Bodies (Drowning Pool song)
Encyclopedia
"Bodies" is a song by American alternative metal
band Drowning Pool
and the lead single
from their debut album Sinner
. Released in May 2001, the song is Drowning Pool's most popular single and has been featured in various films, TV programs, and advertising since its release.
The song remained Drowning Pool's highest charting single until "37 Stitches" premiered in fall of 2008. It was also the pay per view theme song for SummerSlam
in 2001, as well of ECW brand in 2006 to early 2008 and its exclusive PPV.
of "Let the bodies hit the floor!" Its lyrics build by gradually counting up from one to four, shouting the number each time, until reaching its aggressive chorus. Clean vocals in the song's bridge
administer a contrast from the many shouted and harshly screamed vocals. The guitar structure of "Bodies" also features heavy use of the wah pedal
.
Drowning Pool frontman Dave Williams
stated on Uranium
that the song is about being in a mosh pit but that it has clearly been misinterpreted. Williams elaborated in a 2001 interview:
This song was also on a compilation CD released by footwear company Journeys along with the song "Start the Commotion
" by The Wiseguys
.
This song was used by WWE personnel Stephanie McMahon during The Invasion
.
This song is currently used as the theme song for Ohio Valley Wrestling
This Song was used as a entrance song by Former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin
.
The song is also featured in the game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
.
The song is currently overused on YouTube
alongside 2003's Bring Me To Life
by fellow Wind-Up artist Evanescence
.
found significant airplay on various music channels in 2001. Directed by Glen Bennett, it has the band performing in what appears to be a mental institution, with Williams screaming the lyrics into the ear of a man strapped to a chair. Clips from the video were later used in the title animation for the music program Uranium
.
ITS was finished in late 2000.
. Soon after the shooting, the band issued a statement concerning the link: "We were devastated this weekend to learn of the tragic events that occurred in Arizona and that our music has been misinterpreted. 'Bodies' was written about the brotherhood of the moshpit and was never about violence." The band also added: "For someone to put out a video misinterpreting a song about a moshpit as fuel for a violent act shows just how sick they really are. We support those who do what they can to keep America safe. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families of this terrible tragedy".
The song was used by interrogators at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps in 2003. "Bodies" was repeatedly played over a 10 days period during interrogation of Mohamedou Ould Slahi
while he was "exposed to variable lighting patterns" at the same time.
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
band Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool
Drowning Pool is a four-piece alternative metal band from Dallas, Texas.-Early days :Drowning Pool rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour. Their 2001 debut album, Sinner was certified platinum within six weeks...
and the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
from their debut album Sinner
Sinner (Drowning Pool album)
Sinner is the debut studio album by metal band Drowning Pool. The album is considered the band's most successful, reaching platinum only six weeks after its release. This was most likely due in part to "Bodies" which remains the band's most well-known song. This was the second overall album and...
. Released in May 2001, the song is Drowning Pool's most popular single and has been featured in various films, TV programs, and advertising since its release.
The song remained Drowning Pool's highest charting single until "37 Stitches" premiered in fall of 2008. It was also the pay per view theme song for SummerSlam
SummerSlam (2001)
SummerSlam was the fourteenth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation . It took place on August 19, 2001 at the Compaq Center in San Jose, California...
in 2001, as well of ECW brand in 2006 to early 2008 and its exclusive PPV.
Overview
Musically, "Bodies" has an anthemic, repetitive chorusRefrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
of "Let the bodies hit the floor!" Its lyrics build by gradually counting up from one to four, shouting the number each time, until reaching its aggressive chorus. Clean vocals in the song's bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
administer a contrast from the many shouted and harshly screamed vocals. The guitar structure of "Bodies" also features heavy use of the wah pedal
Wah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
.
