Bodies (Drowning Pool song)

"Bodies"
Single by Drowning Pool
from the album Sinner
Released May 14, 2001
Format CD
Genre Nu metal
Length 3:24
Label Wind-up Records
Writer(s) Stevie Benton, Mike Luce, C.J. Pierce, Dave Williams
Drowning Pool singles chronology
"Bodies"
(2001)		 "Tear Away"
(2002)

"Bodies" (often called "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor")[1] 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, the song is Drowning Pool's signature song[1] 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.

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.

Music and lyrics

Considered a nu metal song,[2][3][4][5][6] "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 bridge administer a contrast from the many harsh vocals. 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.[7] ”

Commercial performance

The song peaked at peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in August 2001,[8] and No. 12 on the Alternative Songs charts in September 2001.[9] The song was certified Gold by the RIAA on June 24, 2008, indicating half a million digital copies sold.[10] 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.[11][12] It has sold 1,751,000 digital copies in the US as of April 2016.[13]

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 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.

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.[14] 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".[14]

The song was used by torturers at the Guantanamo Bay detention camps in 2003. "Bodies" was repeatedly played over a 10-day period during the interrogation of Mohamedou Ould Slahi while he was "exposed to variable lighting patterns" at the same time.[15][16]

Track listing

All tracks written by Drowning Pool. 

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

Vinyl

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

Promo CD

No. Title Length
1. "Bodies"    
2. "Tear Away"    

Bodies Remix Guitar Down Promo CD

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

Promo CD #2

No. Title Length
1. "Bodies"   3:24

Burying The Trend - Mme Krappabelle a frappe Bart Simpson web soundtrack

No. Title Length
1. "Bodies" (From the french version of The Simpsons on France 2)  

Charts

Chart (2001–2002) Peak
position
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles 19[17]
Modern Rock Tracks 12[18]
Mainstream Rock 6[18]

References

  1. 1 2 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.
  2. ↑ Carol Vernallis; Amy Herzog; John Richardson (2013). The Oxford Handbook of Sound and Image in Digital Media. Oxford University Press. p. 315. ISBN 9780199757640.
  3. ↑ "The Ultimate Nu Metal Mixtape". Kerrang!. (November 10th, 2014)
  4. ↑ Shumka, Dave. "10 nu metal songs that still hold up on CBC music". CBC Music. (February 14th, 2013)
  5. ↑ "Drowning Pool, Have They Finally Hit the Floor?". Thrash Magazine. 27 May 2012.
  6. ↑ Chesler, Josh (May 18, 2015). "10 Nu-metal Songs That Actually Don't Suck". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Drowning Pool – Interview with Dave Williams". Hip Online.
  8. ↑ "Mainstream Rock Tracks". Billboard. August 25, 2001. (subscription required (help)).
  9. ↑ "Alternative Songs". Billboard. September 22, 2001.
  10. ↑ "American single certifications – Drowning Pool – Bodies". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  11. ↑ "Hard Rock Digital Songs". Billboard. April 16, 2016. (subscription required (help)).
  12. ↑ "Rock Digital Songs". Billboard. April 16, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Nielsen SoundScan Charts". Nielsen. April 4, 2016.
  14. 1 2 "Drowning Pool respond to Arizona shooting link with their song 'Bodies'". NME. IPC Media. 2011-01-11. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
  15. ↑ "Musicians Protest Use of Music at Gitmo". CBS News. 2009-10-22.
  16. ↑ "Welcome to". Michaelmoore.com. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
  17. ↑ "Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles – Issue Date: 2001-09-22" (requires registration). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
  18. 1 2 "Drowning Pool | Awards". Allmusic.

External links

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