Bodies (Drowning Pool song)

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* Mike Luce
* C.J. Pierce

"**Bodies**" 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 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*, omitting the lyrics in the bridge and featuring a significantly greater amount of screaming.

## Music and lyrics

Considered a nu metal 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*, saying

## Commercial performance and critical reception

### Commercial performance

The song peaked at number 6 on the *Billboard*Template:'s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in August 2001, and No. 12 on the Alternative Songs 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 chart. It also reached number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.

### Critical reception

*Rolling Stone* 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 *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 shooting of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. 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".

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. 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**

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 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. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013.
6. ↑ Chesler, Josh (May 18, 2015). "10 Nu-metal Songs That Actually Don't Suck". *Phoenix New Times*. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
7. ↑ Zaleski, Anne (17 May 2017). "The 30 Best Nu-Metal Songs". *Spin*. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
8. ↑ Hill, Stephen (July 4, 2017). "The Top 40 nu-metal songs of all time". *Metal Hammer*. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
9. ↑ "Drowning Pool – Interview with Dave Williams". Hip Online. 3 July 2001.
10. ↑ "Mainstream Rock Tracks". *Billboard*. August 25, 2001. Archived from the original on 2016-08-15. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
11. ↑ "Alternative Songs". *Billboard*. September 22, 2001. Archived from the original on 2016-04-07. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 [[[:Template:Certification Cite/URL]] "[[:Template:Certification Cite/Title]]"] Check `|url=` value (help). Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2 August 2020. URL–wikilink conflict (help) *If necessary, click* Advanced*, then click* Format*, then select* Single*, then click* SEARCH*.*
13. ↑ "Hard Rock Digital Songs". *Billboard*. April 16, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-10-03. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
14. ↑ "Rock Digital Songs". *Billboard*. April 16, 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-08-18. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
15. ↑ "Nielsen SoundScan Charts". *Nielsen*. April 4, 2016.
16. ↑ "Chart Search". *Billboard*.[*permanent dead link*]
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. ↑ 18.0 18.1 "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. ↑ "Music As Torture: Guantanamo Bay Feature". *SPIN*. 2006-11-30. Retrieved 2021-09-10.
22. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
23. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
24. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
25. ↑ "Drowning Pool Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". *Billboard*. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
26. ↑ "Drowning Pool Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". *Billboard*. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
27. ↑ "Drowning Pool Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". *Billboard*. Retrieved August 2, 2020.