My Destiny

Album: True Defiance (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This was released as the lead single from Alternative Metal band Demon Hunter's sixth studio album, True Defiance. Frontman Ryan Clark told AntiMusic: "This song wasn't an immediate choice for the first single/video from this record... but the more we discussed it, the more we were all really drawn to it. I think it's a unanimous favorite among the guys in the band- or at least in everyone's top three." The single was dropped on March 12, 2012.
  • Clark describes in this song the moment he realized that he wanted to be a musician. He explained to Alternative Press: "I call it a 'heritage' piece, because it's about growing up in the suburbs, spending most of my time skateboarding with friends, getting into trouble, not knowing what I wanted to do with my life... and the moment that I found music, and everything changed. I remember going to my first live show and just being enthralled by it all. That's what the song refers to when it says 'but the fear, the blood, the sweat and sound.' It was the passion and the honesty of it that drew me in. Ever since I was 15, I knew that I'd be doing music for the rest of my life."
  • Clark's favorite part of the song comes courtesy of DH drummer Tim "Yogi" Watts. He told Alternative Press: "In the first chorus, the drums are playing the beat straight... just riding on the crash cymbals. In the second chorus, Yogi starts to throw in these tom accents every other measure... and in the final chorus, every measure is filled with this killer tom pattern. I just love how it gradually builds up to that point."
  • Other working titles for the song, before Clark settled on "My Destiny," included "Stab," "Blinded," and "They Carried Us Away."
  • Clark told AntiMusic how he struggled to find one of the words for the first line of this chorus. He recalled: "For some reason I was having the hardest time filling in 'We were blinded by the ______ light.' When I finally stumbled upon 'sacred,' it was perfect. It's essentially the word I was looking for the whole time and I feel like it really brings life to that section."
  • Clark (from AntiMusic): "The raspier, higher-pitched screaming vocals that you hear in the verses are something that I started playing with on 'This Is The Line' from The World Is A Thorn. There are certain parts (usually to do with time signature, tempo and guitar melody) that to me, just beg for a more villainous sounding vocal. You'll notice the second half of the verses on 'This Is The Line' have a similar feel to these verses. I don't think this vocal style is necessarily pre-determined, but it just feels right for certain parts."
  • Clark told Loudwire about the concept for the song's music video: "I came up with a basic concept/treatment and director, Robby Starbuck, injected some of his own creativity into it. I essentially wanted to show the early days of our musical upbringing. The teenage kids are loosely based on the five of us. We didn't grow up together, but many of us grew up the same way – into skateboarding, punk and heavy metal.

    The performance footage shows us playing in a typical rehearsal space with dingy walls, bad fluorescent lighting, band posters, etc. It's meant to be a return to our roots."

Comments: 1

  • AnonymousGreat song. I saw the music video and the meaning of the song matches the video. A song about youth and not finding purpose until that one day you find the sound of music
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Amanda Palmer

Amanda PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Call us crazy, but we like it when an artist comes around who doesn't mesh with the status quo.

Janis Ian

Janis IanSongwriter Interviews

One of the first successful female singer-songwriters, Janis had her first hit in 1967 at age 15.

Producer Ron Nevison

Producer Ron NevisonSong Writing

Ron Nevison explains in very clear terms the Quadrophenia concept and how Heart staged their resurgence after being dropped by their record company.

John Waite

John WaiteSongwriter Interviews

"Missing You" was a spontaneous outpouring of emotion triggered by a phone call. John tells that story and explains what MTV meant to his career.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?

Keith Reid of Procol Harum

Keith Reid of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

As Procol Harum's lyricist, Keith wrote the words to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." We delve into that song and find out how you can form a band when you don't sing or play an instrument.