Linkin Park songs that are about depression (+9 songs explained)

This article will discuss what Linkin Park songs are about depression, and what they say about the condition. Aside from that, the article will explain more about what depression is, about the band Linkin Park, and how depression was a part of the life of its band members.

What are the Linkin Park songs that are about depression?  

Linkin Park has many songs that can connect to the feelings depression brings. Let’s show some of them.

Heavy from One More Light (2017)

This song was written from a discussion of the group on how each of them experienced different troubles in life. The singer also said that this song relates to how sometimes it may be hard to look at life when things are good. This shows how depression can take away even the happy moments from a person.

“I don’t like my mind right now

Stacking up problems that are so unnecessary

Wish that I could slow things down

I wanna let go but there’s comfort in the panic

And I drive myself crazy

Thinking everything’s about me

Yeah, I drive myself crazy

‘Cause I can’t escape the gravity”

Somewhere I belong from Meteora (2003) 

This hit of the band talks about emptiness. It discusses many aspects of depression besides the emptiness, it talks about how people can feel stuck, and guilty, and how sometimes, even when they want to feel better, they just don’t find a way to do it. They can’t seem to find a place where they belong.

“…Just stuck, hollow and alone

And the fault is my own, and the fault is my own

I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real

I wanna let go of the pain I’ve felt so long

I wanna heal. I want to feel like I’m close to something real…”

Breaking the Habit from Meteora (2003) 

This is a song that was written about a friend of Mike Shinoda, who had many drug problems. But it shows how it can cause people to try and get better, but how hard it can be to move away from all of these emotional problems.

“Clutching my cure

I tightly lock the door

I try to catch my breath again

I hurt much more than any time before

I have no options left again

I don’t want to be the one the battles always choose

’cause inside I realize that I’m the one confused”

Numb from Meteora (2003) 

In the song Numb, one of the biggest hits of the band, they talk about how tired they are of doing things as people expect, and how they have become numb in that attempt. To feel better, they say they need to reconnect with themselves and focus on their well-being, which can be hard for people with depression.

“I’m tired of being what you want me to be

Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface

Don’t know what you’re expecting of me

Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes

(Caught in the undertow

Just caught in the undertow)

Every step that I take is another mistake to you

(Caught in the undertow

Just caught in the undertow)

I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you there

Become so tired, so much more aware

I’m becoming this, all I want to do

Is be more like me and be less like you”

Leave Out All the Rest from Minutes to Midnight (2008) 

During an interview, Chester Bennington said this song was an apology letter. He said it felt as if he was saying goodbye but wanted people to remember the good things about him, rather than the bad.  This shows in this part:

“When my time comes, forget the wrong I’ve done

Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed

Don’t resent me and, when you’re feeling empty

Keep me in your memory, leave out all the rest…”

Easier to Run from Meteora (2003)

In the lyrics, the band says how it seems easier to run away and replace the pain they feel with a sense of numbness. They say that facing the pain alone is too hard, and how, compared to their last, it seems like something was taken out of them.

“It’s easier to run

Replacing this pain with something numb

It’s so much easier to go

Than face all this pain here all alone”

By Myself from Hybrid Theory (2000)

This song shows a person with no confidence, Which is common when someone is depressed. It also refers to someone that is battling drug addiction. 

“What do I do to ignore them behind me?

Do I follow my instincts blindly?

Do I hide my pride from these bad dreams

And give in to sad thoughts that are maddening?

Do I sit here 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 nobody and live in loneliness?

Because I can’t hold on when I’m stretched so thin

I make the right moves but I’m lost within

I put on my daily façade but then

I just end up getting hurt again

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

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 (To anything watching everything spin)

With thoughts of failure sinking in”

In the End for Meteora (2003) 

This song, which the lead singer Chester Bennington didn’t want to put on the record, became one of the most known ones. When thinking about depression, in hearing this song, one can say it can be related to the hopelessness that comes with depression.

