Released: June 8, 1993

Songwriter: Mike Inez Sean Kinney Jerry Cantrell Layne Staley

Producer: Andy Wallace Alice in Chains

How the mind does shout for rest
When the body's shaking, yeah
Oh the tightness in my chest
Still your leaves I'm raking
Lord, is this a test
Was it fun creating, yeah?
My god's a little sick
And he wants me crazy

Who are you who can say it's okay to live through me?
Live to be part of me, you're a wrinkled magazine, yeah

Was it something that I said?
Was it how they're breaking, yeah
I'm so selfish, paying your rent
While your blood I'm taking

You spend me like a tree dirty dollar bills for leaves
Dark in a sea of my seeds and the tears on which you feed
You feed

Your body is a temple, a dormant altar to where
Infantile men lie around itching and nibbling
For a small piece of sanity of which you can not give

Shit!

Individuality
Buying penance with my soul
And a little Heaven spent
Why the hell not take it?

Thieves, parasites hide from life
You know they'll remember me
They are abhorred in self-worth
All that matters much to me

Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains are a Seattle-based rock band. They rose to international fame in the early 1990s as part of the ‘grunge’ movement. They are one of the most critically and commercially acclaimed acts of the 90s. Their first 3 studio albums all went multi-platinum and they have received 8 Grammy nominations for Best Hard Rock performance (sadly, never winning once).

Their unique sound comes from the harmonized vocals of co-founders Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell, as showcased in some of their biggest songs like “No Excuses” from Jar of Flies, “Angry Chair” from Dirt and “Again” from the self-titled album. Cantrell also serves as the primary songwriter and guitarist of the band.

The band was never restricted to grunge. Cantrell believes it to be heavy metal; and indeed a lot of modern heavy metal bands cite Alice in Chains as an influence, including Metallica for Death Magnetic.