Alice in Chains – Junkhead

Know something about this song or lyrics? Add it to our wiki.
Send "Junkhead" Ringtone to Cell

(spoken)"Junk, fuck"
A good night, the best in a long time
A new friend turned me on to an old favorite
Nothing better than a dealer who's high
Be high, convince them to buy

What's my drug of choice?
Well, what have you got?
I don't go broke
And I do it a lot

Seems so sick to the hypocrite norm
Running their boring drills
But we are an elite race of our own
The stoners, junkies, and freaks

Are you happy? I am, man.

Content and fully aware
Money, status, nothing to me
'Cause your life is empty and bare

What's my drug of choice?
Well, what have you got?
I don't go broke
And I do it a lot
I do it a lot, yeah

You can't understand a user's mind
But try, with your books and degrees
If you let yourself go and opened your mind
I'll bet you'd be doing like me
And it ain't so bad

What's my drug of choice?
Well, what have you got?
I don't go broke
And I do it a lot
Say, I do it a lot!
I do it a lot!
I do it a lot!
Say, I do it a lot

Send "Junkhead" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by Ice

Track duration: 05:10


Junkhead song meanings
Add your thoughts

52 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment:Drug addiction ruins lives. My ex husband is a drug addict.
    I found him having sex with a neighbour in our house in the same room as our twins.
    Later I found out that he'd been having sex with prostitutes and some guys too and was contracted Aids.
    I left him as he was becoming more violent and unfaithful and felt much better without him. He became paranoid and blamed me for leaving him, but didn't want to see the nightmare he'd brought in my life.
    Drugs turn people into monsters, and then they blame others for their state.
    My best friends' daughter is a heroin addict, and she's the same story as my ex. Good luck with those who have to deal with a drug addict in their relationship! They are disease, nothing else!
    Flag Upanddownon March 02, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I dont think its promoting heroin as much as asking people to take a objective look at it, in the same vein that Claptons remake of the song "Cocaine" basically questions his audiencejust , who's taking who for a ride" here?
    Flag elwoood13on June 03, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:""When Junkhead was written, it was a definite pro-drug song; it was written three years ago. But when we put it to music, it became an antidrug song. I thought that it was so blatantly pro-drugs people would be able to see it in the way I saw it then, and now, as coming from a really-sick-mind point of view, I thought they'd interpret it as I wrote it."

    -Layne Staley
    Flagged ckb614on April 18, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:horror business 89 is maybe the only other person here who really understood, which actually makes the songs meaning very real because we are both addicts or former ones and we understand each other, I got every word you said there.I too couldv'e said it myself.Nothing more need be said because if you are not a user you will never fully "get " it. Sorry. But dont go doing ti just so you can understand it either.That's not my point here.Just saying though you always will if you have done so
    Flag meecepeeceon December 23, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I do not think he promoted it nor justified it, NOR did he assume it ruins everyone that does it, and I have to say here that I was actually a heroin addict, and I actually knew Layne S. a little too.I have met several singers in my lifetime, and he was one of them. A person on heroin has alternating feelings of how much they love it and also at times how much they hate and are tired of it, and as someone who has gone thru both I think I understand the drug songs very well. Also, Jerry being in a band with a junkie will alter his own views of course, this was his good friend.He wanted him happy and out of pain, but also not sick and productive too. Drugs do not always ruin your life, hell my life was awesome then and still is now.But it is a message. Another thing about this album, the song angry chair was not only about drugs, it is also about punishment as a child, by a strict father and religious views. The thing is, anything Layne did in fact write, not Jerry but Layne himself, will always have a heroin undertone at any point in his life he was actually using it, because when you are on it, it involves itself into everything else you might do or think by default.this is not necessarily a bad thing, it is just the truth.Being both a heroin addict and a writer at the same moments myself, I wrote many things about non drug related topics, however deeper level the drugs were indeed still right there in my brain.On the other hand, the songs on the other side of Dirt are about the military and war, and Jerry C. father, in fact I think is the Rooster. Them bones is about death and the end in general. Songs are made to interpret anyhow so anyone who wishes to disagree is welcome anyway. I am a highly educated person with a brain in my head, who has had a hard life that I wouldnt change for anything really, when it comes down to it,because I have had the pleasure of knowing some of these folks. Also because I learned from it all.Also that I can sit and speak about things and show this world that some of we addicts are in fact not trash, we know a lot, have gone to school, and have talents.It is but one aspect of our whole selves, it just happens to include itself into the rest.
    Flag meecepeeceon December 23, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:It's one of my most favorite aic's songs. It's filled with real angry sarcasm, just shows us the stupidity and self-confidence of beginning junkie. He's just assured that all be fine if he starts to take a drug. But everybody knows that it's not true, he just makes a mistake. This song help us penetrate into junkie's mind and try to understand his thoughts.
    Flag antitezaon June 21, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The talkings of a dead man...I'm High right now and listening to this and Dirt not too fucking proud...This might be the end fuck.
    Flag foogu2on March 10, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song, to me, is basically a very dark humorous song. It's basically Layne/Jerry sarcasticly giving the media what the media wanted... proof or confirmation that the members of the band were junkies. But it's sarcastic proof.

    And then at the end, in the last verse, a not-so-suble warning or cautionary.

    The "Live" and the Music Bank versions of this song beat the Dirt version in my opinion. In the last verse of the Live version, Layne sings
    "What's my drug of choice?
    Whatever you got..."

    I think it shows really well the spiral from drugs as a "fun" thing (the first verse)to having it consume and eventually destroy your life.

    RIP Layne.
    Flag Tig45on January 15, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I think the atmosphere/tone of the music is the best part of this song.

    Lyrics pretty straightforward.....don't think it's an advocation of drugs per se, but more the justification in a user's mind. Especially against all the attacks and how "junkheads" are looked down upon. So this is the "f you" to them. Again - I don't believe it's an advocation of drug use though, but a distorted justification.
    Flag hoppingbunnyon December 25, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is one of the few songs that actually is about drugs. I think the rest of them may sound like it but actually have deeper meaning.
    Flag ILUVLAYNEon September 04, 2010   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain