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)
Frgt10-Alchemist ft. Chali 2
Linkin Park Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the core I've forgotten (In the middle of my thoughts)
Taken far from my safety (The picture's there)
The memory won't escape me
We're stuck in a place so dark, you can hardly see
A manner of matter that splits with the words I breathe
And as the rain drips acidic questions around me
And duck away into the darkness, times up
I wind up in a rusted world with eyes shut
So tight that it blurs into the world of pretend
Then the eyes ease open and it's 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's 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
Listen to the sound, dizzy from the ups and downs
And nauseated by the polluted rock that's all around
Watchin' the wheels of cars that pass
I look past to the last of the light and the long shadows it casts
A window grows, captures the eye
And cries out a yellow light as it passes me by
And a young, shadowy figure sits in front of a box
Inside a building of rock with antennas on top
Now, nothing can stop in this land of the pain
The sane lose, not knowing they were part of the game
And while the insides change, the box stays the same
And the figure inside could bear anybody's name
The memories I keep are from a time like then
I put on my paper so I could come back to them
Someday I'm hopin' to close my eyes and pretend
That this crumpled up paper can 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's there)
The memory won't escape me
I'm here at this podium talking, the ceremonial offerings
Dedicated to urban dysfunctional offspring
What's happening?
City governments are eternally napping
Trapped in gritty covenants, causin' urban collapsing
Bullets that scar souls, with dark holds, get more than your car stole
Some hearts be blacker than charcoal for real
This society's deprivation depends, not on our differences
But the separation within
No preparation is made, limited aid, and minimum wage
Livin' in a tenement cage where rent isn't paid
Tragedy within a parade
The darkness overspreads like a permanent plague
I'm the forgotten
In the memory you'll find me
Eyes burning up
The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up
The lyrics of "Frgt10" by Linkin Park ft. Chali 2na delve into the themes of memory and forgetfulness. The song starts by the singer admitting that they have forgotten their core, and have been taken far from their safety. The imagery here is that of being lost and confused, unsure of one's place in the world. The singer then talks about being in a dark place where the "powers that be" are obscured from view. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for feeling powerless in the face of larger forces that are beyond one's control. The next verse talks about the memories that the singer holds, and how they are trapped in a "land of the pain." The singer keeps these memories on paper, as a way of holding onto them.
The second half of the song switches to Chali 2na's verse, which focuses on social issues like urban decay, poverty, and violence. The urban environment that he describes is one that is marked by deprivation, limited aid, and minimum wage. There is a sense of hopelessness and despair that permeates the lyrics. This verse can be seen as a commentary on the broader theme of memory and forgetfulness that runs throughout the song. The forgotten people that Chali 2na talks about - those who are trapped in a cycle of poverty and violence - are being forgotten by society at large. However, their stories and experiences live on, even if they go unnoticed.
Line by Line Meaning
From the top to the bottom (Bottom to top I stop)
I feel trapped in a dark place, unable to escape or see my way out.
At the core I've forgotten (In the middle of my thoughts)
My mind is clouded and I can't remember what's important to me.
Taken far from my safety (The picture's there)
I'm in a dangerous place, but I can still remember what safety looks like.
The memory won't escape me (But why should I care?)
I remember past events, but I wonder if they're even relevant anymore.
In the memory you'll find me
Eyes burning up
The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up
I'm stuck in a dark, painful memory, but I hope to find relief when things get better.
Listen to the sound, dizzy from the ups and downs
And nauseated by the polluted rock that's all around
I'm disoriented by all the chaos and pollution in my surroundings.
Watchin' the wheels of cars that pass
I look past to the last of the light and the long shadows it casts
I watch as life passes me by, and I'm left with only darkness and shadows.
A window grows, captures the eye
And cries out a yellow light as it passes me by
I glimpse a moment of hope, but it quickly passes me by.
And a young, shadowy figure sits in front of a box
Inside a building of rock with antennas on top
Now, nothing can stop in this land of the pain
The sane lose, not knowing they were part of the game
I see the influence of technology and media in our society, and how it can control people without them even realizing it.
And while the insides change, the box stays the same
And the figure inside could bear anybody's name
Although the world around us changes, the media and technology remain the same, and can influence anyone in any way.
The memories I keep are from a time like then
I put on my paper so I could come back to them
Someday I'm hopin' to close my eyes and pretend
That this crumpled up paper can be perfect again
I hold onto past memories, trying to remember a time when things were better. I hope to someday escape my current reality and relive those memories.
I'm here at this podium talking, the ceremonial offerings
Dedicated to urban dysfunctional offspring
What's happening?
I'm speaking about the problems that urban youth face, and wondering why no one is doing anything about it.
City governments are eternally napping
Trapped in gritty covenants, causin' urban collapsing
Bullets that scar souls, with dark holds, get more than your car stole
Some hearts be blacker than charcoal for real
The government is ignoring the problems in urban areas, causing more and more harm to the people living there. Violence and crime are rampant, and it's affecting people on a deep level.
