Got the Life

Last updated
"Got the Life"
Korn-gtl.jpg
Single by Korn
from the album Follow the Leader
B-side "I Can Remember"
ReleasedAugust 1998
RecordedApril 1998
Studio NRG (North Hollywood)
Genre
Length3:45
Label Epic
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Korn singles chronology
"All in the Family"
(1998)		"Got the Life"
(1998)		"Children of the Korn"
(1998)

"Got the Life" is a song by American nu metal band Korn. It was released in 1998, as the second single from their third album, Follow the Leader (1998). The song was recorded in April 1998 at NRG Recording Studios. The band decided they would release the song as a promotional single after each member found that there was something "special" about the song. The single had "phenomenal success", and its music video was requested more than any other video on MTV's TRL , making it the first officially "retired" music video.

Contents

"Got the Life" did not receive much attention in the music press; however, the song was rewarded a gold certification in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association. It peaked at number one on the Canadian RPM Rock/Alternative Chart chart, as well as number fifteen on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number seventeen on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Background and release

"Got the Life" was recorded in April 1998 at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California. [4] After recording the song, the group's members each felt that there was something "special" about the song. [5] Lead vocalist Jonathan Davis claimed that it reminded him of "something you might hear at raves", which were very popular at the time. [5] [6] Even though they thought that many fans would not appreciate the song, they released it as a promotional single in early August 1998, before the release of Follow the Leader. [6] "Got the Life" was said by Leah Furman to be "revolved around the mixed blessings of fame." [7]

The single was sent to radio stations on July 24, 1998, and has been released five times. [8] The single's first release was on August 10, 1998, [9] where it was released with two versions in the United States. [9] [10] The single contains different mixes of the song, including "Deejay Punk-Roc Remix" and the instrumental "D.O.S.E.'s Woollyback Remix." [11] The single also apprehends B-sides and remixes to earlier songs. [12] Stephen Thomas Erlewine reviewed the single, giving it two out of five stars, and noting that "the 'Deejay Punk-Roc Remix' is pretty good, but the instrumental is of negligible worth. The second part of the single is backed with 'I Can Remember' plus 'Good God (OOMPH! vs. Such A Surge Remix)'. [13] The single was also released in Australia, [12] and in the United Kingdom twice. [14] [15] The single was considered to have had "phenomenal success". [16]

Composition

"Got the Life" music sheet. Got the Life music sheet.jpg
"Got the Life" music sheet.

"Got the Life" is three minutes and forty-five seconds long. [17] It is the shortest song on Follow the Leader, and like the album the single was produced by Steve Thompson and Toby Wright, [18] [19] and was mixed by Brendan O'Brien. [18] "Got the Life (Deejay Punk-Roc remix)" was mixed by DeeJay Punk-Roc (Jon Paul Davies), and was recorded at Airdog Funk Research Department and Liverpool, England. The D.O.S.E.'s Woollyback remix was mixed by D.O.S.E. in courtesy of Mercury Records. [18]

The song starts off with a single percussion beat, leading into the refrain riff, with a triple guitar overdub. When the verses emerge, lead singer Jonathan Davis begins singing with the lyrical line "Hate, something, sometime, someway, something kicked on the front floor." [20] Korn performed the song with the following members: Jonathan Davis performing vocals, Brian "Head" Welch and James "Munky" Shaffer performing guitars, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, performing on the bass guitar, and David Silveria on the drum kit.

In a 2013 interview with Scuzz, Jonathan Davis revealed that "Got the Life" originally contained an audio sample at the very beginning - a piece of dialogue spoken by actor Dom DeLuise in the 1974 film Blazing Saddles . Warner Brothers would not allow its usage, however, so it was removed prior to the song's release. [21]

Music video

"I would give my car to a bum. I thought Tre from Pharcyde could play the bum. I wanted to blow up cars and other fancy material things in the video as a way to show that we didn't care about those things. We could end the video with a shot of a big backyard party with all of [their] friends. In Addition, I wanted to put two lowrider bikes in the scene and make it look like we were all down in Mexico, partying and having a good time."

—Reginald Arvizu [6]

Korn decided to shoot a music video for "Got the Life" after the reception from fans and employees at NRG Recording Studios was very positive. [6] The music video's concept was by the band's bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu. [6] Their managers advised them to request Joseph Kahn to direct the video. [6] Kahn also was the director for "A.D.I.D.A.S." music video in 1997. [22] After asking Kahn to direct their video, he responded saying "That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard." [23]

Offended by and against his response, Korn hired McG, [23] director of the band's music videos from their self-titled debut album — "Blind", "Shoots and Ladders", "Clown", and "Faget". [24] On January 12, 1999, music video was the first video that is considered to be "retired" from MTV's daily top ten countdown, Total Request Live . [23] [25] [26] MTV's Total Request Live said the song was the most requested music video "for too long so they had to stop airing it so other artists would have a chance at the coveted number one spot." [23] Deuce , the video album where the song's music video appears on, was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. [27] [28] California rapper WC makes a cameo appearance in the video dancing. Jay Gordon of Orgy, Brandon Boyd of Incubus, Fred Durst, Sam Rivers, Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit, Eminem, and UFC fighter Tito Ortiz can be seen in the end of the video. [29] [30] [31]

Reception

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave the single 2/5 stars, although he stated that the song "rivaled such previous masterworks as 'A.D.I.D.A.S.' and 'Shoots and Ladders'. Their fusion of metal and rap was stronger than ever, boasting their best rhythm tracks to date. Which is good, since the B-sides of the 'Got the Life' singles were devoted to remixes." [12]

"Got the Life" is widely considered to be one of Korn's best songs. In 2019, Loudwire ranked the song number ten on their list of the 50 greatest Korn songs, [32] and in 2021, Kerrang ranked the song number seven on their list of the 20 greatest Korn songs. [33]

"Got the Life" became Korn's first entry on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock Songs and Alternative Songs charts, peaking at number fifteen and number seventeen, respectively. [34] The song peaked at number twenty-six in Australia, and shipments of a CD single have surpassed 35,000 units. [35] "Got the Life"'s music video debuted at number eight on MTV's Total Request Live, on September 17, 1998. [36]

Track listing

Charts

Chart (1998)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [38] 26
Canada Alternative 30 (RPM) [39] 1
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [40] 94
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [41] 30
Hungary (Mahasz) [42] 4
Iceland (Dagblaðið Vísir Top 30) [43] 1
Peru (UNIMPRO) [44] 36
Scotland (OCC) [45] 21
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [46] 7
UK Singles (OCC) [47] 23
US Mainstream Rock ( Billboard ) [48] 15
US Alternative Airplay ( Billboard ) [49] 17

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korn</span> American nu metal band

Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, originally formed in 1993 by James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria, who were members of the band L.A.P.D. Their current lineup features Shaffer (guitar); Arvizu (bass); Brian "Head" Welch (guitar); Jonathan Davis (vocals), and Ray Luzier (drums), who replaced Silveria in 2007. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Professional Widow</span> 1996 single by Tori Amos

"Professional Widow" is a song written by the American singer-songwriter Tori Amos, released on her third album, Boys for Pele (1996). It is a harpsichord-driven rock song and its lyrics are rumored to have been inspired by the American songwriter Courtney Love. The song was released on July 2, 1996 by Atlantic and EastWest, as the third single from the Boys for Pele album in the US, containing remixes by the house music producers Armand van Helden and MK. The single reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. In Italy, the original version peaked at number two in October 1996. An edited version of the Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix of "Professional Widow" was originally released as a double A-side single with "Hey Jupiter" in Europe and Australia.

<i>Untouchables</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Korn

Untouchables is the fifth studio album by American nu metal band Korn. The album was officially released on June 11, 2002, and featured the Grammy-winning single "Here to Stay". Untouchables debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 495,991 copies sold during its first week, second only to Eminem's The Eminem Show. The album received positive reviews from music critics. It was certified platinum on July 11, 2002, and has sold at least 1.4 million copies in the United States.

<i>Korn</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Korn

Korn is the debut studio album by American nu metal band Korn. It was released on October 11, 1994, through Immortal and Epic Records. Before recording the album, the band was approached by Immortal/Epic Records after a performance at Huntington Beach, California. The band signed to their label because they did not want to "sign away all of their creative freedom". The band would record at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California, with producer Ross Robinson, who also produced their 1993 demo Neidermayer's Mind. The recording took place from May to June 1994. After the recordings, Korn toured with Biohazard and House of Pain.

<i>Life Is Peachy</i> 1996 studio album by Korn

Life Is Peachy is the second studio album by American nu metal band Korn. It was released on October 15, 1996, through both Immortal Records and Epic Records. After the release of Korn's 1994 self-titled debut album, the band reunited with Ross Robinson to produce and went back to Indigo Ranch Studios to record. Life Is Peachy features such themes as drugs, social encounters, sex, betrayal, and revenge. The album has fourteen tracks, excluding the hidden track after "Kill You". Martin Riedl photographed its cover art, and its title is credited to Korn's bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu. Life Is Peachy was Korn's first significant breakthrough, which came from constant touring after the debut album's release and building a fan base, thus fueling great expectations.

<i>Follow the Leader</i> (Korn album) 1998 studio album by Korn

Follow the Leader is the third studio album by American nu metal band Korn. It was released on August 18, 1998, through both Immortal and Epic Records. This was their first album not produced by Ross Robinson. Instead, it was produced by Steve Thompson and Toby Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brimful of Asha</span> 1997 single by Cornershop

"Brimful of Asha" is a song by English alternative rock band Cornershop from their third album, When I Was Born for the 7th Time (1997). The recording, released by Wiiija, originally reached number 60 on the UK Singles Chart in 1997. After a remixed version by Norman Cook became a radio and critical success, the song was re-released and reached number one on the UK chart and number 16 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The lyric is a tribute to Asha Bhosle. Its music video was directed by Phil Harder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freak on a Leash</span> 1999 Single by Korn

"Freak on a Leash" is a song by the American nu metal band Korn, featured on the group's 1998 studio album, Follow the Leader. After Follow the Leader's release, the song was released as a single on February 25, 1999, and since then, it has been re-released over ten times. The song uses dissonance, distortion, various guitar effects, and a heavy, aggressive style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hella Good</span> 2002 single by No Doubt

"Hella Good" is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their fifth studio album, Rock Steady (2001). Written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal and the Neptunes, and produced by Nellee Hooper and the band, "Hella Good" was released as the album's second single on March 11, 2002, and received positive reviews from contemporary music critics, who made comparisons to the work of a diverse range of artists such as Afrika Bambaataa and Madonna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larger than Life (song)</span> 1999 single by Backstreet Boys

"Larger than Life" is a song by American boy band Backstreet Boys from their third studio album, Millennium. It was released on September 7, 1999, as the second single from the album. It was written by band member Brian Littrell with Max Martin and Kristian Lundin, who also produced the song along with Rami Yacoub. The song is a "thank you" for their fans' encouragement and devotion. Music critics praised its memorable melody, singalong lyrics, and the band's vocal performance. It was also on Blender's list of the 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clown (Korn song)</span> 1995 single by Korn

"Clown" is a song by the American nu metal band Korn. It was released as the fourth single from their self-titled debut album on July 12, 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korn discography</span>

The discography of American nu metal band Korn consists of 14 studio albums, three live albums, eight compilation albums, seven video albums, six extended plays, 47 singles, 16 promotional singles and 53 music videos. Ten releases have gone platinum, and two gold. 15 releases have charted in the top 10 in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L.A.P.D. (band)</span> American funk metal band

L.A.P.D. was an American funk metal band formed in 1989 in Bakersfield, California. From 1989 to 1992, the member line-up was James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, David Silveria and Richard Morrill. The group has released one studio album, one extended play, and one compilation album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoots and Ladders</span> 1995 single by Korn

"Shoots and Ladders" is a song written and recorded by the American nu metal band Korn for their self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's third single in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Don't Care About Us</span> 1998 single by Placebo

"You Don't Care About Us" is a song by English alternative rock band Placebo. It is the third track from their second studio album, Without You I'm Nothing (1998), and was released as the album's second single on 28 September 1998. The song reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Every You Every Me</span> 1999 single by Placebo

"Every You Every Me" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released as the third single from their second album, Without You I'm Nothing, on 25 January 1999. It was released as a 2-CD set and on cassette, but promotional copies on 12-inch vinyl exist. The single managed to chart at number 46 in Australia, number 99 in Germany, and number 11 on the UK Singles Chart. There are two versions of the video, both filmed live at London's Brixton Academy; one includes clips from the film Cruel Intentions. An alternative video taking place at a casino was filmed in November 1998 but would not be released until 18 years later as part of the promotion for A Place for Us to Dream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Public Enemy discography</span> Cataloging of published recordings by Public Enemy

The discography of Public Enemy, an American hip hop group, consists of 15 studio albums, two live albums, four compilation albums, two remix albums, one soundtrack album, four video albums, 39 singles, four promotional singles and 39 music videos. The group released their debut studio album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, in February 1987; it peaked at number 125 on the United States Billboard 200. The album spawned the singles "Public Enemy No. 1" and "You're Gonna Get Yours". Public Enemy released their second studio album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, in April 1988. The album peaked at number 42 on the Billboard 200. It has since sold 1.3 million copies in the US, earning a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Four of the album's singles charted on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart: "Bring the Noise", "Don't Believe the Hype", "Night of the Living Baseheads" and "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos". The former three, along with the single "Rebel Without a Pause", also charted in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Busta Rhymes discography</span>

American rapper Busta Rhymes has released eleven studio albums, three compilation albums, eight mixtapes, one hundred and eight singles, fourteen promotional singles and fifty-six music videos. Busta Rhymes signed his first recording contract with Elektra Records at the age of just 17, as a member of hip-hop group Leaders of the New School. Though the group would disband in 1994, a number of well-received guest appearances on songs by artists including A Tribe Called Quest and Mary J. Blige led Elektra to offer Busta Rhymes a solo contract in 1995. His debut studio album, The Coming, was released the following year, with lead single "Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check" reaching number eight on the United States Billboard Hot 100 and being certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of 2019 Busta Rhymes has sold around 9,000,000 albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evolution (Korn song)</span> 2007 single by Korn

"Evolution" is a song by American nu metal band Korn. The song was the first single to be released from the band's untitled album on June 12, 2007. It is one of the four tracks in which Brooks Wackerman of Bad Religion performed drumming duties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fastball discography</span>

The discography of Fastball, an American rock band, consists of seven studio albums, one live album, one compilation album and eleven singles.

