Bullets (Creed song)

Along with entirety of the Weathered album, "Bullets" was written during four-hour sessions in vocalist Scott Stapp's living room as well as on his Sea Ray cruiser over the course of a three-week period, with Stapp contributing the lyrics and guitarist Mark Tremonti composing the music.[1] The band recorded and mixed the song along with the album at J. Stanley Productions Inc. recording studio in Ocoee, Florida over a four-month period in the summer and early fall of 2001.[2][3]

"Bullets" is an anthemic and forceful heavy metal track that features some of Tremonti's fastest and most aggressive guitar work for Creed. Stapp described the song as "the heaviest, most intense music we've ever written."[4][1] The lyrics were written by Stapp about what he felt were unjust criticisms that the band had received throughout their careers from critics and the press. In the song Stapp asks of them to "At least look at me when you shoot a bullet through my head!", inferring that if someone has something negative to say about them to do it to their faces.[4]

A video was also released with the single which was also aired on MTV as a follow up to Creed's first single, "My Sacrifice". Developed by Vision Scape Interactive, the team behind games such as Twisted Metal 4, were responsible for characterizing and developing the storyline in the video with the band. The team spent $473,000, and dedicated 15 employees working more than 18 hours a day to complete the project, according to Matt McDonald, President of Vision Scape.[5]

The song was released as the second single to the Weathered album, and was the follow up to the bands highly successful lead single "My Sacrifice". Although not as successful on the charts as its predecessor, "Bullets" managed to reach number 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and 27 on the Modern Rock chart. The song was also released as a double A-side in the United Kingdom and Ireland along with the bands next single "One Last Breath", where the latter would peak at number 47 on the UK Singles Chart and 41 on the Irish Singles Chart.

To promote the Weathered album Creed performed "Bullets", along "My Sacrifice", on the November 17, 2001 episode of Saturday Night Live where they were featured as musical guests.[6] "Bullets" was also played as the opening song during the bands first show of the Weathered tour, an hour special VH1 "Opening Night Live" performance in Atlanta, Georgia at the Philips Arena on January 16, 2002.[7] The song was once again played as the opener for the bands performance at the 2002 Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 19, 2002.[8]