"Help" is a single by American rock band

Papa Roach Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California, formed in 1993. The original lineup consisted of lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix, guitarist Jerry Horton, drummer Dave Buckner, bassist Will James, and trombonist Ben Luther. After t ...

, from their ninth studio album '' Crooked Teeth''. It topped the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

Mainstream Rock Songs Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...

chart in April 2017 for six consecutive weeks.

Background

The song was first released as a single on February 17, 2017. The song was produced by

Nicholas Furlong Nicholas (Nicky)Furlong (born 1929 died 21 March 2022)Furlong, ''Fr John Murphy of Boolavogue 1753–1798'', p. vii. was an Irish farmer, journalist, author and historian from County Wexford. Personal life Nicholas Furlong was born in Wexford in ...

and

Colin Brittain Colin Cunningham known as Colin Brittain is an American songwriter and producer signed to Warner Chappell Music. He has written and produced for acts such as Papa Roach, Hands Like Houses, Basement, Dashboard Confessional, 5 Seconds of Summ ...

, two younger, up-and-coming

music producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

s the band chose to work with, to help find a new sound that mixed their '' Infest''-era sound with more modern music. A music video for the song was released on May 1, 2017. Directed by Darren Craig, the video features the band performing and shows footage of unfortunate life events happening to a man wearing a bunny costume.

Themes and composition

Lyrically, the song's message is centered around surviving

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles Stress (biology), stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-maki ...

issues. The song features bass-driven verses, followed by a wash of heavy guitar and synths in the

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

, with

frontman The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

Jacoby Shaddix Jacoby Dakota Shaddix (born July 28, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, TV presenter and actor. He is best known as the founding member and the continuous lead singer of the California-based rock band Papa Roach since the band's fo ...

's recurring line in the

singing "I think I need help / I’m drowning in myself". ''

Rock Sound ''Rock Sound'' is a British magazine that covers rock music. The magazine aims at being more " underground" and less commercial, while also giving coverage to better-known acts. It generally focuses on pop punk, post-hardcore, metalcore, punk ...

'' described the song as "infectious, emotional...powerful...a cry for help in musical form". Shaddix described the song:

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Personnel

– lead vocals *

Jerry Horton Jerry Allan Horton (born March 10, 1975) is an American musician who is the lead guitarist and backing vocalist and founding member of Californian rock band Papa Roach. Biography Jerry Horton was born in Charleston, South Carolina Cha ...

– guitar * Tobin Esperance – bass *

Tony Palermo Anthony Joseph Palermo (born November 22, 1969) is an American musician who is the drummer of Californian rock band Papa Roach and is the former drummer of punk rock bands Pulley and Unwritten Law. He was also a touring drummer for Sixx:A.M ...

– drums

References

{{authority control Papa Roach songs 2017 songs 2017 singles Eleven Seven Label Group singles Songs written by Jacoby Shaddix Songs written by Jerry Horton Songs written by Tobin Esperance Songs written by Nicholas Furlong (musician) Songs written by Colin Brittain Song recordings produced by Colin Brittain