Down in a Hole

Last updated
"Down in a Hole"
Downinahole.JPG
Single by Alice in Chains
from the album Dirt
ReleasedAugust 30, 1993[ citation needed ]
Studio
Genre Grunge [1]
Length5:38
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Jerry Cantrell
Producer(s)
Alice in Chains singles chronology
"What the Hell Have I"
(1993)		"Down in a Hole"
(1993)		"No Excuses"
(1994)
Music video
"Down in a Hole" on YouTube

"Down in a Hole" is a power ballad [2] by Alice in Chains, and the fifth and last single from their album Dirt (1992). It is the twelfth song on most pressings of the album and fourth or eleventh on others. [3] The song was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell for his then-girlfriend, Courtney Clarke. [4] The single spent 21 weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks and peaked at No. 10. [5] The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999) and Music Bank (1999). An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged in 1996 was released in a live album and DVD.

Contents

Origin and recording

Songwriter and guitarist Jerry Cantrell was at first hesitant to present the song to the band, feeling that the song was too soft, but after a positive response from the band, they followed through and recorded it. [6] The composition is written in A♭ minor, utilizing Dorian mode, and is centered mainly around A♭ minor - G♭ major - D♭ major chord progression, with Layne Staley's and Jerry Cantrell's vocal parts intricately harmonizing. [6]

Lyrics

Jerry Cantrell wrote the song for his then-girlfriend, Courtney Clarke. [7] In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set collection, Cantrell said of the song:

["Down in a Hole"]'s in my top three, personally. It's to my long-time love. It's the reality of my life, the path I've chosen and in a weird way it kind of foretold where we are right now. It's hard for us to both understand...that this life is not conducive to much success with long-term relationships. [4] [8]

Release and reception

"Down in a Hole" was released as a single in 1993. [9] "Down in a Hole" peaked at number ten on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The UK single was released in October 1993. [10] "Down in a Hole" reached the top 40 in the UK and the top 30 in Ireland.

Ned Raggett of AllMusic said that "Staley's...half-strangled but still amazingly evocative performance...is heartfelt and almost yearning" and that "the end result feels like a ruined man looking for some sort of comfort." [11] Stereogum said of the song; "Down in a Hole" is an anthem of loss, revulsion, and depression. But it really is an anthem first and foremost. The verses build slowly to a soaring chorus with an irrepressible melody. Staley's pained howl guides the song, but its power derives from Cantrell's terrific harmonies, which give the piece heft and also a sense of unease." [12] In 2014, Loudwire ranked the song number eight on their list of the 10 greatest Alice in Chains songs, [13] and in 2021, Kerrang ranked the song number three on their list of the 20 greatest Alice in Chains songs. [14]

Music video

"Down in a Hole" became one of the five video-singles from the album Dirt. The music video was released in 1993 and was directed by Nigel Dick. The video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos . Bassist Mike Inez appears in the video although the original track was recorded with original member Mike Starr. Starr was fired from the group in early 1993 and replaced by Inez.

Live performances

Alice in Chains performed the song live for the first time on October 5, 1992, at the Coca-Cola Starplex in Dallas, Texas. [15]

Alice in Chains performed an acoustic version of "Down in a Hole" for its appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1996, and the song was included on the Unplugged live album and home video release. [16]

Another acoustic live version of "Down in a Hole" featuring new vocalist William DuVall on lead vocals is included on the Japanese version of Black Gives Way to Blue (2009) as a bonus track. [17]

Cover versions

The song was covered by professional baseball player Bronson Arroyo on his 2005 album, Covering the Bases , [18] which lists the song as "Down in the Hole". [19]

On his low-key 2007 tour—in support of his album Easy Tiger , Ryan Adams covered the song live with his band, The Cardinals. [20] A cover of the song is also featured on Adams' 2007 EP Follow the Lights . [21]

The Vitamin String Quartet recorded an instrumental version of the song for their 2009 album "The String Quartet Tribute to Alice in Chains". [22]

The Christian metal band Demon Hunter perform an acoustic version of the song on the deluxe edition of their 2011 album The World Is a Thorn. [23]

Swedish metal band In Flames covered the song on their covers EP, "Down, Wicked & No Good", released in November 2017. [24]

American hardcore punk band Code Orange covered the song on their live album Under the Skin in 2020.[ citation needed ]

"Down in a Hole" was released as a downloadable content for the music video game Rocksmith 2014 on December 12, 2017, as part of the Alice in Chains Song Pack II, which also includes the songs "Rooster", "No Excuses", "Nutshell" and "Heaven Beside You". [25]

The song is also available as a DLC for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 game Rock Band 4 .

Track listings

CD single (659751–2)

  1. "Down in a Hole" (radio edit) – 3:53
  2. "Down in a Hole" – 5:40
  3. "What the Hell Have I" – 4:00
  4. "Rooster" – 6:15

12-inch single (659751–6)

Side 1

  1. "Down in a Hole"
  2. "A Little Bitter"

Side 2

  1. "Rooster"
  2. "Love, Hate, Love"

7-inch single (659751–7)

Side 1

  1. "Down in a Hole" (radio edit)

Side 2

  1. "Rooster"

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1993)Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA) [26] 29
UK Singles (OCC) [27] 36
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [28] 10

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [29] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United StatesAugust 30, 1993Radio Columbia [ citation needed ]
United KingdomOctober 11, 1993
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
 [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice in Chains</span> American rock band

Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987. Since 2006, the band's lineup has comprised vocalist/guitarists Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney. Vocalist Layne Staley and bassist Mike Starr are former members of the band, having died in 2002 and 2011, respectively. The band took its name from Staley's previous group, Alice N' Chains. Often associated with grunge music, Alice in Chains' sound and style is deeply rooted in heavy metal music. The band is known for its distinctive vocal style, which often included the harmonized vocals between Staley and Cantrell, making Alice in Chains a two-vocal band.

<i>Dirt</i> (Alice in Chains album) 1992 studio album by Alice in Chains

Dirt is the second studio album by American rock band Alice in Chains, released on September 29, 1992 by Columbia Records. Peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, the album received critical acclaim. It has since been certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), making Dirt the band's highest selling album to date. It was the band's last album recorded with all four original members, as bassist Mike Starr was fired in January 1993 during the tour to support the album. The album spawned five singles: "Would?", "Them Bones", "Angry Chair", "Rooster", and "Down in a Hole", all with accompanying music videos. Dirt was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. The music video for "Would?" was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film, as the song was featured on the soundtrack to Cameron Crowe's 1992 film Singles.

<i>Sap</i> (EP) 1992 EP by Alice in Chains

Sap is the second studio EP by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on February 4, 1992, through Columbia Records. Sap is mostly acoustic and marks the first time that guitarist Jerry Cantrell sings lead vocals in an Alice in Chains release, with the song "Brother". The EP was produced by Alice in Chains and Rick Parashar and features guest vocals by Ann Wilson of the band Heart, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Mark Arm of Mudhoney. The track "Got Me Wrong" became a hit two years later after being featured on the soundtrack to the 1994 film Clerks. On January 14, 1994, Sap was certified gold by the RIAA for the sale of more than 500,000 copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Cantrell</span> American guitarist, singer and songwriter

Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains. The band rose to international fame in the early 1990s during Seattle's grunge movement and is known for its distinctive vocal style and the harmonized vocals between Cantrell and Layne Staley. Cantrell started to sing lead vocals on Alice in Chains' 1992 EP Sap. After Staley's death in 2002, Cantrell took the role of Alice in Chains' lead singer on most of the songs from the band's post-Staley albums, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009), The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013), and Rainier Fog (2018), with DuVall harmonizing with him in the new songs and singing Staley's vocals in the old songs in live concerts.

<i>Unplugged</i> (Alice in Chains album) 1996 live album by Alice in Chains

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rooster (song)</span> 1993 single by Alice in Chains

"Rooster" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains, featured on their second studio album, Dirt (1992), and released as the fourth single from the album on February 22, 1993. It is the fifth song on the original pressing of the album and sixth on others. The song was written by guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell for his father, Jerry Cantrell Sr., whose childhood nickname was "Rooster" and served with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Cantrell would later name his music publishing company Rooster's Son Publishing. "Rooster" spent 20 weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 7.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No Excuses (Alice in Chains song)</span> 1994 single by Alice in Chains

"No Excuses" is the lead single from American rock band Alice in Chains' third EP, Jar of Flies (1994). Written by guitarist and co-lead vocalist Jerry Cantrell, the song was well received by music critics and was a charting success, becoming the first Alice in Chains song to reach No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, spending a total of 26 weeks on the chart. It has gone on to become one of the band's most popular songs. The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). Alice In Chains performed an acoustic version of "No Excuses" for its appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1996, which marked the last time they performed the song with Layne Staley, and that version was included on the band's Unplugged live album and home video release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Would?</span> 1992 single by Alice in Chains

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angry Chair</span> 1992 single by Alice in Chains

"Angry Chair" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. It was the third single from their album Dirt (1992). It is the eleventh song on most copies of the album and twelfth or tenth song on others. The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heaven Beside You</span> 1996 single by Alice in Chains

"Heaven Beside You" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains and the second single from their third studio album, Alice in Chains (1995). It was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell about his relationship with his then-girlfriend, Courtney Clarke. Cantrell sings lead vocals, with Layne Staley doing harmonies during the chorus. The song spent 26 weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 3. An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged in 1996 was released in a live album and DVD. "Heaven Beside You" was included on the compilation albums Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Got Me Wrong</span> 1994 single by Alice in Chains

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Born Again</span> 1999 single by Alice in Chains

"Get Born Again" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains and, along with "Died", one of the last two songs recorded with vocalist Layne Staley before his death in 2002. The song was released as the lead single from the compilation Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999) on June 1, 1999. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and at No. 12 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. "Get Born Again" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2000. The song was also included on the compilation albums Music Bank (1999) and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Over Now (Alice in Chains song)</span> 1996 single by Alice in Chains

"Over Now" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. Written by Jerry Cantrell, who also sings lead vocals, the song is the last track on the band's third studio album, Alice in Chains (1995), and it is about the 1995 breakup of the band. The song closed the televised broadcast of Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged performance, and that version was released as a single in 1996. The B-side is the original studio version. The single peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and at No. 24 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1996. The song was included on the live album Unplugged (1996), on the box set Music Bank (1999), and the compilation album The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). The MTV Unplugged concert was the first and only time that Alice in Chains performed the song. It was performed again 23 years later at Jerry Cantrell's solo concert at the Pico Union Project in Los Angeles on December 6, 2019.

"Nutshell" is a song by Alice in Chains that originally appeared on the band's 1994 extended play Jar of Flies. The band played it on MTV Unplugged in 1996, and this rendition of the song was included on the compilation album Music Bank (1999), as well as The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). Since 2011, guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell dedicates "Nutshell" to Alice in Chains' late original members Layne Staley and Mike Starr during the band's concerts.

<i>Black Gives Way to Blue</i> 2009 studio album by Alice in Chains

Black Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on September 29, 2009, on the 17th anniversary of the release of their second album, Dirt. It is their first record without original lead singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002, and their first album with new vocalist and rhythm guitarist William DuVall sharing vocal duties with lead guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, who sings lead vocals on most of the songs. The title track is a tribute to Staley featuring Elton John on piano. This is the first Alice in Chains album released on Virgin Records and their first venture away from Columbia, who handled all of their previous releases. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200, and was certified gold by the RIAA on May 26, 2010, with shipments exceeding 500,000 copies in the U.S. and over 1 million copies sold worldwide. "Check My Brain" and "A Looking in View" were both nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Black Gives Way to Blue won Revolver magazine's Golden Gods Award for Album of the Year in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Looking in View</span> 2009 single by Alice in Chains

"A Looking in View" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009). It was the first publicly released song from the album and was available for purchase on June 30, 2009, and for a limited time it was available as a free download through the official Alice in Chains website. Although it was not the album's first official single, Rock stations across the U.S. started playing the song after it was made available for streaming. The first official radio single, "Check My Brain", was released in August 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Check My Brain</span> 2009 single by Alice in Chains

"Check My Brain" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009). It was released as the first official single from the album on August 14, 2009, marking it as the band's first single in a decade. The single topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Billboard Hot Rock Songs charts in September 2009. This was the first time an Alice in Chains song would hit number-one on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart since their 1994 single "No Excuses". This is Alice in Chains' first and currently only song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 92, and also their first number-one on the Alternative Songs chart. "Check My Brain" received a nomination for "Best Hard Rock Performance" at the 52nd Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Decision</span> 2009 single by Alice in Chains

"Your Decision" is a song by Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009). Written by Jerry Cantrell, who also sings lead vocals on the song, it was released as the second single from the album on November 16, 2009 in the UK, and on December 1, 2009 in the US. The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs and Mainstream Rock charts, and No. 4 on the Alternative Songs chart. "Your Decision" was featured on CSI's season 10, episode 8, "Lover's Lane".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voices (Alice in Chains song)</span> 2013 single by Alice in Chains

"Voices" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains and the third single from their fifth studio album, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013). Guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell takes lead vocals on the song. The single premiered exclusively on USA Today website on July 26, 2013, and was released to radio stations on July 29, 2013. "Voices" peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks, and stayed on the chart for 20 weeks. It also peaked at No. 18 on the Rock Airplay chart.

"Brother" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains and the opening track on their 1992 acoustic EP Sap. The song was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell for his younger brother, David. Cantrell sings lead vocals in the song, while Heart lead vocalist Ann Wilson sings backing vocals. An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged in 1996 was released in a live album and DVD. The song was included on the compilation albums Music Bank (1999) and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).

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  4. 1 2 Liner notes, Music Bank box set. 1999.
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  19. ↑ "Covering the Bases - Bronson Arroyo". AllMusic. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  20. ↑ "Down in a Hole". answeringbell.com.
  21. ↑ "Follow the Lights - Ryan Adams & the Cardinals". AllMusic. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
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  30. ↑ "Single Releases". Music Week . October 9, 1993. p. 27.
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