The Crow soundtrack.
Seattle Scene in the 90's. Between Metal and Grunge. AIC is one of the greatest bands of this era. The images of the video are from the movie Singles, in which they play a gig...
Song is about Andrew Wood, and the entire album "Facelift" is dedicated to him, a pioneer of grunge. Grunge wasn't just about a sound, it was a tight knit community of extremely talented musicians who were dying off so fast they had no choice to sing and write about it. It was a pain and drug fueled era that produced some of the greatest musicians and music ever!
This was the first track for the Singles Movie. Between the soundtrack, the Dirt Album, and heavy MTV rotation they were at their pinnacle. But if you want more straight forward lyrics Down in a Hole, Them Bones, Rooster would be the next logical choice.
Yep, this is one of the key 4 grunge bands of the era... Rooster is about Jerry Cantrell's (guitarist) father . His call sign during the Vietman war was Rooster, from what I read - his father wouldn't talk about the war & the family started to disintigrate. He wrote the song based on his own perception or imagining of what his father went though & it actually brought them together. It's super touching, u must watch the MTV Unplugged performance of it.
It is 90s Grunge...one of the three primary out of Seattle. This song first appeared in the 90s movie Singles. Ultimately, this song is a tribute to Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone) who died from drugs. Unfortunately, Layne Staley (lead singer, does the chorus of this song) at one time admitted that he too would die from drugs. This came true, at a much slower rate. As for your reference to Rooster, that was the lead guitarist's father's nickname when he was in Vietnam and the song is about him.
Down in a hole, MTV unplugged is heart wrenching. The whole performance is best I’ve seen (Tesla’s & Nirvana unplugged right up there as well) Knowing now that he was so dope sick & the band unsure if Layne could perform, He gave his absolute best performance that night. It’s beautiful & yet hard to watch. So sad.
The entire movie soundtrack for "Singles", THE glimpse into the Seattle Grundge Birth, is pure FIRE!! The movie, Singles, is a GEM!! BUT... Chris Cornell's song, Seasons, and Mother Love Bone's, Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns, are in a class of their own!!
The song was composed of metaphors for Andrew Wood's heroin addiction, relapse, and subsequent death. It was also a plea for him posthumously to find the strength to stay sober and alive. Ironically and sadly, this song could have also been about Staley the lead singer. Once again asking for you to check out Temple of the Dog. "Say Hello to Heaven" is masterful. "Hunger Strike" has both Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and Eddy Vedder (Pearl Jam) on vocals.
I’m reading heroin as the master. (“Broken by my master”). “Have I run too far to get home” being the addiction taking hold and too far gone to ever get clean. Would? Is a reference to Andrew Wood, Mother Love Bone. He was the first well known heroin casualty of the grunge era. His band mates formed Pearl Jam after his death.
Would was a reference to Andy Wood, the late singer of Mother Love Bone. He was a big personality in the Seattle days, and the remaining members of the band went on to form Pearl Jam. There are all kinds of references to him in a lot of the lyrics from those early 90's band, and the supergroup Temple of the Dog was named after one of his lyrics. Check out Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns, Stargazer, and Stardog Champion to get a good feel of what started to form the alternative sound that blew up. He was a character, and went way before his time. Landrew RIP.
Layne was everything 🫶🏼 His passing punched a huge hole in the soul of music, that many of us still can't get over. I would suggest "Love Hate Love" live at the Moore, but I get that you're a lyricist and focus more on words. But, especially with a lot of rock music, you have to be able to hear the words but still let the sonic part take you over to an extent. You'd be totally losing out on one of the greatest vocal performances ever.
Mother Love Bone with Andy Wood was the beginning of Grunge IMO as we know it, with the release of Apple. This is a tribute to Wood, who OD'd prior to the release of Apple.
Get into their MTV Unplugged set. Start with their “nutshell” or “down in a hole”. It was one of their last performances before Layne Staley passed. He was already deteriorating by then. Some say it was a man performing his own eulogy.
I get it! Coming from a rock/hard rock/metal background, I used to watch reaction channels and wonder why so many were so focused on the lyrics. Those of us coming from rock (especially pre-Internet when we couldn't look up lyrics - though sometimes they were printed on the vinyl/CD sleeve) just heard the song and focused on the music first, lyrics second. But my limited knowledge of rap/hip hop has taught me, at least, it's a genuine art form and musical genre, focused mainly on the lyrics, and the skill of the rapper in the way the words are delivered. Some hip hop I like; I just don't know a lot about it (same goes for me regarding, for example, classical, or country). I just don't know it that well. So we come from different directions, but music brings us together! Alice In Chains: try Rooster (studio version), and live (MTV versions) of Nutshell, and Down In A Hole. Three very emotional, moving songs. Everyone loves the vocals on AIC songs (rightly so), but for me...that bass!!!!!
As others have said, this is a song about Andrew Wood and heroin abuse. One of the most iconic AiC tracks. You should check out some of their MTV Unplugged stuff, like "Down in a Hole" and "Nutshell." - that entire album was solid gold. "Rooster" is a great one, too, but make sure you do the studio on that one as it really needs those electric guitars for full effect. Edit: Grunge. Yes. Most definitely. Straight out of Seattle. AiC was one of the Big Four grunge bands, right along side Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
This is (as numerous songs by other musician friends of the man's, also, were, around this time), actually, a song dedicated to one: Andrew Wood (the reason for Chris Cornell's creating Temple Of The Dog), former lead-vocalist of: Mother Love Bone [a major portion of whom would become: Pearl Jam after Andrew's death.] and Malfunkshun. Wood was a heroin addict (which Layne and Mike and Sean, all, would become, as well/were becoming around this point.) and perished from an overdose (and, really: undealt with /unacknowledged mental health struggles). This was Layne stating his understanding for his friend and angrily, if sadly, making his desire to have his friend back known/speaking to Andrew. It is a nearly unmatched document.
Youre exactly right, the 'flood' is addiction, it's about being addicted, getting clean and falling back into addiction. The song was written for the Bands friend Andrew Wood, (hence the title). Andrew got clean, fell off the wagon, took the amount that he used to take, but after rehabilitation, had a lower tolerance, and was found unresponsive and later died.
I can't believe I never connected Andrew Wood and "Would," the guys from Mother Love Bone formed Mookie Blaylock, then changed the name to Pearl Jam and later got together with Chris Cornell for a supergroup tribute to Andrew called Temple of the Dog. It's an album I listened to over and over again in my teens.
I've been listening to your reactions for a while, but recently I have been jammin till 3 , 4 am. Your straight up, not fake. This was the early 90s,no they weren't grunge, they was bringing heavy rock back!!!
Nutshell STILL makes me cry every time.... That's probably my favorite AIC. I saw them at a club opening for Extreme a few months before they blew up lol Nobody believed me that we had already seen them, not even the people I went with. I had to show them my tickets stub lol How do you forget a name like Alice in Chains??? Lol
90's Grunge rock at its best . This song received a lot of radio time back then. One of the best Rock voices of all time. Please try AIC at the Moore theatre. Bleed the Freak and Love Hate Love are incredible live performances from that show.🤘🌀👍
I like your channel. Good reactions from what I've seen, so I started going through your backlog of things. Not sure if this is your 1st ever alice and chains reaction. If so have fun with more of their great music. Oh yeah Mushy Peas for everyone
As someone who's been following your rock reactions, I know you really don't take requests but knowing a little bit of your background, I believe you've mentioned several times you were a military kid. Rooster is a song about the guitarist's father in Vietnam. Rooster being his father's nickname.
When Andrew wood's Friends were moving the furniture out of his mom's house they found a whole stack of songs that he wrote, this was one of them. Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder along with others asked his mom if they could make an owl album of it So they formed a band called temple of the dog, the songs that He was never able to perform
In the end of that music video was the hyperlink to MTV Unplugged live version of this song. It is acoustic version, with no electric guitar riffs e.t.c, but Lane is vocally brilliant there. Watch this session, for yourself, maybe, not for reaction. Its really great
Because you asked - about the lead singer of Mother Love Bone dying from heroin OD. His name was Andrew Wood - Know me - broken by my master (heroin) teach thee our child love hereafter - it's poetic lyrics about a drug OD
Completely fair if this isn’t your vibe. There’s nostalgia with listening to them. He had the most haunting and powerful voice for rock music. This song is about his friend who passed from heroin, but also about his shame relapsing. “Into the flood again” is about shooting up. The original lyric was supposed to be’ blood again. The last verse …am I gone? Too far? Is him pleading with his family. The last line, “If I would, could you?” - if he could become an addict, could yall? I loved rap and rock growing up, but super geeked out on this song about a year ago lol.
It's from the early to mid 90's. There have to be people born in the 2000's who appreciate '90's rock and some who have no earthly idea what real music is.
You missed reflections of "Master of Puppets" by Metallica. "Master", "Same old trip"... a lot of Alice in Chains songs are about drugs. The "flood" was the sudden rush that gives "the same old trip". Lead singer Layne Stayley was an admitted addict and fall to heroine in 2002. The song was actually written by Jerry Cantrell about another musician that fell to heroine.
The BIG FOUR of Grunge: Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana. Those are the four Seattle bands. There are others but if you hear any of those, know that they are (ahem) "grunge" (which is seriously ONLY a marketing label, because someone decided it was cute but the four bands have four differing sounds). The cool thing about those bands is that it was at worst "coop-etition." Mostly they supported each other a lot, which was something that wasn't done in other places.
Always gotta love some Alice in Chains. Layne voice is just legendary. I suggest listening to something from the MTV Unplugged because they were amazing in it. If you do, I recommend "Nutshell ". Thanks for the content
I love the really 60's sounding some of the Seattle Grunge bands guitarists have. Pearl Jam too. Its a certain sound i know from the 60's...psychedelic sounding...love it!!!!
Because of your love for lyrics, I'd like to suggest a dual reaction. Start with Jukebox Hero by Foreigner. Follow it up with Song and Emotion by Tesla. While they're two very different songs, in my head Song and Emotion has always been a spiritual successor to Jukebox Hero's story.
I'm a 73 old white woman, believe it or not this is one of my favorite bands. Layne's voice was so soulful. I was so sad when he passed & the way he passed makes cry.
73? Giddy up momma!!!!!
Hey Debbie Fabro keep on ROCKIN cool lady. I knew some Fabro’s growing up in NY I’m 62. Stay cool.
Why do old white people always feel the need to announce their age and race on black reaction videos?? I don't get it. I'm white too and in my 30's but I never felt the need to announce my race and age to everyone. I'm not being disrespectful or mean, it's just bizarre to me because race doesn't mean shit to me.
@@NatPat-yj2orthe reason I do is because people think I would rather listen to soft rock or country. My family think I'm nuts because I like long hair grunge.
I share your sentiments for Layne.. stay strong sister.. at least we have quite a few studio albums to choose from when we want to hear his timeless & powerful voice.. along with the unplugged album
One of the greatest vocalists we've had in the whole alternative music scene, rip.
It's about heroin addiction, which feels trapped and helpless - like a flood. The big mistake, relapse. Try to see it once my way... a desperate plea for empathy. The song was specifically written about the lead singer of Mother Love Bone, Andrew Wood (hence, the title Would?) who died of a heroin overdose in 1990. It's so sad because Layne Staley eventually succumbed to his own drug addictions years later.
True, Andrew died about a month before their first record was to be released. Pearl Jam emerged out of the ending of MLB. During those 6 months or so Jeff Ament did a short stint in War Babies.
Don’t forget about Mike Starr as well.
Layne was an amazing artist too. So sad.
Nailed it, but rather intentional or not I always saw the similarities he points about the Bible. Flood killing the giants. Soul desertion, which is how we came to have demon spirits. The spirit of the hybrid nephilim that torment any and everyone that they have a legal right too. Drug abuse gives them that right. You open the door for them to chain themselves to you.
I never heard anybody speak a bad word about Andrew Wood. One of those guys everybody liked, I guess.
He's talking about Andrew Wood who was a singer back in the Seattle 80's scene who overdosed and died...but the sad part is that he was also talking about himself a bit too
.....and you have to wonder (hindsight's 20/20) if Jerry was trying to send a subtle message to Layne about his own addiction, which tragically removed him - one of the world's most gifted vocalists - from the human experience.
