Numb was released in 2003 in the album Meteora by Linkin Park. The song belongs to the alternative rock and indie genre, which is evident by the toned-down colors in its video. Everyone is wearing leather jackets with platinum hair but more on that later. First, we learn the undermining meaning of the song.
How to Download Numb – Linkin Park
You can download the whole album Meteora from iTunes together with Numb. Click on the Download button at the end of this review
The Song Review
Numb by Linkin Park – the Meaning of the Lyrics
The song begins by translating depression into words. The artists are aware we are always attempting to impress the people around us without prioritizing ourselves. Sometimes we even go above and beyond to give our heart and soul to a special someone, yet the results are less than ideal.
The band sings about blaming ourselves to please other people. Yet, in reality, these people are just manipulating us to be someone we are not. We should always continue to be ourselves without trying to forcefully settle.
As the first verse continues, the lyrics imply we also seek attention from other people too. We believe it makes us feel valued and heard. We say “yes” to their requests. However, in return, we are completely ignored as if we didn’t hold any meaning.
Humans are not mind-readers. Therefore, we cannot sense what the other person is thinking. As a result, we are unsure why our partner is being rude to us or why are they causing a drift. We always try to be the bigger person. We care to carry the reputation of the couple. When everything stops working, we have a mental breakdown. We curse, we cry, we feel pain.
The chorus of Numb is the main body of the song. The verse emphasizes our need to be liked which is pointless when we feel there is no one around us. In the end, we feel helpless and tired with sinking feeling everything is coming to an end—depression!
However, even when feeling so down, we cannot pull away from our partner. They still control how we feel, our thoughts, and our emotions. This is the tipping point of depression when we cannot control our own thoughts. We are constantly bombarded by malicious thoughts—the voices inside our heads that won’t go away no matter how much we try.
The song concludes by admitting no mistakes were made. However, we were held responsible for everything that went wrong. At this point, we have stopped blaming ourselves and submitting to foreign influences. Be it limited conversation with the partner or staying silent. Regardless, we are emotionally drained without light at the end of the tunnel.
The Video
A woman is standing on a bridge above a canal in a European country. Immediately, the frame switches to the band playing the song in a cathedral. As the video plays, we see a classroom setting. The same woman is sketching when the teacher signals her to stop. It appears the student has trouble translating her thoughts through words. Therefore, she does it through drawing.
The school bell rings and everyone leaves the classroom. However, the artistically gifted student stays behind, wondering what she did so wrong to receive such strict treatment. Later on, we see the student being bullied in school hallways. Eventually, she trips and falls to the floor.
We learn about the home life of the same student. The viewer is introduced to a nagging single parent at the dinner table which makes her wonder about her life even more. She is presented as an outcast on the streets and outside playgrounds.
Listen to Numb Today
Do you feel life mimics activities in the video? Do you have trouble fitting in or making new friends? It’s not because you are weird but because you are unique and different. Never compromise on the societal pressure to become generic when you can individually stand out among thousands.
