Alone I Break

"Alone I Break"
Song

"Alone I Break" is a song written and recorded by American rock band Korn for their fifth studio album, Untouchables. It was released as the album's third single in November 2002.

Music and structure

The song is a haunting power ballad that features clean vocals, oddly stylized guitars and synthetic drum beats. In the studio, Munky and Head used custom 14-string guitars to create a wide chorus sound.

Concept

"I wrote that song in my house, before I put the studio in there. I had the drumming down, and Munky came in and laid some guitars over it, and it became this great song. It's one of my favorite songs that we've done. It's very different from what we're used to doing, and it really hits home. It was one of those moments when I was very depressed...That whole time around Untouchables, everybody in the band was going through all this bad stuff. And I was just feelin' it, so I wrote this song about being alone and breaking down, and not feeling like a man's supposed to feel. You're supposed to be tough and take all these problems. So I'm basically saying, 'Does it make me not a man if I'm upset about stuff?'" – Jonathan Davis

Chart performance

"Alone I Break" failed to gain as much airplay as the first two singles from Untouchables, barely cracking the top twenty of Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart in December 2002.

Charts

Chart (2002)	Peak position
US Alternative Songs (Billboard)	34
US Mainstream Rock Songs (Billboard)	19

Live performance

The song was played during a few shows on the Pop Sux! Tour supporting the release of Untouchables in 2002, but was quickly scrapped due to difficulties in performing it live. However, Jonathan Davis did perform the song on his Alone I Play Tour in 2007. Korn played "Alone I Break" live again for the first time in nine years in Bloomington, Illinois during the first date of the Music as a Weapon V Tour, on January 14, 2011.

Music video

MTV supported a contest and a special program entitled mtvTREATMENT in which the winner was chosen to direct the video for "Alone I Break." It was shot in the form of a reality TV show where Jonathan Davis kills members of the band. The way of band member's death: Munky- electrocuted, Head- thrown off ledge, David- suffocated, Fieldy- poisoned. The video starts with the band performing in the downstairs foyer. Part way through the song, Jonathan turns towards Munky and acts aggressively towards him. This then leads to a short scuffle between the two, as Fieldy proceeds to break up the fight. Jonathan then storms out, and is seen throwing things around in his room, apparently enraged. Meanwhile, Munky takes a bath but soon falls asleep, as Jonathan finds a lamp nearby and pushes it into the tub, instantly electrocuting and killing Munky. Head is then seen looking around as the lights flicker on and off, implying that it this is happening while Munky is being killed. He then proceeds to the balcony as he speaks to someone on his cell phone, unaware that Jonathan is approaching. He pushes Head off the ledge, killing him. He then tosses his cell phone over as well. Later, David is sleeping with two women, as Jonathan creeps in with a pillow, suffocating him then quietly leaving. He moves downstairs where Fieldy is cooking Spaghetti Bolognaise in the kitchen. Jonathan takes out a bottle of rat poison from a cupboard and waits. Fieldy goes into the pantry to fetch some more ingredients, as Jonathan pours rat poison in the sauce. Fieldy serves himself, takes one bite, then dies. Jonathan, apparently pleased with himself, walks outside and proceeds toward the cameraman, as he falls to the floor. This implies that Jonathan killed him, too. All of this takes place throughout the night, implied by the band performing in the evening, Munky and Head dying at night, David being killed in the early hours of the morning, and Fieldy dying at the break of dawn. Jonathan also leaves and kills the cameraman in the morning.

External links

• Lyrics