The song is basically saying that the music industry has become a vast cultural wasteland and too many artists are mindlessly choosing to follow the latest trends in the music industry in order to cash in for a quick buck and fame. They decide that it's easier to play it safe by releasing something that's conventional instead of going against the grain because in the end they know that it won't get them as much radio play and recognition as mainstream music.
Mike Shinoda explained to Rolling Stone how he drew songwriting inspiration from an article about Japanese culture when he was working on The Hunting Party. "[The article] was talking about how people [in Japan] were concerned that the new generation of kids were becoming 'herbivores' – they were passive and they weren't going out and getting a job or getting a girlfriend," he said. "They were sitting and playing video games and waiting for stuff to come to them."
Shinoda continued: "They were worried what was going to happen to their culture if there weren't any more 'carnivores.' I thought, 'What's going on in Rock music is really the same thing.' I connected with that on a deep emotional level because I was looking for something that was visceral and aggressive, and I wanted to hear this certain kind of music, and I couldn't find it."
The song is basically saying that the music industry has become a vast cultural wasteland and too many artists are mindlessly choosing to follow the latest trends in the music industry in order to cash in for a quick buck and fame. They decide that it's easier to play it safe by releasing something that's conventional instead of going against the grain because in the end they know that it won't get them as much radio play and recognition as mainstream music.
Mike Shinoda explained to Rolling Stone how he drew songwriting inspiration from an article about Japanese culture when he was working on The Hunting Party. "[The article] was talking about how people [in Japan] were concerned that the new generation of kids were becoming 'herbivores' – they were passive and they weren't going out and getting a job or getting a girlfriend," he said. "They were sitting and playing video games and waiting for stuff to come to them."
Shinoda continued: "They were worried what was going to happen to their culture if there weren't any more 'carnivores.' I thought, 'What's going on in Rock music is really the same thing.' I connected with that on a deep emotional level because I was looking for something that was visceral and aggressive, and I wanted to hear this certain kind of music, and I couldn't find it."