No hope of rescue
I’m trapped here alone
If I don’t dig my own way out, I’ll die here
Gave my loyalty too soon
Now the forked-tongue piper’s bill is due
Weather is shifting
So cold, going numb
Through a pinhole of light, I see vultures circling
Bottom feeders pick my skin
Weathered brain a parasite within
Ego pulverized
No better medicine
Angels have been advised
Don’t want no requiem
I’ll just haunt you like a phantom limb
I’ll just haunt you like a phantom limb
Gonna wear you like a second skin
I’ll haunt you like a phantom limb
Every new second
Getting harder to breathe
No matter which side I end up on, this ain’t over
My regrets are many, true
Still so much worse lies ahead for you
Ego pulverized
No better medicine
Angels have been advised
Don’t want no requiem
I’ll just haunt you like a phantom limb
I’ll just haunt you like a phantom limb
Gonna wear you like a second skin
I’ll haunt you like a phantom limb
Haunting Isolation and Lingering Pain
“Phantom Limb” by Alice In Chains delves into themes of abandonment, regret, and the enduring presence of emotional scars. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of isolation and betrayal, as the narrator finds themselves trapped and alone, forced to confront their own mistakes. References to being “haunted like a phantom limb” powerfully evoke the sense of pain that persists even after the source is gone. The song explores the struggle to move on from betrayal, with visceral imagery of vultures and bottom feeders symbolizing lingering negativity and internal battles. Ultimately, the track suggests that some wounds continue to ache long after the initial injury, haunting us like a memory that refuses to fade.
Song Credits
“Phantom Limb” is performed by Alice In Chains. The song was released in 2013 on the album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here under the Virgin EMI label. It was written by Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall.