Songwriter: Mr. Hahn Mike Shinoda Mark Wakefield Brad Delson

Producer: Mike Shinoda

[Intro: Mark Wakefield, Mike Shinoda]
From the top to the bottom (Bottom to top, I stop)
At the core of the rotten (Stoppin' right when I thought)
But sun has escaped us (So I'm fightin' the sky)
And I'm far from my weightless (Thinkin', "why did I try?")
From the top to the bottom (Bottom to top, I stop)
At the core of the rotten (Stoppin' right when I thought)
But sun has escaped us (So I'm fightin' the sky)
And I'm far from my weightless (Thinkin', "why did I try?")

[Verse 1: Mike Shinoda, with Mark Wakefield]
From the thread to the needle, middle-to-end
When skies cock back and shock that which couldn't defend
The rain then sends dripping an acidic question
Forcefully, the power of suggestion
Then, with the eyes tightly shut
Lookin' through the rust, and rot and dust
A spot of light floods the floor
And pours itself upon the world of pretend
Then the eyes ease open, and it's dark again

[Pre-Chorus: Mark Wakefield, Mike Shinoda]
From the top to the bottom (Bottom to top, I stop)
At the core of the rotten (Stoppin' right when I thought)
But sun has escaped us (So I'm fightin' the sky)
And I'm far from my weightless (Thinkin', "why did I try?")
From the top to the bottom (Bottom to top, I stop)
At the core of the rotten (Stoppin' right when I thought)
But sun has escaped us (So I'm fightin' the sky)
And I'm far from my weightless (Thinkin', "why did I try?")

[Chorus: Mike Shinoda, with Mark Wakefield]
In a minute, you'll find me
Eyes burn me up
You say you'll never forget me
But the lies have piled up

[Verse 2: Mike Shinoda]
Movin' all around, screamin' of the ups and downs
Pollution manifested in perpetual sound
And as the wheels go 'round, the sunset creeps
Past the street lamps, cars, chain-links, and concrete
A window then grows and captures the eye
And cries out yellow light as it passes it by
A small black figure sits in front of a box
Inside a box of rock with the needles on top
Nothin' stops in this land of the pain
The same lose, not knowin' they were part of the game
And then, the insides change, but the box stays the same
In shame, shovel up the pieces to the pain
You can try to hide yourself in the world of pretend
But when the paper's crumpled up, it can't be perfect again

[Pre-Chorus: Mark Wakefield, Mike Shinoda]
From the top to the bottom (Bottom to top, I stop)
At the core of the rotten (Stoppin' right when I thought)
But sun has escaped us (So I'm fightin' the sky)
And I'm far from my weightless (Thinkin', "why did I try?")
From the top to the bottom (Bottom to top, I stop)
At the core of the rotten (Stoppin' right when I thought)
But sun has escaped us (So I'm fightin' the sky)
And I'm far from my weightless (Thinkin', "why did I try?")

[Chorus: Mark Wakefield]
In a minute, you'll find me
Eyes burn me up
You say you'll never forget me
But the lies have piled up

[Bridge: Mike Shinoda, Mark Wakefield, both]
Yeah, I got you caught in the act, you better step back
Tellin' me that I'm seein' right through you
Yeah, I got you caught in the act, you better step back
Tellin' me that I'm seein' right through you
Yeah, I got you caught in the act, you better step back
Tellin' me that I'm seein' right through you
Yeah, I got you caught in the act, you better step back
Tellin' me that I'm seein' right through you
Yeah, I got you caught in the act, you better step back (Afraid of the end)
Tellin' me that I'm seein' right through you
Yeah, I got you caught in the act, you better step back (Afraid of the end)
Tellin' me that I'm seein' right through you
Yeah, I got you caught in the act, you better step back (Afraid of the end)
Tellin' me that I'm seein' right through you
Yeah, I got you caught in the act, you better step back (Afraid of the end)
Tellin' me that I'm seein' right through you

[Chorus: Mark Wakefield]
In a minute, you'll find me
Eyes burn me up
You say you'll never forget me
But the lies have piled up

[Outro: Mark Wakefield]
In a minute, you'll find me
Eyes burn me up
You say you'll never forget me
But the lies keep piling up

Linkin Park

Hybrid Theory isn’t just the title of Linkin Park’s chart-topping debut album, but a career mission statement.

From day one, the same six players (lead vocalist Chester Bennington, drummer/percussionist Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave ‘Phoenix’ Farrell, DJ/Programmer Joe Hahn, and keyboardist, guitarist, and co-lead vocals Mike Shinoda) built the band by fusing all their favorite styles of music into one unmistakable signature sound. With each album, Linkin Park defiantly challenges themselves and their fans by blasting into new musical territory. After setting the template for rock that incorporated hip-hop influences with Hybrid Theory and Meteora, they shifted gears completely and defied expectations with the polychromatic Minutes to Midnight, and again with the esoteric A Thousand Suns, before melding a piece of them all into 2012’s LIVING THINGS. With their 2014 release and heaviest offering in years, The Hunting Party, Linkin Park manage to capture their ever-innovative spirit with a hunger seldom seen in bands on their seventh album. One More Light (2017) is an interesting personal album, filled with a lot of emotion.

Unfortunately, on July 20, 2017, Chester unexpectedly died by suicide, shocking and saddening both fans and his own band members alike.

more tracks from the album

Hybrid Theory (20th Anniversary Edition)