Alive (P.O.D. song)
Encyclopedia
"Alive" is the lead single
off P.O.D.
's second major label studio album
Satellite. It is arguably the band's most popular song and serves as an anthem of celebrating God. The "Alive" CD single
was first released in 2001 and then again in 2002 with alternative cover art and tracks. A semi-acoustic
remix
was included as a bonus track
on the special edition re-release of Satellite available August 27, 2002.
chorus, "Alive" is regarded as one of the band's most uplifting songs. The song debuted just prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks
and benefited by offering a positive message during hard times. As such, "Alive" went on to become one of MTV
's and MTV2
's most played videos of 2001 and became a huge pop
hit. Guitarist
Marcos Curiel
mentioned the song's relevance in a 2008 interview: "There’s just way too much negativity going on in our everyday lives. When you can hear something that’s going to uplift you like 'Alive' or something that’s going to bring out knowledge like 'Youth of the Nation
,' we’ve done our jobs as an artist. We’re trying to be relevant with the people."
Vocalist Sonny Sandoval
stated, "We didn't have a name for it, but we were calling it 'Beautiful' because it made us feel beautiful. And that drove the direction of the lyrical content, because we wanted people to go, 'Hey, this makes me feel good.' We recorded the chorus I don't know how many times, because it was like, 'Let's take it up a notch. Let's take it higher.'"
. It also served as the theme song to the WWE
Desire video for The Rock.
The song as well as "Boom
" have both been used by ESPN
and other sporting events.
"Alive" has been included on compilation album
s such as 100% Hits: The Very Best of 2002, Wired-up
, and Triple M's New Stuff Vol. 3.
It is also used as the introductory music for Sportsrage hosted by Gabriel Morency
of morencysports.com
"Alive" is a playable song for Rock Band 2 via Rock Band Music Store.
"Alive" features in a lesbian biker scene in the British satirical cartoon Monkey Dust
.
with special effects by Pixel Envy, the "Alive" video made its television debut on August 20, 2001. It boasts a massive car wreck filmed under a freeway intersection in the San Fernando Valley
in the summer of 2001. Lawrence had conceived the idea years prior but was unsuccessful in pitching it to bands. Upon filming "Alive," Lawrence stated "I'm so glad I didn't get those jobs, because this was so perfect." His idea developed further upon shooting the video by focusing on a wild day in the life of a teenager. Lawrence elaborate:
Lawrence also modified scenes from his original concept; the boy is shown emerging from the demolished car unscathed rather than not appearing at all, and he makes out with his girlfriend in a train tunnel rather than implying sex in a bedroom as Lawrence previously envisioned. All of the effects and work behind "Alive" were detailed in a retrospective MTV article in August 2002.
While it did not win any, "Alive" was one of the most nominated videos at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards
ceremony. However, it did win two other awards in addition to the five VMA nominations. The video was also #2 on TVU's 50 Best Videos of All Time list.
An interesting note: in the video, the main character (driving the car), is wearing a "Mopar" t-shirt, and is driving 1966 Dodge Dart 2 door.
in September 2001, rather than simply having the video aired, P.O.D. performed a live, hour long set at Battery Park
. This was despite Sandoval's battling a severe cold
.
The song was performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on October 5, 2001. It was originally planned for the prior month but rescheduled due to the September 11 attacks.
Not including encore
s, "Alive" typically ends P.O.D.'s concert setlist.
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
off P.O.D.
P.O.D.
Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and...
's second major label studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
Satellite. It is arguably the band's most popular song and serves as an anthem of celebrating God. The "Alive" CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
was first released in 2001 and then again in 2002 with alternative cover art and tracks. A semi-acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
was included as a bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
on the special edition re-release of Satellite available August 27, 2002.
Content
With its high sung, doubletrackedDoubletracking
Double tracking is an audio recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance, usually to produce a stronger or "bigger" sound than can be obtained with a single voice or instrument. It is a form of overdubbing; the distinction comes from the...
chorus, "Alive" is regarded as one of the band's most uplifting songs. The song debuted just prior to the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
and benefited by offering a positive message during hard times. As such, "Alive" went on to become one of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's and MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
's most played videos of 2001 and became a huge pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
hit. Guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Marcos Curiel
Marcos Curiel
Marcos Curiel is the guitarist of rock bands P.O.D., The Accident Experiment and Daylight Division.Curiel was born in San Diego California in 1974 and is of Mexican descent. He grew up in the neighboring city of Chula Vista, where he graduated from Bonita Vista High School in 1992. Curiel started...
mentioned the song's relevance in a 2008 interview: "There’s just way too much negativity going on in our everyday lives. When you can hear something that’s going to uplift you like 'Alive' or something that’s going to bring out knowledge like 'Youth of the Nation
Youth of the Nation
"Youth of the Nation" is a song recorded by christian metal band P.O.D.. It was released in December 2001 as the second single to come from their album, Satellite...
,' we’ve done our jobs as an artist. We’re trying to be relevant with the people."
Vocalist Sonny Sandoval
Sonny Sandoval
Paul Joshua "Sonny" Sandoval is an American singer and rapper. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band P.O.D..-Biography:...
stated, "We didn't have a name for it, but we were calling it 'Beautiful' because it made us feel beautiful. And that drove the direction of the lyrical content, because we wanted people to go, 'Hey, this makes me feel good.' We recorded the chorus I don't know how many times, because it was like, 'Let's take it up a notch. Let's take it higher.'"