References

Literature
Cited
  1. ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon (July 1, 2013). "NOISEY VS. METALSUCKS - THREATEN MY FAMILY IF YOU MUST, BUT I STILL SAY KORN RULES". Vice.
  2. ↑ Shumka, Dave. "10 nu metal songs that still hold up on CBC music". CBC Music. Archived from the original on 2016-03-01. (February 14th, 2013)
  3. ↑ Unterberger, Andrew (September 10, 2004). "Top Ten Nu-Metal Bands". Stylus Magazine. Archived from the original on October 9, 2004. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Follow The Leader (CD)". Tower Records. Archived from the original on 2008-09-14. Retrieved 2010-03-19.
  5. 1 2 Arvizu 2009 , p. 116
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Arvizu 2009 , p. 117
  7. ↑ Furman 2000 , p. 127
  8. ↑ Furman 2000 , p. 145
  9. 1 2 3 "Got the Life (US) > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-06-05
  10. 1 2 "Got the Life (Remixes) > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-06-05
  11. ↑ "Got the Life" (DVD). Korn. Epic. 1998.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. 1 2 3 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Got The Life- Korn". AllMusic. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  13. ↑ Stephen Thomas Erlewine "Got the Life (Australia) > Overview ". Allmusic . Retrieved 2010-06-05
  14. 1 2 "Got the Life (UK Single #1) > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-06-05
  15. 1 2 "Got the Life (UK single #2) > Overview". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-06-05
  16. ↑ McIver 2002 , p. 71
  17. ↑ "Got the Life (UK)" (DVD). Korn. Epic. 1998.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. 1 2 3 Arvizu 2009 , p. 112
  19. ↑ "Got the Life (UK #2)" (CD). Korn. Epic. 1998.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ Small, Doug (1999). Korn (2 ed.). Omnibus Press. pp. 32–47. ISBN   0-8256-1804-5.
  21. ↑ "Korn Interviewe by U.K.'s Scuzz". Blabbermouth.net. 29 December 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-29.
  22. ↑ "Maital Sabban" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2010-05-12.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Arvizu 2009 , p. 118
  24. ↑ Korn: Who Then Now, McG, DVD - Barnes & Noble Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2010-06-02
  25. ↑ Furman 2000 , p. 151
  26. ↑ "Hall of Fame". The TRL Archive. Archived from the original on 2007-11-04. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  27. ↑ Duece (DVD). Korn. Sony/Epic. 2002.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. ↑ "RIAA certifications". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  29. ↑ Storm, Brian (2016-11-27). "Eminem Was In Korn's 'Got The Life' Music Video Before He Was Famous". Rock Feed. Retrieved 2017-07-25.
  30. ↑ "Korn".
  31. ↑ "BRANDON BOYD RECALLS KORN'S SUPPORT FOR INCUBUS DURING THEIR DIFFICULT EARLY YEARS".
  32. ↑ "The Top 50 Korn Songs, Ranked". Loudwire . September 13, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  33. ↑ Law, Sam (April 20, 2021). "The 20 greatest Korn songs – ranked". Kerrang . Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  34. ↑ "Korn > Follow the Leader > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". Allmusic . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  35. ↑ "Accreditations - 1999 Singles". ARIA . Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  36. ↑ "Debuts". ATRL. The TRL Archive. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  37. ↑ "Got the Life (Australian single)" (DVD). Korn. Epic. 1998.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  38. ↑ "Korn – Got the Life". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Rock/Alternative - Volume 68, No. 3, October 12 1998". Retrieved 2010-06-11
  40. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 16, no. 20. August 29, 1998. p. 11. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  41. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
  42. ↑ "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 15, no. 36. 5 September 1998. p. 15. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  43. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn (01.10. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). June 29, 2000. p. 10. Retrieved October 5, 2019.
  44. ↑ "PERU – Doble Nueve Ranking Anual 1998" (in Polish). Charts Around the World. 1999-12-31. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
  45. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 25th, 2022.
  46. ↑ "Korn – Got the Life". Swiss Singles Chart.
  47. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  48. ↑ "Korn Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  49. ↑ "Korn Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved April 19, 2021.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.