This song is a love song from guitarist Jerry Cantrell to the love of his life Courtney Clarke. Early pressings listed this as the 12th track on the Dirt album. Later pressings listed this as the 4th track on the Dirt album supposedly to fit better with the band’s desire to have the album loosely tell a story from song to song. On the Unplugged album it's the 5th track. Songwriter and guitarist Jerry Cantrell said of the song in the Music Bank box set liner notes, “Down in a Hole’s in my top three, personally. It’s to my long-time love. It’s the reality of my life, the path I’ve chosen and in a weird way it kind of foretold where we are right now. It’s hard for us to both understand…that this life is not conducive to much success with long-term relationships." Once Layne got his voice where he wanted it, it stayed there with little effort. He was always better live than studio version. Layne's vocal range can run rings around any other grunge singer in my opinion. Layne could sing the phone book and never hit a wrong note. Even at the end of his life, with no teeth and a lisp, his voice, wit and humor were all still there. Layne's voice and vocal range was so powerful he did NOT need auto tune or pro-tools until he lost his teeth and had a lisp around 1998, and even then he still killed the vocals. Barrett Martin (who played with Layne in Mad Season) said that when he stood to the side of the stage, he could hear the sound of Layne's vocal resonance come out of Layne's body LOUDER than it did coming out of the speakers, Layne's voice was that powerful. Layne's story is more tragic and haunting because you can actually watch and hear him deteriorate over the 12 year span: from the mild use of drugs in 1990 all the way through 1996 when he was deep into a heroin addiction to dropping to 90 pounds by 1998 to 86 pounds when he died in 2002. Layne was so much more than his drug addiction. He was able to come up with lyrics and harmonies off the top of his head. He knew enough to know that Jerry Cantrell was playing with the wrong people and gave him contact info for Sean Kinney and Mike Starr. He wrote the lyrics for the songs he sang on Mad Season's Above album and drew the cover art for that album. Layne was a genius in his own right. He still was able to figure things out in a snap off the top of his head. Layne just had his demons. With MTV Unplugged, when Layne finally gave the Okay to do it. They were supposed to rehearse in Seattle but NO one showed up. Sean, Mike and Jerry would show up at different times but Layne would be MIA or Layne would show up for one or two songs and then leave. When they finally got to New York, Sean and Mike had an argument with Jerry because they thought with Layne's condition and addiction, he wouldn't be able to hit the high notes. Jerry was the ONLY ONE who was confident that Layne could do it. When you watch DOWN IN A HOLE Unplugged, and Layne hits that high note, you see Jerry look over at Sean and Mike with this "I TOLD YOU SO!" smirk. Layne did it again on ROOSTER Unplugged and Jerry did that same smirk. The Unplugged show in 1996 is so heartbreaking to watch because Layne was deep in his heroin addiction (and yes, I know he was doing other drugs on top of Heroin). His liver was damaged and he knew it. He was just high enough to do the show to fight off withdrawal symptoms and he didn't get dope sick. He was such a ghost of himself during Unplugged. (Of course, Jerry had food poisoning) All Jerry saw when he looked over at Layne was his best friend was going to die soon due to the path Layne had chosen for his life. That show was filmed in April, 1996, premiered in May 1996. They did four shows with KISS in June-July 1996, after which Layne survived an overdose and became a recluse. After that, it was a six-year-long slow suicide. MTV (and the music industry) has more or less blackballed Layne (and yet, they laud over Kurt Cobain every April 5th, because Kurt was the "face of grunge", meanwhile Layne gets a "by the way"). The Grammys went so far as to invite Jerry, Mike and Sean to the Grammy show in 2003 and then refused to put Layne's picture up in the memorial of the musicians who died in 2002. (Or they "forgot" to) which pissed Jerry, Mike and Sean off and they walked out on the show. The friendship between Jerry and Layne was unbreakable. Jerry NEVER once thought of replacing Layne as the singer while Layne was still alive. He always wanted Layne to sing whenever he had AIC do something. If there were ever cosmic soulmates ... Layne and Jerry would be it. (And by that I mean, they were Sympatico with each other. The way they sang together was a perfect pitch where two voices make one. What you hear and see between Jerry and Layne was a genuine friendship. They looked after each other. When one had problems with a song, the other picked up the slack. They were a team. Jerry was doing a solo concert in Charlotte, NC when he heard that Layne was found two weeks after he died and Jerry was trying to get through the concert and crying. He did shows between the time he found out about Layne until Layne's funeral because if he had taken a break then, he didn't think he'd want to continue anything later after the mourning period. Alice In Chains was a band, but they were also a family. They had internal issues just like any family. When Layne died, it was like losing a loved one, a family member, you don't think of the fights you had with the person who died. You defend their memory. There is a reason Jerry wrote NO EXCUSES about Layne and the line "You, my friend, I will defend / And if we change, well, I'll love you anyway." "Whatever dramas are going on in my life, I always find that place inside my head where I see myself as the cleanest, tallest, strongest, wisest person that I can be." -- Layne Staley "My bad habits aren't my title. My strengths and my talent are my title." -- Layne Staley "When I tried drugs they were fucking great, and they worked for me for years, and now they're turning against me - and now I'm walking through hell and this sucks. I wrote about drugs, and I didn't think I was being unsafe or careless by writing about them. I didn't want my fans to think heroin was cool. But then I've had fans come up to me and give me the thumbs up, telling me they're high. That's exactly what I didn't want to happen." -- Layne Staley "My grandmother and mother were such huge losses, but I got Layne, the guys, and I got this.” - Jerry Cantrell, Kerrang! (December 1, 2018) “Jerry really loved Layne [Staley]. They had a bond I haven't seen before,” Jerry’s former manager Bill Siddons, April 19, 2002 (the day Layne was found two weeks after he died).

"Friends don't let friends get hair cuts" AIC and metallica are good friends and this was right at the time that all the members from metallica cut their hair short during the LOAD album. Also,all the members of metallica were there at this concert

Uff, I can barely stand watching this concert knowing Layne is in such a bad shape here. Brakes my heart every f-ing time. Such a charismatic and powerful vocalist. He is way gone into his addiction here, but for a performance in his prime check out Love, hate, love live at The Moore. Absolute amazingness.

It’s been said that this performance is the closest you get to watching somebody sing at their own funeral. He was so gifted. RIP Layne. But let’s also give Jerry his flowers. Dude is a musical wizard in his own right.

I believe that the next Alice in Chains reaction you should do is Love Hate Love, Live at the Moore. That one showcases Lane's power and control.

That entire MTV Unplugged concert is by far the best unplugged concert ever and one of the best concerts ever. Staleys and Cantrells harmonies is such a big trademark for their sound and i've personally never heard any other bands or artists that do harmoniers the way they do it. It's both the mix of their different sounds and the choice of tones that makes it special.

You’ve got to see him in his prime. “love hate love” life at the Moore… it’s fantastic

Layne's voice is supernatural. You could even say magical !!

Layne is at a quarter of his powers here…and yet he sounds majestic as hell…what a powerhouse of a voice…

When I listen to this song its clear we are watching a person let go and say goodbye in a most beautiful way...yet painful to watch. As former ICU nurse I want to jump into action and help him but powerless now. I am stunned by the energy & power in his voice.

Layne Staley's singing methods brought pain to the surface and turned it into poetry

Thanks for this beautiful reaction. How gorgeus finnish language is, also! You may also try "Love Hate Lova" live at The Moore from them, although it has even harder lyrics

As a point of interest, Layne Staley, Geoff Tate of Queensriche and Ann Wilson of Heart were all vocally trained by the late Maestro David P. Kyle of Seattle, Washington USA.

The way that your eyes light up and then settle in when you first hear Layne's voice -- that's all of us girl 😊, that moment just hits so strong and beautiful. And I could tell when your eyes were starting to glass up -- I can't listen to this song without glassing up and crying, it resonates too much, you hear exactly what's going through their heart....

Hi Anna, I missed the premiere so don't know if someone already explained the writing on the bass guitar, but I'll post it here: The members of Metallica were in the audience in this Unplugged concert, supposedly on or near the front row. The guys in Metallica had just got rid of their long hair, which some people in the rock and metal community were teasing them for at the time. So the bass player, Mike Inez, had written on his guitar: "Friends don't let friends have friends' haircuts" There was also some other banter directed at Metallica at other points in the concert, for instance Mike Inez playing the riff from "Enter Sandman" on the bass, for a few seconds, between two songs.

Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, ....., Seattle (and near environment) Grunge Rock from the early nineties in optima forma.

Layne had one of the most powerful and unique voice of all time .. he is my favourite voice and he had the best laugh… one good, kind and gentle soul gone too early.. RIP legend you will never be forgotten ❤ If you want to see Layne in his prime I recomend “Love hate love “ live at the moore and “Bleed the freak” live at the moore there Layne’s vocal is absolutely insane

Stumbled across this as you do on youtube. Awesome to see Layne/Alice in chains getting some love. They are an amazing band, the unplugged was such a special performance and one of Laynes last few times performing with them.

