Not all bands like their own songs. More than a few rock bands won’t perform songs they hate, including hits. In some cases, like Dio, or Guns N’ Roses, the band grows to appreciate the song, and it becomes a regular part of the live setlist. In the case of Korn, one of their songs is so disturbing in meaning, that even getting the track recorded took some convincing. Once completed, the recording was viewed as so raw it was hard for the band to ever want to perform it. Ultimately, the song has seen a few live performances, but now it’s retired for good.
The Korn song in question is “Daddy,” and it comes from the band’s debut self-titled album. When Korn burst onto the scene with this record, “Daddy” was one of the songs that stood out. It followed the premise that this band was raw, unfiltered, and would give their fans every piece of themselves. This certainly helped them build a connection, and now, over 30 years in, they are one of the greatest Nu-metal bands of their generation. However, even they reach a point where enough is enough, and that is precisely what happened here.
Why Korn’s “Daddy” Is Their Most Disturbing Song
The Lyrics Are Personal
While the song is 17:31 minutes long, it goes for about six, and then there are a few minutes you can hear lead singer Jonathan Davis breaking down in tears. His emotional breakdown is chilling and something you can’t forget once you’ve heard it. This track feels less like a song and more of an emotional upheaval. This is Jonathan Davis being as candid as possible, as he unleashed every part of the trauma he had trapped inside.
This track feels less like a song and more of an emotional upheaval.
The song revolves around Davis and the abuse he experienced as a child. The song’s lyrics depict a younger version of himself, and a lack of belief from his parents that the abuse was happening. His lyrics in the chorus are as blunt as they can get as he sings, “I scream, no one hears me. It hurt, I’m not a liar.” There are plenty of expletives used in the song as well that leave nothing to the imagination. It’s very difficult to hear Davis sing these words, when you know it’s his real-life pain.
As difficult as the song was, it was something that Davis and producer Ross Robinson felt he needed to get out. Robinson spoke to Loudwire about working on the song, stating, “I just went up to him and held his arms, looked straight in his eyes and said, ‘You need to do it,’ and he goes, ‘I know’.” After that, Davis let it all out and, according to Ross, he hasn’t been able to get such a deep performance out of anybody since. Even though the song is difficult to listen to, knowing the story, Davis and Ross still feel they created magic with the track. In fact, Ross stated that what they did was music history: “His heart was exploding, and I think we made musical history.”
Why Korn Refused To Play “Daddy” Live
There’s Only So Much To Give
Due to how emotional “Daddy” is, it’s not a song Korn ever wanted to perform live. According to Setlist.fm, the band has only played it live 35 times. Two of those performances were in the ’90s, while the other 33 were during the band’s 20th anniversary tour of their first album in 2015. Davis told Metal Hammer that performing the song was something he felt like he had to do: “I felt like I robbed the world of doing that live for so long.”
After performing the song in 2015, the band decided it was officially time to retire the track for good. When speaking about the album’s 30th anniversary in 2024, Davis said, “I don’t think I wanna go through that again,” when asked about playing the song. He stated he did it in 2015 to prove he could, but that’s the final time.
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Going forward, Korn fans will be able to enjoy and celebrate the rest of the band’s discography. Of course, the band is known for their huge hits, such as “Freak On a Leash,” “Coming Undone,” and “Blind.” To date, Korn has 15 studio albums thus far, and they show no signs of slowing down, as fans continue to anticipate some of the most raw nu-metal music in existence.
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