Chris Benoit will forever remain one of the most infamous names in pro wrestling history following the tragic double murder-suicide in 2007 that claimed the lives of his wife and son. Our Lady Peace recorded his WWE theme song and they stopped playing it for years but now it appears they performed his theme for the first time in 13 years recently.
“Whatever” became well-known in wrestling as Chris Benoit’s entrance music from 2002 to 2007. It was originally released on the WWE album “WWF Forceable Entry,” and the band later included a live version on their 2003 album Live. Our Lady Peace announced in 2012 that they would no longer perform Chris Benoit’s “Whatever” theme song live and removed it from their catalog following Benoit’s tragedy.
However, at a concert in Calgary, Alberta on February 20, 2025, lead singer Raine Maida introduced the song with a heartfelt message. He explained that the band had avoided playing it for years because of its troubled history, but now, they had chosen to reclaim the song as their own, talking about its connection to mental health.
“This next song, is kind of a… it’s a song we don’t play. We recorded it and ended up on this big soundtrack, and it has this troubled past tied to it so we didn’t play it for a long time, until tonight actually. Things happen in your life and they can own you or you can own them, we decided to take back ownership of this song because it is our song. It has to do with mental health, and that’s how we’re taking control.”
Playing “Whatever” in Calgary was an important step for Our Lady Peace in giving the song a fresh meaning. By performing the song again, the band is trying to respect their music while acknowledging its difficult past.
This shows the challenge artists face when their work becomes connected to tragic events and how they try to move forward while honoring that history. That’s exactly why fans truly respect them now for bringing back the song with a whole new perspective.
Do you agree with Our Lady Peace’s decision to bring back “Whatever” with a new message? How do you feel about artists reclaiming songs tied to controversial histories? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
