Therapist Analyzes Slipknot's 'Left Behind'

A licensed therapist has shared a video online analyzing Slipknot‘s song “Left Behind” from their 2001 album Iowa. She watched the video and closely paid attention to the lyrics to provide a thoughtful evaluation of the track’s message.

The video was uploaded to the YouTube Channel HeartSupport – Talk About Your Mental Health. HeartSupport is a nonprofit community that focuses on music and mental health, and it was founded by August Burns Red vocalist Jake Luhrs. There are a bunch of other therapist reaction videos to rock and metal songs on the channel too, but “Left Behind” is the newest addition.

As the therapist watched the Slipknot video, she appeared to be captivated by the music, nodding along throughout much of it, though she seemed shocked by some of the imagery in the video (understandably).

One of the first points she brought up is that Corey Taylor once said that he wrote the lyrics about his experience with homelessness, and the guilt he felt when he eventually left the individuals he met on that journey behind.

“I was living under a bridge over by Southwest 9th in Des Moines… with some friends of mine. And it’s funny how many people you meet when you’re homeless, that you find out so much about them and you rely on them so much. And then when things start happening for you, those faces disappear and they’re gone,” Taylor told VH1 years ago.

“That’s what the song is about. It’s about leaving behind the lives that make up your past. I miss them. I miss those guys really bad.”

The therapist noted that the lyrics in the chorus, particularly “We all got left behind / We let it all slip away,” can be attributed to the remorse that people sometimes feel when one of their loved ones dies by suicide.

After she finished the “Left Behind” video, she said, “It’s like the feeling of being consumed by thoughts and emotions regarding being left behind. It’s like the loss is consuming, and oh my god — the song is just so powerful if we think about it in that context.”

The counsellor further noted how the energy in the song mellows out toward the end after the entirety of it was so intense, which is as if it reflects an individual moving through the stages of grief from anger to sadness.

“The anger is a cover for the more painful emotions to deal with, which are sadness and grief and despair and guilt. The anger is a cover for that, and this song takes us through what it feels like to get left behind,” she elaborated.

Finally, she concluded that “Left Behind” serves as a call to action, urging the listener to move past the anger and the grief they feel and focus on the next step — processing it and using it to move forward.

Watch the full reaction video below.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website. To speak to someone on the phone, dial 1-800-622-HELP (1-800-622-4357) or send a text message to 1-800-487-4889.