Song was written by Jerry Cantrell about his father who fought in Vietnam and was nicknamed Rooster from his youth. They never saw eye to eye being that Jerry was a long hair rocker and his father was a hard core military vet blue collar worker. His Mom, Gloria, encouraged them to heal their relationship. His father never went to his shows, but finally relented and went to a show. Upon seeing his Dad in the back of the room Jerry told the band to play Rooster. Dad heard the words and broke out in tears which led to more tears and hugs as he realized his son understood him more than he understood his son. Music changes people, heals relationships and moves hearts to places otherwise unknown.
And he uses the exact word that captures what that sound is... "That shit sounds so fucken cool and smooth" COOL...ALICE IN CHAINS, THAT SHIT JUST SOUNDS-- COOL!
That is subjective. I agree it is an amazing album, but most would agree dirt is there best. I personally like jar of flies the best, but I am pretty sure its not an album and is just an e.p.
When i first heard this song i didn't understood why the fuck a rooster would be so important and that the lyrics had some hidden meaning. When i learned about the true story about Rooster, the song became even deeper.
The circumstances around Jerry writing the song are pretty amazing and how he wrote something so beautiful about a man he kind of hated at the time is something remarkable. Alice in Chains were an amazing piece of lightning in a bottle that we last saw in the 90s and really it was the last gasp of people really making music for the art of it in my book.
I still come back and watch this video to get hype about AIC again. Ryan's happiness and excitement is so pure. I wish I could hear this song for the first time again 🥲
This was the only Alice in Chains song my dad liked. I was playing it one day while we were working on my truck and when it finished he told me to come sit with him. He told me all about his experiences in Vietnam and how much this song mirrored them. He passed away last year and I'm so glad he told me about it, I wou ld have never known
Jerry Cantrell is one of the most underrated songwriters, ever. His guitar play is not flashy but it is as soulfull as one can get and also as a singer adds as much to the songs as Layne. Stay away (from smack) because in a nutshell: you die young if you are a junkhead!
My dad was born in 1950, loved Beach Boys and the like. I grew up in Seattle, tried to rebel with grunge music but my dad ended up loving Alice in Chains more than I did!
Your dad had a true freedom of expression instilled in him whether he seen it or not which creates the ability the achieve a higher level of understanding for music, art, and if you dig deep enough culture too.
I would love to see these guy's reaction when they found out that the song is about Jerry Cantrell's father's experiences in Vietnam. The song isn't based on fiction, it's based on facts.
It's loosely based on "facts"; Jerry said that's what he imagined his dad went through, but he really didn't have knowledge about it (his dad never talked about it). So, it's essentially fiction
Great reaction, guys! The song is indeed about war - - specifically about guitarist Jerry Cantrell's father and his experiences in Vietnam and the disrespect he received upon coming home. An amazing tribute. Rooster is kind of an outlier on the album itself. Dirt is an autobiographical concept album of sorts that depicts the trauma associated with extreme drug addiction - - heroin in particular. Singer Layne Staley's struggles with addiction were a heavy theme in their music and it would eventually claim his life in the saddest way imaginable. So the album is kind of a tough listen now knowing that he would eventually lose the battle.
This song always reminded me of my father, who was also a "machinegun man" in Vietnam, and some of the stories he told. Great song and striking lyrics.
The one thing I'm surprised you guys didn't discuss was the tight Harmony between vocalist Layne Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. All of Alice in Chains songs are very tight when it comes to Harmony. It's amazing. You must Listen to More.
Brew78 Wikipedia is not a definitive source of information. Right now it has four different explanations on what 'Rooster' refers to, including mine...
HorribleHank - That is absolutely true. Wikipedia is just the first link I found in doing a quick search. The primary info I was going on was from a video I watched awhile back, I forget if it was a documentary or a Behind the Music. It described how he wrote it for his father, and seeing him in the back of the audience with tears in his eyes the first time he heard it. Not finding a link to that specifically, how about this article? teamrock.com/feature/2006-11-15/the-story-behind-the-song-rooster-by-alice-in-chains
Jerry is a friend of mine. I'm sending this to him asap. Well done lads. I got a tear in my eye from your canid reactions, all of which I share. Peace.
Great and only reaction anyone should have to this song. I agree, well done and the reaction was priceless but expected by us that get it and know it :)
Wow that's awesome! I'm a bit of a Stevie Ray Vaughan historian and working on a project that aims to expose to the public the true legacy of his music and change how they view him, and I saw at one point in my research that Jerry met with Tommy Shannon (Stevie's bassist) and talked about Stevie. If you ever have time to ask Jerry, I'd like to know more about that discussion and his views on Stevie and his music. Take care.
Tell Jerry this is a phenomenal song, and not to pat my own back, but out of reverence for Layne, i tear this song up every time I sing it. Absolute masterwork.
@@30AndHatingIt I respect your work big time. Nobody, but nobody has ever brutalized and made sweet love to a guitar so well as Stevie. Keep the flame alive!
@@troys9222 The project is going to take years, but I'll keep at it because the man deserves it. The majority of the public doesn't know his true legacy... they just play the same 2 or 3 songs on the radio over and over, never playing his true masterpieces from the live performances. It's like the Mona Lisa never being seen, it's THAT messed up.
When Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell blend their voices together, they create this beautifully dark, ethereal timbre that can make a melody melt into your bones. For me, The Everly Brothers were the greatest vocal duo but Jerry and Layne draw their breath from the same rarefied air.
I mean this is just brilliantly stated and I've probably never agreed more with anyone's opinion more than I agree with this. I have nothing to add but a thank you for sharing such artful and emotive commentary that perfectly sums up how I feel when I listen to Layne and Jerry.
Rooster is about Jerry Cantrell's (the lead guitarist for Alice In Chains) father and his experiences while in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. His father's nickname in his army regiment was "The Rooster". The song was written at a time when Jerry and his father's relationship was distant and somewhat estranged. When his father heard the song he said it captured exactly how the war was for him and how he felt about it and actually served to bring Jerry and his father close together than ever before.
Thanks for sharing that man. Rooster and Faraway Coast(dropkick murphys) are two of the most poignant war songs I've heard I think. "The loneliness strikes like an enemy shell. I pray for my home, but still sit here in hell."
Dirt was such a heroin addicts cry for help, from sickman to rain when i die to junkhead, you could tell Layne had a problem, he will forever be lost to us👊
This whole CD was over the top' crying out. We all knew it, we all felt it. It helped me through my 20's actually.It was in a denser, darker bleaker place that gave buoyancy to my own existence.
I am a 75 year old woman and I absolutely love Alice In Chains. This song brings me right back to the Vietnam war. I am going to see them one month from today. Will miss Layne but so glad to see them before I am no more.
@@jonb2756 there is nothing embarrassing about that at all, she simply stated her age to give more context to her comment and that she was actually around during the Vietnam war. Literally one of the dumbest things I’ve seen someone call embarrassing because nothing about that comment is even remotely embarrassing, your comment is legitimately more embarrassing then the actual original comment from the lady.
Agent4777 Probably the most tragic and saddening story of any artist at least in recent memory. Absolutely destroys me to even think about those final years.
Haut Strange gotta celebrate Layne instead bro, keep his music alive for him. Keep playing it, make sure younger people are aware of what he gave us. Don’t think about the bad stuff. We are all gonna end up a big old bag of them bones anyway.
Great advice Agent4777!! You describe the impact of his voice and influence in a nutshell..AND how we should all give the younger generations what we had in the 90's, even though he's down in a hole.. Sorry, i couldnt resist, i'm a sickman!
