Check My Brain

Album: Black Gives Way to Blue (2009)
Charted: 92
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the second single from Seattle rock band Alice In Chains' fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue.
  • Alice in Chains debuted this song on August 1, 2009 in Marlay Park, Dublin, Ireland.
  • Guitarist/singer Jerry Cantrell told The Pulse of Radio that he wrote this song about his move from his home city of Seattle to Los Angeles in 2003. He explained: "There's a certain aspect of sarcasm, I guess, being a guy from Seattle who lives in L.A., ex-drug addict who lives in the belly of the beast and doesn't partake, and being totally cool with that," he said. "It's like being the bad gambler and living in Vegas. It's right there. It's just the irony of that and a little bit of sarcasm. And it's not putting this place down at all. It's just kind of like, 'Wow, you know, check my brain, wow.'"
  • This was Alice in Chains first entry in the Hot 100. Their popular '90s songs were not released as commercially-available singles and, according to chart rules at the time, were not allowed to rank on the Hot 100 despite their airplay popularity.
  • This was used in the 2011 Californication episode "Exile on Main St."

Comments: 4

  • Shawn from Frostburg, MdAnother great AIC tune.
  • Mike from Atlanta, GaThis is my new ringtone on my phone. I replaced Would, which replaced Rooster, which replaced Love, Hate, Love. Get the idea. Alice In Chains is often imitated, never duplicated!!!! Mike
  • Jon from Enumclaw , WaFor some strange reason this song reminds me of zombies. Kick ass song though!
  • Jeff from Austin, TxThis song is so freakin good. It really sounds like something that would have been on Dirt! What's funny is that in the past 10 yrs, there were about a million bands who sound like this, but they all suck! AIC had one of the most original sounds in popular music history. All the imitators were pathetic. Anyway, if the rest of the album is half as good as this song, it's gonna be huge!
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Guy Clark

Guy ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett are just a few of the artists who have looked to Clark for insightful, intelligent songs.

Rupert Hine

Rupert HineSongwriter Interviews

Producer Rupert Hine talks about crafting hits for Tina Turner, Howard Jones and The Fixx.

Sending Out An SOS - Distress Signals In Songs

Sending Out An SOS - Distress Signals In SongsSong Writing

Songs where something goes horribly wrong (literally or metaphorically), and help is needed right away.

Jethro Tull

Jethro TullFact or Fiction

Stage urinals, flute devices, and the real Aqualung in this Fact or Fiction.

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

Stan Ridgway

Stan RidgwaySongwriter Interviews

Go beyond the Wall of Voodoo with this cinematic songwriter.