Korn made a demo tape, Neidermayer's Mind, in 1993, which was distributed free to record companies and on request to members of the public. Their debut album Korn was released in 1994, followed by Life Is Peachy in 1996. The band first experienced mainstream success with Follow the Leader (1998) and Issues (1999), both of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The band's mainstream success continued with Untouchables (2002); Take a Look in the Mirror (2003); and See You on the Other Side (2005).
A compilation album, Greatest Hits Vol. 1, was released in 2004, spanning a decade of singles and concluding the band's recording contract with Immortal Records and Epic Records. They signed to Virgin Records, releasing See You on the Other Side in 2005, and an untitled album in 2007. The band's other recent albums, Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2010) and The Path of Totality (2011), were released via Roadrunner Records, with The Paradigm Shift (2013) being released via Prospect Park and Caroline Records. The Serenity of Suffering saw their return to Roadrunner Records, through which The Nothing was released on September 13, 2019. Their latest album, Requiem, was released via Loma Vista Recordings on February 4, 2022.
As of 2021, Korn had sold more than 40 million records worldwide. Twelve of the band's official releases have peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200, eight of which have peaked in the top five. Seven official releases are certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); two are certified double platinum; one is certified triple platinum; one is certified five times platinum; and two are certified Gold.
Korn has released seven video albums and 50 music videos. The band has released 48 singles, the most notable of which include "Blind"; "Got the Life"; "Freak on a Leash"; "Falling Away from Me"; "Here to Stay"; "Did My Time"; "Twisted Transistor"; "Coming Undone"; and "Get Up!" Korn has earned two Grammy Awards out of eight nominations and two MTV Video Music Awards out of 11 nominations.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korn
Studio albums
Korn (1994)
Life Is Peachy (1996)
Follow the Leader (1998)
Issues (1999)
Untouchables (2002)
Take a Look in the Mirror (2003)
See You on the Other Side (2005)
Untitled (2007)
Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2010)
The Path of Totality (2011)
The Paradigm Shift (2013)
The Serenity of Suffering (2016)
The Nothing (2019)
Requiem (2022)
Freak on a Leash
Korn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something lost and never seen
Every time I start to believe
Something's raped and taken from me, from me
Life's gotta always be messin' with me (you wanna see the light)
Can't they chill and let me be free? (So do I)
Can't I take away all this pain? (You wanna see the light)
I try to every night, all in vain, in vain
Sometimes I cannot take this place
Sometimes it's my life I can't taste
Sometimes I cannot feel my face
You'll never see me fall from grace
Something takes a part of me
You and I were meant to be
A cheap fuck for me to lay
Something takes a part of me
Feelin' like a freak on a leash (you wanna see the light)
Feeling like I have no release (so do I)
How many times have I felt diseased? (You wanna see the light)
Nothing in my life is free, is free
Sometimes I cannot take this place
Sometimes it's my life I can't taste
Sometimes I cannot feel my face
You'll never see me fall from grace
Something takes a part of me
You and I were meant to be
A cheap fuck for me to lay
Something takes a part of me
Boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema
Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema
Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema
Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema
Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema
Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema
Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema
Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema
Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema
Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema
Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema
Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-eh, go
So fight, something on the ming-ah-ooh
Fight, some things they fight
So, something on the ming-ah-ooh
Fight, some things they fight
Fight, something on the ming-ah-ooh
Now, some things they fight
Fight, something on the ming-ah-ooh
Fight, some things they fight
Something takes a part of me
You and I were meant to be
A cheap fuck for me to lay
Something takes a part of me
Part of me
Part of me
Part of me
The lyrics to Korn's "Freak on a Leash" delve into themes of inner turmoil and feeling trapped. The first verse speaks about something being taken from the singer, something that's never fully seen. He feels as though life is always messing with him, causing pain and inhibiting his freedom. The second verse takes on a darker tone, with the singer feeling like a "freak on a leash" with no release from the pain and disease he feels. However, he never falls from grace, appearing to keep up a facade of strength and stability. The chorus, "Something takes a part of me," is repeated throughout, reinforcing the idea that something is deeply wrong and eating away at the singer.
The lyrics also contain an interesting twist in the bridge section, with the seemingly nonsensical lines "Boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema" and "Da-boom-na-da-mm, na-na-ema." These are actually distorted bits of a vocal sample from earlier in the song that have been manipulated to create a new sound. This reflects the overall theme of distortion and loss of control that runs throughout the track.
Line by Line Meaning
Something takes a part of me
There is a force in my life that is slowly taking away pieces of who I am.
Something lost and never seen
I am missing important parts of myself that I can't even identify.
Every time I start to believe
Whenever I try to have hope or faith, something happens to take that away from me.
Something's raped and taken from me, from me
This unseen force is violating me and stealing parts of me that I may never get back.
Life's gotta always be messin' with me (you wanna see the light)
The difficulties in my life feel deliberate and constant, as if someone is purposely causing them. It's as if they want to break me.
Can't they chill and let me be free? (so do I)
I wish that this force would stop and let me live my life without interference. I want freedom and peace just as much as anyone else does.
Can't I take away all this pain? (you wanna see the light)
I wish that I could find some way to make the pain stop, but I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.
I try to every night, all in vain, in vain
No matter how hard I try to make things better, it never works. I feel like I'm wasting my time and energy.
Sometimes I cannot take this place
There are moments when the world seems too overwhelming and I just can't handle it.
Sometimes it's my life I can't taste
I feel like I'm just going through the motions and not really experiencing anything meaningful.
Sometimes I cannot feel my face
I am numb and disconnected from everything around me, including myself.
You'll never see me fall from grace
No matter how hard this force tries to break me down, I will not give up or lose my dignity.
You and I were meant to be
There is a sense of inevitability about the way that this force is affecting my life. Maybe it's something that I'm meant to endure.
A cheap fuck for me to lay
I feel like I am being used and exploited by this force, like it doesn't care about me as a person but only as an object to be manipulated.
Feelin' like a freak on a leash (you wanna see the light)
I feel trapped and powerless, like there is a force controlling my every move. I'm desperate for some relief from this feeling.
Feeling like I have no release (so do I)
There is no escape from this situation, no way to get away from the pain and the fear that I feel.
How many times have I felt diseased? (you wanna see the light)
I have lost count of the times when I have felt sick or unwell because of the stress and strain that this force is putting on me.
Nothing in my life is free, is free
This force has taken so much from me that I don't even remember what freedom feels like anymore. Everything comes at a cost.
Now, some things they fight
I am determined to not let this force win. I will fight back with everything that I have.
Part of me
No matter how much this force takes from me, there will always be a part of me that refuses to break or give up.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brian Philip Welch, David Randall Silveria, James Christian Shaffer, Jonathan Howsman Davis, Reginald Arvizu
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind