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)
One Step Closer (Featuring Jon
Linkin Park Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm saying everything I've said before
All these words they make no sense
I find bliss in ignorance
Less I hear the less you'll say
But you'll find that out anyway
Just like before
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
'Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I find the answers aren't so clear
Wish I could find a way to disappear
All these thoughts they make no sense
I find bliss in ignorance
Nothing seems to go away
Over and over again
Just like before
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
'Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
'Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to, break
Shut up when I'm talking to you
Shut up, shut up, shut up
Shut up when I'm talking to you
Shut up, shut up, shut up
Shut up, I'm about to break!
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
'Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to break
I need a little room to breathe
'Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
And I'm about to, break
Linkin Park's "One Step Closer" speaks to people at their breaking point. The lyrics articulate the frustrations many feel when they cannot find a way out of their situations. The repetition of "everything you say to me" implies that the person in question is being repeatedly hurt and pushed to the edge. They find comfort in not listening to the hurtful words ("Less I hear the less you'll say"). The lyrics express helplessness in the face of these mounting frustrations ("Wish I could find a way to disappear/All these thoughts they make no sense").
The pre-chorus personalizes the song even more, saying "takes me one step closer to the edge/And I'm about to break." This repetition of "one step closer" is the song's defining phrase, emphasizing that even the smallest thing can upend a person's fragile balance. The person in the song constantly needs room to breathe because they are constantly on the verge of breaking.
The bridge takes a hard turn, with the singer lashing out in anger at whoever is causing them so much pain. The shouting of "shut up" echoes the frustration and pent-up energy expressed in the rest of the song.
Overall, "One Step Closer" is a cathartic song about frustration and pain on the brink of breaking.
Line by Line Meaning
I cannot take this anymore
I am at my limit and cannot continue in this way
I'm saying everything I've said before
I have expressed these same frustrations in the past
All these words they make no sense
The communication is unclear and frustrating
I find bliss in ignorance
I find peace in not understanding the situation fully
Less I hear the less you'll say
If I stop engaging, you will follow suit
But you'll find that out anyway
You will eventually realize that I am not responding
Just like before
This is a recurring pattern
Everything you say to me
Your words and actions are affecting me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
It is pushing me closer to my limit
And I'm about to break
I am reaching my breaking point
I need a little room to breathe
I require space and the ability to disengage for my own well-being
'Cause I'm one step closer to the edge
I am feeling more and more overwhelmed
I find the answers aren't so clear
The resolution to this conflict is uncertain and unclear
Wish I could find a way to disappear
I desire to escape the situation
Nothing seems to go away
The issues persist and do not seem to improve
Over and over again
The cycle repeats
Shut up when I'm talking to you
I am frustrated with your lack of consideration for my input
Shut up, shut up, shut up
I need you to stop talking and listen to me
I'm about to break!
I cannot handle the situation any further
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRAD DELSON, CHESTER CHARLES BENNINGTON, JOSEPH HAHN, MIKE SHINODA, ROBERT G. BOURDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bowser515
How to make an awesome show even better? Get Jonathan Davis on stage of course!!
nirmal thakkar
And don't get me wrong he killed this one but can't say the same for the other one
nirmal thakkar
Yeah!! But He totally fucked one step closer at Hollywood Bowl forgot and mumbled half of the words
Michael Brown
😎
Ilyas Elouchihi
YEAH!
P4nd3m0n1um
6 years later and still no dislikes. God bless you guys 🤘
Yewstew
Chester rudely telling JD to shut up during his verse
Buttmunch
Ohh ok I thought he was actually being rude and I was like noooo Jon but now I see lmao
joy kennell
That would be a nice clickbait for this video...
Mr Nobody 101
@Emily Ann whoosh…