"Freak On A Leash" was released off Korn's 1998 album
Follow The Leader.
The song reached #6 on the Alternative Songs chart and #10 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
The song was written by Jonathan Davis about the music industry, which he compares to an owner walking their dog. He sees himself as a freak being paraded around while Corporate America is making all the money and it's taking a part of him too.
The track finds Jonathan Davis' slating the exploitive music industry:
"That's my song that rails out against the music industry. It's about how I feel like I'm a f---in' prostitute. Like I'm this freak paraded around, but I got corporate America f---in' making all the money while it's taking a part of me. It's like they stole something from me–they stole my innocence and I'm not calm anymore. I worry constantly. I'm not just talkin' about the record business. Everything's involved. I've lost something. I'm not all there anymore. I love what I do, but I wish I could have it all back. It's like the 'Peter Pan syndrome.' I wish I could still fly."
The original version of the song had a guitar solo that was dubbed "a noisy guitar break" that was removed from the song after fans asked that it be taken out.
The "Freak On A Leash" video was released in 1999 and it was so good it won three awards, Best Editing and Best Rock Video at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards and a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video in 2000. It was so beloved by fans that it was the 9th song to be retired from
Total Request Live
on MTV. The video ends where "Falling Away From Me" begins.
Korn "Freak On A Leash" 1998