Straight Out of Line
Encyclopedia
"Straight Out of Line" is the lead single from Godsmack
's third studio album, Faceless. After its release, the song immediately ascended to number one on the Mainstream Rock chart, and hit the top 10 on the Modern Rock chart. It was also the band's third number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and remained at that specific position for two weeks.
According to Erna, the song is about the people changing around you that expect you to be different because the band's grown and been successful and toured. "These guys used to buddy up with you and buy you a beer, and now they don't understand that you have to tour and there's a lot of work involved, so we're not able to call them every weekend anymore and hang out with them. The animosity kind of grew over the years, and they expect us to have superstar attitudes now. I don't think we've changed at all. I think we're pretty humble for the level that we're at, and it's a bit out of line for them to be that way." Erna said.
The song features a chugging main riff enhanced by textural, single-note guitar lines and powerful, melodic vocals. As on past offerings, Godsmack tactfully blend bruising intensity with hum-along hooks without sounding forced or overly polished.
At the beginning of the song, some sounds of gunshots, explosions and war can be heard, making the beginning of "Straight Out Of Line" similar to the way Metallica
's hit single "One
" begins.
or wherever, because all you have to do is cut back to him once in a while. When there are four guys in a band and you have to try to cover all of them and get a story in, sometimes you don't quite get the story in and it becomes irrelevant."
for 'Best Hard Rock Performance'. However, the award went to Evanescence
's single, "Bring Me to Life
".
, also being played during a scene in the film A Man Apart
, starring Vin Diesel
. The song also made an appearance on several compilations including the band greatest hits album, Good Times, Bad Times...Ten Years of Godsmack
, MTV2 Headbangers Ball, Total Rock Vol. 3 and Universal Smash Hits Vol. 2.
(North America)
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...
's third studio album, Faceless. After its release, the song immediately ascended to number one on the Mainstream Rock chart, and hit the top 10 on the Modern Rock chart. It was also the band's third number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and remained at that specific position for two weeks.
Song meaning
"Straight out of Line" is dedicated to old friends who sneer at Sully across a crowded room because of his fame. According to Merrill, the song speaks for the entire band. "I can relate to that song big time," he says over the phone from Hollywood, where the band were fulfilling some promotional duties." Even your family — all the sudden I have some success, and I come off tour and my mom’s got 20 people outside waiting for me to sign shit. I’m like, ‘Mom!’ Same thing with friends. I’m the same person — I do my motocross and my hockey with my same buddies. Those guys are pretty cool with it, but you get other people that just look at you different, and it’s sad."According to Erna, the song is about the people changing around you that expect you to be different because the band's grown and been successful and toured. "These guys used to buddy up with you and buy you a beer, and now they don't understand that you have to tour and there's a lot of work involved, so we're not able to call them every weekend anymore and hang out with them. The animosity kind of grew over the years, and they expect us to have superstar attitudes now. I don't think we've changed at all. I think we're pretty humble for the level that we're at, and it's a bit out of line for them to be that way." Erna said.
The song features a chugging main riff enhanced by textural, single-note guitar lines and powerful, melodic vocals. As on past offerings, Godsmack tactfully blend bruising intensity with hum-along hooks without sounding forced or overly polished.
At the beginning of the song, some sounds of gunshots, explosions and war can be heard, making the beginning of "Straight Out Of Line" similar to the way Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
's hit single "One
One (Metallica song)
"One" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the third and final single from their fourth album ...And Justice for All. "One" was also the band's first Top 40 hit single, reaching number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" begins.
Music video
Before the release of Faceless, Godsmack filmed a performance-based video for the song in Los Angeles with director Dean Karr . "The song has got good aggression, and the visuals, when the band plays it, look really good," Erna explained to MTV.com." "Sometimes it's really hard to shove a story within a four-minute video, unless you're a solo artist like EminemEminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
or wherever, because all you have to do is cut back to him once in a while. When there are four guys in a band and you have to try to cover all of them and get a story in, sometimes you don't quite get the story in and it becomes irrelevant."
Grammy awards
In 2004 the song had Grammy nominationGrammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for 'Best Hard Rock Performance'. However, the award went to 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...
's single, "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...
".
Appearance
"Straight Out of Line" was featured in the video game Prince of Persia: Warrior WithinPrince of Persia: Warrior Within
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is a video game and sequel to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Warrior Within was developed and published by Ubisoft, and released on December 2, 2004 for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Microsoft Windows. It picks up where The Sands of Time left off,...
, also being played during a scene in the film A Man Apart
A Man Apart
A Man Apart is a 2003 action-thriller-drama film directed by F. Gary Gray and released by New Line Cinema. The film stars Vin Diesel and Larenz Tate. The story follows undercover DEA agent Sean Vetter who is on a vendetta to take down a mysterious drug lord named Diablo after his wife is murdered...
, starring Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx...
. The song also made an appearance on several compilations including the band greatest hits album, Good Times, Bad Times...Ten Years of Godsmack
Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack
Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack is a greatest hits collection by heavy metal band Godsmack. The collection includes all of Godsmack's singles, with the exception of "Bad Magick" and "Bring It On"; and a DVD of the band's acoustic performance in Las Vegas, Nevada at The House of...
, MTV2 Headbangers Ball, Total Rock Vol. 3 and Universal Smash Hits Vol. 2.
Chart positions
Singles - BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
(North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| Modern Rock Tracks | 9 | |
| Billboard Hot 100 | 73 |