This will be extremely long, so unless you're a fan, like finding out about drama in the music industry or just bored, i'd just skip it.
Untitled IMO is a complete shot directed at Brian Welch (head), not that i disagree, but after listening to the album and thinking back to last year, it all just sorta clicked... first i found hidden meaning in evolution, then the entire song ever be is obviously directed at welch... and of course if you look, there are some obvious and some hidden jabs in every other song....
i'm posting to see if anyone disagrees with my theory.... (btw, my analysis of specific songs can be found after the lyrics)
The Drama
Brian 'Head' Welch Leaves Korn - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV News
Brian 'Head' Welch Explains Why He Left Korn - News Story | Music, Celebrity, Artist News | MTV NewsQuote:
Guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, a founding member of Korn, has left the band and has rededicated his life to Christianity, according to the group's management.
"Korn has parted ways with guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch, who has chosen Jesus Christ as his savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end," a statement from the band reads. "Korn respects Brian's wishes, and hopes he finds the happiness he's searching for."
The announcement puts to rest weeks of rumors that Welch was unhappy with Korn's direction. On February 8, he had apparently written a "letter of resignation" to the band's management. In the note, Welch detailed a long list of reasons for leaving the band, including increased moral objections to Korn's music and videos. In particular, he was upset by how he was portrayed in the clip for their cover of Cameo's "Word Up," off their recently released Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 album. In the video, Welch's face was superimposed on a dog patrolling a strip club.
"I can go up there and play those songs and those solos but ... I distanced myself from Korn for probably a year and a half, two years. I just wanted to fade away, it was crazy. I was so gone," Welch told Bakersfield, California, radio station KRAB on Sunday. "But I found my way out and I want to help anyone that wants to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I had to go through the lows to appreciate the highs and it's not perfect but it's damn near."
Welch plans on further explaining his decision to leave Korn this coming Sunday, when he'll address the congregation at the Valley Bible Fellowship in Bakersfield, California. And on February 28 he plans to leave for Israel.
Korn formed in 1992 as the Bakersfield metal act LAPD, which featured Welch and guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer, bassist Reggie "Fieldy" Arvizu and drummer David Silveria. In 1993, vocalist Jonathan Davis joined the group, and they rechristened themselves Korn. Their self-titled 1994 debut went double platinum and was hailed as a landmark album in the burgeoning nü-metal scene. The group released six studio albums with Welch, sales of which have topped the 11-million mark in the U.S. alone. Their final album with Welch, Take a Look in the Mirror, was released in 2003.
Korn AIM Interview - AOL MusicQuote:
On Tuesday, Korn's management made a formal announcement that guitarist Brian "Head" Welch was leaving the band to rededicate his life to Christianity. On Thursday night, in an effort to explain his decision to both his fans and his former bandmates, Welch spoke with MTV News.
"I love everybody in the band â?? I was afraid to leave. It made me sad to think that I would be hurting the band if I left. For the last year and a half, I wanted to leave, but someone would always talk to me and convince me to stay," Welch said. "But I've had a problem with the way things were going since the second record. I mean, we would do things, and I would be like, 'Oh, this is metal! This is the rock and roll life!' But inside, I thought they took it too far. It was a little too crude for me."
Welch said that the statement issued by Korn's management company blew things out of proportion, and that his newfound spirituality was just another step on his path of self-discovery (see "Brian 'Head' Welch Leaves Korn, Citing Moral Objections To Band's Music"). It wasn't the reason he left Korn â?? the band he helped form in 1993, a band that's sold more than 11 million records in the U.S. He left because he had become sick of "chasing the almighty buck," and felt that being respected by his young daughter was more important than being rich.
"I have a 6-year-old daughter, and I want her to be able to look me in the eye. I'm a single dad, that's what it comes down to," he said. "And the guys were really accommodating when I would tell them that. They'd be like, 'Bring your daughter on tour! We'll work the tour around you.' But that's not the place for a 6-year-old. She would be sitting backstage sometimes, just counting dollars. Because Fieldy would tell her, 'Every time you hear a curse word, you'll get a dollar. It will help us stop cursing.' And at the end of the day, she'd turn to me and be like, 'Look at all my money, Daddy!' "
So after a weekend of soul-searching, coupled with reading from a Bible his friend had leant him, Welch decided it was time to go. And his decision was not a popular one with his bandmates.
