DROWNING POOL Says Its Song Was 'Misinterpreted' In Connection With Arizona Shooting

January 11, 2011

Texas heavy rockers DROWNING POOL have commented on news reports that the 22-year-old man under arrest in Saturday's massacre in Arizona had listed as a "favorite" on his YouTube channel a video featuring the band's song "Bodies" as its relentless soundtrack.

The alleged gunman, Jared Lee Loughner, fatally shot six people and injured 14 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., who was holding a public event in Tucson for constituents.

Loughner had an unofficial video featuring "Bodies" playing in the background while a masked man burns the American flag listed as a favorite on his YouTube channel, leading some media commentators to speculate that the killer was influenced by the song.

In a statement released online Monday evening, DROWNING POOL said: "We were devastated this weekend to learn of the tragic events that occurred in Arizona and that our music has been misinterpreted, again.

"'Bodies' was written about the brotherhood of the mosh pit and the respect people have for each other in the pit. If you push others down, you have to pick them back up. It was never about violence. It's about a certain amount of respect and a code.

"We've performed for the troops overseas several times in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. Through our song 'Soldiers', we were able to create a petition that helped pass the Lane Evans Mental Health Care Reform Bill, which we presented to then-Senator Barack Obama.

"We've been lucky enough to have some of the biggest success of our career with our new album and we want to continue to spread positivity for the future, not dwell on negativity. For someone to put out a video misinterpreting a song about a mosh pit as fuel for a violent act shows just how sick they really are. We support those who do what they can to keep America safe.

"Our hearts go out to the victims and their families of this terrible tragedy."

According to the Washington Post, "Bodies" was used as a tool of torture at Guantanamo Bay in 2003 when it was played repeatedly to "stress" detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi. The song has also been a battlefield anthem for U.S. troops and professional wrestlers and fighters.

"You're never sure what caused an individual to commit a specific act," Brad Bushman, a communications and psychology professor at Ohio State University, told the Washington Post. "But I've been doing research on violent media for 20 years, and the evidence is that it leads to aggressive behavior. It's not the only factor that leads to violence, but it's one of them."

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