Screaming

Album: Memories of a Beautiful Disaster (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Durbin co-wrote this song with seventh season American Idol champ David Cook, songwriter Gregg Wattenberg (O.A.R.'s "Shattered (Turn The Car Around)" and Rock Star: Supernova contestant Ryan Star. Speaking with Alternative Addiction, Durbin recalled the writing of the track: "It was a very fun song to write. I was in Manhattan and I get to the Wind-Up studio called Rewind Studios," he said. "I get up there and I knew I was doing a writing session and David Cook ended up being there. I didn't know I was writing with him even though I'd talked to him before and hung out with him a little bit. And then Ryan Star and meeting him was cool. He's a really great singer and a really great musician. And Gregg Wattenberg showed up - he's a great writer and he does A&R for Wind-Up Records, one of the top guys there. It was a lot of fun. I had some lyrics that I'd written for an idea that had a very bullying feel to it and it was called 'Scream' and we got 'Screaming' from it. It was a very fun song to write."
  • Durbin explained the song's meaning: "The funny thing about 'Screaming' is that people might think because I was on Idol and I was the screamer that it's just a bunch of painkiller high notes, but it really isn't. It's about being bullied, it's about being picked on and revolting for it, saying 'I'm screaming for my losers and we're screaming at the abusers and we're showing them that we're fed up.' It's like the fist in the air - we're all joining hand-in-hand to fight the battle, but to fight it with our hearts, not with fists."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.

Art Alexakis of Everclear

Art Alexakis of EverclearSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.