Forgotten
Linkin Park (05 Reanimation 2002) Lyrics


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From the top to the bottom
Bottom to top I stop
At the core I've forgotten
In the middle of my thoughts
Taken far from my safety
The picture is there
The memory won't escape me
But why should I care
From the top to the bottom
Bottom to top I stop
At the core I've forgotten
In the middle of my thoughts
Taken far from my safety
The picture is there
The memory won't escape me
But why should I care

There's a place so dark you can't see the end
(Skies cock back) and shock that which can't defend
The rain then sends dripping acidic questions
Forcefully, the power of suggestion
Then with the eyes shut looking thought the rust and rotten dust
A spot of light floods the floor
And pours over the rusted world of pretend
And the eyes ease open and its dark again

From the top to the bottom
Bottom to top I stop
At the core I've forgotten
In the middle of my thoughts
Taken far from my safety
The picture is there
The memory won't escape me
But why should I care

In the memory you'll find me
Eyes burning up
The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up

Moving all around
Screaming of the ups and downs
Pollution manifested in perpetual sound
The wheels go 'round and the sunset creeps past the
Street lamps, chain-link, and concrete
A little piece of paper with a picture drawn
Floats on down the street 'til the wind is gone
The memory now is like the picture was then
When the paper's crumpled up it can't be perfect again

From the top to the bottom
Bottom to top I stop
At the core I've forgotten
In the middle of my thoughts
Taken far from my safety
The picture is there
The memory won't escape me
But why should I care
From the top to the bottom
Bottom to top I stop
At the core I've forgotten
In the middle of my thoughts
Taken far from my safety
The picture is there
The memory won't escape me
But why should I care

In the memory you'll find me
Eyes burning up
The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up

Now you got me caught in the act
You bring the thought back
I'm telling you that
I see it right through you
Now you got me caught in the act
You bring the thought back
I'm telling you that
I see it right through you
Now you got me caught in the act
You bring the thought back
I'm telling you that
I see it right through you
Now you got me caught in the act
You bring the thought back
I'm telling you that
I see it right through you
Now you got me caught in the act
You bring the thought back
I'm telling you that
I see it right through you
Now you got me caught in the act
You bring the thought back
I'm telling you that
I see it right through you
Now you got me caught in the act
You bring the thought back
I'm telling you that
I see it right through you

In the memory you'll find me
Eyes burning up
The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up
In the memory you'll find me
Eyes burning up




The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up

Overall Meaning

The song "Forgotten" by Linkin Park is about feeling lost and forgotten within one's own mind. The lyrics express a struggle with memories that won't escape and a feeling of being taken far from safety. The imagery of top to bottom and bottom to top adds to the sense of disorientation, as if the singer is constantly flipping and turning without any sense of direction. They know they should care, but they can't find the strength or energy to do so.


The verses paint a bleak picture of a dark and polluted world where acid rain falls and the only light is a spot flooding the rusted floor. The singer is screaming through the ups and downs, and pollution is manifested in perpetual sound. The picture drawn on the little piece of paper is a memory that is no longer perfect, but the memory won't escape them.


The chorus repeats the feelings of being forgotten and lost in the midst of one's own thoughts. The darkness is holding the singer tightly until the sun rises up, suggesting that perhaps there is hope after all. The bridge shifts to a more confrontational tone, with the singer insisting that they are not fooled by someone else's attempts to catch them in the act of forgetting. The final repetition of the chorus emphasizes the persistence of memory, even when one is trying to forget.


Line by Line Meaning

From the top to the bottom
Beginning to end, I pause at each extreme


Bottom to top I stop
Ending to beginning, I pause once more


At the core I've forgotten
I have come to the center of my being, where a memory has slipped away


In the middle of my thoughts
I am in the midst of reflecting, with a gap in my recollection


Taken far from my safety
My sense of security has been shattered by distance


The picture is there
A mental image remains


The memory won't escape me
I can't forget this experience


But why should I care
Yet, I question why this is important


There's a place so dark you can't see the end
A pitch-black realm seems endless


(Skies cock back) and shock that which can't defend
A sudden, violent thunderstorm attacks the helpless


The rain then sends dripping acidic questions
The persistent drizzle poses corrosive queries


Forcefully, the power of suggestion
The potent influence of suggestion prevails


Then with the eyes shut looking thought the rust and rotten dust
Shut-eye inspection of cracks and decay reveals hidden brightness


A spot of light floods the floor
A single glimmer illuminates the area


And pours over the rusted world of pretend
This light exposes the decay underneath the veneer of make-believe


And the eyes ease open and its dark again
Vision returns, only to discover the darkness remains


In the memory you'll find me
You'll find me preserved in memory


Eyes burning up
My eyes ablaze with emotion


The darkness holding me tightly
The darkness grips me firmly


Until the sun rises up
Until the morning light brings release


Moving all around
The surroundings constantly in motion


Screaming of the ups and downs
A loud cacophony narrates life's peaks and valleys


Pollution manifested in perpetual sound
Noise pollution created by continual noise


The wheels go 'round and the sunset creeps past the
Life goes on, as the sun slowly sets


Street lamps, chain-link, and concrete
Urban architecture on display


A little piece of paper with a picture drawn
A scrap of paper holds a hand-drawn sketch


Floats on down the street 'til the wind is gone
The paper drifts along, carried by the wind


The memory now is like the picture was then
The memory of that day is now linked to that single picture


When the paper's crumpled up it can't be perfect again
When the paper is wrinkled, its original state can't be regained


Now you got me caught in the act
You exposed my inner thoughts


You bring the thought back
You revived the memory in my mind


I'm telling you that
I'm sharing with you


I see it right through you
I can see your true intentions


In the memory you'll find me
I am preserved in memory


Eyes burning up
My eyes ablaze with emotion


The darkness holding me tightly
The darkness grips me firmly


Until the sun rises up
Until the morning light brings release




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Brad Delson, Chester Charles Bennington, Dave Farrel, Joseph Hahn, Mark Wakefield, Mike Shidona, Robert G. Bourdon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@eman5230

Love how the beginning gets straight to the point. Gets me freaking hyped.

@bryanreamy3214

Exactly. people don't understand why I'm already headbanging before the song starts playing.

@larsulcer7156

@@bryanreamy3214 That's because the song starts before you

@ddog2549

SAME

@VLNC_-ci8pf

samee

@tomgreenfan

Sky's cick back

13 More Replies...

@MattCantuMusic

2:18 is definitely my favorite part of the song. I love the “oooooooooOOooo”s that Chester is doing underneath mikes rapping. That chord progression just screams late 90’s - early 2000’s alternative. Then it blends right into that last chorus. Truly one of the greatest songs ever written and one of the reasons why Hybrid Theory is perfect

@hyakugame

is this a copypasta

@tyronelewis5110

@@hyakugame LMFAO i could definitely see this being a copypasta

@rezei

unironically i agree, i go back and play that part atleast 5 times after listening the first playthrough

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