Formed in 1994, Limp Bizkit became popular playing in the Jacksonville underground music scene in the late 1990s, and signed with Flip Records, a subsidiary of Interscope, which released their debut album, Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$ (1997). The band achieved mainstream success with their second and third studio albums, Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000), although this success was marred by a series of controversies surrounding their performances at Woodstock '99 and the 2001 Big Day Out festival.
Shortly after the release of Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, Limp Bizkit went on a hiatus while Fred Durst recovered from being crucified by Slipknot. Borland left the group in 2001, but Durst, Rivers, Otto and Lethal continued to record and tour with guitarist Mike Smith. Following the release of their album, Results May Vary (2003), Borland rejoined the band and recorded The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) (2005) with Durst, Rivers, Lethal and drummer Sammy Siegler before entering a hiatus. In 2009, the band reunited with Borland playing guitar and began touring, culminating with the recording of the album Gold Cobra (2011), after which they left Interscope and later signed with Cash Money Records. In 2014, a sixth studio album, Stampede of the Disco Elephants, was to be released but remained in development hell. Eventually, a new album called STILL SUCKS was recorded with all of the original band members and released digitally only in October 2021.
Fred Durst grew up in Jacksonville, where he took an interest in breakdancing, hip hop, punk rock and heavy metal. He began to rap, skate, beatbox and deejay. While mowing lawns and working as a tattoo artist, he developed an idea for a band that combined elements of rock and hip hop. Durst played with three other bands, Split 26, Malachi Sage, which were unsuccessful, and 10 Foot Shindig, which Durst left to form a new band. Durst told Sam Rivers, the bassist for Malachi Sage, "You need to quit this band and start a band with me that's like this: rappin' and rockin'." Rivers suggested that his cousin, John Otto, who was studying jazz drumming at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and playing in local avant garde bands, become their drummer. Durst, Rivers and Otto jammed and wrote three songs together, and Wes Borland later joined as a guitarist.
Durst named the band Limp Bizkit because he wanted a name that would repel listeners. According to Durst, "The name is there to turn people's heads away. A lot of people pick up the disc and go, 'Limp Bizkit. Oh, they must suck.' Those are the people that we don't even want listening to our music." Other names that were considered by Durst included Gimp Disco, Split Dickslit, Bitch Piglet, and Blood Fart. Every record label that showed an interest in the band pressured its members to change its name. Limp Bizkit developed a cult following in the underground music scene, particularly at the Milk Bar, an underground punk club in Jacksonville. The band's local popularity was such that Sugar Ray, who had a major label contract, opened for a then-unsigned Limp Bizkit at Velocity with hip hop group Funkdoobiest. Milkbar owner, Danny Wimmer, stated that Limp Bizkit "had the biggest draw for a local band. They went from playing [for] ten people to eight hundred within months. Fred ... was always marketing the band. He would go to record stores and get people involved, he was in touch with high schools." However, the band knew that to achieve national success, they would have to distinguish themselves in their live performances. Attracting crowds by word of mouth, the band gave energetic live performances, covering George Michael's "Faith" and Paula Abdul's "Straight Up", and featuring Borland in bizarre costumes. Borland's theatrical rock style was the primary attraction for many concert attendees.
