Songfacts®:

• An old saying goes, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." That's all fine and good unless you're a kid being berated by abusive parents or dealing with social media bullies – and that's the point of the song.
  
  Mudvayne frontman Chad Gray had been vocal about his painful upbringing pretty much since the 1996 beginning of Mudvayne, and he harnessed those emotions in "Sticks And Stones." He told 92XRadio that many of the lyrics were pulled directly from his own life experience, specifying the line, "I was a child that was used as a weapon," in which he was referring to being used as emotional blackmail for his embattled parents to harm each other. But the song isn't merely personal catharsis. Gray wanted to get through to parents so that they would understand the damage they can do to their kids while also letting traumatized people know that they weren't alone and could find answers to their pain.
• Mudvayne released "Sticks And Stones" on September 11, 2025, about a month after "Hurt People Hurt People," their first release in 16 years. Both songs were recorded with Alchemy and BMG, whereas their first musical run (1996 – 2010) had been with Epic Records. The ordering of the tracks was intentional. The band wanted to re-enter the music scene with a barbaric rage-fest like "Hurt People Hurt People" before turning in the more sensitive "Sticks And Stones."
• The band debuted the song on September 20, 2025 in St. Louis, Missouri, during the 25th anniversary tour of their debut album, L.D. 50. Static-X opened for them.
• "Sticks And Stones" producer Nick Raskulinecz also produced the Foo Fighters' One by One, Evanescence's self-titled studio album, Deftones' Diamond Eyes, and other major albums.
  
  Ted Jensen mastered the song. He'd been working with prominent acts since 1976, with credits including Hotel California by the Eagles, The Stranger by Billy Joel, and Hot Streets by Chicago.