"Back to the Primitive" is a song by heavy metal band Soulfly, released in 2000. The song, composed by Max Cavalera, is played as the first track of the second Soulfly album, Primitive.
Music and lyrics The song features simple downtuned riffs, plus tribal drumming and blabbering; it also plays berimbau to begin the song. Lyrically, this political song is about demoting national government back to local tribal society. Every choruses begin with 'Back to the Primitive', except for the first line of lyric ("one, two, three, four" in Portuguese) to begin the song, and verses containing just "primitive" per line.Song Lyrics
Music video The song begins with a berimbau, but it is not the case for the accompanying music video. Instead, the intro plays tribal percussion with 'Soulfly' chants alternately by Cavalera and spectators; the berimbau is shown, but not heard. The drumming intro lasts 29 seconds, compared to just 23 seconds for the berimbau intro. Interspersed in the video are religious imagery and people of different cultures while the band performs the song in front of an audience. At the end of the video, Ozzy Osbourne makes a cameo by saying "Primitive!" into the camera.
Track listing
include music video "Back to the Primitive"
Personnel
Soulfly Max Cavalera – vocals, rhythm guitar, berimbau Mikey Doling – lead guitar Marcello D. Rapp – bass, percussion Joe Nuñez – drums
Additional personnel Tom Araya – vocals on "Terrorist" Max Cavalera – production Toby Wright – production Andy Wallace – mixing The Rootsman – remixing
Charts Chart (2000) Peak position UK Singles (Official Charts Company) 120
References