@@jillhanson that would be eerie
It's also about people's quickness to judge drug addicts as being lazy scum that deserve what they get. Layne did take this very personally because he had already been fighting the monkey and the stigma.
Nice reaction, "Would" is a tribute to Andrew Wood a friend of Jerry's that died of a drug overdose. In a way you could read the lyrics as an eulogy for Andrew. In that same period 2 members of the band would also die of drug overdoses. Rip Lane and Mike. Would you take a shot? go into the flood (drugs) again even though you know it's the same trip it was before..........I made a big mistake.
Important note: Andrew Wood was the lead singer of Mother Love Bone which basically became Pearl Jam after Andys passing.
Took the words out of my mouth. It's such a powerful song!
@@MrWoodyBalto I didn't know that
This is my favorite Alice in Chains song. The end is just absolute perfection.
💯% AGREED!
Them Bones is a banger and the message is clear, you may put that on you playlist!!!!
You Have to do LOVE HATE LOVE live at the Moore. Best vocal performance ever
That’s great song! That performance is amazing
Yes!!! 🙌
Absolutely!!
AGREED
👏👏👏😎 Absolutely 💯
Down in a Hole is one of their saddest and most beautiful song, you should react.
Especially the MTV unplugged Live performance!
You really need to watch the MTV Unplugged "down in a hole" song from Alice in Chains. Allice in Chains were underrated in my opinion unfortunately Layne Staley could not fight his demons and addiction took him and sadly we lost an amazing singer. Til this day down in a hole sends shivers down my spine especially the unplugged version because he was still an amazing singer even though he was highly addicted at that time. Sadly Mike Starr the bassist also lost his life to addiction, just a sad situation. Jerry Cantrell the guitarist/singer is amazing as well!
Cantrell is a rock god. Got to see him live once and was one of the best live shows I've seen and I've seen a ton of bands.
This one right here 💯💯
Underrated? Hmm.
One of the best of the grunge bands. Guitarist/songwriter Jerry Cantrell is such a huge talent and deserves his own deep dive.
Rooster is written by the bands guitarist. It's about his dad during the Vietnam War. So you should do a reaction ti the song, it's a great song. It got father and son closer to each other.
Rooster is one of the most amazing songs.
Rooster was call sign given to his Dad's unit in Vietnam War...I guess was said his Dad's nickname by family was "rooster". But yes react to that song"ROOSTER"...sooo intense, powerful, cool, just my favorite ! WOW
One of the greatest songs ever written 👍
You were correct. Grunge from Seattle. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and many more.
Ok here it is.....This song is about Andrew Patrick WOOD, a pivotal figure in the Seattle grunge scene around the same time, was the lead singer of the band Mother Love Bone. About that time Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Sound Garden, and Alice in Chains were all rising to fame. Many bands from that era, including Candlebox with their hit song "Left Behind," have paid tribute to Wood. The late singer struggled with heroin addiction and entered rehab in 1989, tragically, he succumbed to an overdose before the band would release their album, "Apple".
Andrew wood. Died of a heroin overdose at maybe 22. Mother love bone. Pearl Jam b4 Pearl Jam. He wasn’t using then did and died sadly at 22. So a tribute from Jerry Cantrell to his friend Andrew wood.
The beginnings of ‘grunge’ was mlb.
The irony now
90’s grunge. The best voice in that era! #RipLayne🙏🏻❤️
Chris cornell is pretty good too
Layne is one of the greatest singer of ail time!!
It's about drugs. It was a tribute to their friend Andy Wood, double meaning. Andy was the singer for Mother Love Bone. Layne wrote a lot about heroin.
I am almost positive Jerry wrote the lyrics.
@@Veritas-TheGoader I think you're correct. Thanks.
Jerry wrote this song and sang lead on the verses.
That's not a bad guess. Many of their songs aren't straight forward, which leaves them open to interpretation, but there's always a specific meaning. This is about the death of a close friend.
Layne is quite simply one of the greatest singers from any generation.
Nutshell and Down In A Hole, both from Live Unplugged are a must see.
Keep up the great reactions dude.🤘
It's was written for their friend
Andrew Wood who past away from a heroin overdose. It's about drug addiction.
