Testo Meteora

01. Foreword 00:13 Notes: This album was written in four places in the past year and a half: in the band's tour buys, at Mike's house, at NRG Studios, CA, and at Soundtrack Studios, NY. This intro was recorded at Mike's house, after the rest of the album was finished. 02. Don't Stay 03:07 Sometimes I Need to remember just to breathe Sometimes I Need you to stay away from me Sometimes I'm In disbelief I didn't know Somehow I Need you to go Don't stay Forget our memories Forget our possibilities What you were changing me into [Just give me myself back and] Don't stay Forget our memories Forget our possibilities Take all your faithlessness with you [Just give me myself back and] Don't Stay Sometimes I Feel like I trusted you too well Sometimes I Just feel like screaming at myself Somestimes I'm In Disbelief I didn't know Somehow I Need to be alone Don't stay Forget our memories Forget our possibilities What you were changing me into [Just give me myself back and] Don't stay Forget our memories Forget our possibilities Take all your faithlessness with you [Just give me myself back and] Don't Stay I don't need you anymore I don't want to be ignored I don't need one more day Of you wasting me away With no apologies Notes:Mike and Brad's original guitar parts for this song had a reggae-style vibe. After numerous transformations (probably five or six different guitar variations), Brad developed the final recorded version. Under the working title "Sick", this song was one of the first tracks finished for this album... notably, Joe recorded the opening scratch solo on the first take. 03. Somewhere I Belong 03:33 When this began I had nothing to say And I'd get lost in the nothingness inside of me I was confused And I let it all out to find/That I'm Not the only person with these things in mind Inside of me But all the vacancy the words revealed Is the only real thing that I've got left to feel Nothing to lose Just stuck/Hollow and alone And the fault is my own And the fault is my own I want to heal I want to feel What I thought was never real I want to let go of the pain I've held so long [Erase all the pain 'til it's gone] It's gone] I want to heal I want to feel Like I'm close to something real I want to find something I've wanted all along Somewhere I Belong And I've got nothing to say I can't believe I didn't fall right down on my face I was confused Looking everywhere/Only to find that it's Not the way I had imagined it all in my mind So what am I What do I have but negativity 'Cause I can't justify the Way everyone is looking at me Nothing to lose Nothing to gain/Hollow and alone And the fault is my own The fault is my own I will never know Myself until I do this on my own And I will never feel Anything else until my wounds are healed I will never be Anything 'til I break away from me And I will break away I'll find myself today I want to heal I want to feel like I'm Somewhere I belong Notes: Originally, this started out as a sample of Chester playing acoustic guitar. Mike took the sample, replayed it, effected it, flipped it backwards, and cut it up into four pieces. Creating the main sample of the song. By the time it was finished, almost a year later, the band had rewritten most of the music around the sample. On another note, Mike and Chester wrote over 30 finished choruses for this song, each time scrapping the last one in search of something better. They eneded up recording the final version one week after the rest of the album was finished, in the studio where they were mixing. 04. Lying From You 02:55 When I pretend Everything is what I want it to be I look exactly like what you had always Wanted to see When I pretend I can forget about the criminal I am Stealing second after second just 'cause I know I can/But I can't pretend this is the way It will stay/I'm just Trying to bend the truth I can't pretend I'm who you want me to be So I'm Lying my way from you [No/No turning back now] I wanna be pushed aside So let me go [No/No turning back now] Let me take back my life I'd rather be all alone [No turning back now] Anywhere on my own 'Cause I can see [No/No turning back now] The very worst part of you Is me I remember what they taugt to me Remember condescending talk Of who I ought to be Remember listening to all of that And this again So I pretended up a person who was fitting in And now you think this person Really is me and I'm [Trying to bend the truth] But the more I push The more I'm pulling away 'Cause I'm Lying my way from you This isn't what I wanted to be I never thought that what I said Would have you running from you Like this The very worst part of you The very worst part of you Is me Notes: Mike and Joe's studio equipment was installed in the back of a tour bus during the summer of 2001, and they put it to good use. Mike came up with the intro sample and chorus music for the song during an overnight bus drive during Ozzfest (trying to record guitar in a moving bus can be very sloppy). But months later, in the studio at NRG, everything got cleaned up, replayed, and put together right. 05. Hit the Floor 02:44 There are just too many Times that people Have tried to look inside of me Wondering what I think of you And I protect you out of courtesy Too many times that I've Held on when I needed to push away Afraid to say what was on my mind Afraid to say what I need to say Too many Things that you've said about me When I'm not around You think having the upper hand Means you've got to keep putting me down But I've had too many stand-offs with you It's just about as much as I can stand Just wait until the upper hand Is mine One minute you're on top The next you're not Watch it drop Making your heart stop Just before you hit the floor One minute you're on top The next you're not Missed your shot Making your heart stop You think you won. And then it's all gone So many people like me Put so much trust in all your lies So concerned with what you think To just say what we feel inside So many people like me Walk on eggshells all day long All I know is that all I want Is to feel like I'm not stepped on There are so many things you say That make me feel like you've crossed the line What goes up will surely fall And I'm counting down the time 'Cause I've had so many stand-offs with you It's about as much as I can stand So I'm waiting until the upper hand Is mine One minute you're on top The next you're not Watch it drop Making your heart stop Just before you hit the floor One minute you're on top The next you're not Missed your shot Making your heart stop You think you won. And then it's all gone I know I'll never trust a single thing you say You knew your lies would divide us But you lied anyway And all the lies have got you floating Up above us all BUt what goes up has got to fall Notes: The band wanted to make a heavy song with a hip hop bounce - This is what came out. Mike and Chester tried numerous singing-style choruses, but when Chester brought the screaming hook into the studio, everyone knew it was going to work. The hardest work in creating this song was in the minor details. Tightening the lyrics and capturing the performances took days to finish. 06. Easier to Run 03:24 It's easier to run Replacing this pain with something numb It's so much easier to go Than face all this pain here all alone Something has been taken From deep inside of me A secret I've kept locked away No one can ever see Wounds so deep they never show They never go away Like moving pictures in my head For years and years they've played If I could change I would Take back the pain I would Retrace every wrong move that I made I would If I could Stand up and take the blame I would If I could take all the shame to the grave I Would Sometimes I remember The darkness of my past Bringing back these memories I wish I didn't have Sometimes I think of letting go And never looking back And never moving forward so There would never be a past Just washing it aside All of the helplessness inside Pretending I don't feel misplaced Is so much simpler than change It's easier to run Replacing this pain with something numb It's so much easier to go Than face all this pain here all alone Notes: Rob's playing on this song is extraordinary. He found a way to make this complex drum pattern sound easy and tasteful. Plus, he recorded it in only a few takes. On another note, the verse lyrics emerged from a free-writing exercies performed by Chester: He wrote them to no music, no beat. Mike and Don liked them a lot, and the three guys decided that this was the song to work them into. 07. Faint 02:42 I am Little bit of loneliness A little bit of disregard A handful of complaints But I can't help the fact That everyone can see these scars I am What I want you to want What I want you to feel But it's like No matter what I do I can't convince you To just believe this is real So I let go Watching you Turn your back like you always do Face away and pretend that i'm not But i'll be here 'Cause you're all I got I am A little bit insecure A little unconfident 'Cause you don't understand I do what I can But sometimes I don't make sense I am What you never want to say But i've never had a doubt It's like no matter what I do I can't convince you For once just to hear me out So I let go Watching you Turn your back like you always do Face away and pretend that i'm not But i'll be here 'Cause you're all I got I can't feel The way I did before Don't turn your back on me I won't be ignored Time won't heal This damage anymore Don't turn your back on me I won't be ignored No Hear me out now You're gonna listen to me Like it or not Right now Notes: Brad came into the studio bus, where Mike was working, to record a new idea. Brad recorded scratch guitar tracks for "faint" over a click track (no drums, no music), expecting the tempo to be about 70 BPM (beats-per-minute). He returned to the bus a couple of days later, and Mike had put together the beat at 135 BPM - almost twice as fast. After careful deliberation, Brad and Mike decided the faster beat was more fun. 08. Figure.09 03:17 Nothing ever stops all these thoughts And the pain attached to them Sometimes I wonder why this is happening It's like nothing I can do Will distract me when I think of how I shot myself in the back again 'Cause from the infinite words I could say Put all the pain you gave to me on display But didn't realize Instead of setting it free I took what I hated and made it part of me [It never goes away] Hearing your name The memories come back again I remember when it started happening I'd see you in every thought I had and then The thoughts slowly found words attached to them And I knew as they escaped away I was commited myself to them And every day I regret those things 'Cause now I see That I took what I hated and made it a part of me [It never goes away] And now You've become a part of me You'll always be right here You've become a part of me You'll always be my fear I can't seperate myself from what i've done I've given up a part of me I've let myself become you Get away from me Gimme my space back You gotta just go Everything comes down to memories of you I've kept it in but now i'm letting you know I've let you go Get away from me I've let myself become you I've let myself become lost inside these thoughts of you Giving up a part of me I've let myself become you Note: This song originally had rapping in the verses, then was rewritten with singing verses during the process at NRG. The singing parts remained until the recording process was finished. Then, while mixing the album, Brad, Mike, Chester and Don swapped the rap verses back in, deciding that the rapping made the song more interesting. The rest of the band didn't hear the final version of the song until the entire album was complete. 