Your Name was Layne

It seems like only yesterday when I heard the news
Rain falling on the windows and clouds up ahead
Then they came on the radio and announced you were found dead

There was no shock of your passing due to us all seeing your demise
For years you wrote and sang to millions of people
About your addiction, anger and frustration over lies
Your name was Layne, you were at the top of the 90s music scene
You never felt your dad loved you and that being famous would make him come around
But all you got was a father who used you for your money and drugs
You wrote about how addiction felt like your whole body was being bound
Bound by a drug that has killed so many people before you

Layne you were a hero and a talented man
You wrote about love, anger, depression, heroin, and sadness
Yes, Alice In Chains was and still is your band
Along with Alice In Chains your other band MadSeason never disappointed
Songs like Junkhead, Sickman, and Real Thing
Let us listeners in on the life you so badly wanted to escape
Needles, spoons and ties are a part of an addicts life
And I remember you said you will be yearning all your life
Twisting, turning like a knife

The press only saw you as a "junkie" and a "grunge" rocker
So your death to them was no shocker
But to the many millions of fans who were saved from drugs because of you
Your death came as a sad moment to true Alice In Chains fans
We all hoped you could move on, forget about your past and get well
But sometimes addiction makes us forget how far we fell

So to those out there who say Alice In Chains should move on
I tell them NO WAY!
Your name was Layne Staley and your legacy runs deep
Alice In Chains should be yours to keep
Forever in our hearts Layne you will be
There is not much difference between you and me
But through all the tears and all the heartache
You left us so many amazing life stories and memories
So I leave with this little fact
Legends never die
The journey for Layne lives on today
Through his words, lyrics, and songs