10:00 "It's fire! I know I say that like 18 times in the fuckin video but that, that was----dope. DOPE!" Ryan you kill me man. lmao. Props on the editing!
Alice in Chains is interesting in that their sound has never been duplicated and it never ages. It always sounds good. If you go long enough between listens, it is like hearing it for the first time all over again..because no one sounds like this.
Here’s a fun game to play: take a shot every time Ryan says “this is hot,” “this is dope,” or “this is fire.” DISCLAIMER: do not actually do this, you will be drunk in at most 1 minute😂
That whole Mad Season record is amazing. Though I wouldn't necessarily call it a "layne staley project." He sang on it, but the band was put together by Pearl Jam's Mike McCready.
Layne Staley was one of the best and underrated singers of all time. I would have personally recommended another AIC track since I've heard Rooster a billion times on the radio but I enjoyed how Ryan went nuts over this one; It reminds me how great the song actually is.
Occifer FigPucker Damn right. People give Layne all the credit when Jerry was 50% of the vocals, wrote most of the songs, and sang most of the lead vocals on the Self-titled, and every album that followed. Not to take anything away from Layne's incredible talent, but AIC has been able to carry on without him. I'm not sure they would be able to if it were the other way around. He is easily the most influential guitarist and songwriter of the 90's.
Set Abominae People also don't give Duvall enough credit. He's led the band nearly as long as Layne did. Has been exceptional not only at frontmanning but also not falling into drugs and breaking the band up. He's a great musician and he fits well with Alice.
Occifer FigPucker Duvall is great. He may not have the power behind his voice like Layne did, but he blends well with Cantrell and that's the important thing.
This song was written about the guitarists father (Nicknamed the Rooster) during the Vietnam war and how he hoped to get back to his young son. #RIPLayneStaley (vocals) I agree with Azcension Seven about "Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike". If you haven't yet heard any Chris Cornell lyrics/voice with Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) they will seriously move you.
Wrong. The symbol of the regiment he was in had a hawk , no vietamneese word for hawk. No hawks in Vietnam. So they called it a rooster . Snuff the rooster=kill his platoon
MYTH and WRONG!!! Check your facts, If you look hard enough you will find a video by Jerry Cantrell telling the background..... "Rooster" was a childhood nickname given to my father by his great-grandfather, because he was a cocky little kid and his hair used to stick up on top of his head like a rooster's comb". Your version is as you so bluntly say.... Wrong !!!
Rooster was a common nickname for M60 machine gunners in Vietnam because the muzzle flash looked like a rooster tail. They had the shortest life expectancy of any other personnel because it was a priority for the enemy to take down the machine gunner. "Here they come to snuff the rooster."
@@Angi-no-e I think there are three things that has to do with roosters: 1. His dad’s nickname was apparently Rooster as a kid. 2. Muzzle flash, they mention in the song “walking tall machine gun man” 3. “Here they come to snuff the rooster” has to do with that the 101st Airborne had a bald eagle as their emblem, which Vietnamese mistook as a rooster because they had no bald eagles in their country. From what I can understand at least. So no one here said anything that was wrong. No need to argue.
Nutshell by AIC next ... one of their best songs !!!! Laynes vocals on nutshell are beyond amazing ! Do the live version tho , you can totally feel the emotion Layne sings with . I think you guys will love it , maybe even shed a tear
David H truly one of his best singing songs and lyrical songs with great feeling. Probably my favorite Alice in Chains song. Definitely in the top three Alice in Chains songs.
Watch Ryan all the way through this, from the first chord. It's visual representation of music taking a man over. As he starts to get excited about the song, he can't sit still, he's constantly smiling, he loses control of himself a bit,. Easily the best reaction video on the internet....
Barry Napier I love this video, love Ryan’s reactions. “This sounds so cool, so smooth” he is one of my favorite RUclipsrs. This and Outshined are two of my fave on this channel. Also “holy wars” “one” the Gojira vids.... love this channel.
Rooster is the father of guitarist, Jerry Cantrells, nickname in vietnam. Thats what the song was about. The original bass player is dead too. Drugs took a lot of the best artist from this era.
Not just any drug...heroin! Worst shit ever derived, some fucking evil chemists put that together and will pay in eternal damnation for inventing such an evil life-taker!
It IS a fantastic album. Down In A Hole is terrific 🙂, and I think Rain When I Die is a frequently overlooked song that showcases Layne's vocal talent.
I violently sob everytime I hear down in a hole. Especially the mtv unplugged version. Shit rips at your guts. I love it. No other song ever affected me like that.
Layne's style of singing is a lazy aggression, the biggest factors to this is he sings behind the beat and (mainly because he was strung out constantly) he naturally sounds like he is using little effort, absolute great talent (some people don't pick it up be he uses some twang at the end of lines to add to the uniqueness of his sound)
"Rooster" was written as a tribute to Jerry Cantrell's (Alice In Chains' guitarist) father, who was a Vietnam Vet and whose nickname/call sign was "Rooster." Awesone work!
I initially thought it was about his uncle, but now that I read what you posted, you're right, it was about his Dad in Vietnam. I was never a big fan of this song when it first came out, but as I got older and understood what it represents, I now like it.
@@thebendu33 I saw them in Dallas last year and they still do a great job. One of the best "sounding" live bands I've ever heard. There will never be another, but it'd be a shame to keep everyone else's talent on a shelf because of his death.
You might like Killswitch Engage (Holy Diver), Pantera (Cemetery Gates), Jinjer (Pisces), Stone Sour (Bother), Tool (Schism), and A Perfect Circle (Judith), too, if you like Alice in Chains.
If you want to hear another AiC song where the vocalist owns the song, take a look at "Man in the Box" The singer takes the song by the reins and makes it his own. It's awesome. I fucking love you guys!!
Man In The Box Love, Hate, Love Them Bones We Die Young Would? Dam That River Down In A Hole Even his work with Mad Season River of Deceit Long Gone Day
Yes indeed and there is only one other person I’ve heard that can imitate him almost perfectly, lead singer of Second Coming Travis Bracht, look him up Here doing covers of AIC, will not dissapoint
Alone, late at night, Cantrell’s thoughts kept turning to his estranged father, whose psychological scars from his service in the Vietnam War had contributed to the breakdown of the family some years earlier. “That experience in Vietnam changed him forever,” explains Cantrell, “and it certainly had an effect on our family, so I guess it was a defining moment in my life, too. “He didn’t walk out on us. We left him. It was an environment that wasn’t good for anyone, so we took off to live with my grandmother in Washington, and that’s where I went to school. I didn’t have a lot of my father around, but I started thinking about him a lot during that period.” Sitting in front of a four-track recorder, the song that poured out of Cantrell might have been laced with bitterness. Instead, its harrowing lyrics were written from the standpoint of his father; describing the ‘stinging sweat’ and ‘mosquito death’ of a trek through the jungle, and an imagined skirmish with the Vietcong. The title was the nickname given to Cantrell Snr. by his great-grandfather: “Apparently he was a cocky little kid, and his hair used to stick up on top of his head like a rooster’s comb.”
Interesting story related to this song. During the battle of Mogadishu (the black hawk down incident in 1993) CW4 Mike Durant was shot down in his MH-60M Black Hawk by Somolian terrorists and captured for 11 days. During his captivity, his brothers in his unit (the 160th Special Ops Aviation Regiment) searched the city for him. During their search, they would play this song over loud speakers mounted on the bottom of helicopters because it was one of Mike’s favorite songs and they hoped that he would hear it, wherever he was in Mogadishu, and know that his brothers were looking for him. The story is outlined in Mike’s book “In the Company of Heroes”, good read and i highly recommend it.
Alice in Chains are my favorite band ever. So glad you guys liked it especially Ryan just freaking out over this song. I think they're the best band to come out of Seattle. If you want to react to another song by them Would? would be a great song to react to. My real request Ghost Cirice.
Man, what a gift to wake up and see you did one of my favorite bands of all time. Love your analysis of lyrics, AIC is always good for lyrical analysis as they’re always talking about something of substance. If you want another AIC song with a killer groove you can try “Rain When I Die.” Keep up the great work boys.
My Grandmas husband (not my grandpa, they split up long before I was born) But my Grandma's husband is one of the last surviving WWII vets, and once or twice a year I get to visit them and the pride in his eyes when he gets to talk about his time fighting Hitler, it's just really something to behold.
One of the things I've always, ALWAYS appreciated about Alice in Chains is the harmonies. So many bands in the early 90s had amazing vocalists, but man...NOBODY did harmonies like Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. "Heaven Beside You" and "No Excuses" are two of my favourites in that regard.
Yeah, Jerry Cantrell's dad. "Mosquito Death" is malaria, a common disease there/then. As an Afghanistan veteran, I THANK YOU for your comments about vets. I love every video I have watched so far!
Hey Blinkin Rooster was his dad's nickname in Nam but also the Vietcong called people wearing the 101st patch roosters because they didn't know what an eagle was.
Hey Blinkin I’ve heard that he got the nickname “Rooster” because of his hairdo. Some have also said that the M60 machine gun he operated produced a muzzle flash that looked like a rooster tail. Cool story nonetheless.
Peter Laing-seems legit also. I was a 60 operator for a brief period when I served. It does resemble that, I never thought about it. Makes sense. Either way, too bad Layne isn't here to tell us himself.
Fills me with joy when you guys totally get it and love it. It's like I get to discover it all over again and remember how mind blown I was myself when I first heard these songs. RIP Layne.
Awaken by Dethklok. Dethklok is a fictitious band created by this one dude named Brandon Small for an adult swim TV show called Metalocalypse. If you have the time, I'd also recommend the show. It's a lot of fun.
All true about Jerry Cantrell's dad. I am an Army historian who specializes in the Vietnam War. The song evokes the desperate bravado of a soldier who walks point in Vietnam- "I ain't gonna die." I did my Ph.D. program in Seattle during the grunge era. This song has always had a special meaning to me.
The music video is incredible. Jerry Cantrell's dad talks about his time in Vietnam. Very deep stuff. One of my all time favorite songs. Keep doing what you're doing. You guys are great.
The harmonizing voices of Layne Staley & Jerry Cantrell cannot be touched! AIC & Soungarden are the 2 BEST to come out of Seattle...imo Please give Soundgarden another chance. Maybe listen to Outshined RIP Layne Staley RIP Mike Starr
This song is about Vietnam. The singers pops was a Nam Vet. The rooster is what they called m-60 machine gun because you always heard it in the morning because that’s when the VC would attack. It was also called the pig because of the way it squealed when fired. Mosquito death was malaria found in most south East Asian countries. The pills are doxy which gave Marines and shoulders crazy night terrors. Love the reaction fellas! Keep it up!
Yeah, the line where he says "Gloria sent me pictures of my boy" resonates with me because in that line, Jerry really internalizes the meaning of the song because Gloria is his mother's name, so he is talking about his mother sending pictures of him to his father while he was away. Very moving stuff.
Ambient Cotton and the concerts?!?! Omg...foh. Shout out to my sister Becky Myers for taking me to every fkn concert she could scratch together the money for!!!
Their new Alice in Chains - Them bones reaction video brought me back to this. Crazy to see how much the quality of their videos has improved, especially the audio!
I saw "Alice in Chains" and was compelled to watch. There is absolutely nothing better than driving at dusk with a mean sunset in your rear view mirror and "Man in the Box" blasting from your sound system. You know what... It's 11:45 pm right now, I'm going out for a drive. Thanks for making this video.
laurie topp That intro gives me eargasms! And the chorus, when he yells "Feed my eyes..." It always gets me so emotionally charged... As good music should.
YES! ryan as much as you "bugged out" (hahaha) on this song you would lose your shit on "would"...very similar ambiance/groove and just so unreachably deep
BTW if you wanna get all the feels, check out their MTV Unplugged set. The opening track Nutshell might be the first time tears are shed on your channel.
pololife most definitely a tear jerker. Seeing the decline in Layne’s health. Can hear that he is missing teeth. And also that he passed. Even so you can hear the purity in his voice and how awesome his voice was
To me that doesn’t even hold a candle to Madseason’s “Wake Up”! Nutshell is my second favorite AIC song ever btw! My favorite band of all time as well!Fuckn Love it! But the song I speak of is just heart wrenching. You can feel the pain in his vocals! Some really deep shit going on there! Nutshell is a fuckn awesome song though especially live when Jerry goes off at the end!
It's such a joy to watch Ryan react to this song, I've watched this video several times because it's so genuine. That's what music is all about - that feeling.
I love how my bald brother became an instant fanboy lol. You should definitely check out Would?, Man in the box, I Stay Away, and Nutshell. You will not regret it, those songs kept me going through some dark times.
The lyrics always gave me chills. Memories of guys that went away who either never came home or were mentally destroyed when they did. Super haunting lyrics. The lyrics are true statements. Pills 💊 to fight malaria and most Vietnam vets were spat on when they returned.
Olle Areskoug I feel like they often get pushed into the typical grunge category that became such a caricature of itself that on ones takes it, or them by extension, seriously anymore. You called it, though. AiC is one of the best ever.
All kinds of yes. I can just see George reading "...in somebody else's sky, but why, why, WHHYYY can't it be... guys, I'm a mess, I... I... I can't... let's just play the music, ya'll know what I'm sayin"...cue Ryan's raucous laughter, hand clap, then a hand on George's shoulder "We cool man, we're in this together".
RIP Layne Staley. Ryan is reacting just like I did the first time I really got into them. Dirt was my first cd ever, bought it in 2008 and that album changed my life. The song Rooster is wrote about guitarist Jerry Cantrell's father who is a Veteran of the Vietnam war
Been listening to AIC my whole life. Just waking up at 3 am and going down to record is probably the best description of Layne Staley's singing I've heard
Song was written by Jerry Cantrell about his father who fought in Vietnam and was nicknamed Rooster from his youth. They never saw eye to eye being that Jerry was a long hair rocker and his father was a hard core military vet blue collar worker. His Mom, Gloria, encouraged them to heal their relationship. His father never went to his shows, but finally relented and went to a show. Upon seeing his Dad in the back of the room Jerry told the band to play Rooster. Dad heard the words and broke out in tears which led to more tears and hugs as he realized his son understood him more than he understood his son. Music changes people, heals relationships and moves hearts to places otherwise unknown.
Jeez man...
Awesome story!
Wow man, that's really cool
#TRUTH
That's awesome
George: tries to give a complex reasoning for why the song sounds the way it doe-
Ryan: THIS SHIT HARD
I know right and I love it! Pure human emotion
And he uses the exact word that captures what that sound is...
"That shit sounds so fucken cool and smooth"
COOL...ALICE IN CHAINS, THAT SHIT JUST SOUNDS--
COOL!
Laughed out loud at this
LMAO
This dynamic is why these guys are the only reaction channel i like, good balance of excitement and actual discussion.
Once you go AIC, you are never the same.
mimixownzall for real 😂
Yes. 100%
NEEE ver... fountain of another lvl
aic sticks with you. layne staley is the best vocalist ive ever heard ever.
Agreed
"THIS IS HARD! I DONT GIVE A F###!!! THIS IS HARD!" Best reaction ever ^_^
Dirt is one of the best hard rock albums of all time! RIP Layne 🤘🏻
Slap Nuts Facelift was also good but Dirt is probably their best work!
Slap Nuts word!!!
Facelift is their best...
Jar Of Flies is also a good.
That is subjective. I agree it is an amazing album, but most would agree dirt is there best. I personally like jar of flies the best, but I am pretty sure its not an album and is just an e.p.
Great song! Rooster was written about guitarist Jerry Cantrell's father who fought in Vietnam
When i first heard this song i didn't understood why the fuck a rooster would be so important and that the lyrics had some hidden meaning. When i learned about the true story about Rooster, the song became even deeper.
Love hate love, or sunshine off of Facelift by AIC!!!
The circumstances around Jerry writing the song are pretty amazing and how he wrote something so beautiful about a man he kind of hated at the time is something remarkable. Alice in Chains were an amazing piece of lightning in a bottle that we last saw in the 90s and really it was the last gasp of people really making music for the art of it in my book.
Love Sunshine, that's an overlooked gem.
Esra Blu yep all about a machine gunner in Vietnam
Ryan was on fire!💥💥💥💥
Ryan's reaction is so great to this classic
The way I felt the first time listening years ago. I can totally relate to his reaction xD
His excitement is contagious!
I still come back and watch this video to get hype about AIC again. Ryan's happiness and excitement is so pure. I wish I could hear this song for the first time again 🥲
This is the best grunge band, on the best channel. You guys win the interwebs.
xDarthBong420x I don't care what anyone says, they're a metal band not a grudge band.
Potato, Po tah to... I could care less bud.
100% Grunge Michael. Nothing says that Grunge cant have metal elements.
Soundgarden. Period.
xDarthBong420x top 3 best grunge for sure
This was the only Alice in Chains song my dad liked. I was playing it one day while we were working on my truck and when it finished he told me to come sit with him. He told me all about his experiences in Vietnam and how much this song mirrored them. He passed away last year and I'm so glad he told me about it, I wou ld have never known
Tedyhere great story brother ...
condolences, internet friend.
RIP father of Tedyhere
Wow, that's cool this song allowed you & your dad to have that moment.
Someone at the factory i worked at told me about the meaning of the song. Until then i didnt understand the lyrics
Jerry Cantrell is one of the most underrated songwriters, ever. His guitar play is not flashy but it is as soulfull as one can get and also as a singer adds as much to the songs as Layne.
Stay away (from smack) because in a nutshell: you die young if you are a junkhead!
Csaba Baráth cheers
layne was amazing but Jerry has always been the driving force behind AIC.
My dad was born in 1950, loved Beach Boys and the like. I grew up in Seattle, tried to rebel with grunge music but my dad ended up loving Alice in Chains more than I did!
LOL. I had a similar experience. Nothing kills an attempted "rebellion" faster than your parents liking your counter-culture more than you.
Your dad had a true freedom of expression instilled in him whether he seen it or not which creates the ability the achieve a higher level of understanding for music, art, and if you dig deep enough culture too.
Interesting. My dad loves Beach Boys too and he HATED this music...Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Nirvana. He hated it lol!!
I listen to The Beach Boys and Alice in Chains in the same playlist lol
@@samlosco8441 yeah I can agree some would say it gives the playlist good vibrations
I love how Ryan can't hide his excitement! 😂🤘
cadia77 he’s like a kid at Christmas, he’s so entertaining, I wish them both all the success in the world.
His glee is contagious ☀️
Love the fact he reacted like the way i did the 1st time i heard this when i was a kid
Is Ryan big head or little head?
You can watch his expression change from "okay..." to "aw yeah" at the very first stroke of the fourth chord.
I would love to see these guy's reaction when they found out that the song is about Jerry Cantrell's father's experiences in Vietnam. The song isn't based on fiction, it's based on facts.
catwrench- Was Jerry Cantrells dad the Rooster or one of his buddies. I cant remember
His Dad was the Rooster.
That's what makes this such a masterpiece.. I've probably heard this song about a thousand times and get Goosebumps everytime I hear it
It's loosely based on "facts"; Jerry said that's what he imagined his dad went through, but he really didn't have knowledge about it (his dad never talked about it). So, it's essentially fiction
catwrench3 Gloria, send me pictures of my boy!
Great reaction, guys! The song is indeed about war - - specifically about guitarist Jerry Cantrell's father and his experiences in Vietnam and the disrespect he received upon coming home. An amazing tribute. Rooster is kind of an outlier on the album itself. Dirt is an autobiographical concept album of sorts that depicts the trauma associated with extreme drug addiction - - heroin in particular. Singer Layne Staley's struggles with addiction were a heavy theme in their music and it would eventually claim his life in the saddest way imaginable. So the album is kind of a tough listen now knowing that he would eventually lose the battle.
My father is a Vietnam Veteran so every time I hear this song it hits home pretty hard.
This song always reminded me of my father, who was also a "machinegun man" in Vietnam, and some of the stories he told. Great song and striking lyrics.
Also "Rooster" was his dad's nickname in Vietnam
At a show in Houston in 93 his dad "The Rooster" came out on stage during the song. It was great.
during the year of the rooster, how apt
I must have watched this reaction like 8 times by now. Ryan's enthusiasm for the song makes me more enthusiastic about life.
Truth
YES!!
Touch'e
Well said
It’s the little things man hahaha
The one thing I'm surprised you guys didn't discuss was the tight Harmony between vocalist Layne Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. All of Alice in Chains songs are very tight when it comes to Harmony. It's amazing. You must Listen to More.
Mitch P Jerry doesn't sing in this song. All Layne
Tommy Encrapera That's rare. Usually, Jerry does sing harmony. Thanks for the correction.
I agree. If they do another Alice in chains song, I would suggest a song with a lot of harmony like No Excuses or I Stay Away.
The song is about Jerry Cantrells dad in the vietnam war, cause they use to call him the rooster
Not him specifically, it referred to American soldiers in general. They were called roosters because the Vietnamese mistook the eagle insignia.
Dill, Im so glad you explained that to everyone. So much meaning behind this song. Jerry interviewed his dad about the war and his dad delivered.
HorribleHank - not true, look at the Wikipedia page. Rooster was Layne's dad's nickname since he was a kid due to the way his hair stood up.
Brew78 Wikipedia is not a definitive source of information. Right now it has four different explanations on what 'Rooster' refers to, including mine...
HorribleHank - That is absolutely true. Wikipedia is just the first link I found in doing a quick search. The primary info I was going on was from a video I watched awhile back, I forget if it was a documentary or a Behind the Music. It described how he wrote it for his father, and seeing him in the back of the audience with tears in his eyes the first time he heard it. Not finding a link to that specifically, how about this article?
teamrock.com/feature/2006-11-15/the-story-behind-the-song-rooster-by-alice-in-chains
Jerry is a friend of mine. I'm sending this to him asap. Well done lads. I got a tear in my eye from your canid reactions, all of which I share. Peace.
Great and only reaction anyone should have to this song. I agree, well done and the reaction was priceless but expected by us that get it and know it :)
Wow that's awesome! I'm a bit of a Stevie Ray Vaughan historian and working on a project that aims to expose to the public the true legacy of his music and change how they view him, and I saw at one point in my research that Jerry met with Tommy Shannon (Stevie's bassist) and talked about Stevie. If you ever have time to ask Jerry, I'd like to know more about that discussion and his views on Stevie and his music. Take care.
Tell Jerry this is a phenomenal song, and not to pat my own back, but out of reverence for Layne, i tear this song up every time I sing it. Absolute masterwork.
@@30AndHatingIt I respect your work big time. Nobody, but nobody has ever brutalized and made sweet love to a guitar so well as Stevie. Keep the flame alive!
@@troys9222 The project is going to take years, but I'll keep at it because the man deserves it. The majority of the public doesn't know his true legacy... they just play the same 2 or 3 songs on the radio over and over, never playing his true masterpieces from the live performances. It's like the Mona Lisa never being seen, it's THAT messed up.
When Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell blend their voices together, they create this beautifully dark, ethereal timbre that can make a melody melt into your bones. For me, The Everly Brothers were the greatest vocal duo but Jerry and Layne draw their breath from the same rarefied air.
Like chocolate velvet.
I like this comment.
Damn how did you articulate that man ?
I mean this is just brilliantly stated and I've probably never agreed more with anyone's opinion more than I agree with this. I have nothing to add but a thank you for sharing such artful and emotive commentary that perfectly sums up how I feel when I listen to Layne and Jerry.
Rooster is about Jerry Cantrell's (the lead guitarist for Alice In Chains) father and his experiences while in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. His father's nickname in his army regiment was "The Rooster". The song was written at a time when Jerry and his father's relationship was distant and somewhat estranged. When his father heard the song he said it captured exactly how the war was for him and how he felt about it and actually served to bring Jerry and his father close together than ever before.
I thought I read somewhere, Jerry and his dad wrote the song together?
Thanks for sharing that man. Rooster and Faraway Coast(dropkick murphys) are two of the most poignant war songs I've heard I think.
"The loneliness strikes like an enemy shell. I pray for my home, but still sit here in hell."
Not the song , It was the music video where his father served as a consultant to recreate what happened to him on Vietnam and stuff.
I thought it was Jerry's uncle?
Check out Lucero's "the War." That one is up there too my friend. Although Layne's vocals are the "eeriest." IMO
Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell had two of the most beautiful harmonizing voices EVER!!
I wish Layne was still here with us to sing more beautiful songs
Short Side Snipe Yeah, real shame. What makes it worse was that it was one of the most predictable deaths ever.
Short Side Snipe me too, alice in chains will always be my favorite band
Dirt was such a heroin addicts cry for help, from sickman to rain when i die to junkhead, you could tell Layne had a problem, he will forever be lost to us👊
I agree, I was expecting it for a while. People can't save someone who doesn't feel worth saving. No matter how much we loved him and his music.
This whole CD was over the top' crying out. We all knew it, we all felt it. It helped me through my 20's actually.It was in a denser, darker bleaker place that gave buoyancy to my own existence.
I am a 75 year old woman and I absolutely love Alice In Chains. This song brings me right back to the Vietnam war. I am going to see them one month from today. Will miss Layne but so glad to see them before I am no more.
Hope you're still here. Love AIC!!
I hope you had a great time, AIC still rules and puts on a great show. Long live Jerry and AIC
So cool to see a person really far from my age hearing this music, im 19 and this music still rings true today
It's really embarrassing that you felt the need to say you're a 75 year old woman.
@@jonb2756 there is nothing embarrassing about that at all, she simply stated her age to give more context to her comment and that she was actually around during the Vietnam war. Literally one of the dumbest things I’ve seen someone call embarrassing because nothing about that comment is even remotely embarrassing, your comment is legitimately more embarrassing then the actual original comment from the lady.
Staley. An incredible voice. RIP.
The BEST grunge singer EVER..
Agent4777 Probably the most tragic and saddening story of any artist at least in recent memory. Absolutely destroys me to even think about those final years.
Haut Strange gotta celebrate Layne instead bro, keep his music alive for him. Keep playing it, make sure younger people are aware of what he gave us. Don’t think about the bad stuff. We are all gonna end up a big old bag of them bones anyway.
Great advice Agent4777!! You describe the impact of his voice and influence in a nutshell..AND how we should all give the younger generations what we had in the 90's, even though he's down in a hole..
Sorry, i couldnt resist, i'm a sickman!
Agreed Tim. No one could touch him.
10:00 "It's fire! I know I say that like 18 times in the fuckin video but that, that was----dope. DOPE!"
Ryan you kill me man. lmao. Props on the editing!
Ryan is a closet metal/grunge head.
Connie Whittington I definitely think so LOL
Not so closet. Just uninitiated.
Yesssssss!!
At the very least, he appreciates well-constructed music (they both do, it seems really).
i can proudly say the same thing and i love it
Alice in Chains is interesting in that their sound has never been duplicated and it never ages. It always sounds good. If you go long enough between listens, it is like hearing it for the first time all over again..because no one sounds like this.
Finally Alice in Chains!!! Do Would? by them next!
I'd love to hear them react to Down In A Hole
Here’s a fun game to play: take a shot every time Ryan says “this is hot,” “this is dope,” or “this is fire.” DISCLAIMER: do not actually do this, you will be drunk in at most 1 minute😂
layne staley was so very good ... i have to mention "river of deceit" by mad season another layne staley project
That whole Mad Season record is amazing. Though I wouldn't necessarily call it a "layne staley project." He sang on it, but the band was put together by Pearl Jam's Mike McCready.
Love that one
ya you are correct im just not a pearl jam fan so i used prejudice :) heh sorry
Take a shot every time Ryan says, "this is fire/hot!"
Sometimes I feel life he’s saying “hard” not “hot”
@@giorgioverigo3952 he does say "hard" at times
And now I have alcohol poisoning!
I'M NOT DRUNK, YOU'RE DRUNK *retch*
Can't. Gotta work tomorrow.
Layne Staley was one of the best and underrated singers of all time. I would have personally recommended another AIC track since I've heard Rooster a billion times on the radio but I enjoyed how Ryan went nuts over this one; It reminds me how great the song actually is.
Bill Vrabel
Underrated my ass. Jerry is underrated.
Occifer FigPucker Damn right. People give Layne all the credit when Jerry was 50% of the vocals, wrote most of the songs, and sang most of the lead vocals on the Self-titled, and every album that followed. Not to take anything away from Layne's incredible talent, but AIC has been able to carry on without him. I'm not sure they would be able to if it were the other way around. He is easily the most influential guitarist and songwriter of the 90's.
Set Abominae
People also don't give Duvall enough credit. He's led the band nearly as long as Layne did. Has been exceptional not only at frontmanning but also not falling into drugs and breaking the band up. He's a great musician and he fits well with Alice.
Occifer FigPucker Duvall is great. He may not have the power behind his voice like Layne did, but he blends well with Cantrell and that's the important thing.
That album Dirt by Alice In Chains is top 5 all time!
This song was written about the guitarists father (Nicknamed the Rooster) during the Vietnam war and how he hoped to get back to his young son. #RIPLayneStaley (vocals) I agree with Azcension Seven about "Temple of the Dog - Hunger Strike". If you haven't yet heard any Chris Cornell lyrics/voice with Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) they will seriously move you.