“I tried so hard and got so far

But in the end, it doesn’t even matter

I had to fall to lose it all

But in the end, it doesn’t even matter”

Crawling from Hybrid Theory (2000)

The lead singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington has stated this was one of the hardest songs for him to perform. When he wrote it, he was going through a lot of traumatic experiences. 

He was going through a divorce and using alcohol and drugs as a way to cope. This song shows how he felt without any control over himself.

“There’s something inside me that pulls beneath the surface

Consuming, confusing

This lack of self-control I fear is never ending

Controlling, I can’t seem

To find myself again

My walls are closing in

Without a sense of confidence

I’m convinced that there’s just too much pressure to take

I’ve felt this way before

So insecure

Crawling in my skin

These wounds they will not heal

Fear is how I fall

Confusing what is real”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): What are the Linkin Park songs that are about depression? 

What are suicidal thoughts? 

Suicidal thoughts are the thoughts a person has around the idea of ending their own life. It can be a momentary and fleeting thought, in which the person just thinks about how it would be if they weren’t alive. This is usually a more passive suicidal thought.

But there is another type of suicidal thought that is more active, in which the person not only thinks about how it would be if they weren’t alive. They plan what to do, when, and how. This can cause a person to, in a moment of crisis, try and hurt themselves.

When a person is having suicidal thoughts, they will show it by some changes in their behavior. They can become more agitated, and have a harder time sleeping. Aside from that, they can start to show some curiosity around death, violent acts, and even suicide.

They can start to isolate themselves more and become more irritable. Along with that, they can start to say their goodbyes, and give away their belongings. If you ever feel like that, it is extremely important to look for professional help.

How can I help a friend with suicidal thoughts? 

If you think your friend is having suicide, the first to do is to ask them. You can have an honest conversation with them, share your concerns, and directly ask them if they are considering suicide. Since suicide is such a taboo topic, it might be a relief for them that someone is open to talking about it.

Through this conversation, you can discover if they are just thinking about it, or if they have already been planning it. Once you have this talk, you might want to be present often. 

Be it through text or in person. Show them you are there and are supporting them. This will help them feel more connected which is a great thing to prevent someone to attempt suicide.

If your friend says he has been planning suicide, you may help them look for help. You can also set a schedule with the rest of your friend’s support network so your friend is never alone, being that in an impulsive moment they can try something. You might also want to put out of their reach anything they might use to hurt themselves.

Can a song make me depressed? 

No, a song doesn’t necessarily make you depressed. It can have a great impact on your mood, but not make you depressed. You might think that listening to sad music can make you depressed, but research has shown that when a person that is depressed listens to a sad song, they can rather feel connected which can make their feelings more relatable.

Does drug addiction lead to suicide? 

It can be that addiction leads to suicide due to some reasons. When a person is addicted to drugs or alcohol they can feel as if there is no hope. No hope for them to get better, no hope to improve their relationships or all the problems that drug addiction causes.

In the long hall, the addiction can lead to unhappiness, which can lead to them abusing substances, even more, to avoid the negative feelings, putting them in a spiral of bad decisions, which can lead to regrets. The person can feel extremely guilty and ashamed about their decisions.

This line of thought can make them feel like they are not worth living. Causing them to assume self-defeat and consider that the world might be better without them. Causing them to withdraw and isolate themselves, and at some point, they might act to end their life.

Does depression have a cure?

No, depression doesn’t have a cure. That is because depression has a genetic factor to it, and that is impossible to change. Aside from that, people that have been going through depression, have a higher chance of developing it again.

So it is common to say that depression goes into remission. You will be able to feel a huge improvement in your emotional condition, and you can go back to your regular life. 

You might want to take, as part of your life from then on, attention to your mental health, which can prevent you from going through future depressive episodes.

Conclusion

This article explained what are the songs from the band Linkin Park that are about depression. Aside from that, it explained what depression is, and how it was a part of the life of the band members, for that, the article made a brief history of the band.

If you have any questions or comments about this article, feel free to write them in the section below.

References

https://www.yourtango.com/2017305067/11-best-linkin-park-songs-meaning-depression-suicide-addiction-chester-bennington

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression