Alice In Chains: Man in the Box Meaning
Song Released: 1991
Man in the Box Lyrics
Buried in my shit
Won’t you come and save me, save me
Chorus
Feed my eyes, can you sew them shut?
Jesus christ, deny your maker
He who tries, will be wasted
Feed my eyes now you’ve sewn them shut
I’m the dog who...
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In medieval times sewing ones eyes was a form of punishment, it wasn't a very good time to live if you weren't aristocratic.
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Jerry Cantrell AND Layne Staley wrote this song. They were out eating with vegetarians. They explained how the calves were raised in little boxes only to be slaughtered and that's how we get veal. This inspired "man in the box". from Cantrell's point it is mainly about censorship, Layne felt it was more about most people, living in the placed the grew up, day to day routine, creating a type of box around your life and leaving you stuck with bills and job you hate, etc.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This is what I like to think: The verses are pretty straightforward, as has been pointed out, but I think differently of the chorus. I think of the verses describing a religious person's plight. I think it's someone struggling in a "Christian" religion that is obviously way off base. "Feed my eyes" means the showy pomp and circumstance of mainstream religion where as "Can you sew them shut?" means that realistically they teach nothing really based on the Bible. "Jesus Christ" is whom they believe is god, but they "Deny [their] maker" by ignoring his obvious role as God's SON. "He who tries" to please God in this religion "will be wasted" by his vain efforts. "Feed my eyes" again as at the first, and "Now you've sewn them shut" shows he really hasn't learned anything about God.
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The artist is in a struggle of some sort and is pleading for help. In the chorus, while he is asking for help from Christ, the echo is the devil tapping him on the shoulder trying to pull him back in. It is a rivalry between Christ and the devil for his soul.
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My interpretation is entirely religious in nature.
First of all, in the video, what is holding him in the box, whatever that is? An upside down cross - a symbol of Satan or Satanism. It is too obvious to be accidental. Now this does not mean that the song is espousing Satanism - it is Satan keeping him in the box. Now, what IS the box?
"Buried in my shit" - shit is sin, evil. But he can't get out of it alone. He cries out to be saved - by who? Jesus Christ is the only other figure in the song.
OK, so that's one part of the song - basically repeated in verse two, using dog analogy of a dog being punished for his sin / shit. Note that in no case does the author say anything at all about doing anything himself, which is biblically correct - the bible is clear that God saves us, we don't save ourselves.
So what's all this about the eyes etc?
Genesis 3:2-6
And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
and from the book of Luke, Ch 24
15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
So perhaps the author is saying to God, look, you have chosen not to save me, from my sin, you have sewn my eyes shut, so why don't you then feed my eyes with something else. the implication is that none of it is his fault. -
Layne did not write "man in the box", jerry cantrell did. He wrote it about censorship. He attained the idea when aic went to dinner one night with two columbia records people who were vegetarians. They said that one of the main reasons is because veel is made from young cattle who spend what life they live trapped in cages. He wrote it about censorship (which would be the box).
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Man in the box
i'm the man in the box
buried in my shit
won't you come and save me, save me.
The first verse is about a cry for help from someone who feels trapped by his own fault "my shit" maybe addictions, and is crying for help. Now the chorus, which is the beautiful part of the song, refers to how people pretend not to or ignore this man.
Feed my eyes, with something different then suffering, can you sew them shut? People not wanting to see pain, and suffering all together.
Jesus christ. Deny your maker. People often call out to a higher power in times of desperation, in this case jesus or god. Then people come back to earth and realize they're alone in the world, and no "higher power" will ever come. They need personal help or help from another.
He who tries, will be wasted. He who tries to get out or solve his problem, will be wasted, and usually end up right back where he started. (an addict going back to drugs)
feed my eyes, now you've sewn them shut. It's a person becoming numb to the world around them. Not seeing the world for what it is, beautiful, and horrific.
I'm the dog who gets beat. Now they've shifted characters to a something helpless like a dog, being beat, and it crying out for help again. It repeats to the chorus showing that people don't want to see suffering, pain, and are scared to do something about it. They just want to sew their eyes shut to people in need and go on with their lives.
I know it's wayyyyy diff from other interpretations, but I just can't believe that this song is only about censorship although it would make sense if llayne and jerry felt like dogs being beat by the record companies, because their contracts make them defenseless so they need outside help.
My own interpretation, tell me what you think below. -
I saw an interview with Layne Staley and he said it was mainly about Censorship at that time affecting the music scene... However he did say he was stoned when he wrote it! so its open to any interpretation.
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Well, it is possible that the man in the box is in a coffin, but also that is a metaphor for what situation he is in. It could be a metaphor for death, although not physical. I can make that much out. He is asking for someone to come and save them from death (jesus), but at the same time he contradicts himself. The dog who gets beat could be being punished for something he did wrong. You often house train a dog by rubbing his nose in his shit and slapping him on the ass. This could be a metaphor for sin.
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This poor soul is shouldering the weight of the world.
I'm the man in the box (he's not in a coffin, he's just surrounded by turmoil, maybe mostly his own)
I'm the dog who gets beat (feeling like he's everyone whipping post)
The refrain is screaming repentance but if you deny your maker you will truly perish. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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