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Alice In Chains — Don't Follow
Album: Jar Of Flies
Avg rating:
7.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3429









Released: 1994
Length: 4:18
Plays (last 30 days): 1
Hey, I ain't never coming home
Hey, I'll just wander my own road
Hey, I can't meet you here tomorrow, no
Say goodbye, don't follow; misery so hollow

Hey you, you're livin' life full throttle
Hey you, pass me down that bottle, yeah
Hey you, you can't shake me round now
I get so lost and don't know how
And it hurts to care, I'm going down

Forgot my woman, lost my friends
Things I'd done and where I've been
Sleep in sweat the mirror's cold
See my face it's growin' old
Scared to death no reason why
Do whatever to get me by
Think about the things I've said
Read the page it's cold and dead

And take me home
Yeah, take me home
Oh, oh, take me home
Take me home, yeah
Take me home

Say goodbye don't follow
Comments (318)add comment
Love this album (well, EP). Always thought this one "borrowed" pretty heavily from G&R's Patience but a good late night song to play in the living room while you're passing around a bottle of Jack.
Worst. Song. Ever.
well isn't this a half Jar full of flies kind of song...
playing this leaving a FIFO gold operation in WA for the last time....sweet bliss. One of the greatest albums of all time in my book.
 boltonblue242 wrote:

I wish my friends listened to RP... when I say I love Alice in Chains, they make some comment about the rooster coming to get us... clearly they have never taken the time to hear more than that song... but this beautiful one is a perfect example of how many more are right there ready for RP to lay on us who love the band... no pressure of course, as from what I can tell, rating seems silly because I almost never hear a song on this station that does not get high marks.  Amazing.



i'm with you. this one shakes me every time. so, so beautiful.

i also have to stop anytime i listen to sunshine. the chorus and harmonies arrest me. 

miss layne.
RP is on fire today, can't get any work done as I'm forever looking up the bands and the songs.  Long live RP!
oh man....forgot about this one.
i went on a big A I C bandwagon late last summer. revisited most of what i love about them.

dang. so good.
10 +10 + 10 Just noticed  I already posted this - one track mind!
Toots Thielman Style!
Great lyrics 7-8
just a killer track.....off a killer album
10,10,10,10!
First song of their's that caught my ear. I'll have to dig a little deeper.
I liked it initially but more today for some reason.
7 > 8 for now.
it literally takes you there.
Fantastic song.
How can you not like it eh?
On this day 20 years ago,, sad
 mcaprice9 wrote:

More Alice and Chains, Please!




I AGREE!!!
did we just have a flashback to Garrett Kato?
 mcaprice9 wrote:

More Alice and Chains, Please!



agreed
Every time this song starts I think, this is more like it...
 orthomd wrote:

One of the great vocalists Staley like Chris Cornell were two of the best



Agreed, RIP Layne. Don't forget that Jerry Cantrell sings the entire first part (and ending) of the song, a great vocalist (and guitarist/songwriter) in his own right.
 GalileoCoffeeCo wrote:
Best band of the 90s
 
I'll toss Garbage into this thought.  My two favorite bands from the 90's.
I think you sometimes get your mixes mixed up.
Solid 10 in my book
 boltonblue242 wrote:
It just doesnt get any better than this man.  I am from Seattle, did this scene, and now I am just an old fart that loves this shit :)
 

 MangyKen wrote:
Being from Seattle, AIC was just amazing.  This song though has got to be one of my all time fav's from them.  They were such an amazing talent.  Put AIC and Chris Cornell and Eddie Vetter in a room together and its a party of the masters.
 
I love this so much.  Seattle in that time must have really been amazing for sure.  Speaking of Chris Cornell, I miss him so much!  He was a gift to all of us.  I hope he has found peace.
Being from Seattle, AIC was just amazing.  This song though has got to be one of my all time fav's from them.  They were such an amazing talent.  Put AIC and Chris Cornell and Eddie Vetter in a room together and its a party of the masters.
 Blijj wrote:
During his last year at school, my son was subject to some scary encounters with some scary types outside the school gates. As this started to encroach on simply trying to enjoy going outdoors, he spent more time inside and eventually picked up his brother's guitar. Over a few weeks and with a bit of help from his brother we heard the odd sounds filtering downstairs from his room, but then one evening he strolled into the kitchen, sat down and just blew us away when he played and  sung this song. The double bonus was that I'd never heard it before, or heard him sing so it was a powerful moment. My rating will always be a 10 for the song and for the sanctuary that music gave to him in a scary world.
 

