The music video for this song was also voted number one in a poll of Fuse Top 40 Videos of 2017 and is also nominated for Best Rock Video at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.
In late 2016, Shinoda revealed that he had worked with British songwriter Eg White on a song. In an interview leading up to the reveal of the album's lead single, "Heavy", Shinoda revealed that White had worked with him on the song "One More Light" while Brad Delson attended the funeral of one of the band's friends. When asked what he wanted to write about by White, Shinoda said that the only thing he could think about was the friend who had passed. He revealed that, in spite of the horrible inevitability of loss, the song is about letting people know that you care.
Later on the band revealed the friend was Amy Zaret, a 25-year veteran of Warner Bros. Records who died in October 2015 following a cancer diagnosis. Mike said,
"We had a friend who worked for the record label for a long time and came up with us from years and years ago. She started out in radio promo and was basically driving us to the local radio stations in the U.S. Midwest, eventually getting promoted and promoted. At some point last year, I suddenly heard that she'd got cancer - and then all of a sudden she had died. We knew we absolutely had to write about what happened. It's a sad song, but the pay-off is that when something dramatic and painful like that happens, the most important thing to do is to connect with the people you love and remind them you care about them."
The band surprised some of the people who worked at Warner with the song, and people reacted very emotionally to it, with some weeping, giving hugs, and telling stories. They played the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and dedicated it to their late friend Chris Cornell who had died a day before.
After lead singer Chester Bennington's suicide on July 20, 2017, the band selected "One More Light" as their next single. Shinoda wrote "One More Light was written with the intention of sending love to those who lost someone. We now find ourselves on the receiving end. In memorial events, art, videos, and images, fans all over the world have gravitated towards this song as their declaration of love and support for the band and the memory of our dear friend, Chester. We are so very grateful and can’t wait to see you again."
On October 25, 2017, American DJ/Producer and Linkin Park collaborator Steve Aoki released his remix of "One More Light", as his second tribute song to Bennington following his mashup, "Darker Than The Light That Never Bleeds", which was released a month earlier.
One More Light
Linkin Park Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can I help you, not to hurt, anymore?
We saw brilliance, when the world, was asleep
There are things that we can have, but can't keep
If they say
Who cares if one more light goes out?
In the sky of a million stars
Who cares when someone's time runs out?
If a moment is all we are
We're quicker, quicker
Who cares if one more light goes out?
Well I do
The reminders pull the floor from your feet
In the kitchen, one more chair than you need oh
And you're angry, and you should be, it's not fair
Just 'cause you can't see it, doesn't mean it, isn't there
If they say
Who cares if one more light goes out?
In the sky of a million stars
It flickers, flickers
Who cares when someone's time runs out?
If a moment is all we are
We're quicker, quicker
Who cares if one more light goes out?
Well I do
Who cares if one more light goes out?
In the sky of a million stars
It flickers, flickers
Who cares when someone's time runs out?
If a moment is all we are
We're quicker, quicker
Who cares if one more light goes out?
Well I do
Well I do
Linkin Park's song One More Light is a poignant reflection on the fragility of life and the impact that even one lost life can have. In questioning themselves with the lyrics "Should've stayed, were there signs, I ignored?" and "Can I help you, not to hurt, anymore?" the band is expressing the guilt and remorse of not being able to prevent a tragic loss while pointing out that there are things beyond our control. The song goes on to compare the light of a single life to a flicker in a sky of a million stars, emphasizing the idea that each and every life has value and that even the smallest light can make a difference.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of the unseen impact of a lost life, with lines like "The reminders pull the floor from your feet, In the kitchen, one more chair than you need oh, And you're angry, and you should be, it's not fair." This conveys the overwhelming and long-lasting effects that one person's absence can have on those left behind. Linkin Park's commitment to the message of this song is powerfully summed up in the final lyrics - "Who cares if one more light goes out? Well I do" - and serves as a call to action for listeners to recognize the worth of every life and the importance of being there for one another.
Line by Line Meaning
Should've stayed, were there signs, I ignored?
Did I overlook the signs that I should have paid attention to?
Can I help you, not to hurt, anymore?
Can I be there for you so you don't feel pain anymore?
We saw brilliance, when the world, was asleep
We found beauty in things that people often overlook or do not appreciate.
There are things that we can have, but can't keep
We might temporarily possess things that we will inevitably lose.
If they say
Who cares if one more light goes out?
In a sky of a million stars
It flickers, flickers
Who cares when someone's time runs out?
If a moment is all we are
We're quicker, quicker
Who cares if one more light goes out?
Well I do
The world might not notice or care when someone is lost or passes away, but the artist deeply cares for the person or people in question.
The reminders pull the floor from your feet
Events or reminders can be so overwhelming that they cause a person to lose their sense of stability.
In the kitchen, one more chair than you need oh
There is an empty space at the table - either someone has passed away or someone is absent.
And you're angry, and you should be, it's not fair
Just 'cause you can't see it, doesn't mean it, isn't there
The artist acknowledges that the person is rightfully angry, and that just because they can't see the things they're grieving doesn't mean they're not important or valuable to them.
Who cares if one more light goes out?
In a sky of a million stars
It flickers, flickers
Who cares when someone's time runs out?
If a moment is all we are
We're quicker, quicker
Who cares if one more light goes out?
Well I do
The world might not notice or care when someone is lost or passes away, but the artist deeply cares for the person or people in question.
Who cares if one more light goes out?
In a sky of a million stars
It flickers, flickers
Who cares when someone's time runs out?
If a moment is all we are
We're quicker, quicker
Who cares if one more light goes out?
Well I do
The world might not notice or care when someone is lost or passes away, but the artist deeply cares for the person or people in question.
Well I do
The singer reiterates that they care about the person or people in question.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Brad Delson, Chester Charles Bennington, Dave Farrell, Francis White, Joseph Hahn, Mike Shinoda, Robert G. Bourdon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Chester4ever21
Hey Chester, it's November 2023 and nothing is changed. We are still here listening, and forever will be. We all miss you.
@mansory3618
wow
@DaisyDonahue
@dfds2594 Amen! And the world has not completely learned how to do Chester's wish of everyone loving each other, but they will, at least more than they have, because of Chester's example. It keeps paying dividends of people waking up to love ❤🩹, and continues to, even more so. God bless you 🤗
@Trillzzaahir375
💔
@me_feel_like_poop
Don't cry...
Don't cry....
Don't cry.....
@gibbymartinez4975
😭😭😭😭
@kevinskytte7668
one man can save millions, but millions couldn't save one.
@shreyakhasbardar.7267
kevin skytte this is so true!
@Eclecticauthor23
this is what happens when u are trully alone with your pain and u cant find that one person to save u from the constant onslaught of suicide day in n day out..... i know cuz ive been battling it everyday for the last 28 years
@kevinskytte7668
i feel you...