Lead singer Johnathan Davis of the rock band Korn is known for his Earth-shaking voice. The 53-year-old Bakersfield, California-born songwriter and performer helped bring on the nu metal evolution of the late 1990s and early 2000s. And today his band is going strong, having recently released their latest album, Requiem, in 2022.
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But while many know his sounds and have heard his band’s songs, some may not know that Davis is responsible for co-writing some of Korn’s biggest hits. To that end, here below, we wanted to dive into four such songs that he helped pen.
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1. “Freak on a Leash”
Written by Jonathan Davis, James Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Brian Welch, David Silveria
Likely Korn’s best-known song, this track dropped in 1998 on the band’s popular LP, Follow the Leader, later released as a formal single in 1999. Music fans of a certain age likely remember the very vivid music video for the song, played often on MTV and featuring a bullet traveling through scene after scene, cutting through various objects. As far as the song, itself, though, Davis sings about his frustrations with the world around him, offering,
Something takes a part of me
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 messing 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
2. “Coming Undone”
Written by Scott Spock, Graham Edwards, Lauren Christy, Jonathan Davis, James Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, David Silveria
Released on Korn’s 2005 album, See You on the Other Side, this guitar-driven, especially rhythmic song bridges the percussive instrumentation with the industrial wails of Davis’ vocals. The lead singer belts lyrics about falling apart at the seams, seemingly unable to keep himself together as the world around him does similarly. He sings,
Keep holding on
When my brain’s ticking like a bomb
Guess the black thoughts
Have come again to get me
Sweet bitter words
Unlike nothing I’ve heard
Sing along, mockingbird
You don’t affect me
That’s right
Deliverance of my heart
Please strike
Be deliberate
Wait, I’m coming undone
Irate, I’m coming undone
Too late, I’m coming undone
What looks so strong, so delicate
3. “Falling Away From Me”
Written by Jonathan Davis, James Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Brian Welch, David Silveria
This song is about the very difficult subjects of domestic abuse and child abuse. Released as the lead single from their iconic 1999 album, Issues, it was first heard during an episode of the cartoon South Park, known for its edgy, at times dark subject matter. On the dark track, Davis pulls no punches, singing,
Hey, I’m feeling tired
My time, is gone today
You flirt with suicide
Sometimes, that’s okay
Do what others say
I’m here, standing hollow
Falling away from me
Falling away from me
Day, is here fading
That’s when, I would say
I flirt with suicide
Sometimes kill the pain
I can always say
It’s gonna be better tomorrow
Falling away from me
Falling away from me
4. “Got the Life”
Written by Jonathan Davis, James Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, Brian Welch, David Silveria
Released on the band’s 1998 album, Follow the Leader, this is another of the band’s most popular songs. this track is all rage, all feeling, all push and propelling force. Davis burns like a bonfire on the song, which is especially catchy for the band. On it, he sings,
Hate, something, sometime, someway
Something kick off the front floor
Mine, something inside I’ll never ever follow
So give me something
That is for real, I’ll never ever follow
Get your boogie on
Get your boogie on
Hate, something, somewhere, each day
Feeling ripped off again now
Why? This shit inside, now everyone will follow
So give me nothing, just feel
And now this shit will follow
God paged me
“You’ll never see the life”, who wants to see?
God told me
I’ve already got the life, oh, I say
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
