Crimson Day

Album: Hail to the King (2013)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This rock ballad opens with a clean-sounding electric guitar with no mics on the instrument, just on the amps. Guitarist Synyster Gates told MusicRadar: "We stumbled onto it by accident, actually. There were a few secrets in getting it, mainly that it's a baritone guitar with a capo on it so I could play it in open E standard tuning. It has a really sick, rich, sparkly sound."
  • Gates told MusicRadar that the band were listening to "a lot of Elton John, some Ozzy ballads and some Zeppelin," for this song. He added: "The lyrics are inspired by my nephew, so the song has a very personal meaning to me."
  • Speaking with Kerrang! magazine August 31, 2013, vocalist Matthew "M. Shadows" Sanders explained the background to the song's upbeat lyrics. "I had a little boy last summer," he said, "so this is a story that bridged the loss of Jimmy with new life. I tried to write it in a way that could be effective to people who have someone in their life that they love. For me, it's about my son."

    Owen James Sanders was born to Matthew and Valary Sanders on July 5, 2012.
  • M. Shadows is not a fan of this song. "I think 'Crimson Day' is a throwaway," he said in a 2024 interview with Bradley Hall. "That's not a great ballad. We've had much better ballads. I think we've always done pretty good ballads, and 'Crimson Day' is the lowest on my list of things we've ever done."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull

Ian Anderson of Jethro TullSongwriter Interviews

The flautist frontman talks about touring with Led Zeppelin, his contribution to "Hotel California", and how he may have done the first MTV Unplugged.

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: Tarantino EditionMusic Quiz

Whether he's splitting ears or burning Nazis, Quentin Tarantino uses memorable music in his films. See if you can match the song to the scene.

Artis the Spoonman

Artis the SpoonmanSong Writing

Even before Soundgarden wrote a song about him, Artis was the most famous spoon player of all time. So why has he always been broke?

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside Story

Jesus Christ Superstar: Ted Neeley Tells the Inside StorySong Writing

The in-depth discussion about the making of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 film.

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"They're Playing My Song

Dean's saga began with "Ariel," a song about falling in love with a Jewish girl from New Jersey.

Roger McGuinn of The Byrds

Roger McGuinn of The ByrdsSongwriter Interviews

Roger reveals the songwriting formula Clive Davis told him, and if "Eight Miles High" is really about drugs.