Real Thing

Alice In Chains · Facelift [1990]

I messed around as a little boy

I grew up, made the blade my new toy

Friends said boy with what you screwin' around I said

Don't concern yourselves and just

Gimme another blast

Yeah

[CHORUS]

Under the hill, with just a few notches on my belt

Take it away, don't want no more

Even if you say just one more

I won't leave you alone

I grew up, went into rehab

You know the doctors never did me no good

They said son you're gonna be a new man

I said thank you very much and

Can I borrow fifty bucks?

[CHORUS]

'Cause I'm goin' down the steps on a white lne

Goin' down the steps on a white line

Goin' down the steps on a white line

Straight to nowhere

[REPEAT]

I messed around as a little boy

I grew up, made the blade my new toy

Friends said boy with what you screwin' around I said

Don't concern yourselves and just

Gimme another blast

Yeah

[CHORUS]

'Cause I'm goin' down the steps on a white line

Goin' down the steps on a white line

Goin' down the steps on a white line

Straight to nowhere

Real Thing - Alice In Chains

Released on the 1990 album Facelift, "Real Thing" stands as a defining track in Alice In Chains' early career, blending the band's signature sludge metal sound with melodic sensibilities. The song features Layne Staley's distinctive vocal delivery, characterized by a haunting, baritone tone that contrasts with the driving rhythm section of Mike Inez and Sean Kinney. As a key component of the band's transition from hardcore punk to heavy metal, the recording captures the raw emotional intensity that would become central to their discography. The track remains a staple of their live performances and has been widely recognized as a critical influence on the grunge and alternative metal movements of the early 1990s.