DJ Allyn – The Soundtrack for my Life

New Divide – Linkin Park  

Linkin Park was formed in 1996 by three high school friends from Agoura Hills, California. Their first album, Hybrid Theory was released in October 2000 and contained In the End, One Step Closer, and Crawling.

They get their sound from intertwined “Nu Metal” and “Rap Rock”, with influences and elements from hip-hop, alternative rock, and electronica, which gives them somewhat of a cross-over popularity.

Originally consisting of three high school friends, Linkin Park’s foundation was anchored by Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, and Rob Bourdon. After graduating from high school, the California natives began to take their musical interests more seriously, recruiting Joe Hahn, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, and Mark Wakefield to perform in their band, Xero. Though limited in resources, the band began recording and producing songs within Shinoda’s make-shift bedroom studio in 1996. Tensions and frustration within the band grew after they failed to land a record deal. The lack of success and stalemate in progress prompted Wakefield, at that time the band’s vocalist, to leave the band in search for other projects. Farrell also left to tour with Tasty Snax and other bands.

After spending a considerable time searching for Wakefield’s replacement, Xero recruited Arizona vocalist Chester Bennington. Jeff Blue, the vice president of Zomba Music, had referred him to the band in March 1999. Bennington, formerly of Grey Daze, became a standout among applicants because of his unique singing style. The band changed its name from Xero to Hybrid Theory. The newborn vocal chemistry between Shinoda and Bennington helped revive the band, inciting them to work on new material. The band’s renaissance culminated with a change in name; from Hybrid Theory, the band changed its name to Linkin Park, a play on and homage to Santa Monica’s Lincoln Park. However, despite these changes, the band still struggled to sign a record deal. After facing numerous rejections from several major record labels, Linkin Park turned to Jeff Blue for additional help. After failing to catch Warner Bros. Records on three previous reviews, Jeff Blue, now the vice president of Warner Bros. Records, helped the band sign a deal with the company in 1999. The band released its breakthrough album, Hybrid Theory, the following year.

New Divide

New Divide was recorded as a single for the film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

I remembered black skies
the lightning all around me
I remembered each flash
as time began to blur
Like a startling sign
that fate had finally found me

And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve

So give me reason
to prove me wrong
to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross
the distance in your eyes

Give me reason
to fill this hole
connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide

There was nothing in sight
but memories left abandoned
There was nowhere to hide
the ashes fell like snow
And the ground caved in
between where we were standing

And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve

So give me reason
to prove me wrong
to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Across this new divide

In every loss
in every lie
In every truth that you’d deny
And each regret
and each goodbye
was a mistake to great to hide

And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve

So give me reason
to prove me wrong
to wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes

Give me reason
to fill this hole
connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide

Across this new divide
Across this new divide

• Audio from the 2009 single, New Divide:

Crawling ~ Linkin Park  

Linkin Park was formed in 1996 by three high school friends from Agoura Hills, California. Their first album, Hybrid Theory was released in October 2000 and contained In the End, One Step Closer, and Crawling.

They get their sound from intertwined “Nu Metal” and “Rap Rock”, with influences and elements from hip-hop, alternative rock, and electronica, which gives them somewhat of a cross-over popularity.

Crawling

Crawling in my skin
These wounds they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing what is real
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

Discomfort, endlessly has pulled itself upon me
Distracting, reacting
Against my will I stand beside my own reflection
It`s haunting how i cant 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

Crawling in my skin
These wounds they will not heal
Fear is how I fall
Confusing confusing what is real

There’s something inside me that pulls beneath the surface
Consuming,confusing what is real
This lack of self-control I fear is never ending
Controlling,confusing what is real.

One Step Closer ~ Linkin Park  

Linkin Park was formed in 1996 by three high school friends from Agoura Hills, California. Their first album, Hybrid Theory was released in October 2000 and contained In the End, One Step Closer, and Crawling.

They get their sound from intertwined “Nu Metal” and “Rap Rock”, with influences and elements from hip-hop, alternative rock, and electronica, which gives them somewhat of a cross-over popularity.

One Step Closer

The original title for the song was “Plaster”. The band say they created “One Step Closer” while struggling on “Runaway”, the sixth track from Hybrid Theory. The single was released in 2001, achieving notable success in Australia, but moderate success in the UK and U.S.

I cannot take this anymore
Saying everything I’ve said before
All these words they make no sense
I found bliss in ignorance
Less I hear the less you’ll say
You’ll find that out anyway

Just like before…

Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I’m about to break
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I’m one step closer to the edge
And I’m about to break

I find the answers aren’t so clear
Wish I could find a way to disappear
All these thoughts they make no sense
I found bliss in ignorance
Nothing seems to go away
Over and over again

Just like before…
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I’m about to break
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I’m one step closer to the edge
And I’m about to break
Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I’m one step closer to the edge
And I’m about to
break

Shut up when I’m talking to you
Shut up, shut up, shut up
Shut up when I’m talking to you
Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up

I’m about to BREAK

Everything you say to me
Takes me one step closer to the edge
And I’m about to break
I need a little room to breathe
Cause I’m one step closer to the edge
And I’m about to break

In The End ~ Linkin Park  

Linkin Park was formed in 1996 by three high school friends from Agoura Hills, California. Their first album, Hybrid Theory was released in October 2000 and contained In the End, One Step Closer, and Crawling.

They get their sound from intertwined “Nu Metal” and “Rap Rock”, with influences and elements from hip-hop, alternative rock, and electronica, which gives them somewhat of a cross-over popularity.

In the End

It was released as a single in 2001. It was originally written as a poem by the lead vocalist, Chester Bennington, with Chris Petersen, and was later established as a sufficient song for the album. The original demo version of this song was labeled “Untitled” (which may or may not have been an actual title) and contained various different rap verses by Shinoda.

“In the End” is their highest charting single in most countries. It is widely regarded as their most famous song, and the one which best describes their musical style (a melodic interplay between Chester Bennington’s singing/yelling and Mike Shinoda’s rapping).

This song is mainly based on one person’s failure. It is considered symbolic of an ending relationship.

[It starts with]

One thing I don’t know why
It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind I designed this rhyme
To explain in due time

[All I know]

time is a valuable thing
Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
Watch it count down to the end of the day
The clock ticks life away

[It's so unreal]

Didn’t look out below
Watch the time go right out the window
Trying to hold on but didn’t even know
Wasted it all just to

[Watch you go]

I kept everything inside and even though I tried it all fell apart
What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when

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

One thing I don’t know why
It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind I designed this rhyme
To remind myself how

[I tried so hard]

In spite of the way you were mocking me
Acting like I was part of your property
Remembering all the times you fought with me
I’m surprised

[it got so far]

Things aren’t the way they were before
You wouldn’t even recognize me anymore
Not that you knew me back then
But it all comes back to me

[In the end]

You kept everything inside and even though I tried it all fell apart
What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when

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

I’ve put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There’s only one thing you should know

I’ve put my trust in you
Pushed as far as I can go
For all this
There’s only one thing you should know

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