Down in a Hole

For the Kiefer Sutherland album, see Down in a Hole (album). Not to be confused with Down in the Hole.

"Down in a Hole" is a power ballad^[3] by American rock band Alice in Chains, and the fifth and last single from their second studio album, Dirt (1992). It is the twelfth song on most pressings of the album and fourth or eleventh on others.^[4] The song was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell for his then-girlfriend, Courtney Clarke.^[5] The single spent 21 weeks on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 10.^[6] The song was included on the band's greatest hits album, Nothing Safe: Best of the Box (1999), as well as on their box set, Music Bank (1999). An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged in 1996 was released in a live album and DVD.

"Down in a Hole"
Single by Alice in Chains
from the album Dirt
Released	October 11, 1993 (1993-10-11) (UK)[1]
Recorded	1992
Genre	Grunge[2]
Length	5:38
Label	Columbia
Songwriter	Jerry Cantrell
Producers	Alice in Chains Dave Jerden
Alice in Chains singles chronology
"What the Hell Have I" (1993) "Down in a Hole" (1993) "No Excuses" (1994)
Music video
"Down in a Hole" on YouTube

Origin and recording

Songwriter and guitarist Jerry Cantrell was at first hesitant to present the song to the band, feeling that the song was too soft, but after a positive response from the band, they followed through and recorded it.^[7] The composition is written in A♭ minor, utilizing Dorian mode, and is centered mainly around A♭ minor - G♭ major - D♭ major chord progression, with Layne Staley's and Jerry Cantrell's vocal parts intricately harmonizing.^[7]

Lyrics

Jerry Cantrell wrote the song for his then-girlfriend, Courtney Clarke.^[5] In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set collection, Cantrell said of the song:

["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.^[5][8]

Release and reception

"Down in a Hole" was released as a single in October 1993.^[9] It peaked at number ten on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart. The UK single was released on October 11, 1993.^[1] The single reached the top 40 in the UK and the top 30 in Ireland.

Ned Raggett of AllMusic said that "Staley's...half-strangled but still amazingly evocative performance...is heartfelt and almost yearning" and that "the end result feels like a ruined man looking for some sort of comfort."^[10] Stereogum said of the song; "Down in a Hole" is an anthem of loss, revulsion, and depression. But it really is an anthem first and foremost. The verses build slowly to a soaring chorus with an irrepressible melody. Staley's pained howl guides the song, but its power derives from Cantrell's terrific harmonies, which give the piece heft and also a sense of unease."^[11] In 2014, Loudwire ranked the song number eight on their list of the 10 greatest Alice in Chains songs,^[12] and in 2021, Kerrang ranked the song number three on their list of the 20 greatest Alice in Chains songs.^[13]

Music video

"Down in a Hole" became one of the five video-singles from the album Dirt. The music video was released in 1993 and was directed by Nigel Dick. The video is available on the home video release, Music Bank: The Videos. Bassist Mike Inez appears in the video although the original track was recorded with original member Mike Starr. Starr was fired from the group in early 1993 and replaced by Inez.

Live performances

Alice in Chains performed the song live for the first time on October 5, 1992, at the Coca-Cola Starplex in Dallas, Texas.

The band performed an acoustic version of "Down in a Hole" for its appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1996, and the song was included on the Unplugged live album and home video release.^[14]

Another acoustic live version of the song, featuring William DuVall on lead vocals, was included on the Japanese version of Black Gives Way to Blue (2009) as a bonus track.^[15]

Cover versions

The song was covered by professional baseball player Bronson Arroyo on his 2005 album, Covering the Bases,^[16] which lists the song as "Down in the Hole".^[17]

On his low-key 2007 tour—in support of his album Easy Tiger, Ryan Adams covered the song live with his band, The Cardinals.^[18] A cover of the song is also featured on Adams' 2007 EP, Follow the Lights.^[19]

The Vitamin String Quartet recorded an instrumental version of the song for their 2009 album, The String Quartet Tribute to Alice in Chains.^[20]

The Christian metal band Demon Hunter performed an acoustic version of the song on the deluxe edition of their 2011 album, The World Is a Thorn.^[21]

Swedish metal band In Flames covered the song on their covers EP, Down, Wicked & No Good, released in November 2017.^[22]

In 2020, American metalcore band Code Orange covered the song on their live album, Under the Skin.^[23]

Track listings

CD single (659751–2)

1. "Down in a Hole" (radio edit) – 3:53
2. "Down in a Hole" – 5:40
3. "What the Hell Have I" – 4:00
4. "Rooster" – 6:15

12-inch single (659751–6) Side 1

1. "Down in a Hole"
2. "A Little Bitter"

Side 2

1. "Rooster"
2. "Love, Hate, Love"

7-inch single (659751–7) Side 1

1. "Down in a Hole" (radio edit)

Side 2

1. "Rooster"

Personnel

• Layne Staley – vocals
• Jerry Cantrell – vocals, electric and acoustic guitar
• Mike Starr – bass
• Sean Kinney – drums

Charts

Chart (1993)	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA)[24]	29
UK Singles (OCC)[25]	36
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[26]	10

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[27]	Platinum	1,000,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	October 11, 1993	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD	[1]