Run, run ’til you drop
Hide, everyone knows
We all trade in ‘never-befores’
Selling out for the score
Pray, squeal when you’re caught
Cry, it’s not my fault
Time to trade in ‘never-befores’
Selling out for the score
[Chorus:]
Seems you prophesized
All of this would end
Were you burned away
When the sun rose again?
Hate, long wearing thin
Negative, all you’ve been
Time to trade in ‘never-befores’
Selling out for the score
[Chorus]
Seems you prophesized
All of this would end
Were you burned away
When the sun rose again?
[Chorus]
Facing the Shadows: Lyrical Analysis
“When The Sun Rose Again” by Alice In Chains paints a bleak picture of reckoning and transformation. The lyrics delve into themes of guilt, consequence, and the inevitable changes that follow personal or collective misdeeds. Phrases like “selling out for the score” and “time to trade in ‘never-befores’” suggest a sense of compromise and regret, as if the characters in the song are forced to confront the cost of their actions. The recurring chorus, “Were you burned away when the sun rose again?” evokes the idea of exposure—when truth comes to light, some are left scorched by their own choices. The song captures the dark introspection that defines Alice In Chains’ signature sound, blending vulnerability with a haunting sense of reality.
Song Credits
Artist: Alice In Chains
Songwriters: Jerry Cantrell, William DuVall
Release Year: 2009
Label: Virgin/EMI