Alice in Chains – Died

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I could climb until I reach where angels reside
ask around to find out where the junkies applied
you just up and left me on this rock all alone
it's my fault for knowing now what I should have know

ohhh oh oh
my heart is tired of beating slow
oh oh
it's been depleteing since you died
died
since you died
died

I could drop until I touch the sinister side
visit all attractions flipping back and aside
still you leave me rotting on the rock all alone
it's my fault for knowing not what I should have known

oh oh oh
my heart is tired of beating slow
oh oh
it's been depleteing since you died
died
since you died
you died
oh oh oh
my heart is tired of beating slow
it's been depleteing since you died
since you died

I could climb till I reached where angels reside
I could drop until I touch the sinister side

oh oh
my heart is tired of beating slow
it's been depleteing since you died
since you died
died
since you died

Send "Died" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by aicguy22

Track duration: 05:58


Died song meanings
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19 Comments

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  • 0
    My Opinion:I agree with most of what's been said. Disappointed no one has pointed out the subtle and not-so-subtle double meanings in the song which AiC did a lot of. Like a lot of their stuff the secondary meanings mostly refer to heroin. 'Heart beating slow,' as in emotionally, but also the physically depressive effects of smack (slowed breathing and heart rate). Also, tho "rock" is usually associated with coke/crack, heroin sometimes comes in "rock" form too; giving "...on this rock..." a second possible meaning.
    Flag dethodethon January 28, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song sounds like it was an outtake from Tripod. Has that dark sludgy grindstone sound
    Flag Tig45on September 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Jerry's guitar in this song, holy shit
    Flag Tig45on September 16, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"you just up and left me on this rock all alone" obviously refers to demri going to heaven and leaving staley behind on earth all alone(rock all alone)
    Flag samerezzoon September 16, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:I think nothingsacred is right about some of the lyrics, but I believe it's a combination of the two. I think he's refrencing his father, but also his girlfriend Demri. "You just up and left me on this rock all alone" I think refers to his father, but the second verse "You just left me rotting on this rock all alone" I think refers to his girlfriend dying, because his father left him in childhood, but his girlfriend left him rotting for good. The first parts of both verses seem like visiting heaven and hell, like ductape said, and the chorus is just giving up. Knowing he has nothing left to live for. The guy couldn't even get his fix anymore... he was just preventing himself from dying from withdrawal. I think most people here probably watched the interview where he said he wasn't getting high anymore, he was dope sick, puking and shitting himself all the time. At least he's in a better place now.

    RIP Layne Staley
    Flag hoagiedudemanon March 10, 2009   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:Does anyone think this song sounds really upbeat for what it's about? Especially for how they can normally make a song sound so melancholy and hopeless..?
    Flag souldesertionon September 17, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:hey, the lyrics are sort of wrong


    "My heart is dried up beating slow,
    its been deflating since you died"

    and the second verse

    "visit all attractions slipping past genocide"
    Flag Chasunkaon July 23, 2007   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:i heard this was a song Jerry was working on for his solo album, showed it to Layne, and it picked him up and back into the band. my guess is that Cantrell really tried to keep the band together, I don't think it was his choice to go solo (especially considering his first solo album even featured Inez and Kinney). I think his heart was in Alice much more than Staley's - Layne said on many occasions that music is just one of his outlets, while Cantrell imo really was the prolific member of the group, writing most of the music and lyrics, with Staley mainly contributing his charm. And its pretty obvious in hindsight that the drugs and shit got in the way of Layne's work. Don't get me wrong, I love Layne, and aic would not have been the insightful, tormented, funny, dark, epic and tragic band they were without him; but at the same time I see him as a weight that held them back. I'm astounded by Jerry's patience, how he kept his cool, stood up for Layne and made excuses for him, interview after interview and show after show... theres no better place to see that than on the unplugged show. The couple of outtakes they included on that were apparently of many - they hadn't played for 3 years and Staley was obviously sick and probably loaded. Even now Jerry is basically forced to mention Layne's legacy every time he speaks or plays. How would you like to have to mention your dead friend every single day? Fuck it, Jerry is my hero - I can't believe the strength of that man.

    Although Jerry wrote that great riff and intended it for his solo album, I don't know if he had any lyrics for it. If this was written by Staley then it's certainly about Demri imho. It starts out saying he wants to go to heaven and find out where all the junkies go (to find Demri). He blames himself - he knew she was killing herself with heroin, but only now knows that he should have done something.

    Next verse, he talks of visiting hell, and seeing all the fun things to do there. Maybe that's a metaphor for drugs itself.

    The chorus is about Staley losing a will to live and will to work. He hardly released anything after Demri's death. I see her passing as the last straw with his fight against heroin. It seems to me that from that point he had nothing to live for but the drug.

    "And it was called "Died!" talk about bad luck Staley. he should have written one called "gonna stop doing Heroin" " ... funny yet sickening... and Negrum, Inez was there from 92.. a decade before the death of Staley. I'm pretty sure he felt the effects of Layne's death as bad as any of them.

    Good luck Jerry, Mike and Sean, and rest in peace Layne & Demri.
    Flag ductapeon May 22, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Man talk about coincidence...Demri cuz of heroin and wuznt discovered till weeks later...hmmm so wuz stayley...I feel bad for cantrell that guy is a survivor him and Kinney...i'm not gonna say Inez cuz he wuz w/ them shortly but I LOVE ALL OF THE MEMBERS of AIC and i pray for them alot...just cant wait for new stuffs as of 2007
    Flag Negrumon February 10, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this is a beautiful song. It's brutally honest and really exposes Layne's emotional side. "My heart is tired of beating slow" is particularly powerful. I also had assumed that it was an early recording...but it makes better sense that it is one of the last. I think the unpolished sound adds to its charm.
    Flag onelokikittyon January 03, 2007   Link

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