You insult me in my home, you’re forgiven this time
Things go well, your eyes dilate, you shake, and I’m high?
Look in my eyes deep and watch the clouds change with time
20 hours won’t print my picture milk carton size
Carton size, carton size
Call me up congratulations ain’t the real why
There’s no pressure besides brilliance let’s say by day 9
Endless corporate ignorance lets me control time
By the way, by the way, by the way
Once again you see an in, discolored skin gives you away
So afraid you kindly gurgle, out a date for me
Now the body of one soul I adore wants to die
You have always told me you’d not live past 25
I say stay long enough to repay all who cause strife
Once again you see an in, discolored skin gives you away
So afraid you kindly gurgle, out a date for me [2x]
“I bear true and an existing witness
To this barrel of monkeys.
A self proclaimed immoral success,
Perfected by each whereof
Individually deadly and equally so
And spread about the surrendered troops,
For even thousands of miles will not
Tear apart their communication, or the lack thereof.
Vultures, liars, thieves, each proclaim their innocence
In no suggestion or rhyme, your weapon is contained in
The wrecking of the keeping the desired effect.
The breaking of the spirit thwarts the whole being.
Your weapon is guilt, your weapon is guilt, your weapon is guilt.
Guilt.”
Unpacking the Depths of “Sludge Factory”
“Sludge Factory” by Alice In Chains delves into themes of disillusionment, guilt, and the corrosive nature of fame and industry. The song’s cryptic lyrics capture a sense of alienation, as the narrator addresses betrayal and manipulation within personal and professional relationships. References to “corporate ignorance” and controlling time hint at the pressures and hypocrisy faced in the music industry. The track’s dark tone is accentuated by visceral imagery and repeated motifs of guilt and spiritual decay. The spoken-word bridge intensifies the song’s commentary on moral compromise and the collective denial of responsibility. “Sludge Factory” stands as a raw, emotional critique of the forces that shape and often break individuals in the public eye.
Song Credits
- Artist: Alice In Chains
- Songwriters: Layne Staley, Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney, Mike Inez
- Release Year: 1995
- Label: Columbia Records