'Would?' was written by AIC guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell about his friend Andrew Wood, singer of the fellow Seattle band Mother Love Bone... Wood died in 1990 from he+++n OD just as they had finished their first album, thus ending the band...(2 members formed Pearl Jam in 1991)
Singer Chris Cornell wrote an entire album Temple of the Dog as a tribute to Andrew Wood.
Cantrell felt that too many people judged the late singer unfairly... he didn't want to die; he was addicted and couldn't quit - he'd OD'd cos he made a big mistake.
The lyrics were from the point of someone who has died from an OD asking not to be judged harshly by the living...
It was tragic that AIC singer Layne Staley died from an OD in 2002.
The song is about the lead singer of the band Mother Love Bone, Andrew Wood. Also this song is from my favorite movie of all times, “Singles”
I love that movie too
Check out the MTV unplugged stuff by them and the others of their time. AiC is probably my favorite of their era. His voice..❤
Jerry Cantrell wrote the song for Andrew wood after he passed away
This song is literally a conversation most people who have effed up in a relationship and had regrets have had with whoever they effed up around.
Watch the live version of “love, hate, love” and you’ll fall in love with this band.
Definitely listen to Rooster! It's more of a story telling song, and I think u would like that one way better! Nutshell, Down in a hole & Heaven beside you are a few of my other favs by them....Layne was also in a band called Mad Season....River of deceit is definitely worth checking out!
One thing you have to understand about grunge and metal music is that lots of songs lyrics are abstract and deliberately ambiguous so as many people as possible can read their interpretation into it and connect differently. But foremost with rock music the music always comes first and the lyrics second unlike rap. You gotta let go of that when listening to rock. Kurt Cobain has said he sometimes wrote completely non-sense lyrics that were more about the syllables being said to fit the music and were never meant to mean anything other than a general concept and not a linear thought progression in the lyrics.
One of the best grunge bands. Best voice. Rooster is a must. Also love hate love live at the Moore
This song is directly aimed at those who pass judgment on others who have not experienced what they're going through... Says Jerry Cantrell ( the songwriter and lead guitarist).. it's a dedication to Andrew Wood from mother Love Bone.
Love this song: good old grunge times! It was the first track on the soundtrack for the movie "Singles" which is a great time document of the 90ties Seattle Grunge scene.. ( Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell / Soundgarden and Alice in Chains have small cameo appearances in this movie! Check it out, its quite entertaining).
Rooster, Angry Chair, Grind, Heaven beside you, all bangers by AIC. Early 90's
90's Alternative Layne Staley was considered the best lead singer of grunge. I think it was Chris Cornell and then Layne Staley. God Bless them both! R.I.P.🙏🏽👑♥️
One of the best bands to come out of the 90's. The song is about rebab and the aftermath of it. It was written for lead singer of Mother Love Bone, Andrew Wood who died of a heroine overdose. Sadly, Lane Staley (lead singer of Alice) also died of a heroine & cocaine overdose (speedball). He had died two weeks prior to them finding his body. RIP Lane, gone far too soon.
*This was the 90s Grunge era!!*
Alice In Chains was one of the Seattle bands who spearheaded this amazing moment in rock history.
Legit my favorite song of all time. This music video changed my life at all of 14 years old. It’s over thirty years later and I still feel its influence. “Into the flood again, same old trip it was back then” is drug use/addiction. The “flood” is the high, and “trip” is self-explanatory. Lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell wrote this in reference to the OD death of Seattle singer Andrew Wood, who was an unfortunate early drug casualty.
This is my favorite AiC song. Layne was a goat. RIP
One of the greatest movie soundtracks ever. All Seattle bands except for Smashing Pumpkins. To this day I can't call the better of the Singles soundtrack or The Crow soundtrack.
Queen of The Damned is an excellent soundtrack as is The Lost Boys!! 😊❤
Seattle Scene in the 90's. Between Metal and Grunge. AIC is one of the greatest bands of this era. The images of the video are from the movie Singles, in which they play a gig...
Song is about Andrew Wood, and the entire album "Facelift" is dedicated to him, a pioneer of grunge. Grunge wasn't just about a sound, it was a tight knit community of extremely talented musicians who were dying off so fast they had no choice to sing and write about it. It was a pain and drug fueled era that produced some of the greatest musicians and music ever!
This was the first track for the Singles Movie. Between the soundtrack, the Dirt Album, and heavy MTV rotation they were at their pinnacle. But if you want more straight forward lyrics Down in a Hole, Them Bones, Rooster would be the next logical choice.
EARLY 90S - I feel like I should put on a plaid shirt over my tshirt and take off my eye makeup and hit my hair with the straightner for this...
Yep, this is one of the key 4 grunge bands of the era... Rooster is about Jerry Cantrell's (guitarist) father . His call sign during the Vietman war was Rooster, from what I read - his father wouldn't talk about the war & the family started to disintigrate. He wrote the song based on his own perception or imagining of what his father went though & it actually brought them together. It's super touching, u must watch the MTV Unplugged performance of it.
Alice In Chains is a Mt. Rushmore of Grunge bands. Gotta check out Rooster, and also Love Hate Love live from The Moore
It is 90s Grunge...one of the three primary out of Seattle. This song first appeared in the 90s movie Singles. Ultimately, this song is a tribute to Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone) who died from drugs. Unfortunately, Layne Staley (lead singer, does the chorus of this song) at one time admitted that he too would die from drugs. This came true, at a much slower rate. As for your reference to Rooster, that was the lead guitarist's father's nickname when he was in Vietnam and the song is about him.
Lol..your facial expressions sometimes! Priceless...😁
Down in a hole, MTV unplugged is heart wrenching. The whole performance is best I’ve seen (Tesla’s & Nirvana unplugged right up there as well)
Knowing now that he was so dope sick & the band unsure if Layne could perform, He gave his absolute best performance that night. It’s beautiful & yet hard to watch. So sad.
I ball my eyes out every time! I'm heartbroken for Layne!
GRUNGE BABY!!
They just wanted to be a Metal Band and do not like the label Grunge... 🤘🤘
Hahahaha “that’s the rainbow I grew up with!” Me too my friend, me too!
The entire movie soundtrack for "Singles", THE glimpse into the Seattle Grundge Birth, is pure FIRE!! The movie, Singles, is a GEM!! BUT... Chris Cornell's song, Seasons, and Mother Love Bone's, Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns, are in a class of their own!!
My favorite band ever, Down in a hole is amazing too!!
The song was composed of metaphors for Andrew Wood's heroin addiction, relapse, and subsequent death. It was also a plea for him posthumously to find the strength to stay sober and alive. Ironically and sadly, this song could have also been about Staley the lead singer.
Once again asking for you to check out Temple of the Dog. "Say Hello to Heaven" is masterful. "Hunger Strike" has both Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) and Eddy Vedder (Pearl Jam) on vocals.
Thanks for making this post. More Alice in Chains, please.
I’m reading heroin as the master. (“Broken by my master”). “Have I run too far to get home” being the addiction taking hold and too far gone to ever get clean. Would? Is a reference to Andrew Wood, Mother Love Bone. He was the first well known heroin casualty of the grunge era. His band mates formed Pearl Jam after his death.
Would was a reference to Andy Wood, the late singer of Mother Love Bone. He was a big personality in the Seattle days, and the remaining members of the band went on to form Pearl Jam. There are all kinds of references to him in a lot of the lyrics from those early 90's band, and the supergroup Temple of the Dog was named after one of his lyrics. Check out Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns, Stargazer, and Stardog Champion to get a good feel of what started to form the alternative sound that blew up. He was a character, and went way before his time. Landrew RIP.
Layne was everything 🫶🏼 His passing punched a huge hole in the soul of music, that many of us still can't get over. I would suggest "Love Hate Love" live at the Moore, but I get that you're a lyricist and focus more on words. But, especially with a lot of rock music, you have to be able to hear the words but still let the sonic part take you over to an extent. You'd be totally losing out on one of the greatest vocal performances ever.
Song is about Andy Wood lead singer of Mother Love Bone
Mother Love Bone with Andy Wood was the beginning of Grunge IMO as we know it, with the release of Apple. This is a tribute to Wood, who OD'd prior to the release of Apple.
Grunge before it was called Grunge. 🤘
Get into their MTV Unplugged set. Start with their “nutshell” or “down in a hole”.
It was one of their last performances before Layne Staley passed. He was already deteriorating by then. Some say it was a man performing his own eulogy.
