Skeleton Song

Album: Seasons (2003)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Sevendust lead singer Lajon Witherspoon wrote this song about his younger brother, Reginald, after he was gunned down in a gang related drive by shooting on November 9, 2002 in Nashville. Reginald was just 21 at the time.

    Lajon's father told him the news just minutes before a Sevendust show in St. Joseph, Minnesota. His father implored him to do the show, which Lajon did, dedicating it to his brother. Upcoming shows were postponed. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Adam - Everett, PA
  • When we spoke with Lajon Witherspoon in 2013, he talked about how losing brother affected his songwriting, which took a turn toward the honest and introspective. "I'm a true believer," he said. "After my little brother was killed, I was like, That stuff don't happen, and I was like, Oh, yes, it does happen. It changed the way I look at life - I'm not afraid to write and to let people know what's going on. That's my canvass, that's my therapy: those songs, telling those stories. It helps."

Comments: 2

  • Luna Loud from Royal Woods, MichiganI'm pretty sure the lyrics to the bridge are, "Everybody seems to be/crying themselves to sleep," not, "For a while, it seems to be/all you ever think and sleep".
  • Zero from Nowhere, NjMy favorite lines: "There's nothing wrong/with being far from right. There's something wrong/when everything goes right." We all need to feel pain to grow and mature and learn from our mistakes. Another Sevendust lyric that stuck out to me was, "I need this, like the Devil needs Jesus," from a song off Cold Day Memory (forget which one exactly). These guys are very insightful.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Zakk Wylde

Zakk WyldeSongwriter Interviews

When he was playing Ozzfest with Black Label Society, a kid told Zakk he was the best Ozzy guitarist - Zakk had to correct him.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song Spoofs

A Monster Ate My Red Two: Sesame Street's Greatest Song SpoofsSong Writing

When singers started spoofing their own songs on Sesame Street, the results were both educational and hilarious - here are the best of them.

Christmas Songs

Christmas SongsFact or Fiction

Rudolf, Bob Dylan and the Singing Dogs all show up in this Fact or Fiction for seasonal favorites.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.