"I think it made the guys mad. It confused them. I left at the worst possible time. We got off Sony, and all the money was there, we were going to own all of our songs, but I had to prove to myself that money wasn't my God," he said. "I talked to Jonathan [Davis] and he said, 'I don't get it, man, you're all happy and we're sitting here grieving because our band is breaking up. And I wanted to tell him, 'Well, for years, you guys were out partying while I was sitting on the tour bus wanting to die.' "
Welch also said that for the past month, he's been trying to reach out to the other members of Korn, but has gotten little response. He said he spent his final days in Korn talking with bassist Fieldy, and had even mentioned the songs he'd been recording on his own, which reflected his growing spirituality. Fieldy was less than receptive.
"I just asked Fieldy if he'd be interested in producing some of the stuff I've been working on, but he hasn't called me back in weeks," Welch said. "I mean, I was saying some stuff to him during my final days in Korn, some crazy stuff. But since I've left the band, I've heard nothing from him at all."
Welch's solo material â?? which will be released under the name "Head" â?? will not be Christian music. Rather, he said, he wants it to be an "extension of the Korn family."
"I always loved that Korn's music helped kids let out aggression. But with my new music, I want kids to know that there's more out there," he said. "I want to show them there's a light at the end of the pain tunnel. That there's more out there than just aggression. I want to say to them, 'Hey kids, come over here. Let's bounce back and forth and have fun.' "
And yes, Welch does plan on speaking on Sunday at the Valley Bible Fellowship. He's just not certain what he's going to say. He's just going to speak from the heart. And he wants his fans to know that even if they can't make it out to Bakersfield, California, to hear him speak, they can check out his message on his new Web site â?? SAVE ME FROM MYSELF--COMING SOON! â?? which launches Friday (February 25).
"Man, when I get up there onstage, it's going to be me just letting things flow. I have no idea what I'm going to say, it's just going to come out," he said. "I mean, I'm going to be like a kid up there. Because that's really what I am now. I'm a baby Christian."
Quote:
Originally Posted by AIM Interview
The Lyrics
Evolution
Quote:
I'm diggin' with my fingertips
I'm ripping at the ground I stand upon
I'm searchin' for fragile bones
(Evolution)
I'm never gonna be refined
Keep tryin' but I won't assimilate
Sure, we have come far in time
(Watch the bow break)
And I'm sorry I don't believe
By the evidence that I see
That there's any hope left for me
It's evolution...
Just evolution...
And I
I do not dare deny
The basic beast inside
It's right here, it's controlling my mind
And why
Do I deserve to die?
I'm dominated by
This animal that's locked up inside
Close up to get a real good view
I'm betting that the species will survive
Hold tight, I'm getting inside you
(Evolution)
And when we're gonna find these bones
They're gonna wanna keep them in a jar
The number one virus caused by
(Procreation)
And the planet may go astray
In a million years, I say
'Cause motherfuckers, we're all derranged
It's evolution...
Just evolution...
And I
I do not dare deny
The basic beast inside
It's right here, it's controlling my mind
And why
Do I deserve to die?
I'm dominated by
This animal that's locked up inside
Take a look around
Nothing much has changed
Take a look around
Nothing much has changed
Take a look around
Take a look around
Take a look around
(Nothing much has changed)
Take a look around
Take a look around
(Nothing much has changed)
Take a look around
Take a look around
(Nothing much has changed)
Take a look around
I
I do not dare deny
The basic beast inside
It's right here, it's controlling my mind
And why
Do I deserve to die?
I'm dominated by
This animal that's locked up inside
Why
Why do I deserve to die?
Ever Be
Do what they sayQuote:
You're the infection my friend
Disgusting right to the end
Didn't I know it then?