One of the best MTV Unplugged episodes of all-time. I sure wish MTV would do music again.

This whole performance is my very favorite in all of history. Layne was one of a kind.

One of the best songs ever written

One of my favourite singers ever, my heart breaks every time I listen because of what was happening to him. What a voice! You can also check out some of their other songs, Man in a Box is also great for vocals, and Rooster was written by Jerry as a tribute to his father who was in the Vietnam war...so touching.

One of the best bands ever, Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley was one of the best pairings ever, such a great duo and band. RIP Layne

I actually felt kind of sad for you, Anna, when you asked about Layne at the end. I imagined what your reaction would be when you read the comments that would inevitably explain what he was going through at the time of this performance. It gives the entire concert an extra significance. And although it sounds amazing, Alice in Chains wasn't an acoustic band. You should really hear them playing with electric guitars and Layne ramping up the intensity next time. "Would?" is a pretty great song. I don't get around to watching all of your videos, I usually only check out songs I know. But I just want to say that it's always such a pleasant time to listen to you and I hope you're doing well 🙂

thank you Anna. i love that not only do you explain technique but react to the emotion of a song . often the most important part , no need to hold your self together most of use are feeling the same wat

One of the best vocalist of all time. Such a gifted and unique sound and Jerry just complimented it so well with his music and his voice.

This was a really informative reaction to an incredibly emotional performance. I love watching professionals analyze Layne’s voice, as well as his harmonies with Jerry. Please do more Alice In Chains reactions, thank you!

Most of his songs are a cry for help with addiction. And let me tell you I was going through the same kind of addiction the time as he was. And I can completely relate. Down in a hole is a good analogy for it. I can't explain why I'm still alive and everybody else is gone. But here I am 60 yrs old healthy but alone all my friends and family are gone and a good part of them from addiction. I did my first dr😢g in the mid 70s I grew up in a hardrock music family. I look back and it was normal to party hard. It was 24-7 in my house. Musicians in and out hells angels in and out fight at 3am in the front yard. Crazy but now I just sit on my porch look at birds fly around My lake. So peaceful 😮

Okay, that was a match made in heaven! This song and your reaction? Man, that was something. You could've muted the singing and through your eyes and your mimik I would've known what was sung. Never have seen that in my life!

THANKS.... you actually did a breakdown of his uncanny skills as a singer. As a singer yourself..... you know he was magical and rare.... Too bad we lost such an amazing talent in Layne... Great breakdown....- Los Angeles

Layne was sooooooo good

One of my favorite song that I grew up with…Even though the band’s consequences were predictably tragic, the song is still haunting and resonates… good job Anna, love your reaction…

Layne Stayley had an amazing voice and delivery...

This is probably the best song to react to. There's so many layers to this song, it gives me goosebumps every time.

Thanks for the scientific breakdown of the singing, the 'artistic' delivery being the part of the singers. An intimate, live set. Thanks Anna for your breakdown! 🙏🙏

It’s so gratifying to see such an honest reaction to Layne’s beautiful voice!

So beautiful. His music and also you 😊

Anna is stunningly beautiful. I am blown away by her beauty just as she is with this song.

More Layne please!!❤

That whole Mtv Unplugged performance is incredible. The emotion pours out of Layne's voice. Loved your reaction to this and that whole English/Finnish thing too, pretty cool

When this was recorded until Layne came out during the first song they had no idea of he would be on stage. He backed out last second many times at reunion attempts. And he was barely 100lbs at this point He was in such rough shape to sing so amazingly and powerfully well is unreal.

Layne and Jerry formed one of the biggest Rock duos in the world, it's impressive that at times the two become one, even though they sound so different, in this specific song, the moment that Layne gives the lead to Jerry, he understands and it just goes. It's a shame Layne had so many problems that took him away from music and made him leave so early.

This was the best of the MTV Unplugged series and that is saying a lot. This performance immortalized Layne Staley and Alice In Chains. I remember watching in my early 20’s and it still hits me as hard today as it did then. Fabulous breakdown and video 👏

A must is Love hate Love live! It will blow you away just how powerful his vocals really were! RIP Layne

Thanks for the reaction, Anna. I've always been fascinated with Layne's vocals despite (or maybe because of?) his technique being so difficult to replicate. For another emotional banger and vocal clinic I highly recommend the live version of Love Hate Love (assuming you haven't already reacted to it).

Lol, what the… You all the sudden breakout in perfect English halfway through the video. It caught off guard a little. But awesome reaction and I would love to see you react to Layne in his prime. Please react to Alice In Chains--Love Hate Love--Live at the Moore. It’s not my favorite song but it shows how awesome of a singer Layne was. It really amazing

This is the proper reaction to hearing this for the first time . Tragically Beautiful

I always found Layne and Jerry's harmonies memorable specifically because they sound layered rather than blended. While I certainly agree with the "Love, Hate, Love" suggestions in terms of Layne at his peak, for a really amazing showcase of their harmonic technique I'd instead suggest "No Excuses". And to be honest, listen to both anyway because they're good, whether or not you turn them into videos.

To answer one of your questions Anna, Layne used his voice and sang several different ways, ex: of songs: Man in the box, Am I inside, Bleed the freak, (the chorus on), Heaven beside you, No excuses,.....list goes on ---- He can be extremely powerful to very beautiful sounding.

Jerry Cantrell is super talented! Alice in Chains was a staple of rock at this time!

I would love to hear you react to Alice in chains "Love hate love, live at the Moore" It is easily one of Layne's greatest performances. You will see a much younger and more powerful Layne in that video. I love your reaction to this video and thanks for posting!

Nutshell from the same performance is just as haunting as Down In A Hole

You must hear "Nutshell" it's from the same MTV Unplugged concert

İ love this song since 1996

One of the best vocalist of a generation so underrated

Hyvää päivää. Toinen hieno reaktio. I saw this when it originally premiered. I had been a fan of Alice in Chains, but this performance added another level to my appreciation of the band. It's quite amazing what Layne was capable of, given what he was going through. There is unfortunately a correlation between art and suffering, that all too often has tragic consequences.

I really appreciate your reactions and insights! It's so wonderful how you let the music flow into you and allow yourself to deeply experience the emotions of it, instead of approaching it at a purely technical level. About Layne's and Jerry's voices not blending, it's true. Even though they harmonized, there was always a kind of dissonance in the result. Yet somehow it worked, creating a vague sense of unease and tension that meshed perfectly with the tone of their music. It's sort of like running a guitar's naturally clean sound through distortion--the result *should* be unpleasant, but in reality it combines with other elements of the music to achieve the artist's desired emotional effect.

Subtitles are awesome - I LOVE your reactions! This is on my top 5 albums of all time - it has grounded me in my life.

Waiting for your tears to fall the entire time.

This was not only one the best unplugged concert, it was one of Alice in Chains best performances.

I was addicted to opiates and heroin for 17 years. Even though Laynes' lyrics were really triggering to me, i still would lean on AIC music to pull myself out of dark places when i first got sober. Thanks for the reaction. Keep them coming. Soundgarden!!!

I love your reactions and commentary so much!

Alice in Chains - Love Hate Love Live at the Moore

Anna, thank you. Your honesty and straight forwardness. Danke

I would like to see her analyzing Nutshell from the same show, in addition to the techniques, how heavy these lyrics are and how they move me every time I hear them. Thank you and your work is beautiful.

More AIC Unplugged please!

Hopefully you dive deeper into this particular album, it doesn’t have one bad song…:) also check out Love Hate Love, or Bleed the Freak, both Live at the Moore..

beautifull Finish woman keep it up, it's a pleasure to watch and hear you

I absolutely love the bass line in this track.

For something completely different and awesome, Love Hate Love live at the Moore Theater.

Lane wasn't conveying the emotion of pain he was showing us his real pain.

Always a pleasure. Thank you Anna for serving us something a bit more different 🥰

Amazing reaction to an amazing performance! You pick up on all the good little details.

love him from NY use thank you for shearing it

Love your reactions and your thoughts on his emotions. He was in great pain... rip

There’s something about this era of music (the early 90’s ) that cuts so deep. It’s so brutally honest and sad that it’s beautiful. I highly doubt we will ever see anything like it again.

The words on the guitar are “friends don’t let friends cut their hair”. This was filmed around the time Metallica released their album “Load” and all of the members had cut their long hair. Metallica was in the audience during the performance and the writing on the guitar was a joke aimed at them.

My God, your reactions have always been amazing. Your insight has always been incredible. And yeah, let's be honest, you've always been very very pretty. But I can't tell you the last time I've seen anything more legitimately beautiful than watching you tear up while completely losing yourself in the emotion/pain of a performance. You, my dear, are truly one of the best.

Love you're work!!

Love Hate Love, It Ain’t Like That, Sunshine, Brush Away, Rotten Apple, Right Turn, Sludge Factory…etc. All of the songs are great but these are a few of my favorites.

what a fucking singer... OMG! fantastic

You can tell by the way your eyes light up as soon as they start singing that we were in for a good reaction video lol this is my favorite song of all time.

