Living the Dream (Five Finger Death Punch song)

"Living the Dream"
Single by Five Finger Death Punch
from the album F8
ReleasedFebruary 7, 2020
Length3:34
LabelBetter Noise
Songwriters
Producers
  • Churko
  • Five Finger Death Punch
Five Finger Death Punch singles chronology
"Inside Out"
(2019) 		"Living the Dream"
(2020) 		"A Little Bit Off"
(2020)
Music video
"Living the Dream" on YouTube

"Living the Dream" is a song by American heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. Released on February 7, 2020, it is the third single from their eighth studio album, F8. It became the band's tenth number-one song on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

Background and release

On February 7, 2020,[1] the band released the song alongside a lyric video as a preview of their upcoming album F8.[2][3] It followed the earlier singles "Inside Out" and "Full Circle".[4]

Composition and lyrics

Loudwire wrote that singer Ivan Moody reflects on the costs of fame and the music industry. The lyrics reference several fictional superheroes, including Captain America, Superman, and Iron Man, as well as the title Mr. Universe.[1] MetalSucks noted that the lyrics include the phrases "Your Majesty" and "Lady Amnesty", and suggested that the latter may refer to Lady Liberty.[5]

In reviews of F8, Kerrang! said "Living the Dream" has a heavy guitar riff and catchy hooks.[6] Loudwire described the guitar riffs as "buzzsaw" and a streamlined chorus in which the singer asks whether the band is "just part of the machine".[7] Wall of Sound AU wrote that the lyrics suggest that neither superheroes nor amnesty can save people from themselves or the judgment of others.[8] Metal Hammer described the song as "more stadium rock-sounding" than the preceding track on the album, "Full Circle".[9]

Music video

In September 2020, the band filmed a music video for the song in Los Angeles.[10] Guitarist Zoltan Bathory shared photos from the set on September 10, 2020, captioned "On the set shooting 'Living the Dream'".[11] In October 2020, the band released the music video, which Kerrang! described as "rife with symbolism and implicit social commentary". Bathory said the video reflected his view that the idea of America was under siege.[12] He described the situation as "not a 'left against right' problem but an evolutionary problem". He also said that artists "have a unique opportunity to portray and ridicule the absurd to prevent it from becoming reality".[13] Released during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the video was described by Loudwire as politically charged.[14]

The video begins with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures". It shows a female political figure praising mask-wearers, zombies hoarding toilet paper, and a work camp labeled "People's Republic of America". Later, an uprising occurs as people remove their masks and carry American flags.[14] It includes a brief reference to QAnon and The Great Awakening, as well as leashed, masked, black-clothed figures that The Music interpreted as referring to Antifa or BLM.[15] It also shows imagery including an aging Captain America snorting cocaine, and a man receiving a hammer and sickle badge labeled "compliant" for wearing a face mask. The symbol later appears on prison uniforms issued by "People's Republic of America".[13] The narrative ends with an uprising against the woman, after which the events are revealed to be a nightmare experienced by George Washington while signing the Constitution.[16]

The video was criticized by MetalSucks, which described it as promoting an anti-mask message.[16] It drew backlash over scenes in which people wearing face masks receive "compliant" badges featuring the hammer-and-sickle symbols.[17] Bathory later said the video was not intended as an anti-mask statement, adding that the mask scenes were metaphorical and showed the difference between rules for the public and those who were exempt.[18] Moody later said he disagreed with the video and that it was not what he had in mind when he wrote the song.[19] He also said the video caused tension between himself and Bathory, adding that Bathory had control over its concept, while he only participated in filming for two days.[20]

Track listing

"Living the Dream" – by Five Finger Death Punch single[21]
No.TitleLength
1."Living The Dream" (Explicit)3:34

Accolades

It was nominated for Rock Song of the Year at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards.[22]

Chart performance

It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart dated February 6, 2021, becoming the band's tenth song to top the chart and making them one of eight acts with at least ten leaders on the tally. The song was also their sixth consecutive No. 1 and third single from F8 to reach the top.[23]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Apple Music.[24]

Five Finger Death Punch

Additional credits

Charts

References

  1. ^ a b DiVita, Joe (7 February 2020). "Five Finger Death Punch Share New 'F8' Song 'Living the Dream'". Loudwire. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  2. ^ Kennelty, Greg (7 February 2020). "Five Finger Death Punch Is "Living The Dream" In New Song". Metal Injection. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  3. ^ "Five Finger Death Punch: 'Living The Dream' Lyric Video". Blabbermouth. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  4. ^ Pattillo, Alice (7 February 2020). "Five Finger Death Punch drop lyric video for new track Living The Dream". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  5. ^ Rosenberg, Axel (7 February 2020). "Five Finger Death Punch Premiere New Song; Ivan Moody Unclear on Fiction vs. Nonfiction". MetalSucks. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  6. ^ Travers, Paul (27 February 2020). "Album Review: Five Finger Death Punch – F8". Kerrang!. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  7. ^ Loudwire Staff (27 February 2020). "Review: Five Finger Death Punch's 'F8' Is Great — Despite What Elitists May Think". Loudwire. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  8. ^ Walladmin (27 February 2020). "Five Finger Death Punch – F8 (Album Review)". Wall of Sound AU. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  9. ^ Hill, Stephen (28 February 2020). "Five Finger Death Punch's F8 is the best record of their career". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  10. ^ Michels, Alexandra (16 October 2020). "Five Finger Death Punch - 'Living The Dream'-Video veroffentlicht". RockHard (in German). Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  11. ^ "Five Finger Death Punch Films Music Video For 'Living The Dream'". Blabbermouth. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  12. ^ Kerrang! staff (16 October 2020). "Five Finger Death Punch Drop New Video For Living The Dream". Kerrang!. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  13. ^ a b Brannigan, Paul (16 October 2020). "Wake up Sheeple! Five Finger Death Punch want to save us from hell on earth". Metal Hammer. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  14. ^ a b Childers, Chad (16 October 2020). "New Five Finger Death Punch Video Depicts Mask‑Wearers as Communists". Loudwire. Retrieved 13 March 2026.
  15. ^ Sievers, Alex (21 October 2020). "Five Finger Death Punch's 'Living The Dream' music video is a hot mess". The Music. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  16. ^ a b Rosenberg, Axel (16 October 2020). "Five Finger Death Punch Take Anti-Masker Stance With Video for "Living the Dream"". MetalSucks. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  17. ^ DiVita, Joe (17 October 2020). "Zoltan Bathory: New Five Finger Death Punch Video Does Not Have Anti-Mask Message". Loudwire. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  18. ^ Hadusek, Jon (16 October 2020). "Do Five Finger Death Punch Take an Anti‑Mask Stance with "Living the Dream" Video?". Consequence. Retrieved 14 March 2026.
  19. ^ "Ivan Moody hated Five Finger Death Punch's controversial 'anti-mask' video for Living The Dream". Metal Hammer. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  20. ^ Childers, Chad (26 July 2022). "Five Finger Death Punch's Ivan Moody 'Didn't Agree' With 'Living the Dream' Video Commentary". Loudwire. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  21. ^ "Living the Dream - Single by Five Finger Death Punch - Spotify". Spotify. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  22. ^ Grein, Paul (27 January 2022). "Justin Bieber Leads 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards Nominations". Billboard. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  23. ^ a b Rutherford, Kevin (3 February 2021). "Five Finger Death Punch Notches Milestone 10th Mainstream Rock Airplay No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  24. ^ "‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎Living the Dream - Song by Five Finger Death Punch - Apple Music". Apple Music.
  25. ^ "Five Finger Death Punch Chart History: Canada Rock". Billboard Canada. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  26. ^ "CZ - Radio - Top 20 Modern Rock". hitparada.ifpicr.cz. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  27. ^ "Five Finger Death Punch: Living the Dream" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  28. ^ "Five Finger Death Punch Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  29. ^ "Five Finger Death Punch Chart History (Rock & Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  30. ^ "Mainstream Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved 12 March 2026.


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