Black Heart
Stone Temple Pilot /Chester Benning Lyrics


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Black heart's comin', he?s a cold machine
Cuts like a knife, gentle and clean
Face like an angel, mind of a killer
Nobody else gonna love her better

Lay down now stay down
Took her life with a quick pull trigger
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Well I don?t mind, I don?t mind
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Said I don?t mind if you don?t mind

The color is all but faded
Out of a dead man's eyes
Down to his blackened heart

Black heart's kickin' like a beating drum
Shooting her down the sound of his gun
No compassion, hard as an assassin
Falling deeper still in that reckless fashion

Lay down now stay down
Deeper and deeper with a blind man's passion

(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Well I don?t mind, I don?t mind
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Said I don?t mind if you don?t mind

The color is all but faded
Out of a dead mans eyes
Down to his blackened heart

Rescue me
(If you don?t mind)
[x3]

If you don't mind
The color is all but faded
Out of a dead man's eyes
Down to his blackened heart
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)





(Yeah, yeah, yeah)

Overall Meaning

In Stone Temple Pilots/Chester Bennington's song Black Heart, the lyrics tell the story of a dangerous and manipulative man with a heart as black as coal. The opening lines describe him as a "cold machine" who is as sharp and precise as a knife. He has a "face like an angel" that is deceiving, as his mind is that of a killer. Despite his dangerous nature, the singer sings that "nobody else gonna love her better," suggesting that the man in question has a hold over someone who is unable to resist his charm.


The chorus, repeated twice, includes the lines "Well I don't mind, I don't mind / Said I don't mind if you don't mind." These seemingly contradictory and ambiguous lyrics can be interpreted in several ways. It could be that the singer is aware of the man's dangerous nature and is warning him to stay away, but is also acknowledging the attraction and allure that this kind of behavior holds for some people. Alternatively, the singer could be directing these lines towards the reluctant victim, suggesting that they don't mind the danger and are complicit in the relationship.


The repeated line "The color is all but faded / Out of a dead man's eyes / Down to his blackened heart" suggests the complete lack of compassion and emotion that this man is capable of. He is described as a "killer" and an "assassin" with a "blind man's passion," implying that he is acting purely on impulse and without any remorse or empathy for his actions.


Line by Line Meaning

Black heart's comin', he?s a cold machine
The singer is describing the arrival of an unfeeling, unloving individual.


Cuts like a knife, gentle and clean
The arrival of this individual is unthreatening and easy.


Face like an angel, mind of a killer
Despite appearing harmless, this individual has a thirst for destruction.


Nobody else gonna love her better
The artist is warning someone that the cold machine is going to inflict some type of damage upon their loved one.


Lay down now stay down
The artist is telling someone to stop resisting and give up.


Took her life with a quick pull trigger
The individual with a black heart has ended someone else's life in a swift motion.


(Yeah, yeah, yeah) Well I don?t mind, I don?t mind
The singer is indifferent to the situation.


(Yeah, yeah, yeah) Said I don?t mind if you don?t mind
The artist is confirming their indifference and is encouraging the person they are speaking with to not worry about things either.


The color is all but faded Out of a dead man's eyes Down to his blackened heart
The once living, vibrant individual has been extinguished, leaving only the black heart of the cold machine behind.


Black heart's kickin' like a beating drum Shooting her down the sound of his gun
The artist is describing a murderous rampage by the cold machine, driven by the sound of his own heart.


No compassion, hard as an assassin Falling deeper still in that reckless fashion
The cold machine is devoid of empathy and is spiraling out of control in his destructive path.


Deeper and deeper with a blind man's passion
The machine is acting with an obsessive-like fervor towards his violent acts.


Rescue me(If you don?t mind)[x3] If you don't mind
The singer is calling out for help, but acknowledges the cold machine's lack of empathy and their own indifference towards their own fate.


The color is all but faded Out of a dead man's eyes Down to his blackened heart
The individual who was pleading for help has met the same fate as others, and now lies lifeless, leaving only the cold machine's black heart.




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Chester C Bennington, Dean DeLeo, Eric Kretz, Robert Emile DeLeo

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@alstone4253

Chester's ability to adapt his singing style to different genres, artists and moods was extraordinary.

@stephaniemiller1360

I love this because I love chester!!

@alstone4253

@M J How so?

@wildcats3732

yeah. it was pretty magical

@chrono393

Yeah, Chester's voice really was amazing!

@AlienArt86

I mean I don't like Likin' park at all. It's a crap of rock 'n roll, but here I am impressed by Chester's singing. Well done.

4 More Replies...

@Queen_Homu

Coming back to this after hearing about the death of Chester and I think alot of people forget he even did this. He was a fantastic singer and his talent will be missed

@Asty1980

Colin Navarro this is a fucking awesome tune.

@operativo0016

@@Asty1980 Miss my boy Chester everyday.

@rickmalonerm

I'm not sure anyone forgot, it was his goal!

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