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
Say My Name
Godsmack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're addicted to the pain and the shame
I'm chasing the same game every day
Who don't know your bullshit and your vanity
Blind decisions, no regrets
A bittersweet of toxic sweat
Never insist, but in time
You just wait, you're gonna say my name
Break this bind, cut my losses
No more carrying all your crosses, come in time
You just wait, you're gonna say my name
Oh you're gonna say my name
A normal situation in disguise
Dragging me through your self inflicted lies
Too bad you're never gonna win this game
Your misery's your only friend and you're to blame
Blind decisions, no regrets
A bittersweet of toxic sweat
You take my pride, taking chances on my life
Never insist, but in time
You just wait, you're gonna say my name
Break this bind, cut my losses
No more carrying all your crosses, come in time
You just wait, you're gonna say my name
Oh, you're gonna say my name
Bringing everybody down, down, down
You turn around
Into the same games, just hit it upside down
Another go-around, you're gonna say my name
It's gonna come around
Yeah, bringing everybody down, down, down
and turn around
Into the same games, just hit it upside down
Another go-around, you're gonna say my name
You're gonna say my name, say my name
You take my pride, taking chances on my life
Never insist, but in time
You just wait, you're gonna say my name
Break this bind, cut my losses
No more carrying all your crosses, come in time
You just wait, you're gonna say my name
Oh, bitch, say my name
You know you're gonna say my name
Oh, say my name
The song "Say My Name" by Godsmack speaks about the struggles of addiction and the consequences that come with it. The lyrics describe the pain and shame that the addict experiences as a result of being trapped in their addiction. The singer acknowledges that they too are chasing the same game every day, with blind decisions and no regrets. The addict’s actions have caused them to lose their pride and take chances on other people's lives. The addict's misery is their only friend, and they are to blame for it.
The singer speaks about breaking free from the addict's hold and no longer carrying their crosses. They will cut their losses and move on, waiting for the addict to come to terms with their addiction and say the singer's name in remorse. The power dynamic is evident in the lyrics, with the singer reclaiming their power and identity, while the addict is left with their misery.
The chorus repeats the line "You're gonna say my name," emphasizing the singer's confidence in their ability to break free from the addict's hold and overcome their struggles. The song's overall message is one of strength and resilience in the face of addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
You let the poison running through your veins
You are willingly indulging in harmful behavior that is affecting your physical and mental health.
You're addicted to the pain and the shame
You enjoy the negative emotions you feel and seek them out repeatedly.
I'm chasing the same game every day
I am struggling with my own addiction and am unable to break free from it.
Who don't know your bullshit and your vanity
People see through your lies and arrogance, and are not fooled by them.
Blind decisions, no regrets
You are making choices without fully understanding their consequences, and are unwilling to take responsibility for any negative outcomes.
A bittersweet of toxic sweat
The outcomes of your choices may seem positive in the short term, but ultimately lead to negative and harmful consequences.
You take my pride, taking chances on my life
You are causing me to feel ashamed and are risking my well-being in your pursuit of your own desires.
Never insist, but in time
I am waiting for you to come to the realization that your behavior is harmful, but I know it may take some time for you to understand.
You just wait, you're gonna say my name
I am confident that at some point, you will acknowledge the impact of your behavior on me and will recognize my role in your life.
Break this bind, cut my losses
I am determined to break free from the negative effects of our relationship, and am willing to cut ties with you to do so.
No more carrying all your crosses, come in time
I will no longer allow myself to bear the burden of your harmful behavior, and am willing to wait for you to change.
Oh you're gonna say my name
I am confident that you will recognize the negative impact of your behavior on me and our relationship.
A normal situation in disguise
What may seem like a normal situation with no negative consequences is actually harmful behavior in disguise.
Dragging me through your self inflicted lies
You are causing me to be pulled down by the negative effects of the lies you tell yourself and the consequences of your actions.
Too bad you're never gonna win this game
Your behavior will ultimately lead to negative consequences, and you will not be able to maintain the appearance of success.
Your misery's your only friend and you're to blame
You are responsible for the negative consequences of your actions, and are perpetuating your own misery by continuing to engage in harmful behavior.
Bringing everybody down, down, down
Your negative behavior is impacting those around you and causing harm.
Another go-around, you're gonna say my name
I am confident that eventually you will recognize the harm you are causing and acknowledge my role in your life.
Oh, bitch, say my name
I am demanding that you recognize the negative impact of your behavior on me and our relationship.
You know you're gonna say my name
I am confident that you will eventually acknowledge the harm you are causing and will recognize my role in your life.
Oh, say my name
I am demanding that you recognize the harm you are causing and acknowledge my role in your life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SALVATORE P. ERNA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind