Your Decision

"Your Decision"
Single by Alice in Chains
from the album Black Gives Way to Blue
Released	November 16, 2009
Format	Digital download
Recorded	October 23, 2008[1] – March 18, 2009[2] at Studio 606 in Northridge, California
Genre	Alternative Rock
Length	4:43
Label	Virgin/EMI
Writer(s)	Jerry Cantrell
Producer(s)	Nick Raskulinecz
Alice in Chains singles chronology
"Check My Brain" (2009) "Your Decision" (2009) "Lesson Learned" (2010)
Black Gives Way to Blue track listing "Last of My Kind" (Track 3) "Your Decision" (Track 4) "A Looking in View" (Track 5)

"Your Decision" is a song by Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue (2009). It was released as the third single and fourth track from the album on November 16, 2009 in the UK, and was released in the US on December 1, 2009.^[3][4] The track features an acoustic rhythm and breaks from the dark, aggressive leanings of the previous songs in exchange for an emotional tone that, while muted and perhaps tinged with sad resignation, can also be interpreted as calmer and more at peace. The single reached number one on the Billboard Rock Songs and Mainstream Rock charts, and number four on the Alternative Songs chart.

Music video

The music video was directed by Stephen Schuster. It pays homages to Stanley Kubrick films, such as The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut. It also references 1 Corinthians 10:23, the first verse of a passage giving guidelines about eating meat which has been offered in sacrifice to idols. The video features Californian-based model Sarah Stage.^[5]

The video depicts the band playing at a party at a large mansion. The narrative portions of the video are shot in first person; the protagonist is invited to the party by a card dropped at their door by Stage. At the party, Stage lures the protagonist upstairs while a bald man follows them; the protagonist sees many bizarre and vaguely sexual activities in the rooms upstairs. They finally enter a room at the end of the hall where Stage starts to remove her clothes, but the protagonist is knocked out by the bald man, and wakes up to see Stage approaching them with a tray; she brands them with a number. It is revealed that the party guests correspond to various numbers on a menu for a group of older men eating human meat in a back room; the protagonist's heart is shown being eaten by Stage at the end.^[6]

Alice in Chains made a video about the making of the video, The Making of "Your Decision".^[7]

Lyrics

In an interview for the making of the video of "Your Decision", Duvall stated "This song is all about choices and their consequences". Many fans believe this song was written from Cantrell to the late Layne Staley, who couldn't kick his addiction to drugs. Staley died in 2002.

Appearances in other media

On January 12, 2010, it was released as downloadable content for the Rock Band video game series.

Chart positions

Chart (2009–2010)	Peak position
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[8]	57
Polish Singles Chart[9]	1
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[10]	9
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)[11]	1
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[12]	1
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)[13]	4

Personnel

• Jerry Cantrell – Lead vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar
• William DuVall – vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar
• Mike Inez – bass
• Sean Kinney – drums

References

1. "Alice in Chains Working With Rush/Foo Fighters Producer". Blabbermouth.net. 2008-10-23. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
2. "Alice In Chains Set To Release First Album In 14 Years". Ultimate-Guitar.com. 2009-04-09. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
3. "Alice In Chains To Release 'Your Decision' Single". Blabbermouth.net. 2009-10-12. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
4. "Future Releases on Alternative Radio Stations, Independent Artist Song Releases |". Allaccess.com. Retrieved 2012-03-16.
5. WOMENkind: Sarah Stage Mankind Unplugged.com. Retrieved 2012-09-15.
6. "Alice In Chains Eat Your Heart Out… Literally « The World Famous KROQ". KROQ.
7. Alice In Chains - The Making of "Your Decision"
8. "Alice in Chains – Chart history" Canadian Hot 100 for Alice in Chains.
9. "Polish Singles Chart |".
10. "Alice in Chains – Chart history" Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 for Alice in Chains.
11. "Alice in Chains – Chart history" Billboard Hot Rock Songs for Alice in Chains.
12. "Alice in Chains – Chart history" Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs for Alice in Chains.
13. "Alice in Chains – Chart history" Billboard Alternative Songs for Alice in Chains.

External links

• Official Music Video on YouTube
• The Making of "Your Decision" on YouTube