“My Own Prison” by Creed

"My Own Prison" is the title track and lead single from Creed's 1997 debut, and it was the song that broke the band. It first surfaced on Locals Only, a compilation from the radio station WXSR-FM, and went on to reach number two on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart.

It was one of the first songs they wrote. After half a dozen tunes spent groping for an identity, a rehearsal of an unreleased number called "Grip My Soul" convinced them they had found their sound, and this one followed close behind. As always, Mark Tremonti wrote the music and Scott Stapp the words, which Stapp says he scribbled down after waking from a dream at three or four in the morning. It's post-grunge at its most brooding: churning guitars and Stapp's big, heaving voice straining toward the chorus.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.