Drowning Pool frontman Dave Williams
Dave Williams (musician)
David W. "Dave" "Stage" Williams was the lead singer for the band Drowning Pool. He grew up in Princeton, Texas living with his parents Charles Edward and Jo-Ann Williams. During the 1990s he was a fixture in the Dallas music scene, often playing in well-known clubs. In 1999, he joined Drowning Pool...
stated on Uranium
Uranium (TV series)
Uranium is an American television program about heavy metal which aired on Fuse TV in the early 2000s. After establishing herself as the host of MMUSA's Tastemakers program, Juliya Chernetsky, along with network producers, created Uranium as an outlet for the broad range of heavy metal subgenres...
that the song is about being in a mosh pit but that it has clearly been misinterpreted. Williams elaborated in a 2001 interview:
- "CJ came up with the riff, and I thought that was cool and I said, 'Let the bodies hit the floor,' and they looked at me and said, 'That’s pretty cool.' We just built it around that hook and the rest fell in place. It’s about my perspective when I look out and see the pit. It’s about forgetting everything that has happened to you that week, leave your bullshit at the door and get it all out. But you have to have respect for the others in the pit. If you push them down, you have to pick them back up. I’m not going to get behind the violence thing, it is violent, but there is a certain amount of respect and a code."
This song was also on a compilation CD released by footwear company Journeys along with the song "Start the Commotion
Start the Commotion
"Start the Commotion" is a song by electronica/hip-hop duo The Wiseguys from their second album The Antidote. It was released as a single in the UK in 1999, peaking at #47 on the UK Singles Chart....
" by The Wiseguys
The Wiseguys
The Wiseguys was a British electronica and hip hop band that was responsible for creating the song "Start the Commotion" that was in a Mitsubishi TV advertisement, as well as the films Lizzie McGuire, Zoolander and Kangaroo Jack; and "Ooh La La", which was used in Budweiser commercials...
.
This song was used by WWE personnel Stephanie McMahon during The Invasion
The Invasion
The Invasion was a professional wrestling storyline in the World Wrestling Federation that began shortly after the WWF's purchase of World Championship Wrestling...
.
This song is currently used as the theme song for Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling
Ohio Valley Wrestling is an American independent professional wrestling promotion based in Louisville, Kentucky. OVW is run by owner Danny Davis and was a member of the National Wrestling Alliance from 1997 until 2000...
This Song was used as a entrance song by Former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Shane Carwin
Shane Carwin
Shane Bannister Carwin is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship , where he was previously the UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion...
.
The song is also featured in the game Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is a music video game and the sixth main entry in the Guitar Hero series for the PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles. The game was released September 24, 2010 in Europe, September 28, 2010 in North America and September 29, 2010 in Australia...
.
The song is currently overused on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
alongside 2003's Bring Me To Life
Bring Me to Life
"Bring Me to Life" is a song by American rock band Evanescence. It was written by Amy Lee, Ben Moody and David Hodges and produced by Dave Fortman. It also features guest vocals from Paul McCoy of the band 12 Stones. Wind-up released "Bring Me to Life" in 2003 as the lead single from Evanescence's...
by fellow Wind-Up artist Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
.
Music video
Much like the song's radio success, the "Bodies" music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
found significant airplay on various music channels in 2001. Directed by Glen Bennett, it has the band performing in what appears to be a mental institution, with Williams screaming the lyrics into the ear of a man strapped to a chair. Clips from the video were later used in the title animation for the music program Uranium
Uranium (TV series)
Uranium is an American television program about heavy metal which aired on Fuse TV in the early 2000s. After establishing herself as the host of MMUSA's Tastemakers program, Juliya Chernetsky, along with network producers, created Uranium as an outlet for the broad range of heavy metal subgenres...
.
ITS was finished in late 2000.
Criticism and controversy
The song has garnered some unwanted publicity, due to the misinterpretation of the lyrics. More recently, the song was linked to the 2011 Arizona shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle GiffordsGabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords is an American politician. A Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she has represented since 2007. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress...
. Soon after the shooting, the band issued a statement concerning the link: "We were devastated this weekend to learn of the tragic events that occurred in Arizona and that our music has been misinterpreted. 'Bodies' was written about the brotherhood of the moshpit and was never about violence." The band also added: "For someone to put out a video misinterpreting a song about a moshpit as fuel for a violent act shows just how sick they really are. We support those who do what they can to keep America safe. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families of this terrible tragedy".
The song was used by interrogators at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps in 2003. "Bodies" was repeatedly played over a 10 days period during interrogation of Mohamedou Ould Slahi
Mohamedou Ould Slahi
Mohamedou Ould Slahi or Salahi is a Mauritanian who has been detained at Guantánamo Bay detention camp since August 4, 2002...
while he was "exposed to variable lighting patterns" at the same time.
Track listing
US chart positions
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
119 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 6 |
| U.S. Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
12 |
External links
- Official music video - YouTube (more than 30 million views).