Heaven Beside You

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"Heaven Beside You"
Single by Alice in Chains
from the album Alice in Chains
ReleasedJanuary 29, 1996 (UK)[1]
RecordedApril–August 1995
StudioBad Animals Studio in Seattle, Washington
GenreAlternative rock[2]
Length5:27
LabelColumbia
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)Jerry Cantrell
Producer(s)
Alice in Chains singles chronology
"Grind"
(1995) 		"Heaven Beside You"
(1996) 		"Again"
(1996)

"Heaven Beside You" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains and the second single from their third studio album, Alice in Chains (1995). It was written by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell about his relationship with his then-girlfriend, Courtney Clarke.[3] Cantrell sings lead vocals, with Layne Staley doing harmonies during the chorus. The song spent 26 weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and peaked at No. 3.[4] An acoustic version performed on Alice in Chains' MTV Unplugged in 1996 was released in a live album and DVD. "Heaven Beside You" was included on the compilation albums Music Bank (1999), Greatest Hits (2001), and The Essential Alice in Chains (2006).

Composition[edit]

The song is played in a mid-tempo, which contrasts with the faster paced and overall heavier sound found on most tracks from Alice in Chains' eponymous album.

Lyrics[edit]

"Heaven Beside You" was written by Jerry Cantrell after the break-up with his girlfriend of seven years,[5] Courtney Clarke.[3] Cantrell was unable to remain faithful to the woman whom he described as "the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life," and added, "I still love her, but I'm too much of a fucking wolf—kill, attack, move on...It's so tough when you're so used to being hard. You can't tell an oak tree to be a pine."[5]

In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set collection, Jerry Cantrell said of the song:

Another attempt to reconcile the fact that my life and paths are tearing me apart from the person I love. All the things I write about her are a way for me to maybe speak to her, express things I could never express.[3]

Release and reception[edit]

"Heaven Beside You" was released as a single in 1996. "Heaven Beside You" peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, making it Alice in Chains' second-highest charting single after "No Excuses". "Heaven Beside You" peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at number six on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. "Heaven Beside You" reached the top 40 in the UK and is their highest-charting song in Australia.

Allmusic's Steve Huey regarded the song "among the band's best work."[6] Ned Raggett of Allmusic said that the song "continued in the vein of Jar of Flies with its lead acoustic riff and generally low-key presentation" and added that "Cantrell's electric work is some of his best, moving beyond the admittedly powerful blasts of feedback he was known for to find a new, textured approach that balanced volume with a richer, less oppressive feel."[7]

Music video[edit]

The music video for "Heaven Beside You" was released in 1996 and was directed by Frank W. Ockenfels III.[8] The video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos.

Live performances[edit]

Alice in Chains performed an acoustic version of "Heaven Beside You" for its appearance on MTV Unplugged in 1996, and the song was included on the Unplugged live album and home video release.

Appearances in other media[edit]

The song was released as downloadable content for the Rock Band video game series on January 12, 2010.[9]

It was also released as downloadable content for Rocksmith 2014 on December 12, 2017.[10]

Track listing[edit]

Version one
No.TitleLength
1."Heaven Beside You"5:27
2."Would?" (live)3:27
3."Rooster" (live)6:15
4."Junkhead" (live)5:09
Version two
No.TitleLength
1."Heaven Beside You"5:27
2."Angry Chair" (live)4:24
3."Man in the Box" (live)5:46
4."Love, Hate, Love" (live)7:50

Personnel[edit]

Chart positions[edit]

Chart (1996) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11] 60
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)[12] 22
European Hot 100 Singles (Music & Media)[13] 94
UK Singles (OCC)[14] 35
US Radio Songs (Billboard)[15] 52
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[16] 3
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[17] 6

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[18] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Alice in Chains - Heaven Beside You". Discogs. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  2. ^ "20 Alternative Rock Music Videos Turning 20 in 2016". Billboard. April 12, 2016. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Liner notes, Music Bank box set. 1999.
  4. ^ "Mainstream Rock - Heaven Beside You by Alice in Chains". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 15, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Wiederhorn, Jon (February 8, 1996). "To Hell and Back". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
  6. ^ Huey, Steve. "Alice in Chains". Allmusic. Retrieved May 29, 2009.
  7. ^ Raggett, Ned. "Heaven Beside You". Allmusic. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  8. ^ "Alice in Chains - Heaven Beside You". mvdbase.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  9. ^ "Rock Band Adds Alice In Chains Five Pack". IGN. January 8, 2010. Archived from the original on November 4, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  10. ^ "Rocksmith Remastered DLC 12/12/2017 – Alice in Chains II". The Riff Repeater. December 11, 2017. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2018.
  11. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 03 Mar 1996". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved July 31, 2017. N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak reached.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 2883." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  13. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. February 17, 1996. p. 17. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  14. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  15. ^ "Alice in Chains Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  16. ^ "Alice in Chains Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  17. ^ "Alice in Chains Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  18. ^ "American single certifications – Alice in Chains – Heaven Beside You". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 15, 2022.

External links[edit]

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