I knew it, I knew it
You're basic, but hard to define
Simple yet somehow sublime
Knew you would strike again
I knew it, I knew it
You're all that's wrong
With your dumbass song
Yet that's all that you will ever be
Nothing you can do 'cause
That's all that you will ever be
Polished, you shimmer when shined
But rotten and seething inside
Everyone falls for this
I knew it, I knew it
You're all that's wrong
With your dumbass song
Yet that's all that you will ever be
Nothing you can do 'cause
That's all that you will ever be
Ever be, never be, want to be god
All to be, made to be, holding the son
Throwing it, breaking it, over your grave
Sending you back to the place you once came
It must be hard to be you
Nothing's alright with you
You're all that's wrong
With your dumbass song
Yet that's all that you will ever be
Nothing you can do 'cause
That's all that you will ever be
Ever be/never be/wannabe [Repeat]
You will never be [Repeat]
You want to be God [Repeat]
It's all God [Repeat]
It's all gone [Repeat]
Quote:
Walk away when you're angry
Brace yourself, there's nothing to gainOld enough to know the outcome
More blood, it's always the same
Aren't we cool and aren't we calm
For facing death we run head-on
Aren't we cool and aren't we calm
For god we've suffered for so long
Do what they say
Or they take it away
I'd rather be dead then carry on
(wait) Bite your lip, don't be cursing
(we must) We musn't take God's name in vain
(in vain) Blunt your knife, pull the curtain
(impulse) Impulses you must refrain
Aren't we cool and aren't we calm
For facing death we run head-on
Aren't we cool and aren't we calm
For god we've suffered for so long
Do what they say
Or they take it away
I'd rather be dead then carry on
Somebody carry on with this burden
I can't remember anything
I can't be certain
Aren't we cool and aren't we calm
For facing death we run head-on
Do what they say
Or they take it away
I'd rather be dead then carry on
Bitch we got a problem
Starting overQuote:
For every person I've tried to be
There's another ten inside
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH I'M NEVER THERE
I'M ALWAYS WITH YOU BUT NEVER HERE
And you move in a hostile way
Like you're recently wounded
I REACH FOR YOUR WRISTS TO FEEL A PULSE
YOU'RE FEELING YOURSELF FOR BOTH OF US
We got a problem, it's plain to see
We got a problem
Which one, which one of you is into me?
Which one, which one of me is into you?
We're both schizophrenic I fear
See how many voices you hear
Which one, which one of you is into me?
Which one, which one of me is into you?
We are schizophrenic, don't stop
No, not till I fuck this all up
All the searching we do inside
Is a futile attempt to
TO SIFT WHAT WE'RE MEANT TO NEVER KNOW
IT'S ALL SCREWED UP HOW THE RIVER FLOWS
And I know that you tried to hide
To center yourself, but
WAS I THE BEAST THAT SUCKED INTO YOU?
A REAL DARK BITCH DOWN INSIDE OF YOU?
We got a problem, it's plain to see
Bitch, we got a problem
Which one, which one of you is into me?
Which one, which one of me is into you?
We're both schizophrenic I fear
See how many voices you hear
Which one, which one of you is into me?
Which one, which one of me is into you?
We are schizophrenic, don't stop
No, not till I fuck this all up
NICE TO FUCKING MEET YOU
And you, and you, and you, and you, and you, and you
And this is me, and me, and me, and me,
and me, and me, and me, and me, and me
Bitch, we got a problem
Which one, which one of you is into me?
Which one, which one of me is into you?
We're both schizophrenic I fear
See how many voices you hear
Which one, which one of you is into me?
Which one, which one of me is into you?
We are schizophrenic, don't stop
No, not till I fuck this all up
Bitch, we got a problem!
Yeah!
We got a problem!
Bitch, we got a problem!
We got a problem, problem, problem
We got a problem, yes, yes
We got a problem
We got a problem
We got a problem, problem, problem
Innocent bystanderQuote:
Got to face your fear
lying on the floor
Step into nothing, what the hell am I here for?
