The song Rooster was written by one of Alice in chains' vocalist, Jerry Cantrell. The song is based on the experience of Cantrell's father when he served in the Vietnam war. This is visible in the song's lyrucs, but more obvious in the song's Video.
Another theory claims that the song's also portraits the experience of the band's other vocalist, Layne Staley, in his struggle with heroin. The song belongs to the "Dirt" album, which is widely believed to be about heroin addiction.
Staley has died on April 2002 from an overdose of heroin and cocaine.