Drop like "get up", take to the streets
Better lock that kid up, face full of teeth
When he hock that spit up, pacing the beat like a beast
Rocking the block on repeat
Speak from the cut like a rush of blood
Paint red on the sleeves of the ones you love
Lay the sick ones down and the bells will ring
Put pennies on the eyes, let the dead men sing

I shiver and shake the warm air cold
I'm alone on my own
In every mistake, I dig this hole
Through my skin and bones

It's harder starting over
Than never to have changed

With blackbirds following me
I'm digging out my grave
They close in, swallowing me
The pain, it comes in waves
I'm getting back what I gave

I sweat through the sheet as daylight fades
As I waste away
It traps me inside mistakes I've made
That's the price I pay

It's harder starting over
Than never to have changed

With blackbirds following me
I'm digging out my grave
They close in, swallowing me
The pain, it comes in waves (yeah)
I'm getting back what I gave

I drop to the floor like I did before
Stop watching, I'm coughing, I can't be more
What I want and what I need are at constant war
Like a well full of poison, a rotten core
The blood goes thin, the fever stings
And I shake from the hell that the habits bring
Let the sick ones down, the bells will ring
Put pennies on the eyes, let the dead men sing

Blackbirds following me
I'm digging out my grave
They close in, swallowing me
The pain, it comes in waves

I'm getting back what I gave
I'm getting back what I gave
I'm getting back what I gave


Lyrics submitted by MusicFREAK20

Blackbirds Lyrics as written by Robert G. Bourdon Chester Charles Bennington

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Blackbirds song meanings
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  • +4
    General Comment

    First off, I think those who think this is some kind of expression of regret about post-Meteora albums is ridiculous. Do you really think a band like Linkin Park would cower like a puppy in reaction to some whining fans? They aren't apologizing for how they've changed. Minutes to Midnight, Rising Sun, and Living Things have beautiful, meaningful songs that they wrote with the greatest sincerity. Sure, they wrote songs for Transformers - but dig into the rest of it... It's some really good stuff. And let's be honest, even their Transformers songs incorporate Linkin Park's brilliance, but not as much as others.

    I am not going to spend time breaking down each line of this song, but I completely disagree with it being some sort of apologetic message to their fans... They're an independent group with independent ideas that they feel proud to share. And don't give a fuck who agrees with them or not, and appreciate those who support their cause. In summary, I think this song can be interpreted in many ways. I feel it's talking about the pain associated with repeating the same actions that are bound to haunt you (i.e. getting together with a gf/bf again even if you know you'll get broken hearted). Bringing themselves to rock bottom over and over again... Sleeping their days away and losing hope when they cannot shake the habits and behavior that causes them to hit bottom again. Mixing your wants and your needs and fail to prioritize your needs, and throw in your wants to poison the "well". Knowing that something you want can contradict what you know you need, but you give into the temptation the "want" may have, and carelessly let the consequences shatter your world again. Knowing you've learned a lesson, you still think it's much harder to start over again and wish you wouldn't have to, even if change will eventually be what's necessary to improve your life. Digging your own grave - repeating behaviors you know will only temporarily satisfy you but break you down. The blackbirds continuing to follow you and consume you and deny any possibility of having the strength to ignore your wants in order to improve your life.

    Floydroseon August 05, 2013   Link

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