Carl1781 Right. And I've always thought "Down In A Hole" was also about Vietnam, although I may be wrong.
def. agree with the temple of the dog
Wrong. The symbol of the regiment he was in had a hawk , no vietamneese word for hawk. No hawks in Vietnam. So they called it a rooster . Snuff the rooster=kill his platoon
MYTH and WRONG!!! Check your facts, If you look hard enough you will find a video by Jerry Cantrell telling the background..... "Rooster" was a childhood nickname given to my father by his great-grandfather, because he was a cocky little kid and his hair used to stick up on top of his head like a rooster's comb". Your version is as you so bluntly say.... Wrong !!!
songmeanings.com/m/songs/view/11812/
Rooster was a common nickname for M60 machine gunners in Vietnam because the muzzle flash looked like a rooster tail. They had the shortest life expectancy of any other personnel because it was a priority for the enemy to take down the machine gunner. "Here they come to snuff the rooster."
I carried one for 11 months, I totally loved that machine gun!!
It’s about his dad who’s nickname was rooster
@@skibooski6884 And his dad was a M60 machine gunner, my point still stands.
@@Angi-no-e thank you, I learned something new today.
@@Angi-no-e I think there are three things that has to do with roosters:
1. His dad’s nickname was apparently Rooster as a kid.
2. Muzzle flash, they mention in the song “walking tall machine gun man”
3. “Here they come to snuff the rooster” has to do with that the 101st Airborne had a bald eagle as their emblem, which Vietnamese mistook as a rooster because they had no bald eagles in their country. From what I can understand at least.
So no one here said anything that was wrong. No need to argue.
Nutshell by AIC next ... one of their best songs !!!! Laynes vocals on nutshell are beyond amazing ! Do the live version tho , you can totally feel the emotion Layne sings with . I think you guys will love it , maybe even shed a tear
David H truly one of his best singing songs and lyrical songs with great feeling. Probably my favorite Alice in Chains song. Definitely in the top three Alice in Chains songs.
David H anything from the unplugged set is so emotional!
Riece Truss true enough , but nutshell is my fave AIC song , that one gets me every time
Nutshell live is something you have to just sit and listen to and not try to react to it in my opinion
That and Rotten Apple
Watch Ryan all the way through this, from the first chord. It's visual representation of music taking a man over. As he starts to get excited about the song, he can't sit still, he's constantly smiling, he loses control of himself a bit,. Easily the best reaction video on the internet....
yup
Barry Napier I love this video, love Ryan’s reactions. “This sounds so cool, so smooth” he is one of my favorite RUclipsrs. This and Outshined are two of my fave on this channel. Also “holy wars” “one” the Gojira vids.... love this channel.
@@cl7510 My favourite's still their Gojira - Heaviest Matter of the Universe reaction, but this is definitely up there!
I can relate. 1991 me.
Watch their reaction to Tool - Pneuma.
Rooster is the father of guitarist, Jerry Cantrells, nickname in vietnam. Thats what the song was about. The original bass player is dead too. Drugs took a lot of the best artist from this era.
Omar Munoz thanks for back story
Not just any drug...heroin! Worst shit ever derived, some fucking evil chemists put that together and will pay in eternal damnation for inventing such an evil life-taker!
😢😚😥
Also the VC called the 101st airborne soldiers “roostermen” because they didn’t know what an eagle is.
It wasn't created by chemists. It's naturally made by the opium poppy flower bud
I've been listening to this song for something like 27 years and it's still just as god damned good as the first day I heard it.
You are damn correct. I still get goosebumps all these years later.
Try singing it in a tent in the middle of Turkey with about 30 drunk military dudes. Good times...
One of the very few songs that can hit me after listening for so many years
...yeah here comes the booster...ahhh yeaaaaah
You're god damned right
Alice in Chains DOWN IN A HOLE!
The entire "Dirt" album is absolutely incredible and all-time. "Down in a Hole" is my favorite track on it.
It IS a fantastic album. Down In A Hole is terrific 🙂, and I think Rain When I Die is a frequently overlooked song that showcases Layne's vocal talent.
@@detectivekornfed junkhead too
I violently sob everytime I hear down in a hole. Especially the mtv unplugged version. Shit rips at your guts. I love it. No other song ever affected me like that.
That whole frickin album is just gold. Layne was just gold. Idk how else to put it
@@jasonx4008 , Layne is absolutely fantastic on Junkhead as well. 🙂
Y’all should react to “Would?” next, another banger from this band. 🔥
Jeremiah buckel Me too.
Justin Brown I was just about to request that lol
Layne's style of singing is a lazy aggression, the biggest factors to this is he sings behind the beat and (mainly because he was strung out constantly) he naturally sounds like he is using little effort, absolute great talent (some people don't pick it up be he uses some twang at the end of lines to add to the uniqueness of his sound)
Lazy aggression is quite possibly the best description I've heard for Layne's voice. I'm totally stealing this description from you haha.
Yeah, I've been trying to play and sing it and it's so hard to put the words in time with the strumming on the verses.
"Rooster" was written as a tribute to Jerry Cantrell's (Alice In Chains' guitarist) father, who was a Vietnam Vet and whose nickname/call sign was "Rooster." Awesone work!
Good job getting the origin story out quickly. Such a badass song.
I initially thought it was about his uncle, but now that I read what you posted, you're right, it was about his Dad in Vietnam. I was never a big fan of this song when it first came out, but as I got older and understood what it represents, I now like it.
Listen to Nutshell by Alice in Chains... I guarantee you will have goosebumps
Adam Šima one of my favorite AIC songs and favorite albums period
I Stay Away gives me goosebumps as well as Nutshell, albeit for different reasons.
Adam Šima Studio or Unplugged? I feel like the Unplugged version is superior. Much more emotional.
Pretty much all of Jar of Flies gives me goosebumps
Both of them are awesome for me, but personally i like the studio one a little more.
Damn y’all gotta do Nutshell by Alice In Chains. Soooo much meaning in the lyrics, and he conveys the picture/message perfectly
Noah Temple
Absolutely correct Noah
One of my favorite songs off my favorite AIC album
Could not agree more
Nutshell is my favorite song from AiC. That one is gonna make the playlist for sure ! Give this a thumps up please !
I would push the Unplugged version though too.
Damn this dude losing his head over this song is SO epic!! Hes like "I dont care I like this!!!!" What a great reaction. Right on man! 🔥🤘🤘
"I feel like if you were to wake up a singer at three in the morning".. lol I'm dead. That's some real shit.
LOL Oh man
Nah not too cold bruh, just truth. :(((
nodding and raving doesnt sound like a good time
Ryan I love how much you got into the song! 😂😂 y’all are great!
He's like a kid. It's awesome.
Kayla Fisher come on guys please do smashing pumpkins thru the eyes of Ruby!!!!!
It tends to happen when you listen to fire songs from already amazing bands/artists!
Oh please A Perfect Circle "Judith" review! Thanx
Man in the box is another great song, there never be another Layne Staley, he will be sorely missed 😢
Brenda Cloud check out the band Chout, you’ll be absolutely amazed!!!
God I miss layne Alice just isn’t the same without him 😢💔
@@travishopkins5311 no. But the new stuff is pretty good too.
@@thebendu33 I saw them in Dallas last year and they still do a great job. One of the best "sounding" live bands I've ever heard. There will never be another, but it'd be a shame to keep everyone else's talent on a shelf because of his death.
