"Serenity" is a single by the rock band Godsmack from the album Faceless.[1] It reached number seven on the Mainstream Rock chart and number ten on the Modern Rock chart.[2]
| "Serenity" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Godsmack | ||||
| from the album Faceless | ||||
| Released | June 24, 2003 | |||
| Length | 4:34 | |||
| Label | Republic/Universal | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Sully Erna, Tony Rombola | |||
| Producer(s) | David Bottrill Sully Erna | |||
| Godsmack singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Song origin
editThe song was written by Godsmack frontman Sully Erna in tribute to one of his childhood heroes, Rush drummer Neil Peart. He wrote the song after reading the book Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road, penned by Peart about his motorcycle trip along the Pan-American Highway that he took to cope with the deaths of his daughter and wife one year apart from another.[3]
"The book is so amazing," Erna told MTV.com. "He jumped on his motorcycle and within 14 months, drove 55,000 miles across the world. His experience about healing himself on the road inspired me to write this dark, tribal song," Erna says.[4]
Originally, Erna had hoped Peart would play on the track so he sent the drummer a demo version of the song along with his request. Peart sent a note back saying he was unable to appear on the record because of touring commitments, but he gave Godsmack his blessings and complimented the group on its song.[4]
Critical reception
editBram Teitelman of Billboard was surprised by the unplugged approach the band took with the song, praising the use of congas and acoustic guitars to put together a "trancelike" sound for the listeners and the "wider vocal range" that Sully Erna displays more than usual, concluding that "it serves as a good balance record at modern and album rock, and it won't disappoint the band's platinum-plus fan base."[5]
Music video
editA music video was released for this song, showing the band performing during their appearance on Pepsi Smash in 2003.
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Serenity" | Erna, Rombola | 4:34 |
| 2. | "Re-Align" | Erna | 4:20 |
| 3. | "Time Bomb" | Erna | 3:59 |
| 4. | "Serenity" (Edited) | Erna, Rombola | 4:34 |
Chart positions
editSingles U.S. Billboard
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
| 2004 | Modern Rock Tracks | 10 |
| Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles | 13 | |
| Billboard Hot 100 | 113 |
References
edit- ^ "Godsmack: Faceless Track Listing Unveiled". Blabbermouth.Net. 2003-02-01. Archived from the original on 2009-09-24. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
- ^ "Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Godsmack". Billboard 200. 2009-01-21. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
- ^ "Godsmack's Erna Says He Asked Neil Peart To Play On The New Album". Blabbermouth.Net. 2009-01-27.
- ^ a b "Godsmack Ride Into 'Serenity' - News Story". MTV.com. 2009-01-27. Archived from the original on October 25, 2003.
- ^ Billboard (June 28, 2003). "Billboard Picks - Singles". Billboard. Vol. 115. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 54. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved January 2, 2019.