"Bodies" is the debut single by the American rock band Drowning Pool, released in May 2001 from their debut album '' Sinner''. "Bodies" is Drowning Pool's signature song 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 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

because it was considered inappropriate in the wake of the terrorist attacks. An early version of "Bodies" appeared on their EP ''

Pieces of Nothing ''Pieces of Nothing'' is the second EP and second release overall by American rock band Drowning Pool. It was released in 2000. All of the tracks, except for "Less Than Zero" would later be re-recorded and revamped for their debut studio albu ...

'', omitting the lyrics in the bridge and featuring a significantly greater amount of screaming.

Music and lyrics

Considered a

nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, sometimes called aggro-metal) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop, alternative rock, funk, industrial, and grunge. Nu m ...

song, "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 Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weakly ...

'', saying

Commercial performance and critical reception

Commercial performance

The song peaked at number 6 on the ''Billboard''

Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched i ...

chart in August 2001, and No. 12 on the

Alternative Songs Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...

charts in September 2001. 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. 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. It has sold 1,751,000 digital copies in the US as of April 2016. On September 22, 2001, "Bodies" peaked at number 19 on the

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart. It also reached number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' called "Bodies" "Drowning Pool's finest moment on" '' Sinner''.

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 ''

''.

Usage in media

The song is used in the film trailers of '' Stop-Loss'' (2008) and '' The One'' (2001).

Controversy and military's use of the song

Due to the misinterpretation of its lyrics, the song created controversy. In 2011, the song was linked to the shooting of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, after it was discovered that the perpetrator, Jared Lee Loughner, had saved an unofficial music video for the song as a favorite on his YouTube account. In response, 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". The song was used by interrogators at the

Guantanamo Bay detention camp The Guantanamo Bay detention camp ( es, Centro de detención de la bahía de Guantánamo) is a United States military prison located within Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, also referred to as Guantánamo, GTMO, and Gitmo (), on the coast of Guant ...

s 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. In 2006, Drowning Pool bassist Stevie Benton took pride in the military usage of the song. He said: "People assume we should be offended that somebody in the military thinks our song is annoying enough that, played over and over, it can psychologically break someone down. I take it as an honor to think that perhaps our song could be used to quell another 9/11 attack or something like that."

Track listing

Limited EP Vinyl Promo CD Bodies Remix Guitar Down promo CD Promo CD #2

Charts

Certifications

References

External links

Official music video – YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bodies (Drowning Pool Song) 2001 songs 2001 debut singles ECW (WWE brand) Drowning Pool songs Music controversies Obscenity controversies in music Wind-up Records singles Songs written by Stevie Benton Internet memes