When talking about grunge rock bands, one band that instantly comes to mind is Nirvana. The band has been associated to be the biggest name when it comes to the grunge music genre. Although Nirvana is a popular name in the grunge music scene, it was Alice In Chains that brought grunge music to the mainstream.
Alice In Chains sometimes called “AIC” is an American rock band from Seattle, established in 1987. The four-member band consists of the lead vocalist Layne Staley, guitarist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr.
In 1984, Layne Staley was associated with a metal band – “Sleze”. One of the members of the band suggested changing the name of the band to “Alice N Chains”. Soon, the band was renamed.
After a small stint, “Alice N Chains” disbanded in 1987. Later, Layne Staley met guitarist Jerry Cantrell who was associated with another band. His band also met the same fate. The group got disbanded. Jerry Cantrell contacted drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Starr and along with Layne Staley, they formed a grunge band called “Alice In Chains” in the same year.
The 1980s witnessed several grunge bands. Bands like Soundgarden, Malfunkshun, and others were developing the genre in Seattle. But when Nirvana came into the scene in 1990, the grunge genre picked up in Seattle. However, the release of the album “Facelift” by Alice In Chains was responsible for the popularization of the genre. The release helped the genre make inroads into mainstream music. Now, the genre was being heard across America and was not limited to Seattle.
Two tracks from the album “We Die Young” and “It Ain’t Like That” became instant hits on one of Seattle’s radio stations. Although the album produced hits, it couldn’t sell enough copies. After the addition of the track “Man In The Box”, the album witnessed a boost in the sales of the copies. According to some estimates, the album saw a sale of 400,000 copies within six weeks. The release of “Man In The Box” was primarily responsible for their stardom.
After the release of Facelift, the band toured across America and performed musical gigs with other popular artists. Later, in the year 1992, they released a mini-album, “Sap” which featured the iconic song “Got Me Wrong”.
The song was originally recorded with the mini-album and was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell. Initially, the song didn’t receive much appreciation. But after its inclusion in the soundtrack of a comedy musical movie “Clerks”, the track was well received. Noticing the track’s popularity, the band re-released the song as a single in 1994.
After its release, the song received several accolades. It made it to position seven on the “Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks” chart and also earned a respectful position on the “Billboard Modern Rock Tracks” chart.
Later in 1996, the band went on to perform an acoustic version of the song for MTV Unplugged. The music video of the same is available on YouTube. The video features the band performing the popular song in a dim-lit studio in front of a decent audience.
Let us look at Got Me Wrong lyrics meaning.
What Does The Title Mean
The song “Got Me Wrong” is one of the popular tracks released by Alice In Chains. The inspiration behind the song is the relationship that Jerry Cantrell had in the past. The song was written by Jerry Cantrell and vocals were given by Layne Staley.
In an interview, Jerry alluded that he was in a relationship with a girl after he broke up with his true love and was not ready for a serious relationship with the girl. But the girl thought otherwise. She insisted that a serious relationship would change Jerry. She made a wrong assumption that he would change for her, hence the title name “Got Me Wrong”
Read on further to know more about Got Me Wrong lyrics meaning.
Got Me Wrong Lyrics Meaning
Verse 1 – What Does It Mean
“Yeah, yeah, it goes away
All of this and more of nothing in my life
No, color clay
Individuality not safe”
In the verse, the man is unsure of his commitment to a relationship. The lines convey that if he gets into a serious relationship with the girl that he loves, he might lose his individuality. He thinks that in a relationship he would not be himself. This is why he is unsure of being committed to a serious relationship.
The lyrics are inspired by the relationship that Jerry Cantrell had in the past. He was out of a long relationship and the experience that he had was the reason behind his reluctance to have a serious relationship with a girl that he was dating.
What Does The Pre-Chorus Mean
“As of now I bet you got me wrong
So unsure you run from something strong”
In the pre-chorus, the lines convey that the man is speaking to his girlfriend and telling her that she got it all wrong about the premise of their relationship. He is not looking for a serious relationship.
Verse 2 – What Does It Mean
“I-I can’t let go
Threadbare tapestry unwinding slow
Feel a tortured brain
Show your belly like you want me to”
In the verse, the lines convey that the man can’t go off his past relationship. He has developed scars from the past association. He also conveys to his girlfriend that he is unwilling to share his vulnerability with her unless she does.
What Does The Chorus Mean
“I haven’t felt like this in so long
Wrong, in a sense too far gone from love
That don’t last forever
Something’s gotta turn out right”
In the chorus, the man conveys that the past association has scarred him to an extent that he is far from looking for a serious relationship. In the last line, he hopes that some miracle happens so that he starts believing in serious relationships.
Verse 3 – What Does It Mean
“You, sugar taste
Sweetness doesn’t often touch my face
Stay if you please
You may not be here when I leave”
In the verse, the lines convey that his girlfriend is sweet as sugar. But he doesn’t feel true love for a long-term relationship. In the end, he tells his girlfriend that this is how he feels, and if she is fine with it, she can stay with him.
Conclusion
Got Me Wrong lyrics meaning have been explained briefly in the article. The song is one of the popular songs by Alice In Chains. The song track’s lyrics deal with the relationship between a man and his girlfriend and his unwillingness to commit to a serious relationship.
