Lyrics for It Ain't Like That as interpreted by Ice

It Ain't Like That Lyrics
There I was, laid out on a table
Screamin' sweat and bare feet to the floor
In my life, I'd not soften
Things that cut, and burn so often
But I sit, think of somethin'
Scared to face, the dyin' nothin'

See the cycle I've waited for
It ain't like that anymore

Where I go is when I feel I'm able
How I fight is why I'm feelin' sore
In my sight, not forgotten
Feel as though, a tooth were rotten
Behind the smile, a tongue that's slippin'
Buzzards cry, when flesh is rippin'

See the cycle I've waited for
It ain't like that anymore

Here I sit writing on the paper
Trying to think of words you can't ignore
In my eyes, what I'm lacking
Score at face, a ten for slacking
Sign the deal, set in motion
Smaller fish, so huge the ocean

See the cycle I've waited for
It ain't like that anymore



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laynestaley622
05-03-2004

 Rated  0 
i think this song has something to do with his fear of death, and some kind of idea that what comes around goes around (e.i. "see the cycle i've waited for", "buzzards cry, when flesh if rippin") i could be wrong, but thats what i got from the song

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Angry Sar
07-02-2004

 Rated  0 
Is this maybe about the cycle of drugs and rehab? Getting clean and then regressing? It sounds like part of it takes place on a doctor's exam table (there I was, laid out on a table... bare feet to the floor)??? maybe lying to yourself that its gonna be okay this time (behind the smile, a tongue that's slippin)
or maybe something of the music industry? (here i sit writing on the paper... sign the deal)
probably a stupid interp... any thoughts?

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gofigure000
04-03-2005

 Rated  0 
i see it more as this ( bear in mind its my opinion):

we all see ourselves in different ways...ways in which we would like people to see us but they don't always see us as that. you meet people, they all sort of see you as a joke and no matter how hard you try to do things to prove otherwise that you are something stronger and more meaningful...you just can't. story of my life perhaps..but its what i get out of the song.

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BenLee
08-08-2005

 Rated  0 
It's about a cycle of suffering. Whether it be drug addiction, injury or what not. Then, you get better, and try to write about it, but it's not real anymore because you aren't suffering. Layne probably wishes he wrote something during some ordeal and when he tried to after, it just wasn't real enough.

The first verse is about him actually suffering. Probably in rehab during detox (Screaming & Sweating on the table).

The second verse is more about what you do when your hurting. He only goes out when he's able. When he goes out, he's struggling so much that it makes him sore. And, he doesn't forget what happened to him before. He probably wants drugs to relieve his pain. Even though he's acting happy, he's crying inside (behind the smile a tongue that's slippin).

Finally, he decides to write about when he was on drugs. He can't come up with the words he wants to, because it's not in the moment(in my eyes, what I'm lacking). So he slacks off and writes something that's not as real as it should be(score at face, a ten for slacking). But, he's gotta write a song because that's how he makes a living (sign the deal, set in motion). That's what the smaller fish (every other band) would do. But there's so much of that (so huge the ocean). But guess what...it's a cycle he's been in, and he's never gonna be in it againbecause "It Ain't Like That Anymore"

Consequently, Facelift is when Alice in Chains was no longer a smaller fish and rather than write while he's not suffering...Layne turned to drugs and probably wrote all of Dirt and the rest of his albums while under the influence.

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davewah3
04-06-2006

 Rated  0 
BenLee, this song was actually written by Jerry, Mike and Sean. At least the song notes say that, or perhaps you know something we all don't? I think you are close but in my head the song is simpler than that. It's almost a mix between your interpretation and gofigure000's thoughts.

It basically says I went through this stage in my life but that was only me in the past. Now I am a different person who has changed and grown with experience. I am not that person you think I used to be anymore.

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BenLee
04-06-2006

 Rated  0 
wow, didn't know that. You may be right. Either way, I think my interpretation is fairly accurate, regardless of who's writing it. The first verse is definitely in the past and the last first is in the present. So there is kinda of a progression of some sort because "it ain't like that anymore.

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alicemudgarden19
08-09-2006

 Rated  0 
Not every Alice in Chains song is about drugs. I've always thought this song was about the band dealing with record company execs trying to sign them, or at least the band trying to pursue a deal with a major label. Given the context of the song's release, Alice had just hit it to the big leagues, releasing their major label debut on Columbia.

