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)
Hunger Strike
Linkin Park Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From the mouths of decadence
But I can't feed on the powerless
When my cup's already overfilled
But it's on the table
The fire is cooking
And they're farming babies
Blood is on the table
And the mouths are choking
But I'm growing hungry
I don't mind stealing bread
From the mouths of decadence
But I can't feed on the powerless
When my cup's already overfilled
But it's on the table
The fires cooking
And they're farming babies
While the slaves are all working
And it's on the table
The mouths are choking
But I'm growing hungry
I'm going hungry
I'm going hungry (I'm going hungry)
I'm going hungry (I'm going hungry)
I'm going hungry (I'm going hungry)
I'm going hungry (I'm going hungry)
Linkin Park's cover of the song "Hunger Strike" by Temple of the Dog communicates the frustration of someone who is aware of the disparities in society but is still forced to engage in them to sustain their own survival. They don't mind taking from those who have more than they need, but they cannot bring themselves to exploit the powerless. The singer's cup is already overflowing, which suggests that they have already received more than they need. Despite this, the inequality in the world is unbearable. The metaphorical statement "they're farming babies/while slaves are working" creates a powerful image of exploitation of the helpless, while others benefit from it. The blood on the table intensifies this visual and amplifies the singer's anger and dissatisfaction with their circumstances.
The chorus repeats the previous stanza's opening two lines, emphasizing the singer's recognition of their moral dilemma. Still, the situation they describe in the second section of the previous stanza grows more intense. The singer is practically starving, and the exploitation of the powerless he or she sees around them is becoming unbearable. The repetition of "I'm going hungry" reinforces this sense of urgency and emotional distress.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't mind stealing bread
I am willing to do whatever it takes to survive
From the mouths of decadence
Even if it means taking from those who have more than they need
But I can't feed on the powerless
I cannot take from those who are already struggling to survive
When my cup's already overfilled
I already have enough, and taking from others would be excessive
But it's on the table
There are opportunities for wealth and success available
The fire is cooking
There are people who are benefitting from the suffering of others
And they're farming babies
They are taking advantage of the innocence and vulnerability of children for their own gain
While slaves are working
There are people who are being exploited and forced to work under terrible conditions
Blood is on the table
There is a cost to this way of life, and the cost is often human suffering
And the mouths are choking
The victims of this system are struggling and suffering as a direct result of the actions of those in power
But I'm growing hungry
Despite having enough, I am still seeking more, and it is becoming all-consuming
I'm going hungry (I'm going hungry)
I am consumed by my hunger for more, even at the cost of others
I'm going hungry (I'm going hungry)
My obsession with wealth and success is becoming all-consuming
I'm going hungry (I'm going hungry)
I am willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to achieve my goals
I'm going hungry (I'm going hungry)
My hunger for more is driving me to do things that I know are wrong
Contributed by Alexander O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Top10Archive
Whoever is watching this in 2020 better download it before the internet loses this masterpiece forever. Two other versions, both with millions of views, have recently been deleted in the past 1-2 weeks. This is the last known version of this song/camera angle that I've seen.
@linkinlady79
My downloaded copies actually disappeared from 3 diff devices so now Iām gonna play it on here n record it with a diff device so the greedy fucks that keep removing this beautiful moment can fuck right offāš½
@glendahoman1157
Why delete they make me sick. I got 1my copy
@ZoomerStasi
Susan can go fuck herself.
@carliespruill1532
If only there was a service that could archive information for people.. .
@robg951
These 2 greats were very aware of child abuse and child trafficking. This song is about it. Awareness. Thatās why this song is slowly being erased. Chester is John Podestas son. Look into it.
@lisasullivan934
This hits differently once you know certain things. Rest in peace brave men. We have this now. š
@x4an0n
šÆ
@troyspencer3996
These two guys were MURDERED by the satanists demons!!
@KORNBG
Tears flowing now.......