Wait and Bleed

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title: "Wait and Bleed" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1999-songs", "1999-debut-singles", "slipknot-(band)-songs", "songs-written-by-corey-taylor", "songs-written-by-jim-root", "songs-written-by-paul-gray-(american-musician)", "songs-written-by-joey-jordison", "roadrunner-records-singles", "songs-about-suicide", "rap-metal-songs"] topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wait_and_Bleed" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

FieldValue
nameWait and Bleed
coverWaitandBleed.jpg
typesingle
artistSlipknot
albumSlipknot
released
recorded
studioIndigo Ranch (Malibu, California)
* Nu metal{{cite weburl
* rap metal{{cite weburl
length2:27
labelRoadrunner
* Sid Wilson{{cite weblast1
producerRoss Robinson
next_titleSpit It Out
next_year2000
misc{{External music video
{{External music videoheader
::

| name = Wait and Bleed | cover = WaitandBleed.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = Slipknot | album = Slipknot | released = | recorded = | studio = Indigo Ranch (Malibu, California) | genre =

"Wait and Bleed" is the debut single by American heavy metal band Slipknot, released as the lead single from their 1999 self-titled debut album. After being remixed to replace the screamed vocals in the verses with more melodic singing, it was released as the lead single from the album in July 1999, and peaked at No. 34 on *Billboard*s Mainstream Rock chart in February 2000. It remains one of the band's most popular songs.

Background and writing

Joey Jordison recalled in an interview with Kerrang!: "I wrote the music for 'Wait and Bleed' on my own… I showed it to the guys at rehearsal, and then Corey wrote some lyrics really fast in our practice space… He took us to a new level immediately."

Music and lyrics

Musically, "Wait and Bleed" has been described as "a nu-metal rumble that careens around like a particularly violent bout of bumper cars, between rough vocal yelps, a furious tempo, and corrugated riffage."

"The song's about that switch in your head that can go at any moment," noted Corey Taylor. "You go from being a civilized human being to someone who can commit terrible acts. I've always been fascinated by the fact we represent ourselves as civilized when, at any moment, we can become animals."

According to Ultimate Guitar, "Wait and Bleed" is about a man who keeps having repetitive black and white dreams about laying in a bathtub full of his own blood with his wrists slit. One day he wakes up and sees that his dream has become a reality, but he doesn't want to believe it and he tries to fall back asleep again.

Release, awards and reception

"Wait and Bleed" earned Slipknot a first Grammy nomination in 2001 for Best Metal Performance, though it lost to Deftones' "Elite". The song won the Best Single award at the 2000 Kerrang! Awards. The song enjoyed a degree of commercial success, reaching No. 34 on the Mainstream Rock chart and No. 27 in the UK Singles Chart. It was also ranked No. 36 on VH1's "40 Greatest Metal Songs" list in 2006. In 2017, Annie Zaleski of Spin named it the eleventh best nu metal track of all time.

In 2020, Kerrang and Louder Sound ranked the song number four and number one, respectively, on their lists of the greatest Slipknot songs.

Music videos

There are two videos for "Wait and Bleed". The first, directed by Thomas Mignone, features a live performance of the song, filmed during a performance on July 31, 1999, at the Ankeny Airfield in the band's hometown of Des Moines. The second, known as the "Claymation version", depicts all nine members as small, animated, doll-like creatures inside a laboratory inhabited by a man who is attempting to catch them. Eventually, the band cause the man to fall and be stung by dropping a jar of insects. As the band looks over the man, Chris Fehn's doll covers him in fuel and Shawn Crahan's doll sets him alight, killing him.

Track listing

All songs credited to Slipknot. ;CD single

  1. "Wait and Bleed" (Terry Date Mix) – 2:34
  2. "Spit It Out" (Overcaffeinated Hyper Version) – 2:28
  3. "(sic)" (Molt-Injected Mix) – 3:28
  • Includes "Wait and Bleed" live music video
  • "(sic)" (Molt-Injected Mix) is missing on Netherlands release

;EU promo single

  1. "Wait & Bleed" (Radio Mix) – 2:34
  2. "Spit It Out" (Overcaffeinated Hyper-Molt Mix) – 2:28
  3. "(sic)" (Spaceship Console Mix) – 3:28
  • "Wait & Bleed" (Radio Mix) does not have the final "and it waits for you!" scream unlike Terry Date mix
  • "(sic)" (Spaceship Console Mix) is no different from Molt-Injected mix

;US promo CD single

  1. "Wait and Bleed" (Radio Mix) – 2:30
  2. "Wait and Bleed" (LP Mix) – 2:27
  3. "Call-Out Hook" – 0:12

;UK promo CD single

  1. "Wait & Bleed" (Radio Mix) – 2:30

Personnel

Slipknot

All tracks produced by Slipknot

Additional personnel

  • Ross Robinson – production, mixing
  • Chuck Johnson – engineering, mixing, remix on track 2
  • Rob Agnello – additional engineering
  • Sean McMahon – mixing on track 2
  • Terry Date – remix on track 1
  • Ulrich Wild – remix on track 3
  • Eddy Schreyer – mastering
  • Thomas Mignone – direction on track 4

Charts

::data[format=table title="Chart performance for "Wait and Bleed""] | Chart (2000) | Peak position | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | |---|---|---| | 98 | | | ::

Certifications

References

References

  1. "July 1999: Slipknot Release WAIT AND BLEED".
  2. (May 28, 2015). "26 Nu Metal Workout Songs". [[Bodybuilding.com]].
  3. Chesler, Josh. (18 May 2015). "10 Nu-Metal Songs That Actually Don't Suck".
  4. (17 May 2017). "30 Best Nu-Metal Songs, Ranked".
  5. (July 22, 2025). "Slipknot release blood-filled vinyl to celebrate their debut album's 25th anniversary".
  6. "Slipknot Repertory".
  7. "Slipknot - Slipknot | Credits | AllMusic".
  8. Zaleski, Annie. (2017-05-17). "The 30 Best Nu-Metal Songs".
  9. Bryant, Tom. (14 July 2012). "Hell unleashed".
  10. Anton N-D Chirtsov. (March 13, 2017). "10 Biggest Nu Metal Hits".
  11. "Artist Chart History - Slipknot".
  12. "The Official Charts Company - Slipknot". [[Official Charts Company]].
  13. (May 2006). "VH1 40 Greatest Metal Songs". [[VH1]].
  14. Zaleski, Annie. (2017-05-17). "The 30 Best Nu-Metal Songs".
  15. Law, Sam. (March 27, 2020). "The 20 greatest Slipknot songs – ranked". [[Kerrang!.
  16. Chillingworth, Alec. (December 22, 2020). "The Top 50 best Slipknot songs ever". [[Metal Hammer.
  17. Nichols, Vlad. (August 24, 2019). "Is 'Wait and Bleed' the Best Song That Slipknot Has Ever Made?".
  18. (1999). ""Wait and Bleed"". [[Roadrunner Records]].
  19. Greg Kennelty. (May 6, 2023). "This SLIPKNOT Show From 1999 Is So Insanely Energetic". Metal Injection.
  20. (March 18, 2000). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1999-songs1999-debut-singlesslipknot-(band)-songssongs-written-by-corey-taylorsongs-written-by-jim-rootsongs-written-by-paul-gray-(american-musician)songs-written-by-joey-jordisonroadrunner-records-singlessongs-about-suiciderap-metal-songs