This society's deprivation depends, not on our differences
But the separation within
No preparation is made, limited aid, and minimum wage
Livin' in a tenement cage where rent isn't paid
The problems in our society are caused by our divisions, and the lack of resources for those in need. People are living in poverty and deprivation, unable to meet their basic needs.
Tragedy within a parade
The darkness overspreads like a permanent plague
I'm the forgotten
Our society is full of tragedy and darkness, and it seems like no one is doing anything about it. I feel forgotten and ignored.
Contributed by Claire T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@cappuccino2345
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's there
The memory won't escape me
But why should I care
We're stuck in a place so dark, you could hardly see
A manner of matter that splits with the words I breathe
And as the rain drips acidic questions around me
I block out the sight of the powers that be
Duck away into the darkness, times up
I wind up in a rusted world with eyes shut
So tight that it blurs into the world of pretend
And the eyes ease open and it's 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's 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
Listen to the sound, dizzy from the ups and downs
And nauseated by the polluted rock that's all around
Watchin' the wheels of cars that pass
I look past to the last of the light and the long shadows it casts
A window grows and captures the eye
And cries out yellow light as it passes me by
And a young, shadowy figure sits in front of a box
Inside a building of rocks with antennas on top
Now, nothing can stop in this land of the pain
The same lose, not knowing they were part of the game
And while the insides change, the box stays the same
And the figure inside could bear anybody's name
The memories I keep are from a time like then
I put on my paper so I could come back to them
Someday I'm hopin' to close my eyes and pretend
That this crumpled up paper can 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's there
The memory won't escape me
I'm here at the podium talking, the ceremonial offerings
Dedicated to urban dysfunctional offspring
What's happening
City governments are eternally napping
Trapped in greedy covenants, causin' urban collapsing
Bullets that scar souls, with dark holds, get more than your car stole
Some hearts be blacker than charcoal
For real, this society's deprivation depends not on our differences, but the separation within
No preparation is made, limited aid, minimum wage
Livin' in a tenement cage where rent isn't paid
Tragedy within a parade
The darkness overspread like permanent plague
I'm the forgotten
In the memory you'll find me
Eyes burning up
The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up
@TheLifeOfZig
Lyric drop -
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's there
The memory won't escape me
We're stuck in a place so dark, you can hardly see
The manner of matter that splits with the words I breathe
And as the rain drips acidic questions around me
I block out the sight of the powers that be
And duck away into the darkness, time's up
I wind up in a rusted world with eyes shut
So tight that it blurs into the world of pretend
And the eyes ease open and it's 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 pictures 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
Listen to the sound, dizzy from the ups and downs
I'm nauseated by the polluted rock that's all around
Watching the wheels of cars that pass, I look past
To the last of the light and the long shadows it casts
A window grows, captures the eye
And cries out a yellow light as it passes me by
And a young shadowy figure sits in front of a box
Inside a building of rock with antennas on top
Now, nothing can stop in this land of the pain
The sane lose not knowing they were part of the game
And while the insides change, the box stays the same
And the figure inside could bear anybody's name
The memories I keep are from a time like then
I put 'em on paper so I could come back to them
Someday I'm hoping to close my eyes and pretend
That this crumpled up paper can be perfect again
Yo, 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 pictures there
The memory won't escape me
I'm here at this podium talking
This ceremonial offering's dedicated
To urban dysfunctional offspring
What's happening? City governments are eternally napping
Trapped in gritty covenants causing urban collapse and
Bullets that scar souls leave dark holes
Get more than your car stole
Some hearts be blacker than charcoal, for real
This society's deprivation depends not
On outward differences but the separation within
No reparation is made
Limited aid and minimum wage
Living in a tenement cage where rent isn't paid
Tragedy within a parade
The darkness overspreads like a permanent plague
On the forgotten
In the memory you'll find me
Eyes burning up
The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up
@rickthomas2606
Mike Shinoda did this whole album while they were still touring hybrid theory to keep fans satisfied but also because he's a genius workhorse, all these verses other than the guest rappers, that's him just using saved recordings on the tour bus. Thumbs this up for Mike. RIP Chester
@ghostrider5393
Mike is amazing. Extremely underrated.
@KJ-je9pm
If Mike makes Reanimation 2 with this kind of vibes, id offer him my left nut.
@psixi7230
I love all the remixes he did, 17 years later and still got me listening
@user-pe3ox1bt7e
True, bro. Many professors back then
@tsfbaf303
K J I‘m not sure that would motivate him
@agentoranges
Chali 2na stole the show on this track, his delivery and presence just adds greatly to the gritty dark inner city vibe they were going for
@commentwriter1897
2na is like the James Earl Jones of rap
what a voice he has
@eschewobfuscate
That’s the best analogy I’ve ever heard!
@michaelv.8706
That's because I'm here