Linkin Park

Released: October 9, 2020

Songwriter: Brad Delson Rob Bourdon Mr. Hahn Chester Bennington Mike Shinoda

Producer: Mike Shinoda

[Intro: Mike Shinoda]
So, what do you think?

[Verse 1: Mike Shinoda, Mike Shinoda & Chester Bennington]
What do I do to ignore what's behind me?
Do I follow my fate to escape blindly?
Do I hide my pride away from these bad dreams
And give in to sad thoughts that are maddening?
Do I let it go and try to stand it?
Or do I try to catch them red-handed?
Do I trust some and get fooled by phoniness?
Or do I trust none and live life in loneliness?
The sunlight burns the skin of sleeping men
I make the right turns but I'm lost within
I put on my daily façade but then
I just end up getting hurt again

[Pre-Chorus: Mike Shinoda & Chester Bennington]
By myself (Myself), I ask why
But in my mind, I find I can't rely on myself
(Myself), I ask why
But in my mind, I find I can't rely on myself

[Chorus: Chester Bennington & Mike Shinoda]
I can't hold on to what I want when I'm stretched so thin
It's all too much to take in
I can't hold on put in against you, I can't win
With thoughts of failure sinking in

[Verse 2: Mike Shinoda, Mike Shinoda & Chester Bennington]
If I turn my back, I'm defenseless
And to give in to fate seems senseless
If I hide my pride, I lie sleepless
And won't be able to cope with my weakness
If I let them go, I'll be outdone
But if I try to catch them I'll be outrun
If I'm killed by the questions like a cancer
Then I'll be buried in the silence of the answer by myself

[Pre-Chorus: Mike Shinoda & Chester Bennington]
By myself (Myself), I ask why
But in my mind, I find I can't rely on myself
(Myself), I ask why
But in my mind, I find I can't rely on myself

[Chorus: Chester Bennington & Mike Shinoda]
I can't hold on to what I want when I'm stretched so thin
It's all too much to take in
I can't hold on put in against you, I can't win
With thoughts of failure sinking in

[Interlude: Mike Shinoda]
How do you think that I've lost so much
Always afraid that I'm out of touch
How do you expect I'll know what to do
When all I know is what you tell me to

[Bridge: Mike Shinoda & Chester Bennington]
Don't you know
I can't tell you how to make it go
No matter what I do, how hard I try
I can't seem to convince myself why
I'm stuck on the outside
Don't you know
I can't tell you how to make it go
No matter what I do, how hard I try
I can't seem to convince myself why
I'm stuck on the outside

[Chorus: Chester Bennington & Mike Shinoda]
I can't hold on to what I want when I'm stretched so thin
It's all too much to take in
I can't hold on put in against you, I can't win
With thoughts of failure sinking in
I can't hold on to what I want when I'm stretched so thin
It's all too much to take in
I can't hold on put in against me, I can't win
With thoughts of failure from with-

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.

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Hybrid Theory (20th Anniversary Edition)

From the album

Hybrid Theory (20th Anniversary Edition) (2020)

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