Them Bones

:"For the novel of the same name, see Them Bones (novel). For the spiritual song, see Dem Bones."Infobox Single
Name = Them Bones


Caption =
Artist = Alice in Chains
from Album = Dirt
A-side =
B-side =
Released = 1992
Format = |CD,
Cassette,
Vinyl
Recorded = 1992
Genre = Alternative metal
Grunge
Length = 2:30
Label = Columbia Records
Producer = Alice in Chains,
Dave Jerden
Writer = Jerry Cantrell
Last single = "Would?"
(1992)
This single = "Them Bones"
(1992)
Next single = "Angry Chair"
(1992)

"Them Bones" is the first song from the Alice in Chains album "Dirt". Singer Layne Staley brought guitarist/songwriter Jerry Cantrell's disturbing lyrics to life with his eerie, alternately droning and howling vocals. The song is highly chromatic, and the time signature is 7/8--except for each chorus, which is in 4/4. Brutal, dark and bleak, it sets the tone for the album and is perhaps one of the band's most definitive works.

Jerry Cantrell on the song, from the liner notes of 1999's "Music Bank" box set collection:

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.

In 2006, Grave covered this song on their "As Rapture Comes" album. Additionally, the song was used in the English version of ' and the Mavericks section of the surf film Riding Giants in 2004. The song appeared as well in the soundtracks in the video games, "ATV Offroad Fury", ' (in the radio station ) and a cover version in "Guitar Hero II" (in which an ending solo was added to the song). The song for the "Barrels O' Fun" level in the game "" was very heavily based on Them Bones.

Track Titles

# "Them Bones" (2:30)
# "Bleed the Freak" (4:01)
# "It Ain't Like That" (4:37)

Chart positions

References