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"Goddamn Electric" is a song by the American heavy metal band Pantera, released as a single on March 17, 2000. It was released four days later on their ninth and final studio album, Reinventing the Steel. It is the second song on the album. "Goddamn Electric" was also released on the 2003 greatest hits album The Best of Pantera: Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys' Vulgar Hits!.

Background

The song features Slayer guitarist Kerry King, as he plays a solo during the last 45 seconds of the song. He recorded the solo in an Ozzfest bathroom.

Guitarist Dimebag Darrell said:

We brought a DA-88, a tape with a rough stereo mix of the whole tune on it, an SM-58 and a mic cord. I caught Kerry before he went onstage. He was warming up, and I said, 'Do you want to play on this tune? We rag on Slayer'. The first thing Kerry played was awesome. You can hear me at the end of the take yelling, 'Don't touch that! Fuck, that's hot!' He recorded it right there on the spot, backstage at Starplex in Dallas, in a bathroom. Kerry packed his shit up and fuckin' flew somewhere else and jammed some more.

According to Pantera bass player Rex Brown, the band had a specific sound in mind when they came up with this song. He told Songfacts: "We needed, like, a shuffle. After we did the 'Walk' thing, that was kind of, 'Well, we need one of those. We need something that's heavier than hell, but it's got to have that good thump to it that you can sing along to."

On the lyrics, Darrell said:

The song is about the vibe that we get when we crank up or play loud music, when we're in our element. Music heals the soul. It's goddamn electric. That's what we call it. Phil called me up with these lyrics that go, "Your trust is in whiskey and weed and Black Sabbath. It's goddamn electric." I said, "Dude, you hit it. You struck the nerve." The second time that line comes around, Phil sings, "Your trust is in whiskey and weed and Slayer." Phil was calling out all these bands that stuck true to their guns. They're our kind of guys.

Reception

AllMusic critic Steve Huey considered the song to be one of the three highlights from the album.

Metal Hammer ranked "Goddamn Electric" the 30th best Pantera song, writing that it is a "hymn to the glory of heavy fucking metal, performed by the genre's undisputed kings".

Loudwire ranked "Goddamn Electric" the 10th best Pantera song, writing that "the chunky riff, paired with Anselmo barking, 'Don't waste your time / Embrace it', represented a late period, yet still clear-cut, example of the band's anthemic prowess".

Guitar World ranked "Goddamn Electric", the 24th best Pantera song, writing that "Dimebag's solo is killer, but the thriller is a guest spot by Slayer's Kerry King, who delivers a wicked whammy-bar blast to close out the song’s final 45 seconds.

Track listing

1. "Goddamn Electric" (radio edit) - 4:14
2. "Goddamn Electric" (album version) - 4:56
3. "Goddamn Electric" (call-out hook) - 0:14

Personnel

Pantera

• Phil Anselmo – vocals
• Diamond Darrell – guitar
• Rex Brown – bass
• Vinnie Paul – drums

Additional musician

• Kerry King – outro guitar

References

1. Reinventing the Steel liner notes. Warner Music Group. 2000. p. 2.
2. "pantera.com". Retrieved 16 March 2015.
3. https://www.revolvermag.com/music/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-panteras-reinventing-steel
4. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/pantera/goddamn-electric
5. https://www.guitarworld.com/features/archive-dimebag-darrell-discusses-panteras-new-album-reinventing-steel
6. https://www.allmusic.com/album/reinventing-the-steel-mw0000053175
7. https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-50-greatest-pantera-songs-ever/3
8. https://loudwire.com/best-pantera-songs/
9. https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/25-greatest-pantera-songs

• Articles with bare URLs for citations from October 2019
• 2000 songs
• Pantera songs
• Songs written by Dimebag Darrell
• Songs written by Vinnie Paul
• Songs written by Phil Anselmo
• Songs written by Rex Brown