Music Appreciation
Released on September 14, 1992, as the second single from Dirt, "Them Bones" immediately established Alice in Chains as one of the defining bands of the grunge era. Written by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and produced by Dave Jerden with the band, the song opens the Dirt album with one of the most recognizable guitar riffs of the 1990s.
Cantrell wrote the lyrics as a reflection on mortality, inspired by his lifelong fear of death and the realization that every person eventually becomes "a pile of bones." Rather than dwelling in despair, the song encourages listeners to confront the inevitability of death and make the most of the time they have.
Layne Staley's soaring opening scream and emotionally charged vocal delivery amplify the song's unsettling yet thought-provoking message, making it one of the band's signature recordings. Upon its release, "Them Bones" reached No. 24 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and No. 30 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, helping drive the commercial success of Dirt, which later became one of Alice in Chains' best-selling albums.
Musically, "Them Bones" stands apart from many rock songs of its era because of its unconventional structure. Most of the song is performed in an unusual 7/8 time signature before shifting into a more familiar 4/4 during the chorus, creating a sense of tension and unpredictability that mirrors the song's themes. Cantrell has said that odd time signatures came naturally to him and added excitement by catching listeners off guard.
Combined with its chromatic guitar riff, thick layers of distortion, Mike Starr's driving bass, and Sean Kinney's forceful drumming, the song delivers a compact but explosive two-and-a-half minutes of grunge and alternative metal.
The music video for "Them Bones," directed by Rocky Schenck, complements the song's themes with striking, surreal imagery. It features Alice in Chains performing inside a large crater-like pit resembling an open grave, while a rapid montage of extreme close-ups, projected images, flashes of animals, birth, decay, and other symbolic visuals unfolds around them.
Schenck, who also photographed the iconic Dirt album cover, designed the set to evoke a bleak, post-apocalyptic landscape complete with broken pipes, muddy pools, and dramatic red lighting. The video's fast-paced editing and layered projections reinforce the song's meditation on life, death, and the cycle of existence.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Them_Bones
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirt_(Alice_in_Chains_album)
https://loudwire.com/alice-in-chains-behind-the-scenes-footage-them-bones-video-shoot/
https://youtu.be/zTuD8k3JvxQ