@@djjazzyjeff1232 agree
RIP Layne Staley, one of THE best lead singers ever!!
You might like Killswitch Engage (Holy Diver), Pantera (Cemetery Gates), Jinjer (Pisces), Stone Sour (Bother), Tool (Schism), and A Perfect Circle (Judith), too, if you like Alice in Chains.
“Would”by Alice In Chains is another good one
angel mena IT IS! I'm so glad you realised that!
Their best.....
Or Tool - The Pot. It's got that funk that you like. It's a mastahpiece
I think The Pot is a good medium ground for their next Tool song
Agreed
I dunno. I think Disgustipated would be better
Druja Bear the whole undertow album is amazing, very underrated
That bass on The Pot may make Ryan's head explode😊
George... since you're such a drum geek... you should really give Would by Alice In Chains a listen. AS always... great review guys.
we die young, angry chair
I come back to this every now and then to relive the feeling of hearing this song for the first time. love that you guys captured this reaction..
If you want to hear another AiC song where the vocalist owns the song, take a look at "Man in the Box" The singer takes the song by the reins and makes it his own. It's awesome. I fucking love you guys!!
Man in the Box or Bleed the Freak live at the Moore - shit, that whole concert - unbelievable vocals.
Man In The Box
Love, Hate, Love
Them Bones
We Die Young
Would?
Dam That River
Down In A Hole
Even his work with Mad Season
River of Deceit
Long Gone Day
Who are we if we don't take care of our veterans?" = instant subscribe.
Aqua Lung same here I loved how they liked the song then they said this and instant follow
Same here!!!
same here and I NEVER subscribe to anything. RIP Layne. Great job Lost in Vegas - you guys are killing it with this series, especially the Rush. Out
So much respect for this channel after that line.
Ditto
Layne Staley had such a powerful voice
Yes indeed and there is only one other person I’ve heard that can imitate him almost perfectly, lead singer of Second Coming Travis Bracht, look him up Here doing covers of AIC, will not dissapoint
Alone, late at night, Cantrell’s thoughts kept turning to his estranged father, whose psychological scars from his service in the Vietnam War had contributed to the breakdown of the family some years earlier. “That experience in Vietnam changed him forever,” explains Cantrell, “and it certainly had an effect on our family, so I guess it was a defining moment in my life, too.
“He didn’t walk out on us. We left him. It was an environment that wasn’t good for anyone, so we took off to live with my grandmother in Washington, and that’s where I went to school. I didn’t have a lot of my father around, but I started thinking about him a lot during that period.”
Sitting in front of a four-track recorder, the song that poured out of Cantrell might have been laced with bitterness. Instead, its harrowing lyrics were written from the standpoint of his father; describing the ‘stinging sweat’ and ‘mosquito death’ of a trek through the jungle, and an imagined skirmish with the Vietcong. The title was the nickname given to Cantrell Snr. by his great-grandfather: “Apparently he was a cocky little kid, and his hair used to stick up on top of his head like a rooster’s comb.”
Interesting story related to this song. During the battle of Mogadishu (the black hawk down incident in 1993) CW4 Mike Durant was shot down in his MH-60M Black Hawk by Somolian terrorists and captured for 11 days. During his captivity, his brothers in his unit (the 160th Special Ops Aviation Regiment) searched the city for him. During their search, they would play this song over loud speakers mounted on the bottom of helicopters because it was one of Mike’s favorite songs and they hoped that he would hear it, wherever he was in Mogadishu, and know that his brothers were looking for him. The story is outlined in Mike’s book “In the Company of Heroes”, good read and i highly recommend it.
That's the sort of comments I like to read. Cool story, thanks for sharing!
That’s amazing. I seen the movie a few times but never knew that. Thanks for that.
Wow... that is a really fascinating inside story.....
A little late, but awesome story!!! Never new that!
My father was wounded during operation gothic serpent "black hawk down" largest firefight since vietnam.
Alice in Chains are my favorite band ever. So glad you guys liked it especially Ryan just freaking out over this song. I think they're the best band to come out of Seattle. If you want to react to another song by them Would? would be a great song to react to.
My real request Ghost Cirice.
Would? is hauntingly incredible.
anger hard statement to make. The 90s had A LOT of amazing bands. They're certainly in the convo tho.
Man, what a gift to wake up and see you did one of my favorite bands of all time. Love your analysis of lyrics, AIC is always good for lyrical analysis as they’re always talking about something of substance. If you want another AIC song with a killer groove you can try “Rain When I Die.” Keep up the great work boys.
I honestly think Layne's best song was Wake Up by Mad Season. You can hear every ounce of emotion in every word.
Yep
Absolutely brother!!
Or black book of fear
Agreed, his AIC vocals are phenomenal but his best work was on the Mad Season record.
Ryan this song is playlist for sure R.I.P Layne one of my favorite singers of all time its time for some pantera - Cemetery Gates
man you guys need to listen to Nutshell by these guys, it's such a gorgeous song
couldn't agree more. Especially live.
Vietnam War. Malaria = mosquito death. Gloria was Jerry’s mom. This song was written in tribute to Jerry’s Dad and all the Vietnam vets. RIP Layne.
I never knew what that line was. I could have looked it up but I always thought it was "love ya sending pictures of my boy".. It's Gloria!!
My Grandmas husband (not my grandpa, they split up long before I was born) But my Grandma's husband is one of the last surviving WWII vets, and once or twice a year I get to visit them and the pride in his eyes when he gets to talk about his time fighting Hitler, it's just really something to behold.
One of the things I've always, ALWAYS appreciated about Alice in Chains is the harmonies. So many bands in the early 90s had amazing vocalists, but man...NOBODY did harmonies like Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. "Heaven Beside You" and "No Excuses" are two of my favourites in that regard.
That song was wrote about the guitar players dad when he was in Vietnam...the rooster was his war name...good job guys keep it up
Yeah, Jerry Cantrell's dad. "Mosquito Death" is malaria, a common disease there/then. As an Afghanistan veteran, I THANK YOU for your comments about vets. I love every video I have watched so far!
I heard or maybe read somewhere the Rooster is in reference to the Eagle patch some infantry had on their sleeve.
Hey Blinkin Rooster was his dad's nickname in Nam but also the Vietcong called people wearing the 101st patch roosters because they didn't know what an eagle was.
Hey Blinkin I’ve heard that he got the nickname “Rooster” because of his hairdo. Some have also said that the M60 machine gun he operated produced a muzzle flash that looked like a rooster tail. Cool story nonetheless.
Peter Laing-seems legit also. I was a 60 operator for a brief period when I served. It does resemble that, I never thought about it. Makes sense. Either way, too bad Layne isn't here to tell us himself.
Fills me with joy when you guys totally get it and love it. It's like I get to discover it all over again and remember how mind blown I was myself when I first heard these songs.
RIP Layne.
Awaken by Dethklok.
Dethklok is a fictitious band created by this one dude named Brandon Small for an adult swim TV show called Metalocalypse. If you have the time, I'd also recommend the show. It's a lot of fun.
Brandon Small accomplishes some amazing things in Dethklok, for basically being a one-man band!
Brendan Small is awesome. He also shows up in the D&D podcast Nerd Poker and he's hilarious in it.
Mermaider
Murmaider*
Yes......yes OF COURSE!
All true about Jerry Cantrell's dad. I am an Army historian who specializes in the Vietnam War. The song evokes the desperate bravado of a soldier who walks point in Vietnam- "I ain't gonna die." I did my Ph.D. program in Seattle during the grunge era. This song has always had a special meaning to me.
The music video is incredible. Jerry Cantrell's dad talks about his time in Vietnam. Very deep stuff. One of my all time favorite songs. Keep doing what you're doing. You guys are great.
The harmonizing voices of Layne Staley & Jerry Cantrell cannot be touched! AIC & Soungarden are the 2 BEST to come out of Seattle...imo
Please give Soundgarden another chance. Maybe listen to Outshined
RIP Layne Staley
RIP Mike Starr
You forgot Nirvana
RIP Layne
The vocals on this track are so sick🔥🔥His voice is so dynamic..I don't think people understand how great he was💯
This song is about Vietnam. The singers pops was a Nam Vet. The rooster is what they called m-60 machine gun because you always heard it in the morning because that’s when the VC would attack. It was also called the pig because of the way it squealed when fired. Mosquito death was malaria found in most south East Asian countries. The pills are doxy which gave Marines and shoulders crazy night terrors. Love the reaction fellas! Keep it up!
ROOSTER was the nickname of guitarist Jerry Cantrell's father. Jerry wrote the song about his perception of his dad's experience during war.
Yeah that's what I always thought, that it was Cantrell's dad and Rooster was his call sign. Either way rad tune!
Yeah, the line where he says "Gloria sent me pictures of my boy" resonates with me because in that line, Jerry really internalizes the meaning of the song because Gloria is his mother's name, so he is talking about his mother sending pictures of him to his father while he was away. Very moving stuff.
That doesn't make sense, an m60 ain't gonna die? lol
Joshua Ryan exactly. It's about Laynes father. Ryan and George grasping it so well definitely is poignant
As a teenager, The 90's was an amazing time for rock/metal music. So many amazing bands.
Ambient Cotton and the concerts?!?! Omg...foh.
Shout out to my sister Becky Myers for taking me to every fkn concert she could scratch together the money for!!!
Truly was. I miss the 90's dearly
The Grudge By tool!!!!!!!!
Judith by a Perfect Circle!!!!!!!!
Great reaction!! Such a great song
From 6:23 Ryan's excitement turns to pure goosebumps at 6:30. Takes me back to when I was about 15 years old and this band changed my life.
Hey I found this band recently and I'm 15 😳
Damnn, Me To
Changed my life too.
If you like this song, you'll LOVE "Would?"
Glad you like the song fellas. Alice In Chains is legendary.
Gotta do one for “down in a hole” by Alice In Chains
I second this!!
Rooster is great, but it's like the worse version of Down in a Hole.
Agreed!
Their new Alice in Chains - Them bones reaction video brought me back to this. Crazy to see how much the quality of their videos has improved, especially the audio!
Yeah, they're no longer invading your personal space by being in your face, haha
I saw "Alice in Chains" and was compelled to watch. There is absolutely nothing better than driving at dusk with a mean sunset in your rear view mirror and "Man in the Box" blasting from your sound system. You know what... It's 11:45 pm right now, I'm going out for a drive. Thanks for making this video.
Tujuana Smithen I like Would or Angry Chair as my favorite. But Man In The Box is great. My son's middle name is Layne is after Layne Staley.
hell yeah! man in the 📦.....that intro tho !!!!!! buried in my SHIT!
would is the shit too, also no excuses. i mean aic just rocks period!
laurie topp That intro gives me eargasms! And the chorus, when he yells "Feed my eyes..." It always gets me so emotionally charged... As good music should.
Type O Negative was GREAT in concert.
Listen to Alice in Chains - Would, you're gonna love the bass sound!
PetarBlade Štrok fav song by them
I agree completely!
PetarBlade Štrok hell yeah, Would is the shit!
And they break down the lyrics, so I’m interested to see if they’d be able to realize that it’s written in the point of view of an addict who relapsed
YES! ryan as much as you "bugged out" (hahaha) on this song you would lose your shit on "would"...very similar ambiance/groove and just so unreachably deep
BTW if you wanna get all the feels, check out their MTV Unplugged set. The opening track Nutshell might be the first time tears are shed on your channel.
pololife
most definitely a tear jerker.
Seeing the decline in Layne’s health.
Can hear that he is missing teeth.
And also that he passed.
Even so you can hear the purity in his voice and how awesome his voice was
NUTSHELL
To me that doesn’t even hold a candle to Madseason’s “Wake Up”! Nutshell is my second favorite AIC song ever btw! My favorite band of all time as well!Fuckn Love it! But the song I speak of is just heart wrenching. You can feel the pain in his vocals! Some really deep shit going on there! Nutshell is a fuckn awesome song though especially live when Jerry goes off at the end!
Whole heartedly agree
Try Golden age from Beck. Fanfuckintastic!
It's such a joy to watch Ryan react to this song, I've watched this video several times because it's so genuine. That's what music is all about - that feeling.
Lane Staley is one of the greatest and most tragic losses ever in the music world. So sad.
System of a Down please.
Spiders preferably.
Layne is my favorite vocalists ever, but Dax Riggs is a close second!
weighed only 39kg at death :(
Another tragedy : your spelling of Layne's good name, as if it were a mere narrow road, especially in a rural area.
Cy Brunel ...as if the spelling of his name is the important part of my message. Thanks for focusing on the truly crucial things in life.
I love how my bald brother became an instant fanboy lol. You should definitely check out Would?, Man in the box, I Stay Away, and Nutshell. You will not regret it, those songs kept me going through some dark times.
Alice In Chains- Would?
Or
Down In a Hole😁
DOWN IN A HOLE
My Father who served 2 tours in the Mekong Delta said the, "Rooster" was the M60 gunner, after the red tail it left from the flash suppressor.
You guys are really good at analysing lyrics and piecing it together
I noticed it in all the videos where "hiphop heads" react to metal. it must come from their background as listeners
Next Alice and chains song should be Nutshell
Alice in Chains : (Would? ) for the next song Please!! love you guys! R I P : Layne Staley
The lyrics always gave me chills. Memories of guys that went away who either never came home or were mentally destroyed when they did. Super haunting lyrics. The lyrics are true statements. Pills 💊 to fight malaria and most Vietnam vets were spat on when they returned.
Alice in chains is just one of those god tier bands man. Hope you guys do some other songs by them, like Down in a hole. Cheers and have a good one.
Olle Areskoug I feel like they often get pushed into the typical grunge category that became such a caricature of itself that on ones takes it, or them by extension, seriously anymore. You called it, though. AiC is one of the best ever.
Check out Pearl Jam Black, it will change your life and make grown men fight a tear. One of the most beautiful constructed songs in rock EVER
Yesss and they should react to the Mtv Unplugged version, it’s amazing to watch that performance!
All kinds of yes. I can just see George reading "...in somebody else's sky, but why, why, WHHYYY can't it be... guys, I'm a mess, I... I... I can't... let's just play the music, ya'll know what I'm sayin"...cue Ryan's raucous laughter, hand clap, then a hand on George's shoulder "We cool man, we're in this together".
Soooo f'n true Scott...reminds me of basic training 1992, lots of tears for sure :)
RIP Layne Staley. Ryan is reacting just like I did the first time I really got into them. Dirt was my first cd ever, bought it in 2008 and that album changed my life. The song Rooster is wrote about guitarist Jerry Cantrell's father who is a Veteran of the Vietnam war
Been listening to AIC my whole life. Just waking up at 3 am and going down to record is probably the best description of Layne Staley's singing I've heard