What does Lost in the Echo mean?

Linkin Park: Lost in the Echo Meaning

Album cover for Lost in the Echo album cover

Song Released: 2012


Lost in the Echo Lyrics

[Shinoda:]
(yeah) (yo)
You were that foundation
Never gonna be another one, no.
I followed, so taken
so conditioned I could never let go
Then sorrow, then sickness
then the shock when you flip it on me
So hollow, so vicious
so afraid I...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 15th 2015 !⃝

    To me, this song is about becoming trapped in our past. We all go through things that are painful to experience, sometimes, it is so painful, we never let it go.
    In the video, everything is overgrown, as if it were left uncared for. To me, this represents the mind of one who dwells on the past- They have given up caring about their well being, and living in the now... they only focus on the pain. Lost in the echo of whatever event changed their life so dramatically. In the video, a man (Gino the Ghost) brings these people photographs. I interpreted these photos as the other people involved in the event... people forgotten about, since all they remember is the pain. Upon seeing these photos, they are forced to remember, and reflect upon the person. In my experience, if someone loves you, they would want you to move on, and keep living... not to give in to the pain, and become lost in your memories.

    When they scream at each other, it is the original person confronting the realisation that they want better for you... and so, the person shatters, finally freed from the prison of their own mind. The person from the original photo stays behind, as a reminder of who they were, and the person they were, which, to me, is far more important than remembering the pain or despair of losing someone. When the person leaves a photo of themself behind after shattering, it is like a new memory being born. One of resolution, and peace with our past. (Ghosts)
    Gino the Ghost I think represents a healer... someone trying to help us to finally wake up from our misery, and choose to keep living, instead of dwelling in our memories, and the pain therein. I think it is fitting that Gino is in real life an artist, as they are the healers who help us to do this in real life. I also think that he collects the photos at the end for his own memory, so that when he is done, he can look back and remember those who he helped, and feel accomplished in his work that he was able to help heal so many.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 19th 2012 !⃝

    to me, this songs meaning is that, you are weak, but inside your are a fighter, and now your going to get the upperhand, and use courage and strength. For example. NO! You can tell them all now, I don't back up, I don't back down, I don't fold up, and I don't bow, I don't rollover I don't know how, I don't care where the enemies are, can't be stopped all I know go hard! Won't forget how i got this far, then everytime I say... ..... So yes, the song does sound like a fighter song and the person tells the enemies he doesn't back up or back down, and doesn't care where the enemies are.. And also "in the promises broken, deep below, each word gets lost in the echo, so one last lie, I can't see through, this time I finally let you, go, go ,go" to me, the chorus means that (in the end) he broke his promise to be strong, and so his promise is lost i n the echo, and he lets the bully go beat him up, And test my will, test my heart, he's saying to the bully to fight and be prepared, all in all, the 3 other people say its a love song (WTF) NO! ITS not a love song!?! Its a song about you getting down, but you must have the strength to get back up! So yea.. This is my #1 favorite song, and love the lyrics, and chorus, (not a love song!)

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Oct 6th 2012 !⃝

    Well, looking at the video, and considering the break up of the song, i think it goes like this:


    "You were that foundation
    Never gonna be another one, no.
    I followed, so taken
    so conditioned I could never let go"

    It's not just a boyfriend/girlfriend. It's anyone you ever loved.

    "Then sorrow, then sickness
    then the shock when you flip it on me
    So hollow, so vicious
    so afraid I couldn't let myself see
    That I could never be held "

    They left, they're gone

    "Back up, no, I'll hold myself.
    Check the rep, yep you know my rail"

    Sadness turns to anger, bitterness, wondering why they left you

    "And these promises broken
    deep, feeble
    Each word gets lost in the echo
    So one last lie I can see through
    This time I finally let you go
    Go, go, go."

    Promises of always being there were broken, and they are finally accepting the fact that they're gone.

    "THIS TIME I FINALLY LET YOU GO"

    So, this song is about letting a loved one go. Looking at the video, it seems like the guy is Death maybe, and he's come to help the souls move on.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 18th 2020 !⃝

    Lyrics of this song are


    AND YOU'RE ANGRY,
    AND YOU SHOULD BE,
    IT'S NOT FAIR, but...
    You gotta move on

  5. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 3rd 2019 !⃝

    This song is about dealing with the grief of losing someone in anyway.

    In the song makes it clear that its about losing someone who was their foundation for being while the video shows it not just about losing a lover, there is an old man with a child so a grandson or a child they lost a long time ago.

    The song is about the process of grief and how people can get trapped in grief and need help to be pulled out of it otherwise they will just stay locked in their grief.

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 21st 2018 !⃝

    Dont know if I m right, but I think ,that the people seen hiding here and there are the ghosts/spirits still lingering around because they have are not content , they worry about the ones they left behind, they know they suffer and needs to give them closure. And the photos the 'Angel' brings them gives them a chance to meet the loved ones they left behind. The ghosts ;with pain; shouts at them to move on with their lives (as the primary photos faint as an indicator of the time of the meeting running out, so and to put emphasis , they scream) . And as the ones still alive accepts their scolding the spirits fade away into dust , leaving the baggage of the thought that their loved ones where selfdestructing and now they will move on. And they crumble away from being 'ghosts' (that haunted the alive ones) and fades away to afterlife , to remain only as a distant but forever painful memory(but still infinitely less than before ) ; symbolically shown as when the ghosts now appear in the photos . The angel feels the pain of both parties. May be he smuggled the photos/medium for them to communicate one last time and finally he too finds closure (or moves on to his next /may be similar job)

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 23rd 2018 !⃝

    The people hiding in that old place, are the remembrance, are the past. They caused pain to (the son, the exgirlfriend, the daughter, etc.), to the people that are in the photos, they were trapped. Then, when they are face to face,their confront each to other and, they let the pain get out from their heart. So, the people from the photos, are now free. From their past, their pain, the slavery has gone. They can live in peace. And the people that who was hiding in their past...disappear forever:

    "And these promises broken deep below,
    each word gets lost in the echo.
    So one last lie I can see through,
    This time I finally let you.
    Go, go, go"

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 28th 2017 !⃝

    I think it's about Ghosts who don't realize that they are ghosts, and are still linked to their loved ones and can't go forward toward their next existence. Once they They are being held back by their not understanding they are ghosts, and maybe also by their loved ones who also can't let them go. Perhaps they had something they had to finish before they could go too. They must see that their loved ones are also trying to move forward in life, and there is pain from both sides. The healer is a kind of ghost whisperer helping them to discover they are dead and no longer need to stay.

  9. MusicxMei
    click a star to vote
    Dec 14th 2016 !⃝

    So, when I found this song I thought it explained all my emotions that I was going through. Anyways, I think all the above answers are corrected so I wanted to post what it means to me. There are many different relationships in the video. This is about holding trust in someone but they just let you down. I think it's about coming to terms with the things that have happened, and coming to terms that you are strong enough to move on without that person.

  10. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 29th 2016 !⃝

    Song is full of depth! yeah I also agree with anon.
    People who still live in the past were truly hurt. Their minds, hearts, and souls were destroyed. It"s not easy to forget the past if you were really hurt and heart broken. Especially with the people you truly loved and who you trusted regardless if the person or people were a part of your life in any kind of relationship. Different people have different tolerance with pain. Some don't care about anything said to them. Some care about all that was said to them. People have different family backgrounds, childhood backgrounds, school backgrounds, work backgrounds, friendship backgrounds, relationship backgrounds, community backgrounds, etc. So people don't have the right to tell you how you feel because it's not their feelings. As the saying goes, time heals all wounds. It's up to the person if they want their wounds to be healed and if takes a long time for them to be healed. So be it.
    You can never change a person because each person is unique and it's up to the person to change their views in life, their feelings, their pasts, and their present.
    If a person can not accept you as you are and if a person can live their life with out you. Accept it.
    If you have been heart broken, it's up to you if you still want to love this person even if they can never or will not love you back.
    For those in relationships, if your ex bf's or gf's plead for your forgiveness then give them a chance who knows this second time around would be more better and this time you will both have a good relationship.
    For those who have been cheated regardless if through bf/gf or marriage: give them another chance and if they do it again. It's up to you to forgive and love them unconditionally.
    For those who have been rejected by friendships or by love. Move on. Accept it. The person told you to move on because they don't see you as a part of their life. If they don't want your friendship, develop new friendships. If they rejected you because they can't love you back or they will not or can not love you back. Accept it. Move on.
    If you are blessed that they person you love also loves you back then good for both of you.
    It's easy to say to love a person unconditionally if they can not love you back. Lots of people have loved unconditionally. But if you are told to move on. Move on.
    Perhaps those people who have told you to move on were never happy with you and they don't see themselves being happy with you. Deep in their minds and hearts they know that they have to explore and have relationships in order for them to truly meet and be with their soul mate. So let them go and wish them well. So they can find their life partner in life who they can be with for the rest of their lives.
    The past is never forgotten in the present. It is a part of us and a part of our present and will be a part of our future.
    It's up to you people to forgive others.
    It's up to you people to love others.
    It's up to you if who you want to love.
    Life is short. We only live once. So forgive those who need to be forgiven. Forgive those who need your forgiveness. Love those who you want to love. But be sure your love is true and pure. Love unconditionally can be demonstrated in many ways. It's up to you to see it, feel it, and accept it.

  11. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 29th 2016 !⃝

    I totally agree with this part of anon:
    ++++++++++++++++++++++
    To me, this song is about becoming trapped in our past. We all go through things that are painful to experience, sometimes, it is so painful, we never let it go.
    In the video, everything is overgrown, as if it were left uncared for. To me, this represents the mind of one who dwells on the past- They have given up caring about their well being, and living in the now... they only focus on the pain. Lost in the echo of whatever event changed their life so dramatically. In the video, a man (Gino the Ghost) brings these people photographs. I interpreted these photos as the other people involved in the event... people forgotten about, since all they remember is the pain. Upon seeing these photos, they are forced to remember, and reflect upon the person. In my experience, if someone loves you, they would want you to move on, and keep living... not to give in to the pain, and become lost in your memories.

    When they scream at each other, it is the original person confronting the realisation that they want better for you...
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    But in my opinion it is not about the "rebirth".
    After they scream they shatter and the room stays empty. The only thing left behind is a picture of them.
    I think it means that, if you keep clinging on the past(especially a hurtfull past) you destroy yourself and finally shatter(die). Then even the memories of the past are gone. The only memory of you is the moment, you take the photo of the artist. That's why the picture is left.

    Long story short:
    Cling at the past and you destroy yourself, destroying your memories as well.

  12. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 14th 2016 !⃝

    You made some really good points there. I checked on the internet for additional information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this site. dfaeegdkgcaebead

  13. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 31st 2015 !⃝

    This song, as with most of Linkin Park's music, is pretty much designed from an artist standpoint to mean to the listener whatever the listener's own experience dictates. If you dwell on hard breakups, this song will be a relationship song. If you dwell on the loss of a family member, this song will be a song of loss. Etc.

    This is the true magic that Linkin Park brings to their music. Meaning for all.

  14. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 4th 2015 !⃝

    Good art produces different reactions in different people. Linkin Park has always spoken to the pain people feel deep inside, and that is why they have endured.

    When I hear this song, I hear a song about getting over the past. Perhaps it is a failed relationship, but it could be much different than that.

    My experience hearing the song involved my past, but my childhood, and the traumas I endured there. As I have since learned, my little boy mind did all it could to survive, and that resulted in all kinds of distorted thinking and suppressed emotions [so conditioned I could never let go]. The neglect I suffered, followed by bullying, created this identity in my of someone wounded and inferior, someone who deserved what had happened to him [then sorrow, then sickness]. This identity promised to keep me safe, but it was a lie [So hollow, so viscous, So afraid, I couldn't let myself see]. But now, decades later as I try to get healthy, I am struggling to separate myself from that false, distorted self [these promises broken]. The picture I am holding in my own hand is the picture of that scared and broken survivor, but he has been dead for many years. I see him now, and I am screaming at him, thrashing, struggling to separate. Almost like a birth [I can't fall back, I came too far Hold myself up and love my scars]. And when I come out the other side of this, I will finally have let him go. And good riddance.

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    May 26th 2015 !⃝

    This song is about how being in old buildings makes you crack apart.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  16. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 3rd 2015 !⃝

    In my opinion, Lost in the Echo is a song about having this friend that you trusted, but as time goes on, his/her promises start to get faded, and the relationship starts to crumble. The 2nd verse is kind of like a confirmed war and rage starts to kick in as the song goes on...

  17. Minecraftphobia
    click a star to vote
    Dec 10th 2014 !⃝

    I think this song is about a student who was too attached to his mentor but used everything he learned to get over his death and won't forget how his mentor taught him everything.

  18. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 16th 2014 !⃝

    I love how songs can hit so many people different ways. Coming from the video this is how I saw it.

    Be it a breakup, a death, etc I see this as a song about moving on from grief. In the video they are on the echo of the "Old world", the crumbling remains of a grand building. You can see it once was a really great place, but no longer. They meet up with people from their past, presumably who have died/left.

    They face them one last time, and scream one last time for what was lost and then they move on. They leave the crumbling remains of the world they used to live in and move on, leaving the one they lost behind in that world.

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