The Little Things Give You Away

This song being about hurricane katrina makes more sense than what I always thought of this song, all things considered. But I've always imagined something different, a bit more sinister/creepy. This is just my own view of the song, I don't pretend it's accurate.

When I heard this song, I imagined the singer as either a very, very close friend or a lover to an extremely controlling person. The lover/friend tries to reach out time and time again to this person, but always gets slapped or screamed at. This person doesn't want to be close to anyone, because they don't want to lose control or start feeling helpless, but the friend/lover stand stand seeing them so sad.

The friend/lover comes over to the controlling person's home. The controlling one leaves the bathtub running and goes to answer the door. They go inside. This controlling person overreacts to some kind gesture the friend/lover has done(it might be a present, it might be confort/consolation after someone dies). The controlling one, in a panic, drowns the friend/lover in their bathtub(and leaves the water running for hours). He/she runs away and the story becomes national news, but the murderer is never found and the story is forgotten after a week.

As for the lyrics of the song itself, the murder victim knows that the murderer was sick, and doesn't regret trying to reach out to them.

This little story ran through my mind listening to the song, and still does. Perhaps I am a bit morbid...

Like many people I think its about Katrina.

"Water grey, through the windows, up the stairs" Houses got flooded during the hurricane.

"Chilling rain, like an ocean, everywhere"

Fits with the hurricane/flooding theory.

"Don't wanna reach for me do you? I mean nothing to you, the little things give you away"

This is telling. LP has known liberal leanings, so this would be a commentary on the governments poor reaction time.

"And now there will be no mistaking, the levees are breaking."

Again, hurricane reference.

"All you ever wanted, was some one to truly look up to to you."

Could be talking about the government, or even Bush himself.

"Now six feet, under water, I do."

Bush surveyed the scene from his helicopter. This could be an Ironic statement from the point of view of a hurricane victim.

"Hope decays, generations disappear. Washed away, as a nation simply stares."

Another hurricane reference. And more on the poor reaction to the crisis.

"All you ever wanted, was some one to truly look up to you. And six feet under ground now I do."

More Irony. "six feet under ground" a reference to death. We failed to act in time.

So, those are my thoughts.

Bane2, that is one of the dumbest things i've ever heared. You're assuming everybody who downloaded the thing wont buy it. I downloaded the album but i'll still be in line to buy it the morning it comes out. And do you honestly think a band should be making music just for the money? Cause that is not what it should be about. I could go on and on about greedy record labels and globalisation but it isn't worth it. Suffice to say, Linkin Park will still get my money (or the small percentage that isn't taken by governments, record labels or any host of suppliers etc.) And i'm doing nothing wrong by downloading it when i'm going to buy it as well. Don't be so narrow minded.

For me, a breakup. The imagery of a storm with everything collapsing all around. Giving up. Defeated, letting go after trying so hard, too hard. It's the attention to little details that only accompanies true love, but it's also that same attention which tells you right away when someone is slipping away from you. Seeing future affairs ending it before they actually happen. It's the person whom we see as little and insignificant that continue to love during and after a breakup, giving her to the world because he can no longer give her happiness.

For me, This song is somewhat of an unusual prayer (if that is what a conversation with God is called). Of course, practically it must be about a storm. That just fits. But we consider it an accusation, that makes sense too. "Water gray,..." May be all that reference to water is taking about his tears and misfortunes. The water symbolises a smothering, drowning grief. He thought he could trust God, the higher authority. Turns out, he could not.

Then, he moves on to the bigger picture, of how God has destroyed the lives of so many. The little things give him really. He does not really, Its as if he is not there.

Maybe that's almost saying the song is about a storm, an act of God.

How have you got the lyrics for this song already?

It isn't due for international release until the 14/15th of May!

i love this song, it's musically a huge step for linkin park. great meaningful lyrics, and its also brilliant instrumentally.. especially starting at 3:15 'til the end of the song. obviously it's about Katrina as stated in the lyric book :)

Makes me think of a sibling relationship.

The elder has always wanted the younger to look up to them. The younger has always wanted to mean something to the elder, and for them to reach out when they're needed.

The younger sibling can see that the elder doesn't give a shit about them no matter how bad it gets, but they still look up to them.

I see it as a testimony from kind of after life where the author who's seen the love of his life slowly getting away.

As his SO has left him, he's jumped from a bridge (for example) and deep in the water he realised that what he failed was to "truly look after her" and that's why she's left him.

Later, as his body's found and buried, from 6 feet under ground now he's doing what he should have done during his life.

Listening to this song now.

Anyways, i think its about a person in a realtionship with a controlling person and he or she wants to get away and wants some freedom.