What “Down In A Hole” Really Represents Down in a Hole – Alice In Chains (MTV Unplugged, 1996) In this performance, Layne sings lines that later commentators and listeners have connected to real personal struggle, not just imagery. The phrase “Down in a hole and they’ve put all the stones in their place” refers to the idea of feeling buried or written off. People close to him may have already given up hope, as if a burial has been prepared while he’s still alive. The line “I’ve eaten the sun so