I think if my kid sang this song to me I'd be putting him on suicide watch.  Sounds more like a call for help, as in maybe you should go do something about the scary types outside the school gates and stand up for your kid.
Best harmonies in all of rock belong to this outstanding grunge band RIP Layne
Truly godlike🌷🌷🌷
I wsh alll of it.
 DisplacedNorthrnr wrote:
I honestly don't hear any GnR in AIC. If anything, I hear a lot of bands from the late 90's and the last few years (i.e. Puddle of Mud) that try in vain to sound like AIC.


 

blackdogsailing wrote:
I definitely hear a GNR song in this one, just done better.
 
So do I and totally agree
 Beautiful...beautiful
Hello,
I am drinking plenty of water, trying to rest. I try to have a walk everyday, sport is good as they say. I have deactivated my Facebook account to connect to myself and the world around me better.
I give this song a solid 9. RIP Layne. Peace and love to all my brothers and sisters!
More Alice and Chains, Please!
 DisplacedNorthrnr wrote:
I honestly don't hear any GnR in AIC. If anything, I hear a lot of bands from the late 90's and the last few years (i.e. Puddle of Mud) that try in vain to sound like AIC.
 I definitely hear a GNR song in this one, just done better.

This quite likeable track is arpeggalicious and I grok the harmonica and harmonies.
My all-time favorite AIC jam. Thank you, RP! <3
One of the great vocalists Staley like Chris Cornell were two of the best
I wish my friends listened to RP... when I say I love Alice in Chains, they make some comment about the rooster coming to get us... clearly they have never taken the time to hear more than that song... but this beautiful one is a perfect example of how many more are right there ready for RP to lay on us who love the band... no pressure of course, as from what I can tell, rating seems silly because I almost never hear a song on this station that does not get high marks.  Amazing.
Love the harmonies, and sincerely wish we could stop losing so many interesting combinations of vocal ability and perspective.
{#Crown}
 hayduke2 wrote:

I was just about to post those EXACT THOUGHTS  (kidding, that there is some good stuff StillAwake thank you  : )

 
Well, thank you for the nice complement, hayduke2 : ) ...And I'll make sure you get to post our thoughts first next time...kidding. 

Enjoy!  
 StillAwake wrote:
This has got to be one of the most oddly compiled and yet perfectly arranged albums ever...and even more impressive at just 7 songs. That said, it should come with a warning label...it'll throw you out into dark, open ocean waters right from the start, and if you manage not to hit repeat, resuscitate you by the end.

 
I was just about to post those EXACT THOUGHTS  (kidding, that there is some good stuff StillAwake thank you  : )
This has got to be one of the most oddly compiled and yet perfectly arranged albums ever...and even more impressive at just 7 songs. That said, it should come with a warning label...it'll throw you out into dark, open ocean waters right from the start, and if you manage not to hit repeat, resuscitate you by the end.
 maboleth wrote:
Some guitar work at the beginning here was used in REM's Why Not Smile song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1nt3t8AR0U

 
Yes, same tempo, same chords, but it is just D-G-A (I-IV-V): kind of like the first lesson of learning open chords, a progression used in thousands of songs.
 Webfoot wrote:
Wow, Bill's really nailing the transitions today. 

 
Is he ever!!
Some guitar work at the beginning here was used in REM's Why Not Smile song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1nt3t8AR0U
Amazing song from an amazing album! I always loved how the voices interact in all of the Alice in Chains' songs...
Wow, Bill's really nailing the transitions today. 
God I hate this song. Plug in or go home.
Is it bad to admit to loving Alice in Chains?  So many excellent songs ...
 leafmold wrote:
Anyone hear Big Star?

 
A little in some parts, but not over all.  Still, Alex Chilton did influence a lot of people.
Lots of layers here heh?
Great song by a great band - from a "few" years back. AIC still going strong, still putting out new albums, still my favorite rock band. Please play some current AIC, Bill. 
 Msturge wrote:
Love them so much.

  Check out their 'Unplugged' DVD. It is excellent {#Dancingbanana_2}


Love them so much.
My favorite AIC album... by a LOT, and I like the others (the earlier, the better).  Too bad it's a short album and a temporary direction for the band, IMHO.
Didn´t hear that for a long time....now may be the rigt time for re-finding that wonderful album :-)


still rocks
Anyone hear Big Star?
When they were good, they were really good.  I think they are much better than Soundgarden, who I consider a mediocrity at best. Nirvana had two great albums, without a bad song on either.  PJ has a lot of first rate music, and a few all-time classics.  AIC put out about 4 truly great songs and a lot of bilge.
 Nadine wrote:

movement? if I remember right from the interviews I heard and read in the early 90s, every single band (that got labeled "grunge!") hated the label "grunge". and the label was just set up by the music industry to give this a name under which to sell it. the only thing they had in common is, that most of them originated from seattle/washington state and most of them knew each other / were friends?

grunge was more a fashion (concerning clothes). i copied eddie vedder's and jeff ament's clothing style back then *ahem* ;o))

I liked most of those bands, but never compared them. How? They were all so distinctive.

(Ok, no, almost true: I always thought STP (San Diego, not(!) Seattle!) were id*ots & tried to copy PJ and jump on the "grunge" train. (Now I like some of their songs). And I didn't like Mudhoney, too indie).

 

Good point, the only thing that I am sure of is STP is awesome!
 DaidyBoy wrote:
Turning into Guns n Roses is a big mistake for me.  One of them is enough.

 
I often point out similarities in the sound of songs...in this case it means no disrespect because I love this song very much and I like the GNR song ok too
Turning into Guns n Roses is a big mistake for me.  One of them is enough.
 kojiroh wrote:
I've always liked AIC, and I had a very nostalgic period in my life in which I practically listened to AIC all day long, but it's the first time I've ever heard this and I'm absolutely stunned. Such a great song.
 
This and the Sap album have some great acoustic songs. I still have my grunge moods where this is played, and Temple of the Dog, and of course Mad Season
 rdo wrote:
All we need is just a little patience, yay yay....

 
I was trying to put my finger on it.  You nailed it. 
Great Tune
 lemmoth wrote:

No one sang like Lane.  RIP



 
Fave rock singer from the 90's!
 Not liking what I've heard from them (his vocals are an instant turn-off), no I really don't wonder about it...

guielmo wrote:
Have you ever wonder how somebody can't love this band? 

 


All we need is just a little patience, yay yay....
This song is arpeggalicious.  ;)  Quite likeable.

No one sang like Lane.  RIP


Eeeuuuuw. Icky.
 holy cow: what a set!
I've always liked AIC, and I had a very nostalgic period in my life in which I practically listened to AIC all day long, but it's the first time I've ever heard this and I'm absolutely stunned. Such a great song.
 bobzane wrote:
god bless Layne Staley. may he be at peace.
 

miss him...
Maybe I'm a robot, or Pavlov's dog, but I'm such a sucker for arpeggio.  Don't remember this one, but sounds good today. 
This cut appealed enough that I just 1-clicked the CD from Amazon... that's the good/bad of internet shopping: it's sooo easy.
 echoes wrote:
These guys were great...and this short CD was excellent.
 
Were great?  Suggest you pick up their latest CD "Black Gives Way to Blue" and they've got a new one coming this spring... although Layne has left this mortal coil the band continues and are still great.
Always enjoyed the album, but man, piezo pickups harsh my mellow.
These guys were great...and this short CD was excellent.
{#Cowboy}
 sirdroseph wrote:


Oh yes, these guys and STP are by far the most talented to come out of the movement.{#Yes}
 
movement? if I remember right from the interviews I heard and read in the early 90s, every single band (that got labeled "grunge!") hated the label "grunge". and the label was just set up by the music industry to give this a name under which to sell it. the only thing they had in common is, that most of them originated from seattle/washington state and most of them knew each other / were friends?

grunge was more a fashion (concerning clothes). i copied eddie vedder's and jeff ament's clothing style back then *ahem* ;o))

I liked most of those bands, but never compared them. How? They were all so distinctive.

(Ok, no, almost true: I always thought STP (San Diego, not(!) Seattle!) were id*ots & tried to copy PJ and jump on the "grunge" train. (Now I like some of their songs). And I didn't like Mudhoney, too indie).
Heaven.
Best band of the 90s
Alice in Chains were definitely my favourite band of the time. While Pearl Jam and Nirvana were liked by those who didn't even call themselves grunge enthusiasts, AIC stayed more on the edges and you could hear it in their music. Layne Staley's voice was brilliant and the perfect complement to Jerry's songwriting. Stone Temple Pilots and Tool were two of my other favourites. Although I'm still hugely passionate about music, I can't think of an era where I was more obsessed than those grunge-filled nineties...
 lemmoth wrote:


Yeah - other than Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Mudhoney.
 
And let us not forget the Screaming Trees or even Pearl Jam's predecessor Mother Love Bone.  I find that the grunge moniker probably described the who cares fashion sense they all had rather than the music they played.  There was some variation in the noise made by the different bands to my ears.
Wow, this takes me back.  The only one of their albums that survived my 2001 rent crisis was the Unplugged (too scratched to sell), I had forgotten how much I loved this song.
 lemmoth wrote:


Yeah - other than Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Mudhoney.
 

Yes I think Nirvana and Soundgarden were very good also just not as good as STP and Alice in Chains. Not a fan of Mudhoney and I don't even have to mention that other band you already know what I think of them. Of course it is all subjective and there are no best band of era awards up for grabs. 
 sirdroseph wrote:


Oh yes, these guys and STP are by far the most talented to come out of the movement.{#Yes}
 


 
 sirdroseph wrote:


Oh yes, these guys and STP are by far the most talented to come out of the movement.{#Yes}
 

Yeah - other than Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Mudhoney.
 Stave wrote:
Of all the bands that formed the backbone of the whole grunge thing, I think AIC may be one of the most underappreciated.  I liked them well enough back in the day but as I've gotten older and learned more about music in general they just keep sounding better and better.
 

Oh yes, these guys and STP are by far the most talented to come out of the movement.{#Yes}

Jar of Flies — No Excuses.  A happy day song, relatively speaking.  Maybe RP will play it someday ...


Take me home....this Monday is dragging...10 more minutes before the dreaded commute!  Oh...Bryan...I love your voice.  This is great!  Thanks RP!!!!
Bang Bang indeed.
Now there's a segue no-one but Bill would have chased up.
 htowncoog wrote:
The tempo change and new groove are oh so sweet.
 
That's my favorite part too!

Alice in Chains.  That lil pick-me-up when working through the night again.  Yea.
Give me more. Great album. One of my all time favourite bands. My teenage years wouldn't have been the same without them.
i agree, 2!
push push push!
 evenflower wrote:
I don't care what anybody says, Jar of Flies is the work of absolute genius!
 

    Agreed 1000%...................
 htowncoog wrote:

Yep.

 
Double yep. I love AIC, this song, this album, their new singer, etc., etc. I saw them a few years ago and was blown away. I just wish I had seen them while Layne was still alive.

god bless Layne Staley. may he be at peace.
 evenflower wrote:
I don't care what anybody says, Jar of Flies is the work of absolute genius!
 
Yep.

 grungepuppy wrote:

I agree 100%. AIC is the most versatile of the grunge bands. The mellow folk style of this album is brilliant, especially compared to the heavy, dark brooding of "Dirt" (which I also love). Jerry and Layne really could harmonize well. Their songs are often tough to hear, with lyrics about heroine addiction and depression. In my teen years, I credit this band for helping me get through tough times. As I've gotten older, along with the band, I've never lost any appreciation for them. I love their new stuff and their new singer. But this song will always be a classic, one of their best.

 
Thanks for  sharing this with us GrungeP....Great stuff. And absolutely amazing how important music is to our lives.

Love it!!!!! First Nancy Sinatra...then this....Bill, You Rock!
Absolutely one of my favorite tunes..!!
I don't care what anybody says, Jar of Flies is the work of absolute genius!
 Stave wrote:
Of all the bands that formed the backbone of the whole grunge thing, I think AIC may be one of the most underappreciated.  I liked them well enough back in the day but as I've gotten older and learned more about music in general they just keep sounding better and better.
 
I agree 100%. AIC is the most versatile of the grunge bands. The mellow folk style of this album is brilliant, especially compared to the heavy, dark brooding of "Dirt" (which I also love). Jerry and Layne really could harmonize well. Their songs are often tough to hear, with lyrics about heroine addiction and depression. In my teen years, I credit this band for helping me get through tough times. As I've gotten older, along with the band, I've never lost any appreciation for them. I love their new stuff and their new singer. But this song will always be a classic, one of their best.

This band invariably drives me nuts.  Their very name puts a bad image in my brain, so I'm already pre-disposed to hate them. And then I hear their music - notably, this song - and I have to change my mind about them. And then I see the album cover - like "Jar of Flies" - and I hate them again... But oh, this song... Oh, their music...

Geez, no wonder I'm so messed up about them!  This is a good thing, really. I can't just blanket-hate them, because they always make it impossible.

I love this particular song.  Give me a little time to rise above my love-hate relationship with their music, and I'll probably just love it. For now, this gets a 9, with potential for more.
Great tune! Haven't heard this in years... was a staple of my college days.
Of all the bands that formed the backbone of the whole grunge thing, I think AIC may be one of the most underappreciated.  I liked them well enough back in the day but as I've gotten older and learned more about music in general they just keep sounding better and better.
I think this is the one they released on Vinyl a week before the CD.  I brought it to a friends house where there was a very nice turntable and made a cassete to listen to in the car. 
The tempo change and new groove are oh so sweet.
 theforgiventeen wrote:
I Like Jar of Flies, but not Dirt
 


But dirt is good
 hiorgos wrote:

I support this.
 
I support your support of more AIC!!

 Bosami wrote:
More Alice please. Nice.
 
I support this.
I Like Jar of Flies, but not Dirt
I forgot about this. I played their Unplugged Album to death. Loved that "Nutshell"