My Sacrifice

Creed lead singer Scott Stapp told Kerrang! that "My Sacrifice" is about "coming out of the throes of a dark period in your life, whether that be a dark depression or a period of substance abuse or alcoholism, and then reconnecting with yourself." His struggles with addiction and mental health started around 1998 when Creed's debut album, My Own Prison, was taking off and he was suddenly in the public eye. When the band released "My Sacrifice" in 2001, they were more popular than ever but Stapp's addictions were also more acute. The song is hopeful, basically a conversation with his better self as he finds his courage: It feels so good to reunite Within yourself and within your mind Stapp needed a lot more help, though, and in 2004 his addictions and volatile behavior led to the band's breakup. The returned in 2009 but again parted ways in 2012, with Stapp still having problems. He finally got sober and found proper treatment in 2015 after learning he had bipolar disorder. "I had tried to get better alone for so many years, and I would have times when I would come back and hold on for a period of months, but then I'd fall again," he explained.

"My Sacrifice" was the first single from Creed's third album, Weathered. Reaction was split: Fans were happy to have more Creed; everyone else thought, Not more Creed! You see, their music was everywhere in 1999 and 2000 because their 1997 debut album, My Own Prison, took a year or so to find an audience, and their next album, Human Clay was issued in 1999 and was loaded with hits that kept them on the radio well into 2000. By the end of that year, it felt like Creed were being foisted on us by the media elite. The thing is, Creed made it on their merit and were simply victims of their own success. That first album they made in a home studio on the cheap and distributed on their own, taking copies to record stores and radio stations. A station in Tallahassee (where they formed) put "My Own Prison" into rotation, the album started selling, and soon they had a record deal. So when "My Sacrifice" started getting airplay at the end of 2001, many of us were burned out on Creed and worried another musical onslaught was coming. The song did well, as did the next single, "One Last Breath." After that, it wasn't until 2009 that another Creed song charted on the Hot 100.

Creed made a lot of interesting videos with very creative directors. "My Sacrifice" was directed by David Meyers. It takes place on a flooded city street where Scott Stapp is in a rowboat and lots of things are happening around him. He reaches into the water and pulls his doppelgänger into the boat, representing him saving himself.