Psycho (song)

"Psycho" is the second single by post-grunge group Puddle of Mudd off of their album Famous. It was officially released on October 2, 2007, but was available for digital download on iTunes on September 18, 2007.

The song is about wondering if oneself has schizophrenia and is a "psycho", as lead singer Wes Scantlin sings "maybe I'm the one who is the schizophrenic psycho'".

[edit] Music video

The music video was shot at the famed Bates Motel, and premiered on Google! music on October 8, 2007. The video is an homage to various "classic" horror movies, and incorporates several characters and elements from those movies.

The video starts with a full moon, while lead singer Wes Scantlin is driving a car at night with a group of cheerleaders and jocks, parodying the typical teenage victims in horror movies. As they're driving a man jumps out of the woods onto the road, and they hit him. Upon further inspection it is seen that the man is Michael Myers from the Halloween movies played by local actor Mike Watkins. As the group gathers around him to see if he's alright, Leatherface (also played by Mike Watkins) from the The Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies jumps out and grabs two of the girls, taking them back into the woods without the rest of them knowing. Michael Myers then proceeds to get up, revealing he was only pretending to be hurt, and begins chasing the group with a razor sharp machete. The remaining members of the group runs from the killers until they come to The Bates Motel from the movie Psycho. They run to one of the rooms, taking refuge in it, while in the process disrupting a couple who happen to be Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson making cameos in the video.

In the room, on the bedside table, Wes picks up a note that says, "I know what you did last album." Referencing I Know What You Did Last Summer. Then one of the girls decides to take a shower. The silhouette of a man is seen through the shower curtain with a knife, he opens the curtain to the shower, with the girl proceeding to scream, mimicking the famous shower scene from Psycho. It is then shown that it is just one of the jocks with a banana, playing a prank on the girl. Wes and the jock (played by Doug Ardito) laugh, and throw a banana peel into the shower. The girl doesn't see it, and slips on it, banging her head against the wall and killing her in the process. The group seeing this, flees the room, except for one who is shown being sucked into a static TV, parodying Poltergeist . Wes and his girlfriend run in a different direction then the others, but both groups make their way towards the famous Bates house. An imitation of Kanye West is seen outside the house banging on the window in an angry fashion. The group of remaining jocks and cheerleaders climb the stairs to the house, but are met by a girl playing Paris Hilton at the top, who kicks them down the stairs. Wes and his girlfriend enter the Bates house, only to see an old woman sitting in a chair. The woman is revealed to be Wes himself, dressed up as an old lady, again referencing the ending to Psycho. Wes is then shown realizing "maybe I'm the one who is the schizophrenic psycho."

[edit] Chart performance

The song debuted on Mainstream Rock Tracks at #32 and reached #1, remaining there for 9 weeks. It is their fifth single to top the chart and their first in 3 years. It also debuted on Modern Rock Tracks at #38, where it has also reached #1, becoming their second song to do so on the chart. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #100 and has risen to #67, becoming their first song to chart on the Hot 100 since "Away From Me" in 2003. It debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 at #90 and has since peaked at #56, beating the band's previous single, "Famous", which debuted and peaked at #97. It has also charted on the Billboard Pop 100; it is currently at #75.

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Billboard Hot 100	67
Billboard Pop 100	75
Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	1
Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	1
Billboard Canadian Hot 100	56

Preceded by "Fake It" by Seether	Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks number-one single February 23, 2008 - April 19, 2008	Succeeded by "It's Not My Time" by 3 Doors Down

Preceded by "Long Road to Ruin" by Foo Fighters	Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number-one single April 19, 2008 - April 26, 2008	Succeeded by "Rise Above This" by Seether