Them Bones

For the novel of the same name, see Them Bones (novel). For the spiritual song, see Dem Bones.
"Them Bones"

Artwork for standard international releases
Single by Alice in Chains
from the album Dirt
Released September 8, 1992
March 1993 (UK)
Format CD single, cassette, vinyl
Recorded March–May 1992 at Eldorado Recording Studios, Burbank, California; London Bridge Studio, Seattle, Washington; One on One Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length 2:30
Label Columbia
Writer(s) Jerry Cantrell
Producer(s)
Alice in Chains singles chronology
"Would?"
(1992)		 "Them Bones"
(1992)		 "Angry Chair"
(1992)
Dirt track listing
"Them Bones"
(Track 1)		 "Dam That River"
(Track 2)
Music video
"Them Bones" on YouTube

"Them Bones" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. The song was released as the second single from their second album, Dirt (1992). The song was also included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), The Essential Alice in Chains (2006). A live performance of the song is included on their release entitled Live.

Structure

The song was written by guitarist Jerry Cantrell. The song is highly chromatic and is played in a time signature of 7/8—except for the chorus, which is in 4/4. When discussing the use of odd time signatures in a 1998 interview with Guitar World, Cantrell said:

"I really don't know where that comes from; it just comes naturally to me. I could sit down and figure it out, but what's the use? Off-time stuff is just more exciting — it takes people by surprise when you shift gears like that before they even know what the hell hit 'em. It's also effective when you slow something down and then slam 'em into the dash. A lot of Alice stuff is written that way — 'Them Bones' is a great off-time song."[3]

Lyrics

In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set collection, Cantrell said of the song:

"I was just thinking about mortality, that one of these days we'll end up a pile of bones. It's a thought for every human being, whether you believe in an after-life or that when we die, that's it. The thought that all the beautiful things and knowledge and experiences you've been through just end when you end scares me, the thought that when you close your eyes for good, it's gone forever."[4]

Reception

"Them Bones" was released as a single in 1992 and peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at number 30 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The UK single was released in March 1993.[5] "Them Bones" reached the top 30 in the UK and Ireland.

"Them Bones" is one of the band's most well known songs. Ned Raggett of Allmusic called the song "a brief, tightly wound explosion of sheer, inescapable riff power, focused and relentless" and added that "having made its point in two and a half minutes it stops — not a note is wasted."[6]

Music video

The music video for "Them Bones" was released in 1992 and was directed by Rocky Schenck, who had previously directed the "We Die Young" music video for the band, and who would later direct the music videos for "What the Hell Have I" and "Grind." The video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos. The video was also featured on an episode of Beavis and Butt-head (the episode Sick) in 1993) where Butt-head claims that "this is the coolest video I've ever seen."

The video shows the band playing in a cavern, apparently underground. In front of the band is a puddle, in which can be seen Staley singing or various animals eating or fighting with each other and a child being born, which corresponds with the lyrics "Some say / We're born into the grave."

Cover versions

In 2006, Swedish death metal band Grave covered the song which appears on their seventh album, As Rapture Comes. In 2009, American deathcore band Suicide Silence covered the song which appears as a bonus track on the iTunes special edition of their second album, No Time to Bleed. An EP released in 2010 by the German black metal band Secrets of the Moon also features a cover version. Alex De Rosso did a cover on his 2013 album, Lions & Lambs.

In pop culture

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Them Bones"  2:30
2."Bleed the Freak"  4:01
3."It Ain't Like That"  4:37

Personnel

Alice in Chains
Production

Chart positions

Chart (1992) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[8] 22
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[9] 26
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[10] 24
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[11] 30

References

  1. ↑ Terich, Jeff and Adam Blyweiss (October 3, 2012). "10 Essential Alternative Metal Singles". Treblezine. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
  2. ↑ Robinson, Joe. "Top 11 Metal Albums of the 1990s". Loudwire.
  3. ↑ Weingarten, Marc Unchained Guitar World (June 1998). Retrieved 7 November 2009.
  4. ↑ Liner notes, Music Bank box set. 1999.
  5. ↑ Strong, M. C. (1998). The Great Rock Discography. Giunti. p. 87. ISBN 88-09-21522-2.
  6. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "I Stay Away". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alice in Chains - Soundtrack. 'Them Bones'". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  8. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Alice in Chains". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Alice in Chains: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Alice in Chains – Chart history" Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs for Alice in Chains. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Alice in Chains – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for Alice in Chains. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
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