For My Sunday Song #467, we are talking “Bleed it Out” by Linkin Park. The song is off their 2007 album ‘Minutes to Midnight and was the 2nd single off the album. The song went to #1 in the UK on their Rock chart and to #2 in the US and the Alternative charts (#3 on the Mainstream Rock Chart). It went 4x platinum in the U.S. which is crazy for a song that didn’t break the Top 40 on the Hits chart. The album was also produced by Rick Rubin, so they brought out the big guns.
The song was written by Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda with all the music composed and credited to the entire Linkin Park band. The original working title of the song was “Accident”. According to Mike, the song is about the struggles of writing a song. For this particular one, he was having so much trouble with it and worked on it for over a month. The opening line highlights the struggles, “Yeah, here we go fro the hundredth time”, referring to how many times he has re-written the song. The process was driving him nuts and he was losing his mind. He bleeds for these songs and then ends up throwing it away and starting over to make the song better.
Well, he eventually found the right words and made a pretty damn fine song. I also love the line that says “Half the words don’t mean a thing / And I know that I won’t be satisfied” as that is usually the case for most songs. The words are there sometimes simply because they sound good together. Def Leppard has confessed to that in the past. Still, so much time and effort is put into it to make it right and he ended doing great with it. Another great example of the meaning behind the song is “Go stop the show /Choppy words and a sloppy flow” as it refers to picking the correct words so everything flows (again, they don’t have to mean anything, just needs to flow right).
Musically, the song feels like a party with what sounds like a roomful of people having a good time. The hand claps keep it upbeat despite the anger and frustration in those lyrics. It is an upbeat, rocking track that has a wild energy to it. Mike spits out those lyrics in rapid succession and then that chorus is huge when Chester comes in with that edge and anger to his tone. Throw in some of his classic screams and I’m hooked. You can’t help but move to that hand clap beat. The guitar riff throughout is a little sinister, the drums are the driving heartbeat. There is a building intensity to it and then it ends.
Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. I love the intensity behind it and I believe there must be an extreme pressure to write a hit song after hit song. It isn’t easy or everyone would do it. That frustration turned into a fun, heavy song that continued my fandom of Linkin Park. Thanks for stopping by and l hope you all have a wonderful and Happy Sunday!! Remember, no how hard things get, something good can come from it.
“Bleed It Out”
[Mike Shinoda:]
Yeah here we go for the hundredth time
Hand grenade pins in every line
Throw ’em up and let something shine
Going out of my fucking mind
Filthy mouth, no excuse
Find a new place to hang this noose
String me up from atop these roofs
Knot it tight so I won’t get loose
Truth is you can stop and stare
Bled myself out and no one cares
Dug the trench out laid down there
With a shovel up out of reach somewhere
Yeah, someone pour it in
Make it a dirt dance floor again
Say your prayers and stomp it out
When they bring that chorus in
[Chester Bennington:]
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
Just to throw it away
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out
[Mike Shinoda:]
Go stop the show
Choppy words and a sloppy flow
Shotgun opera lock and load
Cock it back and then watch it go
Mama help me I’ve been cursed
Death is rolling in every verse
Candy paint on his brand new hearse
Can’t contain him he knows he works
Fuck this hurts, I won’t lie
Doesn’t matter how hard I try
Half the words don’t mean a thing
And I know that I won’t be satisfied
So why try ignoring him?
Make it a dirt dance floor again
Say your prayers and stomp it out
When they bring that chorus in
[Chester Bennington:]
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
Just to throw it away
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out
I’ve opened up these scars
I’ll make you face this
I’ve pulled myself so far
I’ll make you face this now!
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
Just to throw it away
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out digging deeper
Just to throw it away
Just to throw it away
Just to throw it away
I bleed it out
I bleed it out
I bleed it out
Writer(s): Joseph Hahn, Chester Charles Bennington, Brad Delson, Mike Shinoda, Robert G. Bourdon, David Farrell
