Bodies (Drowning Pool song)

Considered a nu metal and hard rock song, "Bodies" features 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 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. 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 shows 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. ==Usage in media==

The song was used in the film trailers for Jason X (2001) and Stop-Loss (2008), as well as the season 3 trailer for horror drama series Yellowjackets (2021–present). It is also used in the opening scene of The One (2001). The song is commonly associated with being used in early YouTube videos, particularly in use with videos involving video games. The song was sampled by Shaquille O'Neal in "Thotties Hit the Floor" (2023). Psychostick recorded a parody of the song called "Numbers (I Can Only Count to Four)" on their album Space Vampires vs Zombie Dinosaurs in 3D (2011). The song has also seen prominent use across various professional wrestling promotions, being used as the official theme song for WWF SummerSlam 2001 and WWE's revival of ECW from 2006 to 2007, as well as the 2005 and 2006 editions of One Night Stand and the 2006 December to Dismember event. The song was also played during the Anarchy in the Arena match at All Elite Wrestling (AEW)'s 2025 Double or Nothing event. The band performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as a mashup with Offset and J.I.D's track "Bodies", which itself samples the song. ==Controversy==

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 video featuring the song while an American flag burns 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". 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." On February 17, 2003, 19-year-old Joshua Cooke shot and killed his parents with his 12 gauge Remington Model 870 shotgun while listening to the song on his headphones with a CD player. ==Track listing==

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