Rooster (song)
Encyclopedia
"Rooster" is a grunge
song by the band Alice in Chains
. The song was released as a single in 1993 and is featured on the band's second studio album, Dirt (1992). The song was included on the compilation albums Unplugged
(1996), Music Bank
(1999), Greatest Hits
(2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains
(2006). A demo version of the song was also included on Music Bank.
of 1999's Music Bank
box set collection, guitarist Jerry Cantrell
said of the song: "I think there's some vibe on the demo that maybe we didn't get here (on Dirt), but this has something all of its own... quality, for one thing."
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
. Jerry Cantrell has stated that his father, Cantrell, Sr., had this family nickname "Rooster" since childhood due to the way his hair stood up on end as a youth. The "Rooster" nickname is often mistakenly attributed to a 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. It is also often mistakenly attributed 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 pejorative "chicken men."
In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set collection, Jerry Cantrell said of the song:
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Ned Raggett of Allmusic said that the song "[keeps] both the volume and the tenderness in play while tackling a slightly unexpected subject" and that it "alternates between almost dreamy verses, and surging, blasting choruses."
It was also released on the soundtrack for the feature film Terminator Salvation
in 2009 and was recently used for the E3 2010 trailer for the 2011 video game, Spec Ops: The Line
.
for "Rooster" was released in 1993 and was directed by Mark Pellington
. The music video featured real Vietnam War documentary/news footage as well as some very realistic/graphic re-enacted combat scenes.
The "Rooster" character was based on AIC guitarist Jerry Cantrell's father (Jerry Cantrell Sr.) who's life long nickname was "Rooster". Cantrell Sr. served two combat tours in Vietnam, and also appears in the music video. Cantrell Sr.'s scenes were filmed on what was then Cantrell's great uncle's property, now the site of Jerry Cantrell's family ranch, in Atoka, Oklahoma. Cantrell Sr.'s scenes, filmed in stark black & white, show him hunting in the woods as an older man, while having "flashback" memories of his youthful Vietnam combat experiences (which are shot in full color). The uncut (more graphic) version of the video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos
. "Rooster" was the last music video to feature original bass player Mike Starr
, who ironically is pictured on the cover of the single.
The intense combat scenes for the video were actually filmed on location in Angeles National Forest in January 1993 and have been favorably compared to Oliver Stone's classic Vietnam War film "Platoon". This makes sense since VN Veteran and Military Technical Advisor, Dale Dye, served as advisor on both the Rooster Video and on Platoon, among many other projects in Hollywood. Actor James Elliott (Southland, Entourage, Mafia II, etc.) portrayed the title role of "Rooster", the Team Leader of a Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRPs) in the combat scenes. Elliott, who is right-handed, had to learn how to handle multiple combat weapons left handed for the production in order to match the real Cantrell Sr.'s footage (Cantrell Sr. is left handed and holds his knife/shotgun that way in the video). The military weapons and gear used and worn by the actors in the video was period-authentic in every way. Dale Dye even provided Elliott with some of his own personal combat gear which Dye had actually worn during multiple tours in Vietnam, including his military watch and map light, among other items.
Other actors who appear in the video include Casey Pieretti (well known real-life amputee actor/stunt performer); and popular character actor Jon Gries (Napoleon Dynamite, Lost, etc.). Pieretti, who walks/runs extremely well with a prosthetic leg, performed a very graphic and difficult scene in which his leg was "blown off" by a land mine and Elliott's "Rooster" character offers life-saving medical aide on the battle field. Jon Gries's character was shot in the chest during intense combat with North Vietnamese infantry troops and died in the arms of Elliott's "Rooster" character in the final emotionally charged combat scenes of the video.
Real life combat veterans have often commented about how moving and realistic these scenes were. Yet MTV initially pulled the controversial video from rotation due to complaints about the graphic nature of the war scenes. This upset the band a great deal, especially Jerry Cantrell, who has stated how much of a foolish double standard existed at the time as "Rooster" simply portrayed actual history with realism yet MTV routinely allowed "gangsta" rap and other violent videos in which gratuitous violence/death/killing was portrayed and clearly glorified. At the time the video was also the longest music video ever aired in full on MTV (running approximately 7 minutes long).
The song remains extremely popular to this day among modern combat troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and can often be heard being played in-country by troops in combat units who understand the message of the video all too well.
In an episode of Beavis and Butthead, a war veteran tells the duo his nickname, "The Rooster", upon hearing this, Beavis and Butthead reply that they come to "snuff the rooster".
. Alice in Chains performed an acoustic version of "Rooster" for its appearance on MTV Unplugged
in 1996 and the song was included on the Unplugged
live album and home video release. Live performances of the song can also be found on the "Heaven Beside You
" single, the compilation album Nothing Safe: Best of the Box
, and the live album Live
. In the Primus
DVD Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People
, Alice in Chains are seen playing the song live, with Les Claypool joining the band on stage dressed in a chicken suit. Jerry Cantrell reacts by throwing a bottle at Claypool and chasing him off the stage.
Australian release
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
song by the band Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
. The song was released as a single in 1993 and is featured on the band's second studio album, Dirt (1992). The song was included on the compilation albums Unplugged
Unplugged (Alice in Chains album)
*The DVD release shows another take of "Sludge Factory", in which Layne Staley mixes up the lyrics at the beginning of the song which is ended shortly after...
(1996), Music Bank
Music Bank
- Disc two :-Disc three :-Personnel:*Mark Arm - Assistant vocals on "Right Turn"*Jeff Beck - Graphic Design*Jerry Cantrell - guitar, vocals*Chris Cornell - Assistant guitar, lyrics, vocals on "Right Turn"*Peter Cronin - Photography...
(1999), Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits (Alice in Chains album)
Greatest Hits is a greatest hits collection by the grunge band Alice in Chains. It was released on July 24, 2001 on Columbia Records.-Overview:...
(2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains
The Essential Alice in Chains
The Essential Alice in Chains is a two-disc compilation album by the grunge band Alice in Chains, and part of Sony BMG's The Essential series...
(2006). A demo version of the song was also included on Music Bank.
Origin and recording
In the liner notesLiner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
of 1999's Music Bank
Music Bank
- Disc two :-Disc three :-Personnel:*Mark Arm - Assistant vocals on "Right Turn"*Jeff Beck - Graphic Design*Jerry Cantrell - guitar, vocals*Chris Cornell - Assistant guitar, lyrics, vocals on "Right Turn"*Peter Cronin - Photography...
box set collection, guitarist Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
said of the song: "I think there's some vibe on the demo that maybe we didn't get here (on Dirt), but this has something all of its own... quality, for one thing."
Lyrics
This song was written by Alice in ChainsAlice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
for his father Jerry Cantrell Sr., who went by the nickname "Rooster
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
" while serving with the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Jerry Cantrell has stated that his father, Cantrell, Sr., had this family nickname "Rooster" since childhood due to the way his hair stood up on end as a youth. The "Rooster" nickname is often mistakenly attributed to a reference to men carrying the M60 machine gun
M60 machine gun
The M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
(see the second verse, first line), the muzzle flash
Muzzle flash
Muzzle blast is the term used to describe the release of high temperature, high pressure gases expelled from the muzzle of a firearm when it is discharged. Muzzle flash is the term used to describe the visible light of the muzzle blast. The blast and flash are caused by the combustion products of...
from which makes an outline or pattern reminiscent of a rooster's tail. It is also often mistakenly attributed to the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
- in which Cantrell's father served - who wore shoulder sleeve insignia on their arms featuring a bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
. As there are no bald eagles in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, the closest thing to which the Vietnamese
Vietnamese people
The Vietnamese people are an ethnic group originating from present-day northern Vietnam and southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Vietnam, comprising 86% of the population as of the 1999 census, and are officially known as Kinh to distinguish them from other ethnic groups in Vietnam...
could draw a comparison to was the chicken, thus leading to the pejorative "chicken men."
