Bleed It Out by Linkin Park

Album: Minutes To Midnight (2007)

Charted: 29 52

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Linkin Park singer Mike Shinoda said in Kerrang! magazine: "I wrote the lyrics to this about 100 times. It's always frustrating as a lyricist to come in with a new version that you spent hours on and have the band tell you that it's not there yet. In one case, they listened to my lyrics for 30 seconds and told me to start over again. That was pretty hard. It felt like I was bringing in the lyrics, getting punched in the face and then going back to the drawing board. When it finally came together I said to the band 'I don't think anyone but us could have made a song like this'. It's a f--king bizarre death-party-rap-hoedown!"
In 2020, Shinoda recalled this as the toughest Linkin Park song to create. "That's why I started the lyric with, 'Here we go for the hundredth time,' because I rewrote the verse to that dozens and dozens of times," he explained. "And a lot of those were completely starting from scratch and I just didn't like them and I ended up on that one... because when I started with that it was like embracing the fact that the frustration of making the song was actually informing the content of the song. It took like, months. That was a tough one."
Going into their third studio album, the band wanted to enjoy themselves and, despite Shinoda's difficulties, this track fulfilled that goal. The band explained in the album's booklet: "One of the band's goals on this record was to enjoy it. This track is one of the places that it is most evident. With its '80s-inspired guitar and bass, roadhouse blues piano and clapping, Motown-style drums, irreverent death-party rap verses, and punk chorus, this song is a party (albeit a strange one) from beginning to end."
This was the second single from Minutes To Midnight. Shinoda co-produced it with Rick Rubin, a prolific producer who worked with everyone from Beastie Boys to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Johnny Cash to Metallica. Linkin Park's previous albums were helmed by Don Gilmore, who produced albums for alt-rock acts like Good Charlotte and Eve 6. Their run with Rubin continued through A Thousand Suns (2010) and Living Things (2012).
The album was delayed several times in part because Shinoda and Chester Bennington were busy with side projects. Shinoda formed the hip-hop offshoot Fort Minor and issued the singles "Remember The Name" and "Where'd You Go," while Bennington launched the rock supergroup Dead By Sunrise. They were also locked in a financial dispute with their record label that dragged out the release date.
Linkin Park performed this on the May 12, 2007 episode of Saturday Night Live.
Linkin Park DJ Joe Hahn directed the music video, which rewinds through a bar brawl to its vomit-fueled starting point. The clip won the prize for Best International Video - Group at Canada's MuchMusic Video Awards in 2008.

Comments: 16

Kai from Kamloops, Bc"It's a f*cking bizarre death-party-rap-hoedown!" Literally the best thing I have heard
Zero from Nowhere, NjA great live version of this song is the one they did at Madison Square Garden Feb. 2011 that was broadcast on fuse. You can see it on youtube. I was at that concert and it was awesome!
Beau from Phoenix, AzIt's about how hard it is to write songs sometimes.

Both Mike and Chester have said it in interviews.
Seth from Under Your Bed..., Mnscott has a point. the reason i like LP is because they stand out. i actually HATE pop music because there is no point to it. like the song "magic" by the band "bob". is has absolutely NO POINT!!!!
LP4EVA!!!!
Fabio from New Orleans, LaI honestly did not see that before, but from a fan's standpoint, it's not a surprise that Shinoda chose to use suicidal imagery to move his point forward. My personal opinion is that it once was something about suicide, but began to turn into something about the ingratitude the fans have for the band. But that's why they're there and we're here. They make the music we like, we like the music they make. If the song were as bad as the original draft, we would probably lose faith in the band.
Chris from Canberra, AustraliaIt's so obvious what this song is about just listening to the lyrics. Suicide, throw the grenade up and let it shine? Find a place to hang this noose(The rope you get hung with)? Dug a trench out and laid there, wait for someone to pour it in? Shotgun Opera, lock and load, Cock it back and then watch it go. All suicide, very obvious to all you that don't know.
Nick from Landisburg, PaScott is right. In the bridge he talks about how he puts himself through so much pain to write about past experiences ("I've opened up these scars"), but no one cares.
Scott from Dallas, TxIf you think about this song from the standpoint of the lyricist, the meaning is very clear. The lyricist digs deep into his soul to create a meaningful song, but all the audience cares about is how catchy the chorus is. Essentially it says, "I'm dying here! I pouring out my soul, screaming out my pain, and all you care about is whether you can dance to it or not!" It doesn't surprise me, though, that most people don't get it -- in fact, it actually proves the point.
Thomas from Surabaya, IndonesiaEaster Egg: If anyone has a sound-editing software, amplify the wave of this song by 12 dB from 0:00 to approximately 0:14, before Mike Shinoda starts to sing. You will hear two men going upstairs of the bar, talking together and then open the bar doors.
Kitty from Montreal, QcI've bled it out myself guys( Mike and Chester) i've cut myself a few times. I just dig deeper and deeper just to throw the razorblade away! It' similar to "Numb"
Owej from Johnsonville, HiThis song is about tampon use. It's said that Shinoda had a partially traumatic experience in a public restroom over 5 years ago. This information was released during a slightly out-of-hand conference following a live performance in Detroit.
Jana from Skopje, Macedoniai don't understand wtf is this about and it's one of my least favorite songs by Linkin Park.But it's a great song.
Steve from College Park, MdI think It's about someone who got hung.
Jenna from Ames, Iathis song represents art and how free you SHOULD be when creating something....
Mikala from Sacramento, Cathis song is kool
James from Hollis, Nhthis is a great song about the problems of our world today and the problems of 3rd world contries.

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