I Don't Wanna Be Me

Album: Life Is Killing Me (2003)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This driving rocker finds Type O Negative lead singer Peter Steele in a bad place. The song tells a story about a guy who falls asleep in the snow and dies alone, which might be an allegory for how he was feeling. Steele openly struggled with depression and had a tendency to pour his ravaged heart out in his songs. He also battled drug abuse and was trying to get sober.
  • The music video stars Dan Fogler, who later played Luke on The Walking Dead. We see him come home to his ordinary life, but then he sets up a camera and films himself dressed up as Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Eminem, and Britney Spears. At the end of the video, he plays one more character: Peter Steele.
  • "I Don't Wanna Be Me" was the only single released from Type O Negative's sixth album, Life Is Killing Me. Their breakthrough came with their third album, Bloody Kisses, in 1993. Up until then, Peter Steele was still working full-time for the New York City parks department while making music on nights and weekends. They fit in well with goth culture (Steele was 6' 8", brooding, and could sing like a vampire), but could also play to the hard rock/metal set - they were a main stage act at Ozzfest in 1997. Their next releases did well, but popularity didn't make Steele happy and had the downside of enabling his drug habit. The band released another album, Dead Again, in 2007, but in 2010 Steele died of heart failure at 48.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.