Numb (Linkin Park song)

"Numb"
Song

For other uses, see Numb.

"Numb" is the thirteenth and final song on the 2003 album Meteora by the rock band Linkin Park, and is also the album's third single.

Themes

Numb talks about someone who has lost himself and forgotten who he is due to the fact that other people are pressuring him into being what they want him to be. The song is being told supposedly by a young person, as the music video shows several scenes centred around a young girl and her family.

Numb has been interpreted as being about how young people (mainly pre-teens, teenagers) feel pressure in being able to live up to many expectations, especially relatives (most likely parents). The lyrics 'all I want to do; is be more like me and be less like you' show the much demanded freedom that most underage people would like. The message brought out from the bridge tell about the hardships that the directed person has felt.

History

This song, like "My December" and "Crawling," features Mike Shinoda's rapping for a very short time: in fact, Mike only has one line of rap which is repeated throughout the song (although he does sing backup when the song is performed live). The line is "Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow" also at the end in live performances, he sings "I'm tired of being what you want me to be".

"Numb" was later used in a mash-up single along with Jay-Z's "Encore" from his 2003 album (The Black Album). The end result was Numb / Encore, on their collaborative 2004 album Collision Course, and released as a single in the same year. "Numb / Encore" was awarded as Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, at the Grammy Awards of 2006, and later a popular underground remix of the song Numb/Encore and the song Encore/Curtains Down by Eminem featuring 50 Cent and Dr. Dre was released by Dr. Dre on his Look Out For Detox and Dretox Mixtapes.

Jay-Z and Linkin Park later performed "Numb / Encore" at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia, PA in 2005. Linkin Park also performed "Numb" at the Live Earth concert in Tokyo in July 2007.

This song was released in two different singles: "Numb Pt. 1" and "Numb Pt. 2". They differed in color - "Numb Pt. 1" is white, while "Numb Pt. 2" is blue - and track listing. The cover of "Numb Pt. 1" is shown on the right.

Despite being featured in the teaser, trailers and in the film's opening sequence, the Collision Course mash-up mix Numb / Encore does not appear on the Miami Vice movie soundtrack. However, it is played at the beginning of the film inside a dance club.

An unofficial techno remix of Numb has currently been leaked into the internet, as well as a piano version.

The song was also covered by the British artist Jamelia.

Later in mid 2004, Brad Delson introduces a new heavy guitar riff intro.

Success

Numb was the most successful single from Meteora, reaching #11 on The Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on both Mainstream and Modern Rock charts. In chart success and popularity, "Numb" is surpassed only by "In The End" and "What I've Done" within the band's hit singles.

Music video

Directed by Joe Hahn, the indoor scenes of the video is set in a church in Los Angeles, while the outdoor scenes are set in Prague, the Czech Republic. The school interiors, the classroom, the corridor and the outside playground are set in the Johannes Kepler's Gymnasium in Prague. This was done because Chester was ill. The music video follows the troubles of a young, alienated female student at school as well as her problems with her parents - particularly her mother - at home.

The video has accumulated 6,100,800 views on YouTube.

Single Part 1

"Numb Pt. 1" track listing

1. "Numb"
2. "From The Inside" (Live)

"Numb Pt. 1" bonus

1. "Numb" (CD-ROM music video)

Single part 2

"Numb Pt. 2" track listing

1. "Numb"
2. "Easier To Run" (Live)

"Numb Pt. 2" bonus

1. "Faint" music video (CD-ROM music video)

External links

• Numb official lyrics
• Numb music video on YouTube