"Get Born Again" is a song by the American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Alice in Chains Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...

and, along with "

Died Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

", one of the last two songs recorded with vocalist

Layne Staley Layne Thomas Staley (born Layne Rutherford Staley; August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002) was an American musician, songwriter and the original lead singer of the rock band Alice in Chains, which rose to international fame in the early 1990s as part ...

before his death in 2002. The song was released as the lead single from the compilation '' Nothing Safe: Best of the Box'' (1999) on June 1, 1999. It peaked at No. 4 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched i ...

chart, and at No. 12 on the

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...

chart. "Get Born Again" was nominated for the

Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards until 2011. The academy recognized hard rock music artists for the first time at the 31st Grammy Awards (1989). The category was ori ...

in 2000. The song was also included on the compilation albums '' Music Bank'' (1999) and ''

The Essential Alice in Chains ''The Essential Alice in Chains'' is a two-disc compilation album by the rock band Alice in Chains, and part of Sony BMG's ''The Essential'' series. Originally scheduled to be released on March 30, 2004, it was delayed until September 5, 2006. T ...

'' (2006).

Origin and recording

The music was written by guitarist

Jerry Cantrell Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains. The band rose to internation ...

for what would eventually become his second solo album, ''

Degradation Trip ''Degradation Trip'' is the second solo album by Alice in Chains guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell, released on June 18, 2002. It marks his difficult transition from Columbia Records to Roadrunner, and was dedicated to Alice in Chains lead sin ...

''. However, after he showed the song to Alice in Chains vocalist

, Staley decided to write lyrics to the song, and it was eventually recorded with Alice in Chains in 1998. In interview with radio program

Rockline ''Rockline'' was a nationally syndicated radio interview program hosted by Bob Coburn that was broadcast live via satellite every Monday and Wednesday night from 8:30pm-10pm PT to radio stations in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1981, ...

in 1999, Staley stated that the song is based around "religious hypocrisy". In the

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the record sleeve, sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner n ...

of 1999's '' Music Bank'' box set collection, Jerry Cantrell said of the song: Also of note was Staley's condition while recording the song which was made known by ''

Dirt Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include: * Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains * Dust: a genera ...

'' producer Dave Jerden—who was originally chosen by the band for the production—who said "Staley weighed eighty pounds...and was white as a ghost." Cantrell refused to comment on the singer's appearance, simply replying "I'd rather not comment on that…", and band manager

Susan Silver Susan Jean Silver (born July 17, 1958) is an American music manager, best known for managing Seattle rock bands such as Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Screaming Trees. Silver also owns the company Susan Silver Management, and co-owns the club ...

said she hadn't seen the singer since "last year".

Release and reception

"Get Born Again" was released to radio stations on June 1, 1999. The single peaked at number four on the ''

chart, and at number 12 on the ''Billboard''

chart. The song was nominated for the

in 2000. The song is sometimes credited with being one of the band's most bleak singles. James Hunter of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' described the song as "a drone lifted by ominous chorales, hardened by slashing guitars and set off with Layne Staley intoning, 'Just repeat a couple lies.'"

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

for "Get Born Again" was released in 1999 and was directed by Paul Fedor. The video shows a disfigured insane scientist trying to duplicate his own version of the band. Footage of Staley, Cantrell, and drummer

Sean Kinney Sean Howard Kinney (born May 27, 1966) is an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band Alice in Chains. Kinney also founded the short-lived supergroup Spys4Darwin, and has collaborated with other artists such ...

was pulled from the "

Sea of Sorrow "Sea of Sorrow" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains, featured on their debut full-length album '' Facelift'' (1990). The song was included on the compilation album ''The Essential Alice in Chains'' (2006). A demo version of the s ...

" video and bassist Mike Inez from the "

What the Hell Have I "What the Hell Have I" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. It was originally featured on the soundtrack to the 1993 John McTiernan film ''Last Action Hero'' starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The song was released as a single an ...

" video. The video is available on the home video release '' Music Bank: The Videos''.

Track listing

Personnel

– lead vocals *

– guitar, vocals * Mike Inez – bass *

– drums

Chart positions

References

External links

* {{authority control 1999 singles Alice in Chains songs Songs written by Jerry Cantrell Songs written by Layne Staley Songs critical of religion 1998 songs Columbia Records singles