Back to the Primitive

"Back to the Primitive"
Single by Soulfly
from the album Primitive
Released December 4, 2000
Format Enhanced CD single
Promo CD
Promo Cassette
Recorded 1999–2000
Genre Nu metal
Length 4:22
Label Roadrunner
Writer(s) Max Cavalera
Producer(s) Max Cavalera, Toby Wright
Soulfly singles chronology
"Tribe"
(1999)
"Back to the Primitive"
(2000)
"Son Song"
(2001)
Primitive track listing
"Back to the Primitive"
(1)
"Pain"
(2)

"Back to the Primitive" is a metal song by 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.[1] Every choruses begin with 'Back to the Primitive', except for the first line of lyrics to begin the song in Portuguese: 'Um dois tre is quatro', and verses containing just 'Primitive' per line.[2]

Music video

The music video has a different intro of this song, instead of berimbau. The intro plays tribal drumming with vocals in it, but the only word it sings is 'Soulfly'. The intro lasts 29 seconds, compared to 23 seconds for berimbau intro. The most dramatic scene is a man jumping onto the crowd.[3]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Max Cavalera except where noted, all music composed by Max Cavalera.

CD single
No. TitleLyrics Length
1. "Back to the Primitive"    4:01
2. "Terrorist" (Total Destruction Mix)Max Cavalera, Tom Araya 4:39
3. "Back to the Primitive" (Dub Shit Up Mix)  4:35
Total length:
13:15
Promo CD
No. Title Length
1. "Back to the Primitive"   4:01
Total length:
4:01

Promo cassette

Side A
No. TitleLyrics Length
1. "Back to the Primitive"     
2. "Terrorist"  Max Cavalera, Tom Araya  
Side A
No. TitleLyrics Length
1. "Back to the Primitive"     
2. "Terrorist"  Max Cavalera, Tom Araya  

Personnel

Soulfly

Additional personnel

References