What does From The Inside mean?

Linkin Park: From The Inside Meaning

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Album cover for From The Inside album cover

Song Released: 2004


From The Inside Lyrics

I don't know who to trust no surprise
(Everyone feels so far away from me)
Heavy thoughts sift through dust and the lies
(Trying not to break but I'm so tired of this deceit)
(Every time I try to make myself get back up on my feet)
(All I...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    SHSISM
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    Jun 22nd 2008 !⃝

    The introduction starts with rising anger before a full on self harm based riff, just after another sound probably showing the few hours before and including self-harm. This is in my opinion the most powerful and intense introductory self-harm metaphor. It represents the transition from increasing emotion into self harm, like the intros of "somewhere I belong", "numb" and other songs. However, I interpret this as being short term self-harm, and more fast pace. There seems to be a sensation of time going slower before it goes into the riff, and this could suggest that tension is building up, before the release. The repetition of the riff represents the repetition of self-harm, and the beginning of an addictive loop as he repeats the self-harm again, but it has a negative effect. This addictive loop will then start the low periods caused by self-harm in which Chester thinks about his life.

    I don't know who to trust - he doesn't know who to tell about his self harm, who will understand him.

    No surprise - he really can't trust anyone, and when he has trusted them, they have not understood him, or told people he didn't want told. It is therefore correct that he shouldn't trust anyone.

    Everyone feel so far away from me (Shinoda) - he feels so alone. Shinodas lines are whispered because they are more emotional, and he does not openly talk about them.

    Heavy thoughts sift through dust - this is a difficult line, partly because lyrics sites argue about it, and I am not sure quite what he means to say. I think it is either something to do with the way dust gets through a siv and "heavy thoughts" i.e. Suicidal, or just bad feelings, are left with him.
    ... and the lies, this is just simply added as something which comes to mind, which he doesn't like, randomly and makes him feel bad.

    I'm trying not to break - He is trying not to be addicted to self-harm again as he used to be addicted to it. "break" has been used as a metaphor for starting self-harm again in several of his songs. He sees self-harming again as "falling apart".

    But I'm so tired of this deceit - he feels so emotional about all the lying and just wishes he and his wife could talk to each other. It makes him feel so emotional he wants to cut again.

    every time I try to make myself get back up on my feet - he is stating that he always tries to make himself stop self-harming, and quit if you assume the light caesura after "every time". When taken with the next line it becomes one sentence. The fact that he has to make himself do it could represent that he is arguing with himself and innerly confused.

    All I ever think about is this - "this" could refer to the emotion he is feeling writing the song.

    and the tiring time between - the time between self-harming which he can barely get through and hates the numbness and which he has to endure.

    Chester's use of "I" during the end of Shinoda's lines represents a change in emotion gripping his mind, and perhaps even "myself" calling him that he exists, a sort of voice in his head. This then leads to his self-harm, as well as the pronoun starting the sentance of the chorus. The sound just before the riff and chorus starts represents intense emotion before the anger and self-harm stage, perhaps self-hatred or inner fear, which must be converted to anger before it gets out of control.

    Take everything from the inside - self-harm, try to control your emotion.

    and throw it all away - get rid of it, by means of self-harm. This could also be an extremely subtle use of wording, as he has chosen to use "throw it all away" which in fact has the same rhyme and metrical pattern, number of syllables, as "put it on display". Please excuse me if I am getting too far-fetched, but this is the kind of subtlety which you can almost expect from the world's best band.

    cos I swear for the last time - he feels he is about to give up, and this is his last drain of confidence.

    I won't trust myself with you - this is a powerful line as he is starting to imply that he is worth more than here, even though he has such low self-esteem.


    Tension is building inside - this tension must be released in self-harm

    steadily - it is not out of control, but he knows that it will overcome him.

    ...

    Heavy thoughts forcing their way out of me - his suicidal and painful thoughts are starting to leave him, after self harming.

    The cluck cluck sound could be representative of self-harm.
    Although these emotions seem better, most of the underlying feelings have come back, Shinoda's lines, and some of Chesters, as well as the growing addiction in the first line, which wasn't there originally.

    The chorus repeats the first line; the emotion is still there.

    I won't waste myself on you - this line is especially angry, as he is implying that he is so much better than her, she has no right to go near him, and saying that she is causing all the emotion he has, and he no longer thinks she is worth it. The repetition of "you" emphasizes his anger at him, and also suggests he is self-harming over her, and she is the cause of his problems.

    The brief period after the scream of "you" is effectively the feeling of releif after self harm, which does not last very long, and then the song continues with what is pretty much a summary of what has happened before, but less powerful, as the effects of self-harm start to wear off.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 7th 2008 !⃝

    Well this is my favorite song and I think it is about how someone you love and trust just betrayed you and since you feel so mad you don't trust anyone because of your fear of being betrayed again..

  3. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 5th 2023 !⃝

    A kid was associated to more likely star the seen; trust is repeatedly referred to as if trust represents the main them. Furthermore, heavy thoughts, whatever they are, come up to be the result of that trust losing. There's somthing related to chester's past as a kid I reckon.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 18th 2019 !⃝

    I believe this is a kid who do not trust his elders. The video explains the lyrics of this song. Trust is the main topic of the song, depends upon the listeners and the writer of this song knows the truth of this lyrics.

    Turkeys and Porcupines? I think you are talking about something else.

    I disagree

  5. anonymous
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    Apr 17th 2019 !⃝

    I believe this song is about turkeys and porcupines. Listen to the lyrics and I'm sure you will agree.

  6. anonymous
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    Nov 6th 2013 !⃝

    I think the is about breaking loose from all kind of chains of society. At one time Chester just want to end everything That's going around him as it was always a mess. Secondly there are very few people in one's life who one can trust.

  7. anonymous
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    Feb 25th 2013 !⃝

    I agree alot with the top rated interpretation but i would not limit the whole meaning on self harming. Of cause this could be a way of seeing it but I would refer to depression and emotional stress. It could also be a describtion of the "black hole" that many people that suffer under depression describe. Therefor I would not limit the meaning to self harming.

  8. anonymous
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    Oct 6th 2012 !⃝

    I think From The Inside is about how Chester Bennington (lead singer of LP, for new fans) can't find someone that he trusts. Keep in mind, around the time when Chester wrote this, his relationship with his first wife was falling apart, so the song could have something to do with her. She could possibly be the "you" in the song. From The Inside has nothing to do with Self Harm but thats just my opinion.

  9. anonymous
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    Jan 19th 2011 !⃝

    You should watch the video so you can understand it better, it's the band's way to give you a better visual.

  10. anonymous
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    Nov 23rd 2009 !⃝

    I think it is about someone whose past has been very painfull.
    He never was open for new people, he just couldn't trust them for what reason ever. but then he tried, he put trust in someone the first or the last time and then this person gave his "secrets" away..
    he just wanna go out of this mess. he has haevy thoughts he just don't wanna have...maybe he wanna die..
    he just can't take his life anymore. it's too much for him. he's too weak to face him...
    yeah that'S my interpretation..
    he can be totally wrong..but maybe some parts are ok...

  11. anonymous
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    Sep 22nd 2008 !⃝

    This song is like every single other Linkin Park song, about betrayals and lies and tragedy. You'd think they'd find some new material.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  12. anonymous
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    Aug 14th 2008 !⃝

    From the inside has been my favourite song by Linkin Park ever since I heard it, it's such a powerful emotional song,

    I think it's about the pain and anger chester feels at his life and how wrong it's going, He wants to just get everything out, He just wants to feel free, He wants to take all this past, everything he feels, everything negative in his life, and throw it all away, He can't trust anyone, He feels completely alone, He's never been able to trust anyone, hence the no surprise,

    Heavy thoughts sift through dust- I think this is saying how all these heavy thoughts all the dep things in his mind are just going through emptiness,
    he feels empty, in despair and alone.

    Linkin park are the greatest band in the world, their lyrics are emotional while heavy. Chester has been through a lot in his life.

    and tbh he is my hero,

  13. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Oct 21st 2007 !⃝

    The song is about someone you trusted has betrayed you. Now you can't trust on anyone else for fear of betrayal.


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