In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set collection, Jerry Cantrell said of the song:
It was the start of the healing process between my Dad and I from all that damage that VietnamVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
caused. This was all my perception of his experiences out there. The first time I ever heard him talk about it was when we made the video and he did a 45-minute interview with Mark PellingtonMark Pellington-Life and career:Pellington was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He directed The Mothman Prophecies, a 2002 film starring Richard Gere dealing with mysterious deaths foretold by a strange red-eyed flying creature, Mothman, as well as Arlington Road in 1999 starring Tim Robbins and Jeff Bridges....
and I was amazed he did it. He was totally cool, totally calm, accepted it all and had a good time doing it. It even brought him to the point of tears. It was beautiful. He said it was a weird experience, a sad experience and he hoped that nobody else had to go through it.
Release and reception
"Rooster" was released as a single in 1993. "Rooster" peaked at No. 7 on the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Ned Raggett of Allmusic said that the song "[keeps] both the volume and the tenderness in play while tackling a slightly unexpected subject" and that it "alternates between almost dreamy verses, and surging, blasting choruses."
It was also released on the soundtrack for the feature film Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
in 2009 and was recently used for the E3 2010 trailer for the 2011 video game, Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line is an upcoming third-person shooter video game being developed by Yager Development and published by 2K Games. The game is the ninth installment in the long-running Spec Ops series and it set to release sometime in 2012. The game will release on the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation...
.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Rooster" was released in 1993 and was directed by Mark Pellington
Mark Pellington
-Life and career:Pellington was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He directed The Mothman Prophecies, a 2002 film starring Richard Gere dealing with mysterious deaths foretold by a strange red-eyed flying creature, Mothman, as well as Arlington Road in 1999 starring Tim Robbins and Jeff Bridges....
. The music video featured real Vietnam War documentary/news footage as well as some very realistic/graphic re-enacted combat scenes.
The "Rooster" character was based on AIC guitarist Jerry Cantrell's father (Jerry Cantrell Sr.) who's life long nickname was "Rooster". Cantrell Sr. served two combat tours in Vietnam, and also appears in the music video. Cantrell Sr.'s scenes were filmed on what was then Cantrell's great uncle's property, now the site of Jerry Cantrell's family ranch, in Atoka, Oklahoma. Cantrell Sr.'s scenes, filmed in stark black & white, show him hunting in the woods as an older man, while having "flashback" memories of his youthful Vietnam combat experiences (which are shot in full color). The uncut (more graphic) version of the video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos
Music Bank: The Videos
Music Bank: The Videos is a video release by grunge band Alice in Chains containing all of the band's music videos. It was originally released on VHS in 1999 and was re-released in 2001 on DVD...
. "Rooster" was the last music video to feature original bass player Mike Starr
Mike Starr (musician)
Michael Christopher "Mike" Starr was an American musician, best known as the original bassist in Alice in Chains, with whom he played from the band's formation in 1987 until 1993.- Career :...
, who ironically is pictured on the cover of the single.
The intense combat scenes for the video were actually filmed on location in Angeles National Forest in January 1993 and have been favorably compared to Oliver Stone's classic Vietnam War film "Platoon". This makes sense since VN Veteran and Military Technical Advisor, Dale Dye, served as advisor on both the Rooster Video and on Platoon, among many other projects in Hollywood. Actor James Elliott (Southland, Entourage, Mafia II, etc.) portrayed the title role of "Rooster", the Team Leader of a Long Range Recon Patrol (LRRPs) in the combat scenes. Elliott, who is right-handed, had to learn how to handle multiple combat weapons left handed for the production in order to match the real Cantrell Sr.'s footage (Cantrell Sr. is left handed and holds his knife/shotgun that way in the video). The military weapons and gear used and worn by the actors in the video was period-authentic in every way. Dale Dye even provided Elliott with some of his own personal combat gear which Dye had actually worn during multiple tours in Vietnam, including his military watch and map light, among other items.
Other actors who appear in the video include Casey Pieretti (well known real-life amputee actor/stunt performer); and popular character actor Jon Gries (Napoleon Dynamite, Lost, etc.). Pieretti, who walks/runs extremely well with a prosthetic leg, performed a very graphic and difficult scene in which his leg was "blown off" by a land mine and Elliott's "Rooster" character offers life-saving medical aide on the battle field. Jon Gries's character was shot in the chest during intense combat with North Vietnamese infantry troops and died in the arms of Elliott's "Rooster" character in the final emotionally charged combat scenes of the video.
