Them Bones / We Die Young

Opening with an unforgettable, multi-tracked scream from Layne Staley, this fiercely aggressive track established the heavy, sludgy tone of the band's breakthrough sophomore record. Driven by Jerry Cantrell's crushing guitar riff, the song famously operates in a jarring 7/8 time signature during the verses before resolving into a standard 4/4 chorus. The incredibly dark lyrics confront the unavoidable reality of human mortality and physical decay.