Let Me Down
Limp Bizkit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Heartbreak is a headache
Like a toothache or an earthquake
Spontaneous combustion
Leaves a taste that so disgustin'
And it don't go away too fast
On a window made of broken glass
Anything but you
And that's what's wrong (that's what's wrong)
That's what I get (that's what I get)
For feeling this (for feeling this)
Anyway
Just let me know (just let me know)
All I'll miss (all I'll miss)
When I'm gone
Just throw it all away
You let me down
Like everybody says
You let me down
Write me off like yesterday
You let me down
Oh, I guess that's your not good enough to be with me
Ooh, ooh
Rumors are tumors
Of the sick and mainly useless
When you come to me with these things
It's the shit that I can't deal with
Still I gave you all of me
Faithfulness and honesty
Prayed for God to bring you near
Along with all these tears
When that's what's wrong (that's what's wrong)
That's what I get (that's what I get)
For feeling this (for feeling this)
Anyway
Just let me know (just let me know)
All I'll miss (all I'll miss)
When I'm gone
Just throw it all away
You let me down
Like everybody says
You let me down
Write me off like yesterday
You let me down
Oh, I guess that's your not good enough to be with
Good enough to be with me
I would like to thank you
For lettin' me know I can feel this way
Feel this way
For lettin' you know I can feel
Just throw it all away
You let me down
Like everybody says
You let me down
Write me off like yesterday
You let me down
Oh, I guess that's your not good enough to be with me
Just throw it all away
You let me down
Like everybody says
You let me down
Write me off like yesterday
You let me down
Oh, I guess that's your not good enough to be with
Good enough to be with me
In Limp Bizkit's "Let Me Down," the lyrics explore the feeling of betrayal and disappointment. The first verse compares heartbreak to a headache and an earthquake, suggesting that it can be extremely painful and destabilizing. The line "And it don't go away too fast" emphasizes the lingering effects of heartbreak. The mention of the broken glass window creates an image of something shattered and irreparable, much like a relationship that has been broken. Fred Durst, the vocalist, then sings about how he only ever needed the person who let him down, but now realizes that it was a mistake to rely on them. The chorus repeats the phrase "You let me down" and highlights the frustration and hurt of being disappointed by someone they trusted.
Line by Line Meaning
Heartbreak is a headache
The pain of heartbreak can be as distressing as a headache.
Like a toothache or an earthquake
Heartbreak can be as unbearable as a toothache or as devastating as an earthquake.
Spontaneous combustion
The sudden flames of love and passion can be hard to contain or understand.
Leaves a taste that so disgustin'
The bitter aftertaste of heartbreak can be hard to shake off or forget.
And it don't go away too fast
The pain of heartbreak can linger for a long time and be hard to overcome.
On a window made of broken glass
The fragility of love and relationships is symbolized by a broken glass window.
I've never needed anything
The singer has always relied on the person they are singing to for support and love.
Anything but you
The singer has always relied on the person they are singing to for support and love.
And that's what's wrong (that's what's wrong)
The singer realizes that relying too much on someone else can be unhealthy and unproductive for a relationship.
That's what I get (that's what I get)
The singer understands the consequences of depending too much on someone else and feeling let down when things don't work out.
For feeling this (for feeling this)
The singer recognizes that their own emotions and desires have played a role in the breakdown of the relationship.
Anyway
Despite the difficulties and pain of the relationship, the singer still has feelings for the other person.
Just let me know (just let me know)
The singer wants the other person to communicate clearly about their feelings and intentions.
All I'll miss (all I'll miss)
The singer is aware that there are good things about the relationship that they will miss if it ends.
When I'm gone
The singer is considering leaving the relationship if the other person doesn't change or communicate more effectively.
Rumors are tumors
The spread of rumors can be as damaging and painful as a physical tumor.
Of the sick and mainly useless
The singer doesn't see the value or usefulness of rumors, particularly when they are untrue or exaggerated.
When you come to me with these things
The singer is frustrated and overwhelmed by the other person's gossip and hearsay.
It's the shit that I can't deal with
The singer feels helpless and incapable of handling the negativity and lies that are being spread.
Still I gave you all of me
Despite the difficulties of the relationship, the singer gave their all to make it work.
Faithfulness and honesty
The singer was committed to being faithful and honest in the relationship.
Prayed for God to bring you near
The singer looked to a higher power for guidance and support in the relationship.
Along with all these tears
The singer has shed many tears and experienced a lot of pain in the relationship.
I would like to thank you
The singer is being sarcastic and is actually angry at the other person.
For lettin' me know I can feel this way
The singer is resentful that the other person has caused them so much pain and heartbreak.
Just throw it all away
The singer is giving up on the relationship and wants to move on.
You let me down
The singer feels disappointed and betrayed by the other person.
Like everybody says
The singer feels like the other person has let down not only them but everyone else who cared about the relationship.
Write me off like yesterday
The singer feels like the other person is discarding or dismissing them like they are no longer important.
Oh, I guess that's your not good enough to be with me
The singer is expressing their own value and worth, implying that the other person is not worthy of them.
Good enough to be with me
The singer believes that they deserve better and will not accept anything less than what they think they deserve.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: John Everett Otto, Samuel Robert Rivers, Steve Miller, William Frederick Durst
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind