The band has three #1 albums (Faceless, IV, The Oracle) on the Billboard 200, four Grammy nominations, and eight #1 hits on Mainstream Rock Radio. Godsmack has sold over 19 million records worldwide.
Since its inception, Godsmack has toured on Ozzfest on more than one occasion, and have toured with many other large tours and festivals, including supporting its albums with its own arena tours. In the summer of 2009, Godsmack toured as support to Mötley Crüe's Crüe Fest 2 tour.
In February 1995, Sully Erna decided to start a new band as the lead singer after playing the drums for more than 23 years, including over two years in the now-defunct band Strip Mind. His new band The Scam formed with Erna on vocals, Robbie Merrill on bass, local guitarist and friend Lee Richards on guitar, and Tommy Stewart on drums. The Scam quickly changed its name to Godsmack, after recording one demo. The newly formed band started playing small bars in their hometown of Boston, Mass.. Locally popular songs such as "Keep Away" and "Whatever" soon brought them to the top of the hit charts in the Boston/New England area.
The band's name, according to Merrill in the Smack This! DVD, was taken from the Alice in Chains' song "God Smack". However, Erna stated in a 1999 interview that "I was making fun of somebody who had a cold sore on his lip and the next day I had one myself and somebody said, 'It's a godsmack.' The name stuck. We were aware of the Alice in Chains song but didn't really think much about it. It's a cool song and the name had meaning for us".
In 1996, Tony Rombola and Joe D'Arco joined Godsmack as the guitarist and drummer, after Richards left after finding out he had a six-year-old child and Stewart left due to personal differences. In the same year the band entered the studio for the first time, recording its first CD titled "All Wound Up". The CD was recorded in just three days for $2,600.
For the next two years, the band played throughout the Boston area. Eventually Godsmack's CD landed in the hands of Rocko, the night-time DJ for Boston radio station WAAF (FM). The radio station put "Keep Away" into heavy rotation and the song rose to the number one spot at the station very quickly. Newbury Comics, a New England record store chain, agreed to sell the CD on consignment. Shortly after the success of "Keep Away", Godsmack went back into the studio and recorded a single titled "Whatever", which became the new local favorite on WAAF (FM).
In an interview Sully Erna stated, "we had been selling maybe 50 copies a month at the time WAAF picked up the album. All of a sudden we started moving over records a week. It was insane. Even crazier, I was doing all this from my bedroom. After years of grinding away, things finally started taking off."
Alice in Chains is believed to be the primary influence to Godsmack. Many believe Godsmack obtained their name from the Alice in Chains song "God Smack" off the album Dirt. In an interview with MTV upon the death of Alice in Chains lead singer Layne Staley, Godsmack frontman Sully Erna stated that Staley "was single-handedly the guy that got me to start singing." Erna went on to later confirm that indeed "God Smack" is the inspiration for the bands name and the reason their sound sounds similar to that of Alice in Chains Other bands cited by Godsmack members as their primary influences typically include Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, Rush, Black Sabbath, ² and White Zombie. More recently, Godsmack have attempted to distance themselves from the Alice in Chains comparison with Erna stating in an interview with Matt Ashare, "I've just never really heard that in our music." In that same interview, Erna offers an alternative explanation to the origin of their band name by stating, "It happened at rehearsal when our drummer came in with a big cold sore on his lip. I was making fun of him all day because we had a photo shoot coming up. And then the next day when I came in, I had a big cold sore on my lip. So my guitar player said, See, God just smacked you for making fun of him." Nevertheless, the comparison to Alice in Chains is well documented. Sully Erna's style of singing mirrors that of Layne Staley's while the overall sound of the band's first two albums sound incredibly similar to the sound of Dirt. The logo of Godsmack is similar to the sun logo of Alice in Chains. Godsmack also released an album titled "Faceless" which is similar in name to Alice in Chain's first album Facelift. The band even transcended from their heavy sound to a more mellow acoustic sound on their album "The Other Side" in the same manner Alice in Chains did in "Jar of Flies".