OMG do their song ROOSTER...about his Dad who was in War and rooster stands for soldier ?
Rooster was his Dad's nickname in Nam.
I second this!!!🤗 "Rooster" is a must for an AIC journey!!💯💯💯❤
A great singer..another one sadly gone so young!
I get it! Coming from a rock/hard rock/metal background, I used to watch reaction channels and wonder why so many were so focused on the lyrics.
Those of us coming from rock (especially pre-Internet when we couldn't look up lyrics - though sometimes they were printed on the vinyl/CD sleeve) just heard the song and focused on the music first, lyrics second.
But my limited knowledge of rap/hip hop has taught me, at least, it's a genuine art form and musical genre, focused mainly on the lyrics, and the skill of the rapper in the way the words are delivered. Some hip hop I like; I just don't know a lot about it (same goes for me regarding, for example, classical, or country). I just don't know it that well.
So we come from different directions, but music brings us together!
Alice In Chains: try Rooster (studio version), and live (MTV versions) of Nutshell, and Down In A Hole.
Three very emotional, moving songs.
Everyone loves the vocals on AIC songs (rightly so), but for me...that bass!!!!!
As others have said, this is a song about Andrew Wood and heroin abuse. One of the most iconic AiC tracks. You should check out some of their MTV Unplugged stuff, like "Down in a Hole" and "Nutshell." - that entire album was solid gold. "Rooster" is a great one, too, but make sure you do the studio on that one as it really needs those electric guitars for full effect.
Edit: Grunge. Yes. Most definitely. Straight out of Seattle. AiC was one of the Big Four grunge bands, right along side Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
This is (as numerous songs by other musician friends of the man's, also, were, around this time), actually, a song dedicated to one: Andrew Wood
(the reason for Chris Cornell's creating Temple Of The Dog), former lead-vocalist of:
Mother Love Bone [a major portion of whom would become: Pearl Jam after Andrew's death.]
and Malfunkshun.
Wood was a heroin addict (which Layne and Mike and Sean, all, would become, as well/were becoming around this point.) and perished from an overdose (and, really: undealt with /unacknowledged mental health struggles).
This was Layne stating his understanding for his friend and angrily, if sadly, making his desire to have his friend back known/speaking to Andrew.
It is a nearly unmatched document.
"flood" refers to: a flood of emotions
...and/or: "a flood" of undesired, but unavoidable results....
Youre exactly right, the 'flood' is addiction, it's about being addicted, getting clean and falling back into addiction. The song was written for the Bands friend Andrew Wood, (hence the title). Andrew got clean, fell off the wagon, took the amount that he used to take, but after rehabilitation, had a lower tolerance, and was found unresponsive and later died.
One of the best songs I've ever had pleasure to listen!
I can't believe I never connected Andrew Wood and "Would," the guys from Mother Love Bone formed Mookie Blaylock, then changed the name to Pearl Jam and later got together with Chris Cornell for a supergroup tribute to Andrew called Temple of the Dog. It's an album I listened to over and over again in my teens.
I've been listening to your reactions for a while, but recently I have been jammin till 3 , 4 am. Your straight up, not fake. This was the early 90s,no they weren't grunge, they was bringing heavy rock back!!!
I grew up in Portland. Alice In Chains was very important in my day. Of the Seattle “scene,” they were the best. In my opinion.
Nutshell!! This and Would are my fav from them.
90s.... they were one of the key grunge bands ...
Nutshell STILL makes me cry every time.... That's probably my favorite AIC. I saw them at a club opening for Extreme a few months before they blew up lol Nobody believed me that we had already seen them, not even the people I went with. I had to show them my tickets stub lol How do you forget a name like Alice in Chains??? Lol
90's Grunge rock at its best . This song received a lot of radio time back then. One of the best Rock voices of all time. Please try AIC at the Moore theatre. Bleed the Freak and Love Hate Love are incredible live performances from that show.🤘🌀👍
So much more AIC for you to get to man. Definitely try Rooster next and then maybe Them Bones.
I like your channel. Good reactions from what I've seen, so I started going through your backlog of things. Not sure if this is your 1st ever alice and chains reaction. If so have fun with more of their great music. Oh yeah Mushy Peas for everyone
Jerry Cantrells dad was in Vietnam. He wrote part of the song the Rooster!!! It's about his experience in Vietnam. Must do!!! For the Vets out there
The song "Rooster" is about Jerry Cantrell's father, in Vietnam nicknamed "Rooster". Cant snuff him. You know he ain't gonna die.
Early 1990's ,man. and Jerry AND Layne are singing...TWO homies!
As someone who's been following your rock reactions, I know you really don't take requests but knowing a little bit of your background, I believe you've mentioned several times you were a military kid. Rooster is a song about the guitarist's father in Vietnam. Rooster being his father's nickname.
You got it! This is 1 of the most influential bands of the 90's grunge scene. RIP Lane Staley
When Andrew wood's Friends were moving the furniture out of his mom's house they found a whole stack of songs that he wrote, this was one of them. Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder along with others asked his mom if they could make an owl album of it So they formed a band called temple of the dog, the songs that He was never able to perform
In the end of that music video was the hyperlink to MTV Unplugged live version of this song. It is acoustic version, with no electric guitar riffs e.t.c, but Lane is vocally brilliant there. Watch this session, for yourself, maybe, not for reaction. Its really great
Because you asked - about the lead singer of Mother Love Bone dying from heroin OD. His name was Andrew Wood - Know me - broken by my master (heroin) teach thee our child love hereafter - it's poetic lyrics about a drug OD
From the soundtrack of the film Singles. Awesome soundtrack.
Grunge happened in my youth and I was there for the whole ride. In my opinion, this is the best song to come out of that era.
Completely fair if this isn’t your vibe. There’s nostalgia with listening to them. He had the most haunting and powerful voice for rock music. This song is about his friend who passed from heroin, but also about his shame relapsing.
“Into the flood again” is about shooting up. The original lyric was supposed to be’ blood again. The last verse …am I gone? Too far? Is him pleading with his family.
The last line, “If I would, could you?” - if he could become an addict, could yall?
I loved rap and rock growing up, but super geeked out on this song about a year ago lol.
It's from the early to mid 90's.
There have to be people born in the 2000's who appreciate '90's rock and some who have no earthly idea what real music is.
And my FAVORITE CANADIAN BAND....HELIX!!! ( ANY ONE !!)
I would REALLY appreciate it!!!
You missed reflections of "Master of Puppets" by Metallica. "Master", "Same old trip"... a lot of Alice in Chains songs are about drugs. The "flood" was the sudden rush that gives "the same old trip". Lead singer Layne Stayley was an admitted addict and fall to heroine in 2002.
The song was actually written by Jerry Cantrell about another musician that fell to heroine.
Nailed the lyrics pretty much spot on. Good call.
The BIG FOUR of Grunge: Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Nirvana. Those are the four Seattle bands. There are others but if you hear any of those, know that they are (ahem) "grunge" (which is seriously ONLY a marketing label, because someone decided it was cute but the four bands have four differing sounds). The cool thing about those bands is that it was at worst "coop-etition." Mostly they supported each other a lot, which was something that wasn't done in other places.
Absolute masterpiece! It's my favorite Alice in Chains song? Miss Layne ! RIP my brother
It feels like 90's Grunge because it is, Alice Cooper has great songs from the 70-s, 80's and 90's.
I like one of their latter songs, the video was on MTV. I think the name of it was It's Your Decision.
Always gotta love some Alice in Chains. Layne voice is just legendary. I suggest listening to something from the MTV Unplugged because they were amazing in it. If you do, I recommend "Nutshell ". Thanks for the content
I love the really 60's sounding some of the Seattle Grunge bands guitarists have. Pearl Jam too. Its a certain sound i know from the 60's...psychedelic sounding...love it!!!!
Because of your love for lyrics, I'd like to suggest a dual reaction. Start with Jukebox Hero by Foreigner. Follow it up with Song and Emotion by Tesla. While they're two very different songs, in my head Song and Emotion has always been a spiritual successor to Jukebox Hero's story.
Song And Emotion is BEAUTIFUL!!!
Also absolutely love.... Love Song and Paradise by Tesla....... 🎵
Would love to see Down in a Hole from MTV unplugged