So come on and play
Stab me in my heart
So long this time was wasted ripping me apart
We are the hurt inside your head
Lost in the void of what is dead
Constantly twisting things I said
Happiness is boring, need pain instead
It's starting over, starting over
Can't stand it's over, God is gonna take me out
My time is over, this time is over
Why is this over? God is gonna take me out
(God is gonna take me out)
Crawling on the floor
All around this space
Talking to myself
What is this thing I've got to face?
Walking through a door
Has it been a waste?
Going on and on thinking I could find my place
We are the hurt inside your head
Lost in the void of what is dead
Constantly twisting things I said
Happiness is boring, need pain instead
It's starting over, starting over
Can't stand it's over, God is gonna take me out
My time is over, this time is over
Why is this over? God is gonna take me out
God is gonna take me out (God is gonna take me out)
God is gonna take me out
You can't see
I'm torn away from you and everything that's
close to me
I cannot face the truth, it's nothing that
I believe
Just run away from me and thank me when you're
free from meCome take me
Come take me
Come take me
Come take me
Come take me
Come take me (We are the hurt inside your head)
(Lost in the void of what is dead)
Come take me (Constantly twisting things I said)
(Happiness is boring, need pain instead)
Come take me (We are the hurt inside your head)
(Lost in the void of what is dead)
Come take me (Constantly twisting things I said)
(Happiness is boring, need pain instead)
HushabyeQuote:
I know it's not like me to (you)
Hold back but this time I knew (rape)
You must be silent to increase the volume
In your head
Blood run red
I'm a spectator, the motivator
Shut up, shut up and do it to yourself
I'm just an innocent bystander!
I'm a spectator, the motivator
Shut up, shut up and do it to yourself
I'm just an innocent bystander!
You ripped your own self in two (let's)
Swear I had nothing to do (switch)
With what's been done
You know you can't but you can
In your head
Blood run red
I'm a spectator, the motivator
Shut up, shut up and do it to yourself
I'm just an innocent bystander!
I'm a spectator, the motivator
Shut up, shut up and do it to yourself
I'm just an innocent bystander!
Standing at the edge here
Enough for me to hover by the bit here
Enough you see I kiss you with my head - fear
So wrong that they will never reap our deaths clear
Enough's enough!
Enough's enough!
Enough's enough!
Enough's enough!
Enough's enough!
Enough's enough!
I'm a spectator, the motivator
Shut up, shut up and do it to yourself
I'm just an innocent bystander!
I'm a spectator, the motivator
Shut up, shut up and do it to yourself
I'm just an innocent bystander!
I'm just an innocent bystander!
I'm just an innocent bystander!
I'm just an innocent bystander!
I will protect youQuote:
This sunny Sunday
Is a good day to go
Guess you want me to stay
Well then let me know
And I hate to say
It's been a waste of timeI hate to interrupt the flow
Why, Why, Why
Hushabye
Hushabye, why aren't you ready to go?
Why, Why, Why
Hushabye
Couldn't we fast forward all through this show?
You say you'd love to
But you've lots left to do
Almost decided to stay 'cause of you
And I hate to tell you to exchange your dreams
For a one-way ticket, no return
Why, Why, Why
Hushabye
Hushabye, why aren't you ready to go?
Why, Why, Why
Hushabye
Couldn't we fast forward all through this show?
Why, why
What you hanging up for?
What you doing that for?
What you breaking up for?Why, hushabye
I hate to interrupt the flow
For a one way ticket, no return
This sunny Sunday is a good day to go
Why, Why, Why
Hushabye
Hushabye, why aren't you ready to go?
Why, Why, Why
Hushabye
Couldn't we fast forward all through this show?
Hushabye
Why, why, why I
What you breaking up for?Why
Hushabye
We've wasted it, our time is up
Love and luxuryQuote:
What you gonna do, what you gonna feel
when suddenly I slip away?
Almost am a ghost of who I used to beyesterday
How you gonna touch and how will you collect
the beauty when it turns to dust?
Every deal we make, the cells we generate
are both of us
Please be aware that I am you
Nothing could be more certain
This ain't the time, the place for us to
understand this life
Hold you in my arms and hold you in my gaze
Singing with my dying breath
Underneath this earth I resurrect your soul
and nothing less
Sorry for the space, if I could fill the void
an ocean wouldn't hold the love
And everything I have and all I ever was
is not enough
Please be aware that I am you
Nothing could be more certain
This ain't the time, the place for us to
understand this life
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
Please be aware that I am you
Nothing could be more certain
This ain't the time, the place for us to
understand this life
This ain't the time, this ain't the place
This ain't the time, this ain't the place
This ain't the time, this ain't the place
This ain't the time, this ain't the place
This ain't the time, this ain't the place!
This ain't the time, this ain't the place!
This ain't the time, this ain't the place!
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
(I will protect you)
Quote:
I read your little book and... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
I read your little book and... ha ha ha ha
You need a reason to believe
A reason to deceive
A reason for the song you're singing (ha ha ha ha ha)
And everything you do
Makes perfect sense to you
So why is your alarm bell ringing
You say you know how it feels inside of me
Lost and alone with no love or luxury
Come on inside
And hear the silence constantly judging me
Don't you think you should move on?
(I heard what you've said, nothing new)
You need a way to get along
A way to carry on
A symptom for the pain you're making
And surely you should know
That everywhere you go
There's acid in the words your faking
You say you know how it feels inside of me
Lost and alone with no love or luxury
Come on inside
And hear the silence constantly judging me
Don't you think you should move on?
You write it, so you'd best believe it
You sold it, now your soul perceives it
You read a book, but now agree with it
The damage of betrayal
To Hell with your
reason to believe
A reason to deceive
A reason for the song you're singing
And everything you do
Makes perfect sense to you
So why is your alarm bell ringing
You say you know how it feels inside of me
Lost and alone with no love or luxury
Come on inside
And hear the silence constantly judging me
Don't you think you should move on?
Don't you think you should move on?
Don't you think you should move on?
(THIS PART IS ENTIRELY IMO, I DON'T CLAIM TO KNOW THIS IS WHAT JON MEANS....)
Evolution:
"I'm never gonna be refined
Keep tryin' but I won't assimilate"
it's likely, as with most christians, brian tried to convert jon to christianity, and jon will not be converted.
"And I'm sorry I don't believe
By the evidence that I see
That there's any hope left for me"
jon sees no evidence of god, and there's no hope of his conversion.
"It's evolution...
Just evolution..."
the one most debated thing among science and religion... jon doesn't believe god created everything, he believes in evolution.
"And I
I do not dare deny
The basic beast inside
It's right here, it's controlling my mind
And why
Do I deserve to die?
I'm dominated by
This animal that's locked up inside"
jon admits he's driven more by animal instinct, then faith.. (what feels good, tastes good, etc) and wonders why that is so wrong.
Ever be:
the whole song is painfully obvious stab at brain and his conversion back to chrstianity, i shouldn't even have to explain why...
Do what they say:
Walk away when you're angry
Brace yourself, there's nothing to gain
jon's asking brian to step down with this shit talking and that it's not going to really get him anywhere
"Aren't we cool and aren't we calm
For god we've suffered for so long"
that's a little harder as it could mean alot of diffrent things, but of course they all lead to one main topic: so much pain has been caused in the name of god... whether it be two religious factions fighting, or splitting people apart...
"Do what they say
Or they take it away
I'd rather be dead then carry on"
simple enough, believe in god, because alot of religious followers will ridicule you, so do what they say, or 'your soul will never enter heaven'... and he'd rather die forever, then convert and live in heaven.
Bitch we got a problem:
"We got a problem, it's plain to see
We got a problem"
obvious... he's telling brian they got a problem
"Which one, which one of you is into me?
Which one, which one of me is into you?
We're both schizophrenic I fear"
congruent with backstabbing... they were really close and now brian has left and he's changed everything he is, and even bad mouthing his former friends....
"All the searching we do inside
Is a futile attempt to
TO SIFT WHAT WE'RE MEANT TO NEVER KNOW
IT'S ALL SCREWED UP HOW THE RIVER FLOWS"
life is a river metaphorically... it just continues, and it does not go back.. and jon feels soul searching is a waste of time as we'll never know until the end (about god etc) and it's fucked up he lost one of his best friends because of all this.
"And I know that you tried to hide
To center yourself, but
WAS I THE BEAST THAT SUCKED INTO YOU?
A REAL DARK BITCH DOWN INSIDE OF YOU?"
one of the reports uptop even mentioned how brian had become reclusive, to center yourself could easily apply to fidning your place in religion (i.e. finding god), but jon doesn't feel he was the one that drew the 'dark side' out of brian, that in reality, it was always there.
Starting over:
"We are the hurt inside your head
Lost in the void of what is dead
Constantly twisting things I said
Happiness is boring, need pain instead"
i have to go out on a limb and guess head claimed it was the rest of the band that made him the person he 'didn't want to be'
"It's starting over, starting over
Can't stand it's over, God is gonna take me out
My time is over, this time is over
Why is this over? God is gonna take me out"
well, again just an assumption, but "it's starting over" seems to signify this isn't the first time they've had issues... and of course since jon doesn't accept god, he will be punished with the rest of us non-believers by going to hell...
"You can't see
I'm torn away from you and everything that's
close to me
I cannot face the truth, it's nothing that
I believe
Just run away from me and thank me when you're
free from me"
in jon's opinion, head isn't seeing the pain he's causing him through all this drama, and it's starting to get to him and maybe even affecting his relationships with his own family... he doens't believe he can't face the truth (the wording is kinda of weird, but that's pretty much exactly what "i cannot face the truth it's nothing that i belive" would mean) as mentioned before he wants brian to just go his seperate ways and drop all the drama
Innocent bystander:
"I know it's not like me to (you)
Hold back but this time I knew"
another strangley worded phrase, but to me it seems like the meaning is "i know i'm usually not the one to hold you back, but this time i knew it would destroy us" (as in trying to hold him back from converting)
"You ripped your own self in two
Swear I had nothing to do
With what's been done
You know you can't but you can"
it's your fault you feel conflicted, and it's your fault you've been contributing to something you're against, you know you thought you couldn' thave done something about it earlier, but you could have (jon to brian)
Hushabye:
"This sunny Sunday
Is a good day to go
Guess you want me to stay
Well then let me know
And I hate to say
It's been a waste of time"
sunday, f course is the day dedicated to religious worship (atleast among christianity) jon can't stay brians friend becuase of how critical biran is of him over his lifestyle choices, and he doesn't like it, but their entire friendship has been a waste of time.
"What you hanging up for?
What you doing that for?
What you breaking up for?"
another one that could go both ways, (hanging up) but since jon isn't that pathetic (To get mad over being hung up on) i'm going to guess it's about brian being hung up on change and changing everyoen else, and (breaking up) could also go both ways.... but since jon knows why he left, i'm going ot guess it's because brian is trying to break up jon's friendship with the rest of the band members
I will protect you:
"What you gonna do, what you gonna feel
when suddenly I slip away?
Almost am a ghost of who I used to be"
what's brian going to do and how's he goign to feel when jon dies (jon is a very sick man, he is constantly in and out of the hosptial)
"Please be aware that I am you
Nothing could be more certain
This ain't the time, the place for us to
understand this life"
even tho brian tries to act as if they're diffrent, deep down, they are the same, and life is fleeting and you shoudln't spend your whole life trying ot understand life, rather just live.
"Hold you in my arms and hold you in my gaze
Singing with my dying breath
Underneath this earth I resurrect your soul
and nothing less
Sorry for the space, if I could fill the void
an ocean wouldn't hold the love
And everything I have and all I ever was
is not enough"
through all the drama and problems brian has had on a personal level, jon was there for him, and he would have been there with him til the grave, probably also head was in a bad spot when they met and he brought him back from the edge, and even tho jon has given him everything, it's still not enough.
Love and luxury:
another obvious one.. i shoudln't even have to explain it either... it's quite clearly, even to a complete idiot, a direct stab at brian...