Real life combat veterans have often commented about how moving and realistic these scenes were. Yet MTV initially pulled the controversial video from rotation due to complaints about the graphic nature of the war scenes. This upset the band a great deal, especially Jerry Cantrell, who has stated how much of a foolish double standard existed at the time as "Rooster" simply portrayed actual history with realism yet MTV routinely allowed "gangsta" rap and other violent videos in which gratuitous violence/death/killing was portrayed and clearly glorified. At the time the video was also the longest music video ever aired in full on MTV (running approximately 7 minutes long).
The song remains extremely popular to this day among modern combat troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and can often be heard being played in-country by troops in combat units who understand the message of the video all too well.
In an episode of Beavis and Butthead, a war veteran tells the duo his nickname, "The Rooster", upon hearing this, Beavis and Butthead reply that they come to "snuff the rooster".
Live performances
Cantrell's father joined Alice in Chains during "Rooster" on stage for the October 19, 2007, show in Tulsa, at Cain's BallroomCain's Ballroom
Cain's Ballroom is a historic music venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma, built in 1924 to serve as a garage for one of Tulsa's founders, Tate Brady. Madison W. "Daddy" Cain purchased the building in 1930 and named it , where he charged 10¢ for dance lessons. The academy was the site of the Texas Playboys'...
. Alice in Chains performed an acoustic version of "Rooster" for its appearance on MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
in 1996 and the song was included on the Unplugged
Unplugged (Alice in Chains album)
*The DVD release shows another take of "Sludge Factory", in which Layne Staley mixes up the lyrics at the beginning of the song which is ended shortly after...
live album and home video release. Live performances of the song can also be found on the "Heaven Beside You
Heaven Beside You
"Heaven Beside You" is a song by Alice in Chains, from their album Alice in Chains . The song was included on the compilation albums Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains .-Composition:...
" single, the compilation album Nothing Safe: Best of the Box
Nothing Safe: Best of the Box
-Personnel:*Jerry Cantrell - Guitar, backing vocals and lead vocals on "Grind"*Layne Staley - Lead vocals and guitar on "Angry Chair" and "Grind"*Mike Starr - Bass *Mike Inez - Bass *Sean Kinney - Drums*Alice in Chains - Producer...
, and the live album Live
Live (Alice in Chains album)
-Personnel:Alice in Chains*Layne Staley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar*Sean Kinney – drums*Jerry Cantrell – lead guitar, vocals*Mike Inez – bass *Mike Starr – bass Production*Compilation producer – Peter Fletcher...
. In the Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
DVD Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People
Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People is a career-spanning retrospective DVD plus bonus EP by Primus, released on October 7, 2003. The title was inspired by a crayon-made story book written by guitarist Larry LaLonde's son, and the cover depicts a sculpture made by long-time Primus collaborator...
, Alice in Chains are seen playing the song live, with Les Claypool joining the band on stage dressed in a chicken suit. Jerry Cantrell reacts by throwing a bottle at Claypool and chasing him off the stage.
Track listing
- "Rooster" – 6:18
- "Sickman" – 5:29
- "It Ain't Like That" – 4:37 (from FaceliftFacelift (album)Facelift is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. The album was released on August 21, 1990. The album is the band's second highest selling album and has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA for shipments of two million copies in the United States.-Background and...
)
Australian release
- "Rooster" – 6:18
- "Dam That River" – 3:10
Personnel
- Layne StaleyLayne StaleyLayne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
– lead vocals - Jerry CantrellJerry CantrellJerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
– vocals, lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Mike StarrMike Starr (musician)Michael Christopher "Mike" Starr was an American musician, best known as the original bassist in Alice in Chains, with whom he played from the band's formation in 1987 until 1993.- Career :...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Sean KinneySean KinneySean Howard Kinney is an American musician best known for being the drummer of the influential grunge band Alice in Chains....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Chart positions
| Chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
External links
- [ Review of "Rooster"] at Allmusic