Get Born Again

Album: Nothing Safe: Best Of The Box (1999)
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Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Layne Staley addresses fair-weather friends who try to "wish away the lies." He wouldn't say who he had in mind, but in an interview with radio program Rockline in July 1999, Staley said the inspiration for the song was "religious hypocrisy."
  • The song was the first single from the 1999 box set Nothing Safe: Best of the Box. The single spent 19 weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at #4 on the tally. The song was one of the last Layne Staley for Alice in Chains.
  • The video, directed by Paul Fedor, takes place in a lab where a strange scientist creates Borg-like versions of the band members. Fedor also did Marilyn Manson's video for "The Nobodies."

Comments: 12

  • Aic from British ColumbiaI’m sure Layne would have wanted each and every one of you on here to reflect these lyrics to your own life instead of trying to dissect his. Have some respect.
  • Graham C. from Ft Lauderdale, FloridaAlice In Chains, sorrow was felt when lyricist Layne Staley overdosed on a cold day in 2002. That day, took one of the most talented singers (and drummer) away from an epic following of their Grunge/metal rock. If you haven’t listened to Mad Season, (side project of two AIC members) listen to the full set recorded at the Moore, Layne Staley, and Mark Lanegan (Vocals, Screaming Trees) Martin Barrett (Screaming Trees) [A fabulous drummer and percussionist, I learned a lot from his beats in my early twenties], John Baker Saunders (bass), Mike McCready (Guitar).
    Thought I would write this, I listen to AIC and Mad Season often, and I also know what addiction can do in life, hurting not only the user but their closest loved ones even more. I always try to say a prayer, for Layne, John Backer Saunders, and most recently Mark Lanegam in 2022.

    Show their families some love and buy the album Mad Season, very artistically mature.
    Cheers. My two cents worth. Majority of AIC songs are about heroin and addiction, rooster tail defined the blood pulled back in a syringe, down in a hole, being trapped by addiction. When his father entered his life again and then Demi passed, he wrote it about the both of them. Mostly Demi was the cause of his fall into deep dark addiction as he had no one to share life with anymore and his father Phil Staley put the nails in the proverbial “Coffin” as Layne was cremated. I don’t hold anything against his father, he is human and everyone in this page sins likely daily, including myself. Enough blame, reach out and try to help an addict. You never know what saving one life does for the universe.

    Peace—
    GC
  • Na from SeattleLayne has said this song is about religious hypocracy when what you believed has been proven to be a lie when the one person you love most in this world dies. This is about Demri, not Phil. Layne wrote the song, stop putting words and opinions in his mouth. If you didn't write it, you do not know what it is about unless the author themselves tell you. Layne said it's about Religious Hypocracy, the rest is personal. Leave it there and leave it alone. You have no right to put words in his mouth and interpret his meaning, only he has a say,as he is the author, and he is no longer here to tell you.
  • Jay from Outaouais, QcLayne Staley said it's about Religious Hypocrisy
  • Mac from San Jose, CaThe music video looks like something out of Clive Barker's Hellraiser. The characters in the video look like Cenobites.
  • Justin from A Place, CtThere are a lot of good different takes on the song but I would still have to say judging by its contents and the situation around the song that is about Demri Parrot (his deceased girlfriend) and suffering with only memories left.
  • Kevin from Chicago, OrRockline Interview, 1999: Layne says the song is about "Religious Hypocrocy". When asked who specififically? He said "doesn't need to be said. It's personal". It's got to be about his Dad. Layne's dad left the family to do drugs when Layne was a young boy. The family told Layne he was dead. It had a profound impact on Layne. He ended up finding out his dad was alive and choosing a lifestyle of drugs as a teenager. Layne would say that he wanted to become a rock star celebrity so that his dad would come back. Well, he did. Layne's dad (Phil Staley) saw Layne on the front of a magazine and contacted him. Layne was estatic to hear from him. He told Layne he'd been clean for (aprox.) 6 years. However, they quickly started using heroin together. His dad was all of the sudden around 24/7 wanting to get high with Layne - this was in the early 90's. Well, Phil ends up getting clean again and apparently found God. Layne could not get clean, or at least stay clean. The lyrics in this song "Fair weather friend" hardly require an explanation. His dad was out of his life for 15 years and then shows up when he discovers Layne is rich/famous. "I pretend you're still alive" is probably the feeling he held on to as a boy when his family told Layne he was dead. You're father should be a person who can "protect me when I'm wrecked". So, you can imagine how Layne feels when his dad gets clean and starts spewing passages from the Bible. H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E
  • Matt from North Kingstown, RiI agree that it is about religion. I think Andrew hit it dead on with that quote. "Can you protect, me when I'm wrecked" also could be about god not helping him with his pain
  • Andrew from Lanoka Harbor, Nji believe it is mostly about religion and it ties in with "god am". in god am layne says "invite you in my home then, when done my sins forgiven?" basically making a mockery of the concept of how people belive that by saying a few prayers you are exempt from judgement. and he reiterates this concept in this song. " get born again, just repeat a couple lines."
  • Machel from Melbourne, FlThis song was written for Demri.
  • Layne from Herkimer, NyI believe that this song is about Layne's addiction. Tooth decay and getting born again. Also, it talks about lies.
  • Peter from Homer Glen, IlActually, in a radio interview, Layne gave a few vague clues about it being about religion, namely the church. Layne did believe in a GOD, but i think he didn't like how the church did a lot of things.
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