Wonderful reaction! More Alice In Chains imho. His vocal ability is like none other.

There aren’t a lot of live recordings that outshine the original studio recording in my brain, but this is one for sure. When I think of this song, this is the version I hear in my mind. Layne is my favorite vocalist of the Grunge era, and it isn’t even close.

Thanks for this reaction, Alice In Chains, amazing band 🖤

Hauntingly beautiful song , hauntingly beautiful coach. Thumbs up. Really nails the analysis and presents it clearly.

The Bass Says "Friends dont let friends get friends haircuts" It was directed towards Metallica who was sitting in the first row watching. This was right after everyone cut their hair in Metallica.

Singing about Finality in all artistic shades and tones; They did that, well.

you should see the whole show, it was legendary

Alice In Chains, one of the best sounds ever. Love Hate Love, great song.

Nutshell from this same performance is incredible as well

The writing on the bass guitar "Friends don't let friends get friend haircuts" was directed towards Metallica who were sitting in the front row and had recently gotten short haircuts together.

Great feedback and reaction!

I'll definitly watch your take on Layne later. Being currently 10 time-zones behind Finland unfortunately I will miss the premier-chat due to daytrip to Victoria BC at that time. I'm sure this will be a very impressive reaction regarding all that goes along with this artist. Have you all a great premier and stay well !👍

Oh, girl! I'm so glad that I'm found your channel. This is my first video what I seen from you, But I'm already sure your soul is as beautiful as I have seen it from the outside of you from the very first moment. No doubt. And what I see in your eyes at 4:25 - 5:05 only confirmed this (maybe it's also because the whole song is amazing, but it's my personal favorite few line...) Anyway, It's a pleasure to listen to you and thank you for your help with singing! 😊(sorry my english suck) Keep it up and all the best, Anna! I subbed for sure. Greetings from Hungary;✌💜

Unfortunately, Layne Staley was ALSO, I believe, singing about his own battle with fame, hard drug addiction, & "losing your soul" - It was a battle, unlike bandmate Jerry Cantrell's dad, referenced in their song "ROOSTER" about his dad surviving Vietnam, Layne didn't survive. I've read that when Layne was found dead from drug/alcohol OD, he weighed 86 pounds (he wasn't a midget, not his normal weight). SO tragic, such a brilliant, but lost soul, fighting his internal demons. Damn, still makes me cry

Definitely check out the rest of this performance, very good acoustic and the originals album version are great too.

I haven't seen any of your other videos. Came across this video purely by chance, while searching for the original video. I must say that im impressed with how clearly and concisely you command the english language. I'm impressed with your overall enunciation. I'd wager it's sharper than many native speakers. I hope this complimentary comment finds you well!

You should just listen to the whole performance. It’s one of if not the best of the unplugged series

I didn’t know Layne Staley except through his music. His ability to convey emotion and to connect with the emotions of the listener are second to none. Just makes me feel very defensive of his legacy. If I could build a Time Machine, I would go back in time to this concert and give him the biggest hug. Just to provide some context, Layne was deep in the throes of his addiction. A byproduct of his addiction was the loss of some of his teeth (at this point in 96) which caused him some considerable embarrassment and affected his delivery, hence the slight lisping you hear on the “S” sounds. Another byproduct of the tooth loss was embarrassment at his physical deterioration which was very noticeable to the band and had shocked them to the point where they doubted Layne’s ability to perform that night. At about one minute and fifty-nine seconds into the performance you can see Jerry Cantrell smiling at Sean Kinney when Layne really hits his notes. I am pretty sure he was smiling for Layne because his old friend was absolutely nailing the performance. There is one more level to consider; “friends” of AIC, members of the band Metallica, were sitting in the front row. AIC had pulled out of a planned tour with them because of Layne's escalating drug use, he was unable to physically perform or tour and AIC went on a hiatus and the members of the band had not played together in quite some time. Metallica mocked Layne during their tour. I intuit Layne may have been feeling some emotions around letting his friends down and the obvious physical discomfort of addiction; hence his extremely closed off energy. But he still showed up, sang his ass off and even played some more dates with AIC, before succumbing to his personal demons and pulling out of the public eye. One has to remember that even in those darkest days (1996-2002) he still supported his band and bandmates, showing up for Jerry Cantrell's solo efforts and calling in to radio shows to support the band when he could. I lost what little respect I had for Metallica after watching a documentary where I heard an audio recording of Metallica making fun of Layne while on their tour. Great deconstruction of the legendary Layne Staley’s immense vocal talents.. Very informative for those of us who wish we could sing.