"My Sacrifice" is a song by American rock band Creed. It was released in October 2001 as the lead single from their third studio album, Weathered. The song peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of February 9, 2002, and number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for nine consecutive weeks, starting in December 2001. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 2003. Worldwide, the song topped the Polish LP3 Chart for two weeks and reached the top 20 in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
"My Sacrifice" has been used in a variety of sports media; it was used in a series of promotional tribute videos made by WWE that aired throughout late 2001 into early 2002, showcasing the promotion's roster at the time and illustrating their dedication, desire, and sacrifice. It was performed by Creed in the 2002 Winter Olympics closing ceremony. The song also appeared in a montage by ESPN showcasing the images of 2001.
Music video
The music video, directed by David Meyers, was the first video that Creed had complete creative control over. Parts of the music video were filmed just off Interstate 4's exit 48 for County Road 557 in Polk County, Florida. The rest of the video was filmed at Universal Studios Florida theme park. The New York-styled street outside the former Kongfrontation ride was filled with water for the video. The production of the video was the subject of an episode of MTV's Making the Video.
The video begins in a park with an old, seemingly blind man feeding pigeons before the camera pans into his mind, showing flashbacks of a flooding city, where members of the band perform, while Scott Stapp sings in a rowboat. Stapp passes by many people, before seeing a fist jump out of the water at him. He rescues the person, realizing that it is actually him, relating to the song's theme of reunion within oneself and believing. During the bridge, the band performs in a school bus illuminated by candles, followed by Stapp in a diner while a young boy hides from a storm. After a baby carriage slams into the diner window, the harsh weather seen throughout the video dies down to a peaceful, sunny setting and the boy goes to hug the older Scott, but loses his eyesight. By contrast, the older man at the start of the video regains his, revealing that both the young boy and the old man are Stapp at different points in his life.
