Synopsis
Alice in Chains perform "Sea of Sorrow" in a stark, highly stylized studio setting. The official video is dominated by black-and-white images of Layne Staley, Jerry Cantrell, Mike Starr, and Sean Kinney playing beneath dramatic lighting, with brief bursts of color breaking through the monochrome visuals. Close-ups, fast edits, and shadowy stage imagery emphasize the song's tense, brooding mood rather than presenting a conventional narrative. The result is a performance video shaped by the track's themes of anger, emotional damage, and escape.
Factoids & Trivia
- Two different music videos were made for "Sea of Sorrow." The original is a color performance piece, while the officially released version is primarily black and white and incorporates selected footage from the earlier video.
- The two versions are easy to distinguish through Layne Staley's hairstyle. Some of the color footage shows him with partially cut dreadlocks, while the later footage presents a shorter, more even haircut.
- The video versions use an edited-down arrangement of the song. Roughly two minutes are removed, including the second verse and part of Jerry Cantrell's guitar solo.
- The original version was included on the 1991 home video release "Live Facelift." The better-known official version later appeared on "Music Bank: The Videos."
- "Sea of Sorrow" was released from Alice in Chains' debut album "Facelift" and reached No. 27 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.