Appearances
"Alive" has appeared in films such as Wasted and How to Make a MonsterHow to Make a Monster (2001 film)
How To Make A Monster is a 2001 film starring Clea DuVall, Steven Culp, Jason Marsden and Tyler Mane. It is the third release in the Creature Features series of film remakes produced by Stan Winston. Julie Strain made a cameo appearance in the film as herself. How To Make A Monster debuted on...
. It also served as the theme song to the WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
Desire video for The Rock.
The song as well as "Boom
Boom (P.O.D. song)
"Boom" is the third single off P.O.D.'s second major label studio album Satellite. While it did not chart as well as the album's previous singles, the song has appeared significantly in film and television...
" have both been used by ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and other sporting events.
"Alive" has been included on compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s such as 100% Hits: The Very Best of 2002, Wired-up
Wired-up
Wired-up is a rock compilation album released in 2002. It was also released as Supercharged.-Track listing:#Limp Bizkit - "My Way"#Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal"#Papa Roach - "Between Angels And Insects"#Linkin Park - "Crawling"...
, and Triple M's New Stuff Vol. 3.
It is also used as the introductory music for Sportsrage hosted by Gabriel Morency
Gabriel Morency
Gabriel Morency aka "The Late Night Anger Management Professor" is a Canadian sports broadcaster, who previously hosted daily shows Morency and Covers Experts on Hardcore Sports Radio and Sports Rage on both Hardcore Sports Radio The Score Television Network Team 1040 in Vancouver and Team 990 in...
of morencysports.com
"Alive" is a playable song for Rock Band 2 via Rock Band Music Store.
"Alive" features in a lesbian biker scene in the British satirical cartoon Monkey Dust
Monkey Dust
Monkey Dust is a British satirical cartoon, notorious for its dark humour and handling of taboo topics such as murder, suicide and paedophilia. There were three series broadcast on BBC Three between 2003 and 2005...
.
Music video
Directed by Francis LawrenceFrancis Lawrence
Francis Lawrence is an American music video and film director.-Life and career:Lawrence was born in Vienna, Austria. His father is a physicist who taught at California State University, Northridge and his mother is V.P. Technology at a PR agency. He moved to Los Angeles at the age of three...
with special effects by Pixel Envy, the "Alive" video made its television debut on August 20, 2001. It boasts a massive car wreck filmed under a freeway intersection in the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
in the summer of 2001. Lawrence had conceived the idea years prior but was unsuccessful in pitching it to bands. Upon filming "Alive," Lawrence stated "I'm so glad I didn't get those jobs, because this was so perfect." His idea developed further upon shooting the video by focusing on a wild day in the life of a teenager. Lawrence elaborate:
- "I've done emotional videos before, but having kid stuff like — surfing, skating, making out — plus the visual punch of the car accident. It packs it all."
Lawrence also modified scenes from his original concept; the boy is shown emerging from the demolished car unscathed rather than not appearing at all, and he makes out with his girlfriend in a train tunnel rather than implying sex in a bedroom as Lawrence previously envisioned. All of the effects and work behind "Alive" were detailed in a retrospective MTV article in August 2002.
While it did not win any, "Alive" was one of the most nominated videos at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards
2002 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2002 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 29, 2002, honoring the best music videos from June 9, 2001, to May 31, 2002. The show was hosted by Jimmy Fallon at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It is most remembered for Michael Jackson's acceptance of a birthday statue, which he...
ceremony. However, it did win two other awards in addition to the five VMA nominations. The video was also #2 on TVU's 50 Best Videos of All Time list.
An interesting note: in the video, the main character (driving the car), is wearing a "Mopar" t-shirt, and is driving 1966 Dodge Dart 2 door.
Performances
When the song became the #1 most requested video on TRLTotal Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
in September 2001, rather than simply having the video aired, P.O.D. performed a live, hour long set at Battery Park
Battery Park
Battery Park is a 25-acre public park located at the Battery, the southern tip of Manhattan Island in New York City, facing New York Harbor. The Battery is named for artillery batteries that were positioned there in the city's early years in order to protect the settlement behind them...
. This was despite Sandoval's battling a severe cold
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...
.
The song was performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on October 5, 2001. It was originally planned for the prior month but rescheduled due to the September 11 attacks.
Not including encore
Encore (concert)
An encore is an additional performance added to the end of a concert, from the French "encore", which means "again", "some more"; multiple encores are not uncommon. Encores originated spontaneously, when audiences would continue to applaud and demand additional performance from the artist after the...
s, "Alive" typically ends P.O.D.'s concert setlist.
2nd edition
- Alive (Album version)
- School of Hard Knocks (Non-LP)
- Lie Down (Demo-non-LP)
- Alive (Video)
Charts
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | 41 |
| Billboard Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
2 |
| Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
4 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
19 |
| Australian Singles Chart | 18 |
2002 MTV Video Music Awards
- Video of the Year (nomination)
- Best Group Video (nomination)
- Best Direction in a Video - Francis Lawrence (nomination)
- Best Special Effects in a Video - Pixel Envy (nomination)
- Viewer's Choice (nomination)