Alice In Chains: The Rooster Meaning

The Rooster Lyrics

Ain’t found a way to kill me yet
Eyes burn with stinging sweat
Seems every path leads me to nowhere
Wife and kids 'n household pet
Army green was no safe bet
The bullets scream to me from somewhere

Yeah they come to snuff the rooster, oh...

1. anonymous

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   Mar 2nd 2012 !⃝

   the rooster was inspired by layne staleys uncle who was a scout sniper i 'nam. he was given the nickname "the rooster." during one of AIC concerts they brought him out and explained.
2. anonymous

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   Feb 27th 2012 !⃝

   If you listen closely, they actually say, "stuff", not snuff the rooster. Every year, for Thanksgiving, Jerry's family wanted a stuffed,roasted rooster with all the trimmings rather than a turkey. The only problem was that no one wanted to catch, kill and stuff the rooster at Jerry's house, SO every year Jerry's in-laws were invited to Thanksgiving dinner with the understanding that THEY would be responsible for preparing the bird. When they pulled into the driveway Jerry's dad would say, "Here they come to STUFF the rooster." The only problem was that, being non-violent people, the in-laws were reluctant to slaughter the bird SO they devised a method of boring the bird to death. They would tie down the rooster and then they would sit around for hours just analyzing, re-analyzing and over-analyzing stupid songs. Even though the rooster prayed for the sweet release of death or at least someone to stab out his eardrums out with a red-hot poker, neither happened and miraculously the rooster survived. After many years of TV dinners for Thanksgiving, Jerry's dad would see the same routine play out and when he saw them getting out the rope to tie down the bird he would angrily mutter, "You know he ain't gonna die"
3. anonymous

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   Dec 10th 2011 !⃝

   Wow. The interpretations I see for AIC songs astounds me. You'd think after the death(s) that people would open their eyes, but I guess not. Of course, not everyone is a recovering addict like myself, but it's obvious (to me) that almost every AIC song is about the grips of heroin addiction...including this song, yes.
4. anonymous

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   Sep 13th 2011 !⃝

   I forgot also "oh god please wont you help me make it through" as in make it until heroin arrives.
5. anonymous

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   Sep 13th 2011 !⃝

   The rooster is their withdrawals from heroin. They hate knowing the rooster is coming but it still comes. They feel as if they are going to die but they know they won't. People bring them drugs to "snuff the rooster"
6. anonymous

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   Aug 17th 2011 !⃝

   He wrote this song for his grandfather who was in 'nam. and rooster is what they called the american troop......
7. anonymous

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   Jul 29th 2011 !⃝

   "The "rooster" refers to Carlos Hath`cock`, marine sniper in Vietnam who got many confirmed kills." No, it does not. Watch the video! There is a picture of Corporal CANTRELL in the video, not Carlos Hathcock.
8. anonymous

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   Jul 12th 2011 !⃝

   Haven't read all of the interpretations but, I know that during the Vietnam war, roosters were used as sentinels,(watchdogs) to let whomever were using them know when the enemy was nearby. One of the tactics used by the special ops was to take out the roosters so that the rest of the troops could get into position for surprise intrusion. I learned this as a kid during the war from my neighbor who was a Green Beret over there.
   
9. anonymous

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   Jun 22nd 2011 !⃝

   This is just a fact and not an interpretation of the lyrics.
   
   The lyrics state, "Army Green, was no safe bet."
   
   The Army use of the term "Rooster" refered to the position of Forward Observer.
   
   Like a rooster, the FO was someone who went behind enemy lines, got up to a high position, and called in artillery fire from a radio.
10. anonymous

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    Apr 18th 2011 !⃝

    The song is about a boy and his father is over in Vietnam slaughtering the Vietnamese and they nicknamed him the rooster
11. anonymous

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    Apr 17th 2011 !⃝

    One of the band members uncle's experience in Nam.
12. anonymous

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    Apr 2nd 2011 !⃝

    I hate to break it to all you Marines out there but the song isn’t talking about you. If you don’t believe me just read the lyrics mainly the part where it says "ARMY GREEN WAS NO SAFE BET"
    This song was written by Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell Jr. for his father Jerry Cantrell Sr., who severed with the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division who wore shoulder sleeve insignia on their arms featuring a bald eagle. As there are no bald eagles in Vietnam, the closest thing to which the Vietnamese could draw a comparison to was the rooster. The idea that "they come to snuff the rooster and how he isn’t going to die” Refers intelligences found during the 101st campaign in Vietnam from a Vietcong commander talking about how it was almost imposable to kill the rooster and no matter what he did the rooster kept advancing.
13. anonymous

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    Mar 20th 2011 !⃝

    Here's the true meaning.
    
    This song was written by Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell for his father Jerry Cantrell Sr., who went by the nickname "Rooster" while serving with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. [2] The nickname most likely originated in reference to men carrying the M60 machine gun (see the second verse, first line), the muzzle flash from which makes an outline or pattern reminiscent of a rooster's tail. However, the moniker may also have been in relation to the 101st Airborne Division - in which Cantrell's father served - who wore shoulder sleeve insignia on their arms featuring a bald eagle. As there are no bald eagles in Vietnam, the closest thing to which the Vietnamese could draw a comparison to was the chicken, thus leading to the perjorative "chicken men."
    
    Off wikipedia
14. anonymous

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    Feb 18th 2011 !⃝

    "the Rooster" is the name of Jerrys daid in Vietnam, he was a gunner, they called him "The Rooster" because a rooster was feirce, and wasnt scared, and Jerrys dad was feirce, and not scared as well.
15. Apollyon

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    Jan 27th 2011 !⃝

    I definitely agree with poster one, but I submit that they could be implying that the government hasn't found a way to kill the never ending protester, {the Rooster}, and that he will continue doing what he believes in, and even when he dies, others will follow in his footsteps

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