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What If (Creed song)
2000 single by Creed From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"What If" is a song by American rock band Creed, released on January 31, 2000 as the second single from their second studio album, Human Clay (1999), and as the lead single from Scream 3: The Album (2000), the first of two albums released to promote the 2000 slasher film Scream 3. The song, written by singer Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti, is considered to be one of the band's heaviest.
"What If" was similarly successful to the other three singles from Human Clay. While not entering the Billboard Hot 100, the song peaked at No. 15 on the Alternative Airplay charts, No. 3 on the Mainstream Rock charts, and No. 2 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts.[1]
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Writing and recording
"What If" was written by singer Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti. Along with the rest of Human Clay, the song was recorded at a house outside of Tallahassee. Lead singer Scott Stapp moved there after reading that Jim Morrison, the frontman of American rock band the Doors, lived in Tallahassee.[2]
Composition and lyrics
"What If" is a hard rock and heavy metal song with a loud, passionate, and riff-heavy sound.[3][4] The song has been compared to "Bullets", on the band's third studio album, Weathered (2001), as one of Creed's heaviest songs. According to guitarist Mark Tremonti, the intro was inspired by the 1966 song "Paint It, Black" by English rock band the Rolling Stones.[2]
The lyrics have Scott Stapp sing about those who oppress the band with their words and hatred. He refers to the media and critics who panned Creed, and asks what they would do if faced with a similar situation.[2]
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Music video
The music video was directed by David Meyers and it features David Arquette reprising his role as Dewey Riley. The story revolves around Dewey getting call at 11:36 pm from Ghostface that sets off a chain of events at Sunrise Studios, the fictional filming location seen in Scream 3 where the Stab films were filmed. Each member of the band gets "killed" by the killer while their respective girlfriends run away, only to reveal to them and Dewey towards the end of the video that the guys created the prank. The real killer calls Dewey again, saying they're not finished yet before he starts attacking him from above which then cuts to black.[5] The music video can be found in the home media releases of Scream 3.
Personnel
Credits adapted from Human Clay linear notes.[6][7]
- Scott Stapp – lead vocals
- Mark Tremonti – guitar, backing vocals
- Brian Marshall – bass
- Scott Phillips – drums
Chart performance
Year-end charts
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References
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