That was the first time we'd written with Mike Inez, which makes this another special song. The whole Jar of Flies EP proved to both us and the fans what a talented and valid part of the band Mike was. He plays the nastiest, darkest shit but he's got the sweetest heart in the world.[5]
Composition
The track is notably softer than Alice in Chains's previous recordings on both Facelift and Dirt; however, despite the bright opening guitar riff and verse, the song's pre-chorus suddenly detours into dark and sludgy electric guitars and a haunting vocal harmony. The chorus then reintroduces the upbeat acoustic guitar accompanied by violins. An electric guitar solo plays during the bridge.
Ned Raggett of AllMusic said, "The seeming schizophrenia between massive rock crunch and gentle acoustic numbers was actually one of Alice in Chains' strongest traits, and on the brilliant "I Stay Away" the two impulses fused to create what on balance was the band's most uplifting song, sonically if not always lyrically."[7]
"I Stay Away" was featured on Guitar World and Guitar Player's "Top 30 12-string guitar songs of all time" list in 2016 at No. 26.[8][9]
The music video for "I Stay Away" was released in May 1994 and was directed by Nick Donkin,[10] also known for his animated short film The Junky's Christmas. The video was created entirely using stop-motion animation, and includes the band members in puppet form. The band travels to a circus aboard a bus, along with a sinister looking boy holding a jar full of flies. At the circus, the boy releases the flies that cause chaos to the animals and performers: an angry lion mauls its tamer, a daredevil loses control of his motorcycle during a stunt and crashes, two elephants panic, a trio of clowns crash their car and get in a fight, and a blindfolded knife thrower inadvertently kills his female assistant. Eventually, the circus burns down with the workers looking on in horror. Once the flies return to their jar, we see the boy petting them as a reward for a job well done. The video is available on the home video release Music Bank: The Videos.[11]
Despite being one of the band's highest charting singles, "I Stay Away" was never played live with original vocalist and lyricist Layne Staley, and it has only been performed twice since the band's reunion.[13]
On November 2, 2007, Alice In Chains performed the song live for the first time with new vocalist William DuVall and The NorthWest Symphony Orchestra at the Benaroya Hall in Seattle, as part of a benefit concert for the Seattle Children's Hospital.[14]
