One Step Closer
Linkin Park feat. Adema Lyrics

Linkin Park's "One Step Closer" depicts a situation where the artist is feeling overwhelmed by negative thoughts, as the lyrics suggest. The artist is expressing their frustration with someone who seems to be not listening and causing them to feel like they're going to snap. The opening line of the song "I cannot take this anymore" sets the stage for the desperate emotions that follow. The artist then goes on to describe how they are repeating themselves, and how it isn't resulting in any change in the situation. They find comfort in ignoring the issue but the problem persists.

The main chorus of the song, "Everything you say to me takes me one step closer to the edge and I'm about to break," reflects on this frustration, and the idea of the straw that broke the camel's back is evident in the way that the artist cannot cope anymore. They need space to escape this pressure, and the idea of breaking is emphasized by the repetition of the chorus.

The refrain "Shut up when I'm talking to you" can be interpreted as a metaphor for the artist's internal struggle that they don't want others to interfere with. Alternatively, it could portray a situation where someone is not listening and keeps talking, causing the artist to lose their composure.

Overall, this song addresses the struggle of not wanting to acknowledge your emotions and instead choosing to bury them. The longer we keep our issues bottled up, the closer we will get to our breaking point.