Formed in 1996, Linkin Park rose to international fame with their debut studio album, Hybrid Theory (2000), which became certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Released during the peak of the nu metal scene, the album's singles' heavy airplay on MTV led the singles "One Step Closer", "Crawling" and "In the End" all to chart highly on the US Mainstream Rock chart. The lattermost also crossed over to the nation's Billboard Hot 100. Their second album, Meteora (2003), continued the band's success. The band explored experimental sounds on their third album, Minutes to Midnight (2007). By the end of the decade, Linkin Park was among the most successful and popular rock acts.
The band continued to explore a wider variation of musical types on their fourth album, A Thousand Suns (2010), layering their music with more electronic sounds. The band's fifth album, Living Things (2012), combined musical elements from all of their previous records. Their sixth album, The Hunting Party (2014), returned to a heavier rock sound, and their seventh album, One More Light (2017), was a substantially more pop-oriented record. Linkin Park went on a hiatus when longtime lead vocalist Bennington died in July 2017. In April 2022, Shinoda revealed the band was neither working on new music nor planning on touring for the foreseeable future.
Linkin Park is among the best-selling bands of the 21st century and the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 100 million records worldwide. They have won two Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, two Billboard Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, 10 MTV Europe Music Awards and three World Music Awards. In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth-greatest band of the music video era and the third-best of the new millennium. Billboard ranked Linkin Park No. 19 on the Best Artists of the Decade list. In 2012, the band was voted as the greatest artist of the 2000s in a Bracket Madness poll on VH1. In 2014, the band was declared as "The Biggest Rock Band in the World Right Now" by Kerrang!.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linkin_Park
Studio albums
Hybrid Theory (2000)
Meteora (2003)
Minutes to Midnight (2007)
A Thousand Suns (2010)
Living Things (2012)
The Hunting Party (2014)
One More Light (2017)
Papercut
Linkin Park Lyrics
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Something in here's not right today
Why am I so uptight today?
Paranoia's all I got left
I don't know what stressed me first
Or how the pressure was fed
But I know just what it feels like
To have a voice in the back of my head
Like a face that I hold inside
face that awakes when I close my eyes
face that watches every time I lie
face that laughs every time I fall (and watches everything)
So I know that when it's time to sink or swim
That the face inside is here in me, right underneath my skin
It's like I'm paranoid, lookin' over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
I know I've got a face in me
Points out all my mistakes to me
You've got a face on the inside too
Your paranoia's probably worse
I don't know what set me off first but I know what I can't stand
Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is I can't add up to what you can
But everybody has a face that they hold inside
face that awakes when I close my eyes
face that watches every time they lie
face that laughs every time they fall (and watches everything)
So you know that when it's time to sink or swim
That the face inside is watching you too, right inside your skin
It's like I'm paranoid, lookin' over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
It's like I'm paranoid, lookin' over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me
The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me (the sun)
It's like I'm paranoid, lookin' over my back (the sun)
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath the skin (I feel the light betray me)
It's like I'm paranoid, lookin' over my back (the sun)
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within (I feel the light betray me)
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
In "Papercut," Linkin Park explores paranoia and the constant internal battle with self-doubt and negative thoughts. The verses describe the feeling of being on edge without knowing exactly why, and the presence of a voice inside the singer's head that criticizes and mocks them. The face mentioned in the lyrics seems to represent this negative, critical voice that manifests itself within the singer's psyche, observing their every movement and flaw. The chorus reflects the universality of this inner turmoil, suggesting that everyone has their own inner critic that undermines their confidence and instills paranoia. The final lines of the song describe the singer feeling betrayed by the light, which could be interpreted as the hope that they once had to overcome their struggles.
Overall, "Papercut" is a commentary on the power of self-doubt and negative self-talk, which can lead to feelings of anxiety, paranoia, and inner turmoil. The song offers a message of solidarity to listeners who may be struggling with their own inner demons, reminding them that they are not alone in their struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Why does it feel like night today?
I'm feeling lost and unsure of myself, like it's always dark and I'm struggling to find my way.
Something inside's not right today
There's something off, something not quite right that's making me feel uneasy and unsettled.
Why am I so uptight today?
I'm feeling anxious and stressed, like I can't relax and I'm on edge all the time.
Paranoia's all I got left
I'm consumed by paranoia, like it's the only thing that's left in my life and it's taking over everything.
I don't know what stressed me first
I can't pinpoint exactly what triggered this stress and anxiety, but it's there and it's affecting me deeply.
Or how the pressure was fed
I'm not sure how this pressure and stress built up inside me, but it's overwhelming and hard to deal with.
But I know just what it feels like
Despite not knowing where this stress came from, I know how it feels and how it's affecting me.
To have a voice in the back of my head
There's a constant voice in my head, reminding me of my fears and anxieties and making it hard to focus on anything else.
It's like a face that I hold inside
It's like there's a face that's always with me, even when no one else is around, reminding me of my fears and insecurities.
A face that awakes when I close my eyes
This face comes to life when I'm alone and my mind starts to wander, making it hard to relax and let go of my fears.
A face watches every time I lie
This face always seems to know when I'm not being honest with myself, reminding me of my fears and making it hard to ignore them.
A face that laughs every time I fall (and watches everything)
This face seems to take pleasure in my failures and shortcomings, always watching and judging me even when no one else is around.
So you know that when it's time to sink or swim
When I'm faced with a difficult situation, I know that my fears and anxieties will be right there with me, making it hard to succeed.
That the face inside is here in me, right underneath my skin
No matter what happens, this face will always be a part of me, a constant reminder of my fears and insecurities.
I know I've got a face in me
I'm aware that I have this internal face that's always with me, reminding me of my fears and anxieties.
Points out all the mistakes in me
This face is always quick to criticize and judge me, pointing out all of my flaws and shortcomings.
You've got a face on the inside too
We all have an internal face that's always with us, reminding us of our fears and insecurities.
Your paranoia's probably worse
While we all have our own internal faces, it's likely that your fears and anxieties are even stronger than mine.
Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is I can't add up to what you can
Others often make me feel like I'm not good enough, like I can't measure up to their expectations or accomplishments.
But everybody has a face that they hold inside
We all have our own fears and insecurities that we carry with us, even if we don't always show them to the world.
The sun goes down, I feel the light betray me
Even when the world around me changes, my internal fears and anxieties remain constant and unchanging, always there to hold me back.
It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back
I'm always fearful and anxious, always feeling like something bad is about to happen even when everything seems fine.
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
My thoughts and fears swirl around inside my head, making it hard to focus or find peace.
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
No matter how hard I try, I can't shake these internal fears and anxieties, always hearing that voice in my head.
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
This internal face is always just below the surface, always there to remind me of my fears and shortcomings.
The face inside is right beneath your skin
We all have our own internal faces, our own fears and anxieties that we carry with us beneath the surface.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brad Delson Delson, Chester Charle Bennington, Joseph Hahn, Mike Shinoda, Robert G. Bourdon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ricardo Nunez
Crazy how young mike sounds here. He really only used that aggressive tone while rapping in his EARLY days. Sounded great, don’t know why he dropped it. And Chester’s “beneath my skin” were flawless. RIP King.
Sujay95
@Kenji yes. Maybe not OML but MTM, ATS, Living Things for sure. You'd know that if you'd actually listened to those albums.
Kenji
@Sujay95 Minutes To Midnight and One More Light is "mature like adults" kkkkkkkkkkkkk
Sujay95
@Liam Curran where did I say or imply that in any way? Don't put words in my mouth.
Liam Curran
@Sujay95 matured into adults means boring and less passionate? No
Sujay95
Because their style evolved with age and they matured as adults.
Zafar Siam
Listened to the entire album once again after a long time. Happy birthday, Hybrid Theory <3
Daniel
This album was one of the main albums of a generation. Thanks for this work, guys.
Rei Syre
From original and now this live version of Papercut, its still Awesome as LP makes 😍😍
god_particle
I love Chester Bennington. RIP my brother