Just when it was supposed to be over, when heavy metal couldn’t get any louder and wasn’t able to shock anyone anymore, Korn released its debut record. Forget about nu-metal for a second. Sure, “Blind,” one of the greatest alternative rock songs of the 1990s, helped to inspire a genre. But Korn’s mix of sounds and highly emotive singing was positively spell-binding to music audiences. That’s the most important thing.
But what about all the screaming, yelling and crying? What’s Jonathan Davis on about, and why is he bursting out crying? I thought about this myself, often. And here’s my research. Let’s talk about the meaning of the lyrics to “Blind,” the song’s story and Korn’s legacy.
Korn’s Journey to Making “Blind” and the Group’s Debut Album
Ok. I’ll admit it. I didn’t much like Korn to begin with. Or, I thought that I didn’t. In retrospect, what I actually disliked was the nu metal frat kids who’d become the visual representation for a genre that Korn had, practically, started.
But it wasn’t the quintet’s fault. By the time of the infamous Woodstock 1999, thousands of bands had jumped on the gravy train. However, I think that what Korn came up with for its 1994 debut album was completely unique at the time.
Sound-wise, Korn brought in seven-string guitars used previously only by guitar virtuosos like Steve Vai. Instead, the tandem of Munky and Head created heavy, rumbling guitar riffs.
Meanwhile, frontman Jonathan Davis sang, yelled and rapped while all his contemporaries tried their best to sound like Layne Staley. That’s bravery I can appreciate.
Fashion-wise, Korn didn’t look like standard metal bands either. They dressed in Adidas tracksuits, had dreads and looked like geeks on their way to the coolest EDM party in the city.
Audiences quickly recognised the group’s uniqueness. While the self-titled debut album dealt with dark topics like bullying and child abuse, it became a hit. Released in 1994, it was a Top 40 hit in 1996. From then on, Korn was one of the biggest bands of the 1990s.
Lyrical Meaning of “Blind”
I think that it’s the way that the guitar riff, then the scream, work with the uncomfortable silence that does it. “Blind” was the opening song on the debut album. It was also the song with which the band begins most shows. “Are you ready?” Davis yells in a move as iconic as Axl Rose‘s holler from the “Welcome to the Jungle” intro.
But the weight is not just musical. Davis sings and lives out the story of amphetamine addiction in the song. But this isn’t a song glorifying drugs. Rather, it talks about hiding from your problems inside them.
Jonathan Davis has been open about his struggles. In interviews, he says that he spent a good portion of his youth addicted to amphetamines. Later, he began drinking heavily. And while trying to clean up, he became hooked on Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug. Thankfully, Davis has now been sober for many years.
And while Davis says he found it easy to write the lyrics, the band’s members and producer heavily contributed to the song. Guitarist Brian “Head” Welch recalls creating the iconic sound: “That was a crazy time. We were over in the Malibu Hills and this dude, Chuck, had this studio – it was in the hills and it was all like vintage stuff. This guy’s like a mountain man, he had a big old beard and he was kind of a mad scientist up there.
We went up there and camped out there for a month – they had living quarters and everything. We hung out there and developed this sound, Korn, with Ross Robinson, the producer. It was just amazing how it all came together.“
Note that Ross Robinson became one of the most in-demand producers of the era. Bands like Limp Bizkit and Slipknot all used his services to get the trendy nu metal sound of the period.
The Music Video for “Blind”
Korn was a bit of a riddle. Both the group’s sound and image were, I thought, strange. General audiences, however, quickly embraced these particularities.
“Blind” was the first music video that Korn ever did. Future movie producer/director McG worked on this video and a number of other Korn promos, such as “Shoots and Ladders.”
While it’s mostly a performance video, this worked in the band’s favour. When released, no other rock band looked like Korn’s quintet. After it was released, most rock bands dressed the same way.
Legacy of “Blind” and of Korn
“Blind” is one of Korn’s most enduring songs, and one of the reasons for nu-metal’s 2020 revival. The song, just like tunes from Deftones, was featured in countless TikTok short videos.
I remember critics hating Korn. But this didn’t dissuade fans. By 1996’s album “Life is Peachy,” the band was very successful. And, by 1998’s “Follow the Leader” and the hit “Freak on a Leash“, there were few bands more famous than Korn.
The band’s greatest legacy isn’t in starting nu-metal. It’s a fact that the group has endured, released new music consistently, and continues to have a large fan base even after most of its imitators have disappeared. I think that in itself is a victory for alternative music.