In 2002, Godsmack received a Grammy nomination in "Best Rock Instrumental Performance" for the song "Vampires" from the album Awake. In 2004, they opened for Metallica, while headlining with Dropbox in the summer. They did acoustic shows for their newly released album The Other Side in the fall of 2004, while still opening for Metallica. In September 2004, Godsmack issued a live DVD titled "Changes" which the band recorded earlier that year. That same month, the group also released "Batalla de los Tambores", a live cut available only via online services such as Apple's iTunes Music Store, Real and Napster. They released their latest album 'The Oracle' on May 3rd, 2010.
Some songs from the album "Faceless" are also in the video game soundtrack for "Prince of Persia: Warrior Within".
Current members
* Sully Erna - Vocals, Lyrics, Guitar and Percussion.
* Robbie Merrill - Bass and Backing Vocals
* Tony Rombola - Guitars and Backing Vocals
* Shannon Larkin - Drums/Percussion
Bulletproof
Godsmack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it's stressing me out
Different visions, contradictions
Why won't you let me out?
I need a way to separate yeah
But I promise you that I'll make sure you never forget me
(Never forget me)
Now that you want it
Now that you need it
I'm too far gone
You're trying to blame me
But I'm not breaking
I'm telling you, I'm bulletproof
Believe me, I'm bulletproof
You make me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone
You're addicted and so twisted
That it's freaking me out
Distant eyes, it's no surprise
You can't do anything now
I need a way to separate yeah
But I'm telling you that nothing will ever be the same
Now that you want it
Now that you need it
I'm too far gone
You're trying to blame me
But I'm not breaking
I'm telling you, I'm bulletproof
Believe me, I'm bulletproof
You make me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone
(Now that you want it)
(Now that you need it)
I'm too far gone
You're trying to blame me
But I'm not breaking
I'm telling you, I'm bulletproof
Believe me, I'm bulletproof
You make me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone
I'm telling you, I'm bulletproof
Believe me, I'm bulletproof
You make me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone
The lyrics to Godsmack's song "Bulletproof" describe feelings of being trapped and stressed out, with different visions and contradictions pulling at the singer. They express a desire to separate themselves from the situation, but also a promise to leave an unforgettable impression. The chorus repeatedly asserts the singer's strength and resilience, claiming to be "bulletproof" and impervious to blame or breakage. The bridge adds another layer to the emotions, with the singer feeling freaked out by the addiction and twistedness of someone else, but still holding on to their own sense of invincibility.
The song can be seen as a reflection of the struggles many people face with anxiety, pressure, and feeling trapped. The conflicting visions and stress of the opening lines paint a picture of someone who feels like they can't escape their own mind. The repetition of "now that you want it, now that you need it" could be seen as the pressure of other people's expectations, which the singer is resisting by asserting their bulletproof nature. The bridge adds a sense of danger or unease, suggesting that the singer is not just trying to protect themselves from external forces, but is also facing internal turmoil.
Overall, "Bulletproof" is a powerful, intense song that captures the complicated emotions of feeling both trapped and invincible. Its driving rhythm and intense vocals make it a standout track for Godsmack, and its themes of strength and resilience will resonate with many listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Contemplating, isolating
I am thinking deeply and separating myself from others.
And it's stressing me out
But it's causing me a lot of anxiety.
Different visions, contradictions
There are conflicting views and ideas.
Why won't you let me out?
I feel trapped and unable to escape.
I need a way to separate yeah
I desire a method to distance myself from these issues.
But I promise you that I'll make sure you never forget me
Though I want to move on, I will still be remembered.
Now that you want it
Since you now seek my presence,
Now that you need it
And require my help,
I'm too far gone
I am too far removed, too distant.
You're trying to blame me
You are attempting to hold me responsible for these problems.
But I'm not breaking
But I am not crumbling under the pressure.
I'm telling you, I'm bulletproof
I am resilient and can withstand this turmoil.
Believe me, I'm bulletproof
I am confident in my unbreakable nature.
You make me so bulletproof
Your reliance on me strengthens my resolve.
And now I'm too far gone
But at this point, it may be too late to change.
You're addicted and so twisted
Your behavior is consumed and warped.
That it's freaking me out
It's making me very anxious.
Distant eyes, it's no surprise
You seem far away and unresponsive; it's not unexpected.
You can't do anything now
You are unable to change anything at this point.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ERIK RON, SALVATORE ERNA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alexcorvus6
Lyrics
Contemplating, isolating
And it's stressing me out
Different visions, contradictions
Why won't you let me out?
I need a way to separate yeah
But I promise you that I'll make sure you never forget me (Never forget me)
Now that you want it
Now that you need it
I'm too far gone
You're trying to blame me
But I'm not breaking I'm telling you,
I'm bulletproof Believe me,
I'm bulletproof You make me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone
You're addicted and so twisted
That it's freaking me out
Distant eyes, it's no surprise
You can't do anything now
I need a way to separate yeah
But I'm telling you that nothing will ever be the same
Now that you want it
Now that you need it
I'm too far gone
You're trying to blame me
But I'm not breaking I'm telling you,
I'm bulletproof Believe me,
I'm bulletproof You make me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone I'm too far gone
You're trying to blame me
But I'm not breaking I'm telling you,
I'm bulletproof Believe me, I'm bulletproof
You make me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone I'm telling you,
I'm bulletproof Believe me, I'm bulletproof
You make me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone
@gabrielle_thegachagirl5496
I'm ten and jamming to your songs!!!
I love godsmack and metallica due to my dad.
EEEEEEEE
I'm telling you, Bulletproof~
You make me so bullet proof~
Believe me, I'm bulletproof~
And now, I'm too far gone~~~
@Mr._Flunky
I first heard this song one week into my 2 week notice of the job i was leaving.
Every day i had left i would play this before i got to work, to remind myself to stay strong against their attempts to keep me there.
The last day i left i played this song at full volume in the parking lot to drown out my crazy angry boss who was calling the police on me for idk what reason.
Now i make more than double $$, and am able to see me kids more than 1 day per week.
Stay strong of will Brothers and Sisters!
Thank you Godsmack for this inspiring track!💪🤘
@PrTk_Scholar
"Bulletproof Lyrics"
🎶🎧
Contemplating, isolating
And it's stressing me out
Different visions, contradictions
Why won't you let me out?
I need a way to separate yeah
But I promise you that I'll make sure you never forget me
(Never forget me)
Now when you want it
Now when you need it
I'm too far gone
You're trying to blame me
But I'm not breaking
I'm telling you, I'm bulletproof
Believe me, I'm bulletproof
You made me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone
You're addicted and so twisted
That it's freaking me out
Distant eyes, it's no surprise
You can't do anything now
I need a way to separate yeah
But I'm telling you that nothing will ever be the same
Now when you want it
Now when you need it
I'm too far gone
You're trying to blame me
But I'm not breaking
I'm telling you, I'm bulletproof
Believe me, I'm bulletproof
You made me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone
(Now when you want it)
(Now when you need it)
I'm too far gone
You're trying to blame me
But I'm not breaking
I'm telling you, I'm bulletproof
Believe me, I'm bulletproof
You made me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone
I'm telling you, I'm bulletproof
Believe me, I'm bulletproof
You made me so bulletproof
And now I'm too far gone 🎶🎧
@danjordan9160
I am in the final stages of lung cancer (non-smoker, go figure) and currently in hospice care. Weeks only left amongst you all, brothers & sisters. This album has carried me for months, giving me the strength to face what's coming. Thank you, Godsmack, for providing the soundtrack of the rest of my life. I have been sharing these on FB with family & friends so they will think of me when they hear them.
@donniedutton3285
you good bro?
@CalypsoPoppy
Thank you...
@MrRandomReviews
Rest easy brother.
@bayda258
God speed. Rest In Peace!!
@mrfoldingchair2427
If you have not returned to us, farewell brother. Get some rest.
@PokemonGO_MAX
ANYONE FROM 2024???
@Grace-xy1uo
Me
@benitasteffan7404
I came across this song for its amazing power and strength. I glanced down to read the message left by Dan Jordon. I will never hear this song the same way again. Often we leave behind a message for the world to hear. I heard it. Rest In Peace Dan. Shine bright above us all.⭐️👍♥️
@NazriB
Lies again? Drugs Guns