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Bodies (Drowning Pool song)

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"Bodies"
Single by Drowning Pool
from the album Sinner
ReleasedMay 14, 2001
GenreNu metal[1][2]
Length3:24
LabelWind-up
Songwriter(s)
Drowning Pool singles chronology
"Bodies"
(2001) 		"Tear Away"
(2002)

"Bodies"[3] is a song by the American rock band Drowning Pool and also is the lead single from their debut album Sinner. Released in May 2001, "Bodies" is Drowning Pool's signature song[3] and has been featured in various films, TV programs, and advertisements since its release. It was also the theme song for the 2001 WWF SummerSlam pay-per-view event, as well as that of the ECW brand in 2006 to early 2008. During 2001, the song became popular, but the song was taken off radio stations after the September 11 attacks because it was considered inappropriate in the wake of the terrorist attack.

An early version of "Bodies" appeared in their EP Pieces of Nothing, the version omits the lyrics in the bridge and features a significantly greater amount of screaming.

Neil Cicierega's seminal 2017 mashup album Mouth Moods features a mashup between "Bodies" and Hot Butter's "Popcorn," titled "Floor Corn".

Music and lyrics

Considered a nu metal song,[4][5][6][7][8] "Bodies" features a heavy use of the lyric "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 intense chorus. Clean vocals in the song's verses make a contrast from the many harsh vocals elsewhere. The guitar structure of "Bodies" features a heavy use of the wah pedal.

Drowning Pool's original vocalist Dave Williams talked about "Bodies" on Uranium, saying

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.[9]

Commercial performance and critical reception

Commercial performance

The song peaked at number 6 on the Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in August 2001,[10] and No. 12 on the Alternative Songs charts in September 2001.[11] The song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on June 24, 2008, then certified platinum on January 31, 2019 with a million digital copies sold.[12] The song re-entered the chart in April 2016 and reached No. 6 on the Hard Rock Digital Song and No. 30 on the Rock Digital Songs charts.[13][14] It has sold 1,751,000 digital copies in the US as of April 2016.[15] On September 22, 2001, "Bodies" peaked at number 19 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart. It also reached number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.[16]

Critical reception

Rolling Stone called "Bodies" "Drowning Pool's finest moment on" Sinner.[17]

Music video

Much like the song's radio success, the "Bodies" music video found significant airplay on various music channels in 2001. Directed by Glen Bennett, it has the band performing in what appears to be a psychiatric hospital, 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.

Controversy and military's use of the song

Due to the misinterpretation of its lyrics, the song created controversy. The song was linked to the 2011 Arizona shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.[18] 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".[18]

The song was used by interrogators at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps in 2003. "Bodies" was repeatedly played over a 10-day period during the interrogation of Mohamedou Ould Salahi while he was "exposed to variable lighting patterns" at the same time.[19][20]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Drowning Pool

No.TitleLength
1."Bodies"3:24
2."Bodies" (Live at Ozzfest)3:28
3."Sermon" (Total Rock Session, London)4:38
4."Bodies" (Video) 

Limited EP

No.TitleLength
1."Bodies" 
2."Tear Away" 
3."I Am" (Demo) 
4."Follow" (Demo) 

Vinyl

No.TitleLength
1."Bodies" 
2."Bodies" (Recorded Live at US Ozzfest, 2001) 

Promo CD

No.TitleLength
1."Bodies" 
2."Tear Away" 

Bodies Remix Guitar Down Promo CD

No.TitleLength
1."Bodies" (Guitar Down)3:21

Promo CD #2

No.TitleLength
1."Bodies"3:24

Charts

Chart (2001–2002) Peak
position
Scotland (OCC)[21] 33
UK Singles (OCC)[22] 34
UK Rock & Metal (OCC)[23] 3
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[24] 19
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[25] 12
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[26] 6

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[12] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Zaleski, Anne. "The 30 Best Nu-Metal Songs". Spin. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  2. ^ Hill, Stephen (July 4, 2017). "The Top 40 nu-metal songs of all time". Metal Hammer. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  3. ^ a b Joseph P. Fisher; Brian Flota (2011). The Politics of Post-9/11 Music: Sound, Trauma, and the Music Industry in the Time of Terror. Ashgate Publishing. p. 189. ISBN 978-1-4094-2785-8.
  4. ^ Carol Vernallis; Amy Herzog; John Richardson (2013). The Oxford Handbook of Sound and Image in Digital Media. Oxford University Press. p. 315. ISBN 9780199757640.
  5. ^ "The Ultimate Nu Metal Mixtape". Kerrang!. (November 10th, 2014)
  6. ^ Shumka, Dave. "10 nu metal songs that still hold up on CBC music". CBC Music. (February 14th, 2013)
  7. ^ "Drowning Pool, Have They Finally Hit the Floor?". Thrash Magazine. 27 May 2012. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013.
  8. ^ Chesler, Josh (May 18, 2015). "10 Nu-metal Songs That Actually Don't Suck". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  9. ^ "Drowning Pool – Interview with Dave Williams". Hip Online.
  10. ^ "Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard. August 25, 2001.
  11. ^ "Alternative Songs". Billboard. September 22, 2001.
  12. ^ a b "American single certifications – Drowning Pool – Bodies". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  13. ^ "Hard Rock Digital Songs". Billboard. April 16, 2016.
  14. ^ "Rock Digital Songs". Billboard. April 16, 2016.
  15. ^ "Nielsen SoundScan Charts". Nielsen. April 4, 2016.
  16. ^ "Chart Search". Billboard.
  17. ^ Abowitz, Richard (June 25, 2001). "Drowning Pool: Sinner : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2007-02-26. Retrieved June 24, 2012.
  18. ^ a b "Drowning Pool respond to Arizona shooting link with their song 'Bodies'". NME. IPC Media. 2011-01-11. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
  19. ^ "Musicians Protest Use of Music at Gitmo". CBS News. 2009-10-22.
  20. ^ "Welcome to". Michaelmoore.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
  21. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  22. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  23. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  24. ^ "Drowning Pool Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  25. ^ "Drowning Pool Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  26. ^ "Drowning Pool Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
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