09. Breaking The Habit 03:16 Memories consume Like opening the wound I'm picking me apart again You all assume I'm safe here in my room [Unless I try to start again] I don't want to be the one The battles always choose 'Cause inside I realize That i'm the one confused I don't know what's worth fighting for Or why I have to scream I don't know why I instigate And say what I don't mean I don't know how I got this way I know it's not alright So I'm breaking the habit Tonight Clutching my cure I tightly lock the door I try to catch my breath again I hurt much more Than anytime before I had no options left again I'll paint it on the walls 'Cause i'm the one at fault I'll never fight again And this is how it ends I don't know what's worth fighting for Or why I have to scream But now I have some clarity To show you what I mean I don't know how I got this way I'll never be alright So I'm breaking the habit Breaking the Habit Tonight Notes: Mike had been trying to write a song around this lyrical idea for over five years. He tried this theme a number of times, but nothing seemed to do the song justice. Meanwhile, during the process of putting together this album, Mike began workng on an interlude, crossing a digitally manipulated but with strings and piano. Unexpectedly, Brad and Joe suggested that Mike turn the two-minute interlude into a full song. Tentatively titled "Drawing," the piece was extended to three minutes and 16 seconds when Mike took it home to write lyrics. In less than two hours, the lyrics that he had been trying to put together for years fell into place. With some finishing touches, live piano, and live strings, the song was finally complete - six years in the making. 10. From The Inside 02:53 Don't know who to trust No surprise Everyone feels so far away from me Heavy thoughts sift through dust And the lies Trying not to break But i'm so tired of this deceit Every time I try to make myself Get back up on my feet All I ever think about is this All the tiring time between And how Trying to put my trust in you Just takes so much out of me I take everything from the inside And throw it all away 'Cause I swear For the last time I won't trust myself with you Tension is building inside Steadily Everyone feels so far away from me Heavy thoughts forcing their way Out of me I won't trust myself with you I won't waste myself on you Waste myself on you You Notes: Phoenix came up with the original guitar idea for this song while recording with Mike in the back of the tour bus during the summer of 2002. The song's 6/8 time signature created an opportunity to juxtapose seemingly disparate rhythms, most apparent in the verses. When it came time to complete the song, the band ran into a challenge: Chester got sick. Unable to sing during his last week of scheduled recording, Chester was forced to finish his parts in New York, during the start of the mixing process. Down to the wire, the band was left wth little margin for error. Fortunately, this song and "Somewhere I Belong" were written and recorded successfully on the third floor of Soundtrack Studios, NYC. 11. Nobody's Listening 02:58 Peep the style and the kids checking for it The number one question is How could you ignore it We drop right back in the cut Over basement tracks With raps that got you backing this up like [Rewind that] We're just rolling with the rhythm Rise from the ashes of stylistic division With these non-stop lyrics of life living Not to be forgotten But still unforgiven But in the meantime there are those who wanna Talk this and that So I suppose it gets to a point feelings gotta get hurt And get dirty with the people spreading the dirt [It goes] Try to give you warning But everyone ignores me [Told you everything loud and clear] But nobody's listening Call to you so clearly But you don't want to hear me [Told you everything loud and clear] But nobody's listening I got a Heart full of pain Head full of stress Handful of anger Held in my chest And everything left is a waste of time I hate my rhymes [But hate everyone else's more] I'm riding on the back of this pressure Guessing that it's better I can't keep myself together Because all of this stress Gave me something to write on The pain gave me something I could set my sights on You never forget the blood sweat and tears The uphill struggle over years The fear and trash talking And the people it was to And the people that started it Just like you I got a Heart full of pain Head full of stress Handful of anger Held in my chest Uphill struggle Blood, sweat and tears Nothing to gain Everything to fear [Coming at you] Notes: One of the band's many goals in writing Meteora was to take their sampled sounds to the next level. However, in creating more interesting samples, a new challenge arose: To make the wide variety of sample-based elements feel like they belonged together. At first, this song's japanese flute loop created a mood that was far different from any other song on which the band was working, and made the track feel too distant from the rest of the album. Mike and Chester decided that the singing vocals world have to somehow connect the song to the rest of the recordings. The following day, Chester's performance gave this seemingly incongruent song balance, transforming it into an essential track on the album. 12. Session 02:23 Notes: Mike created the majority of this instumental song in the back of the bus in pro tools recording software. It felt unfinished for over a year...until Brad, Phoenix, and Joe put their touches on it while in the studio at NRG. Months later, the band and mixer Andy Wallace adding a new dynamic to the song with quick panning accents in the turntable solo, most noticeable whien listening in headphones. 13. Numb 03:05 I'm tired of being what you want me to be Feeling so faithless Lost under the surface I 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 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 But I know I may end up falling too But I know You were just like me With someone disappointed in you Notes: Just one week before the band entered NRG studios to begin recording, the song was conceived. Built around the intro hook, the song came together quickly and almost effortlessly.