Linkin Park - Numb - Meaning of the song
This is about children who are sick of having to live up to the high expectations that their parents place on them. The line "Every step I take is another mistake to you" refers to how they feel they can't do anything to make their parents proud. "Can't you see that you're smothering me holding too tightly afraid to lose control cause everything that you thought I would be has fallen apart right in front of you" refers to a kid needing a release from his parents' disappointment that he isn't a perfect child. "All I want to do is be more like me and be less like you" says that the kid wants to be his own person and not have his parents mold him anymore. "But I know I may end up failing too but I know you were just like me with someone disappointed in you" expresses the thoughts that parents need to realize what it was like to be a kid.
The music video was directed by Linkin Park DJ Joe Hahn. The girl in the video, played by Step Up 2 actress Briana Evigan, is under tremendous pressure from her parents to be perfect. She aspires to be a painter, but no one believes in her. She's doing some really amazing sketches at the start. She is arguing with her mother about halfway through the video. She feels as if she's in her own world because she's being humiliated at school and everyone is rushing around her. She's sitting on the floor right before she starts painting at the end, and if you look closely, you can see she's cut "Numb" into her arm because she's numb to everything.
Numb - Lyrics
I'm tired of being what you want me to be Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface Don't know what you're expecting of me Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow) Every step that I take is another mistake to you (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow) I've become so numb, I can't feel you there Become so tired, so much more aware I'm becoming this, all I want to do Is be more like me and be less like you Can't you see that you're smothering me Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control? 'Cause everything that you thought I would be Has fallen apart right in front of you (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow) Every step that I take is another mistake to you (Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow) And every second I waste is more than I can take I've become so numb, I can't feel you there Become so tired, so much more aware I'm becoming this, all I want to do Is be more like me and be less like you And I know I may end up failing too But I know You were just like me with someone disappointed in you I've become so numb, I can't feel you there Become so tired, so much more aware I'm becoming this, all I want to do Is be more like me and be less like you I've become so numb, I can't feel you there (I'm tired of being what you want me to be) I've become so numb, I can't feel you there (I'm tired of being what you want me to be)
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