Greed (song)
Encyclopedia
"Greed" is a song by American heavy metal
band Godsmack
. It served as the third and final single
from their second album, Awake
, released in 2001.
was produced for "Greed." The woman seen on the album cover of Godsmack's self-titled debut
makes a brief cameo at the very beginning of the video. Erna described in a Fuse TV
interview the difficulty they had in tracking her down for the role.
"Greed" has the band living in a rundown apartment owned by a rich, unsympathetic landlord
. The group finally has enough of their poor living conditions and tramples the landlord at the end of the video, leaving him in a humorous slump in his underwear. The video frequently cuts between the story aspect to band performance, featuring the group dressing in black and silver, performing in a spacious silver room with the Godsmack logo imprinted on the floor.
The video for "Greed" is rather unusual for Godsmack in that it follows an actual story rather than loosely connected elements and aesthetics. Also of note is its lighter, somewhat humorous nature compared to previous Godsmack videos. Erna stated that it was their attempt at fitting in with the more mainstream music video crowd and that he was not pleased with it.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Godsmack
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
. It served as the third and final single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from their second album, Awake
Awake (Godsmack album)
-Track listing:Japanese bonus tracks-Personnel:Godsmack*Sully Erna - vocals, rhythm guitar*Tony Rombola - lead guitar, backing vocals*Robbie Merrill - bass, backing vocals*Tommy Stewart - drums, backing vocalsAdditional performances...
, released in 2001.
Music video
A 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...
was produced for "Greed." The woman seen on the album cover of Godsmack's self-titled debut
Godsmack (album)
-Controversy:The album caused controversy due to its profane lyrics without a Parental Advisory Label. After listening to his son's copy of the album, a father in the U.S. complained to Wal-Mart, who sold him the album, that the lyrics were offensive. Wal-Mart and Kmart took the album off the...
makes a brief cameo at the very beginning of the video. Erna described in a Fuse TV
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
interview the difficulty they had in tracking her down for the role.
"Greed" has the band living in a rundown apartment owned by a rich, unsympathetic landlord
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
. The group finally has enough of their poor living conditions and tramples the landlord at the end of the video, leaving him in a humorous slump in his underwear. The video frequently cuts between the story aspect to band performance, featuring the group dressing in black and silver, performing in a spacious silver room with the Godsmack logo imprinted on the floor.
The video for "Greed" is rather unusual for Godsmack in that it follows an actual story rather than loosely connected elements and aesthetics. Also of note is its lighter, somewhat humorous nature compared to previous Godsmack videos. Erna stated that it was their attempt at fitting in with the more mainstream music video crowd and that he was not pleased with it.
Chart positions
Singles - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 3 |
| 2001 | Modern Rock Tracks | 28 |
| 2001 | Billboard Hot 100 | 123 |