anonymous September 14th, 2007 10:16AM  

I don't think it's not really about drug addiction or anything like that.

'Then with the eyes tightly shut looking thought the rust and rot and dust
A spot of light floods the floor
And pours over the rusted world of pretend
The eyes ease open and it’s dark again'

Maybe this verse talking about how someone did something wrong in their life or something bad happened to them like a death of a loved one or depression etc. Then they try to look for a solution. But in the end, the so-called solution ends up screwing up his/her life even more.

anonymous April 6th, 2008 10:43PM  

"The darkness holding me tightly
Until the sun rises up"
to me that sounds like a very good description of insonmia
darkness holding me tightly suggests not being strong enough to break free from the insomnia?

anonymous July 3rd, 2008 06:03PM  

Maybe it doesn't have one meaning, maybe your meant to interpret the song in your experiences. Some relate it to depression others to drugs, who says it has one exact meaning? Why not each to their own?

anonymous December 13th, 2008 03:05AM  

Its original form was Rhinestones off the Zero Sampler tape, before Linkin Park was called Linkin Park. When it appeared on Hybrid Theory, some of the meanings were removed, and were later re-added and elaborated on in Reanimation. They talk about how the system and the government have neglected the poor in society. It also refers to a struggle with some unknown enemy, but largely focuses on the struggle within your own mind, finding some sort of momentary mental peace and understanding about your problems, that then crumbles away, leaving you back where you started. It accurately describes the trauma based mental loops I've seen in many of my friends and experienced myself.

anonymous July 17th, 2009 05:57PM  

If you'd ever done LSD, you would know that's where the song's origins come from. This whole verse describes some of the thoughts and feelings had on an acid trip: There's a place so dark you can't see the end [LSD can make the place your in seem exaggerated ie. extremely light or dark. It also gives an endless tunnel effect to some places ie. hallways and streets seem to extend on forever.] Skies cock back and shock that which can't defend [he feels helpless and defenseless] The rain then sends dripping acidic questions [the acid causes him to question himself] Forcefully, the power of suggestion [he wonders why he is there, in that room] Then with the eyes shut looking thought the rust and rotten dust [the eyes are shut because he is trying to look for hope, but he stills knows he is surrounded by bad things] A spot of light floods the floor [the spot of light is a glimmer of hope, to what he wants to see] And pours over the rusted world of pretend [the light, or glimmer of hope, gets bigger, and he starts to believe that hope will prevail] The eyes ease open and its dark again [he believes it so well, he wants to open his eyes to see the hope, but is brought back to reality] Sorry I don't have the time to finish, but the rest of the song is similar in meaning.