| Papercut | |||||
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| Song by Linkin Park from Hybrid Theory | |||||
| Released | September 25, 2001 | ||||
| Format | CD, Vinyl, DVD | ||||
| Recorded | 1996 - 2000 | ||||
| Genre | Alternative rock, Soft rock, Piano rock | ||||
| Length | 3:04 | ||||
| Label | Warner Bros. Records | ||||
| Writer | Linkin Park | ||||
| Producer | Don Gilmore | ||||
| Hybrid Theory Chronology | |||||
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"Papercut" is a song by American band Linkin Park, included as the first track from their debut album Hybrid Theory. It was released as the third single from the album on September 25, 2001.
Summary[]
The song is a thesis of someone always looking out for him/herself, and warning others that they are also paranoid.
Even though there are no acoustic instruments in the song, lead guitarist Brad Delson is shown playing an acoustic guitar in the video, and Phoenix is shown playing an acoustic bass guitar. And although there is drumming, Rob Bourdon doesn't play drums at all in the video. Chester Bennington has stated that Papercut is his favourite song from Hybrid Theory. In live performances, the lines "why does it feel like night today" and "something in here's not right today" is changed to "why does it look like night today" and "something inside's not right today".
On Linkin Park's remix album Reanimation, there is a remix of this song, titled "Ppr:Kut", which was remixed by DJ Cheapsho|. Elements from the song were used in the song Sold My Soul To Yo Mama, which appears on the band's 4th annual fan club CD. Furthermore, Collision Course contains a mix of this song and Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'".
Lyrics[]
Why does it feel like night today?
Something in here's not right today
Why am I so uptight today?
Paranoia's all I got left
I don't know what stressed me first
Or how the pressure was fed / but
I know just what it feels like
To have a voice in the back of my head
It's like a face that I hold inside
A face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face watches every time I lie
A face that laughs every time I fall
[And watches everything]
So I know that when it's time to sink or swim
That the face inside is hearing me right underneath my skin
It's like I'm... paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a... whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I.. can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
I know I've got a face in me
Points out all my mistakes to me
You've got a face on the inside too and
Your paranoia's probably worse
I don't know what set me off first but I know what I can't stand
Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is
I can't add up to what you can
But everybody has a face that they hold inside
A face that awakes when they close their eyes
A face watches every time they lie
A face that laughs every time they fall
[And watches everything]
So you know that when it's time to sink or swim
That the face inside is watching you too, right inside your skin
It's like I'm... paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a... whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I... can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
It's like I'm... paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a... whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I... can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The sun goes down...
I feel the light betray me
The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me
(The sun...)
It's like I'm... paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a... whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I... can't stop what I'm hearing within
(I feel the light betray me...)
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
It's like I'm... paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a... whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I... can't stop what I'm hearing within
(I feel the light betray me...)
It's like I... can't stop what I'm hearing within
(The sun...)
It's like I... can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
Music Video[]
| Papercut [Official HD Music Video] - Linkin Park | |||
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| Publish date | 5 March 2007 | ||
| Director | Joe Hahn • Nathan "Karma" Cox | ||
| Place shot | unknown | ||
| Views | 292,006,560 (as of 20 September 2024) | ||
The music video for the song was co-directed by Nathan "Karma" Cox. and filmed in May 2001. It shows the band performing in the lounge of an upscale house. Kerrang! describes the room next door as appearing "darker, twisted, shadowy". In this room a chrysalis is generated and hundreds of dragonflies emerge, referencing the cover art of Hybrid Theory. The room then begins to shape-shift around the band with faces coming through the wall.[1] The song's lyrics appear scrawled along the walls in the darker room. Brad Delson and Dave Farrell both appear playing acoustic instruments.[2]
Mike Shinoda reflected in 2021, "The only thing about that song that didn’t age well, in retrospect, is the video". He explains that it was made at a difficult time for the band when they were frequently getting into disagreements, so he chose not to give his views on Chester Bennington's outfit. He also comments, "The special effects are goofy [...] It’s not a terrible video, I think we’ve made worse, but when I watch it now, I look like a fucking idiot and I don’t know what’s going on".[1]
Trivia[]
- The artwork in the room that the band is playing resembles the Xero cover. The artwork was done by Mike Shinoda before the band got started on the video.
- If you look carefully, right after you see the statue's head moving in one part, you will see a small blue man dash past Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington.
- The song was the main inspiration for the name of the band's second singles compilation album, Papercuts - Singles Collection 2000-2023.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "I’m Sorry, I Don’t Know What We Were Doing": Mike Shinoda Reflects…" - Kerrang! (Retrieved 06 June 2024)
- ↑ Linkin Park - "Papercut [Official HD Music Video]" - Youtube (Retrieved 06 June 2024)
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