Bennington first gained prominence as a vocalist following the release of Linkin Park's debut album Hybrid Theory (2000), which was a worldwide commercial success. The album was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2005, making it the best-selling debut album of the decade, as well as one of the few albums ever to achieve that many sales. Linkin Park's following studio albums, from Meteora (2003) to One More Light (2017), continued the band's success.
Bennington formed his own band, Dead by Sunrise, as a side project in 2005. The band's debut album, Out of Ashes, was released on October 13, 2009. He became the lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots in 2013 to release the extended play record High Rise on October 8, 2013, via their own record label, Play Pen, but left in 2015 to focus solely on Linkin Park. As an actor, he appeared in films such as Crank (2006), Crank: High Voltage (2009), and Saw 3D (2010).
On July 20, 2017, Bennington was found dead at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California; his death was ruled a suicide by hanging. Hit Parader magazine placed Bennington number 46 on their list of the "100 Metal Vocalists of All Time". Writing for Billboard, Dan Weiss stated that Bennington "turned nu metal universal".
Bennington possessed a three octave tenor vocal range, beginning at the low bass G (G2), and reaching its peak at the tenor G (G5). His vocals showed tremendous durability for the entirety of his career. Altheapi of Rolling Stone wrote: "Bennington's voice embodied the anguish and wide-ranging emotions of the lyrics, from capturing life's vulnerable moments to the fury and catharsis found in his belted screams, which he would often move between at the turn of a dime."
Talking about his favorite bands and influences, Bennington mentioned Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, Arcade Fire, Circle Jerks, Descendents, Deftones, Jane's Addiction, Metallica, Ministry, Minor Threat, Misfits, The Naked and Famous, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Refused, Skinny Puppy, Soundgarden, and A Tribe Called Quest. Bennington also considered himself as "a huge Madonna fan", crediting her for making him grow up wanting to be a musician.
After Bennington's death, his widow Talinda Bennington launched a campaign called 320 Changes Direction in honor of her husband to help break the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Morning After
Chester Bennington Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tied my chain to the ball again,
It never seems to amaze my mind
So I just sleep, sleep, sleep,
Sleep, sleep, sleep!
Please don't...
Wake me 'til the morning after
Cut and bruised by the fall again
Lick my wounds like a dog again
Is that a light at the end of the tunnel that I see, I see
Please let it be but don't wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after
I'm so tired, there has got to be an end
To the pain I feel when I'm awake and alive, alive, alive
Alive and I'm dreaming
Caught up against the wall again,
Tied my chain to the ball again,
It never seems to amaze my mind
So I just sleep, sleep, sleep,
Sleep, sleep, sleep!
Please don't...
Wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after
I'm so tired, there has got to be an end
To the pain I feel when I'm awake and alive, alive, alive
Alive and I'm dreaming...Caught up against the wall again,
Tied my chain to the ball again,
It never seems to amaze my mind
So I just sleep, sleep, sleep,
Sleep, sleep, sleep!
Please don't...
Wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after
Cut and bruised by the fall again
Lick my wounds like a dog again
Is that a light at the end of the tunnel that I see, I see
Please let it be but don't wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after
I'm so tired, there has got to be an end
To the pain I feel when I'm awake and alive, alive, alive
Alive and I'm dreaming
Caught up against the wall again,
Tied my chain to the ball again,
It never seems to amaze my mind
So I just sleep, sleep, sleep,
Sleep, sleep, sleep!
Please don't...
Wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after
Wake me 'til the morning after
I'm so tired, there has got to be an end
To the pain I feel when I'm awake and alive, alive, alive
Alive and I'm dreaming...
The lyrics of Chester Bennington's song "Morning After" represent the feeling of being stuck in a cycle of pain, where it seems like no matter what steps you take or how hard you try, you always end up in the same place. The lines "Caught up against the wall again, Tied my chain to the ball again, It never seems to amaze my mind" show this feeling of being trapped and unable to break free from the struggle. The repetition of "sleep, sleep, sleep" reflects the desire to escape and avoid facing the reality of the situation.
The chorus "Wake me 'til the morning after" is a plea to not have to face the pain of the present. The hope for a better future is represented in the lines "Is that a light at the end of the tunnel that I see, I see Please let it be, but don't wake me 'til the morning after." The repetition of this phrase in the chorus emphasizes the desire for relief and the need to escape the present.
Overall, the lyrics of "Morning After" convey a message of hopelessness and exhaustion while also reflecting the desire for escape and the hope for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Caught up against the wall again,
Feeling trapped and helpless once again.
Tied my chain to the ball again,
Feeling bound and held back by something I can't control.
It never seems to amaze my mind
I'm constantly shocked that things never seem to get better.
So I just sleep, sleep, sleep, Sleep, sleep, sleep!
I resort to escapism through sleep to avoid dealing with my problems.
Please don't... Wake me 'til the morning after
I'm asking to delay facing reality by staying asleep until the morning.
Cut and bruised by the fall again
I've been knocked down again and am physically hurt.
Lick my wounds like a dog again
I'm tending to my own injuries without anyone's help.
Is that a light at the end of the tunnel that I see, I see
I'm hopeful that things may finally be getting better.
Please let it be but don't wake me 'til the morning after
I want to continue sleeping until I know for sure that things are improving.
I'm so tired, there has got to be an end
I'm exhausted from constantly dealing with pain and negativity.
To the pain I feel when I'm awake and alive, alive, alive
I'm in constant pain and it feels like there is no escape.
Alive and I'm dreaming...
I'm alive physically, but my mind is escaping through dreams.
Contributed by Sydney A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@layla_studio.5050
Chester Bennington will be always a Legend
@BrandonHardaker
Amazing movie. Amazing song. I miss Chester.
@MayaState
Not enough people know about this song!!
@Maryclaire92
Why is this not on Spotify 😢
@gabicapabianco8890
it is, search for morning after by dead by sunrise (it was chester's side project)
@Maryclaire92
@@gabicapabianco8890 thank you! I know that version, it is slightly different from this one in the arrangement, anyway it wasn't available on my Spotify till some time ago. Now I can see it 😃
@gabicapabianco8890
@@Maryclaire92 no problem :)
@Angels79av
@@Maryclaire92I don’t see it on Spotify 😢😢 how do you ??
@Thunder_RG
También me preguntó lo mismo! Deseo tenerla y me encanta ❤
@DavidRodriguez-rc8nr
There's GOT to be an end to the pain I feel when I'm Wake & Alive. Alive & Ever Dreaming!