If we think of the song under this context instead of drugs, the first verse "There I was laid out on the table/screaming sweat and bare feet to the floor" is an exaggerated description of how nervous Jerry and the band were in a meeting with their label, and how they were demanded success. This could explain the next lines, where Jerry says he's always been strong "I'd not soften/Things that cut and burn so often", but regardless of how strong he may be, he is scared of commercial failure "Scared to face, the dyin' nothin'"

In the short documentary in the Music Bank videos, we see that the young Alice in Chains consisted of four starving guys who were eager to pursue success. Hence, the chorus "See the cycle I waited for/ It ain't like that anymore" conveys the notion that they were finally getting to the level of success that they wanted, but now it's a compeletely different world than what they expected.

The second verse manifests the fear of not being a commercial success and getting consumed by the "buzzards". The last verse emphasizes the apprehension, and the pressure to succeed, as Jerry trys to write good songs and "words you can't ignore"

Lastly, the lines "sign the deal, set in motion/smaller fish, so huge the ocean" reiterates the theme of that song, as the young Alice in Chains embraces the music industry and must deal with the new unfamiliar landscape.

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underdose86
10-27-2006

 Rated  0 
This song will always remind me of the movie "Singles" where Alice In Chains are the live bar band and they play this song.

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Amplified Axes
02-01-2008

 Rated  0 
I think you got the lyrics wrong here man.

"In my sight, not forgotten", should be, "Goodbye mind, not forgotten." At least... I think that's right.

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Amplified Axes
02-01-2008

 Rated  0 
Err, in my* mind.

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georgecohen420
06-12-2008

 Rated  0 
It seems to me that the song is proggressive in that the first verse is the present, wich i'm sorry to say sounds like detox, even if jerry wrote it, beleive me he knew all about drugs, just because he didn't die of an overdose doesn't mean that he hasn't seen countless people lose their lives to drugs. With that said, the first verse is either about an OD or a detox, or both. Blah blah blah not every alice in chains song is about drugs, i can hear you idiots repeating that same line over and over before i've even sent it, but please shut up. the proof is their.
There I was, laid out on a table
Screamin' sweat and bare feet to the floor

That line is obvious, and the next lines support the theory as well

In my life, I'd not soften
Things that cut, and burn so often

I'd not soften, means i don't care, i still havent quit after all this time. And, Things that cut,.... Needles hello, and burn so often..... SPOON and or needles.

Where i go is where i feel im able... after rehab safe places to stay sober like NA meetings. How i fight is why im feeling sore,..... how he fights his addiction is why hes feeling sore, either from the drugs or the actual needle its self.

In my sight, and not forgotten,....Heroin
Feel as though a tooth, a tooth were rotten....High on painkillers like a dentist would prescribe(same thing as heroin if not worse) Also heroin addicts sometimes feel pain thats in their owne head for an excuse to relapse other then for the fact that they want the feeling. Sometimes the addiction can make you think some outragous shit.

Behind the smile, a tongue that's slippin'
Buzzards cry, when flesh is rippin'
Oops he told someone he started using again or got caught in a lie about his addiction. Back to rehab, can you now see the cycle that hes waiting for?

Here I sit a writing on the paper
Trying to think of words you can't ignore

In this verse hes dead, either by OD, or what i think is suicide. It aint like that anymore, not because hes better, but in this verse because hes dead. A writing on the paper means that hes in the newspaper and he maid a headline, The media often uses catchy titles in the headlines, or words that you can't ignore so that you will read the article.

Here I sit writing on the paper
Trying to think of words you can't ignore
In my eyes, what I'm lacking
Score at face, a ten for slacking
Sign the deal, set in motion
Smaller fish, so huge the ocean

No life in his eyes or face, finally killing himself, signing a deal that was set in motion when he first started using. In other words coming to terms with the inevidable and dying or killing himself on purpose. Smaller fish, so huge the ocean.... I think this is an analogy of how small the earth is and how humans are damn near micro organisms and we think life is very important and the whole universe was made just to create the earth. Scientificaly speaking, we're life on this planet is very small and theirs no evidence that we are linked to anyhting huge or important, like god. In essence we're small fish in a huge ocean. Think about it, their 100 billion stars in the milkyway alone, and their are trillions of galaxys just like the milkyway, most of them are actually bigger. So i think this song is about drugs, if you disagree with me, dont make vague statements about how i think every AIC song is about drugs because you don't know what i think and your just a big fat doodoo head.

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DJgif
06-28-2009

 Rated  0 
I like the record company theory. I always thought it could be about things being different, change. "There I was, laid out on a table" = people judging you on who you were. er, well I guess that makes no sense. I'll have to think this out more. Really good song though, top notch.

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General Comment
GrungeCarl
06-01-2010

 Rated  0 
I know this is probably wrong but when i first heard it i thought it was about sex??/
lol

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ILUVLAYNE
09-04-2010

 Rated  0 
I think it's about knowing a dreadful secret but putting on a front because you don't want anyone to know.

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