Lyrics for Breaking The Habit as interpreted by ruben

Breaking The Habit Lyrics
Memories consume
Like opening the wounds
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 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

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

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Chipmunk777
06-10-2003

Rated 0 
to me, this song is about suicide. he has to deal with his past, he's confused about where his life's going, and the problems he has now, and he feels he's ruined his life already by lying to people about all these things, and he no longer really knows who he is, so he "breaks the habit", the habit being his life, ending the pain that hes felt for such a long time. so, thats just what it means to me. this and "numb" are my favorite songs on the album. btw, meteora is an ok album, but it, by no means, comes close to the mastery of the first album :D

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1 Reply
NIKKIE
06-10-2003

Rated 0 
its choosing your battles and i can understand this too well . cuase i dont know what worth fighting for either and i know ill never be alright ... im shocked it just two people in here . this song needs to be ehard .. everyone can relate , well almost..

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phoenix4
06-13-2003

Rated 0 
this is a great song i think it's about a fight between a person and his past and he did a lot of things that made it bad for him and he wants to "clean his slate" and start over.

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Maxleetis
06-15-2003

Rated 0 
this song is about doing the last resort like chipmunk777 said suicide. He doesnt want to go through it anymore. Hes tired of running from it problem "I tightly lock the door I try to catch my breath again". So now hes going to stop the habit and go through the last resort.

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berrygirl
06-17-2003

Rated 0 
I always thought this one was about Self Injury
because of "clutching my cure" and "they all assume I'm safer in my room" Maybe it's just me that thinks that. I love this song it's one I can really relate too... obviously not many can eh? :P

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ssjprincessbura
06-17-2003

Rated 0 
Yeah, I agree with the SI refrences, there alot of them I often find it helpful to listen to this when I'm triggered..

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ihavenoname083
06-21-2003

Rated 0 
i always thought it was about drugs, and breaking the drug habit. His room isn't really safe, because he could just do drugs there, but people still think that he's safe from drugs there. Confused about whether or not to stay clean. Wanting to get high, but still wanting to stay clean.

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jordanwolfe51
06-22-2003

Rated 0 
am i the only one who still thinks that this song, like the rest of their songs, makes no sense....linkin park has to learn that you cant write lyrics around the music....u write music around the lyrics....metallica, the best band ever, is an example of this, all their songs make perfect sense and have great messages.

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1 Reply
MethMeth
06-24-2003

Rated 0 
I think it's about trying to get over serf-mutilation...
He's thinking about everything that's wrong with him, all his problems and remembering how good it felt when he hurt himself... "memories consume, like opening the wound"
"you all assume i'm safe here in my room, unless i try to start again".... he's family and friends all know he has a problem, and they think he's over it, little do they know he's continuously thinking about it....
He feels like he's the one with all the problems, that all the bad things go looking for him... clearly he's confused as to what to do, where to go with it all... which problems to fix and which problems to ignore... he's frustrated... he doesnt know what made him what to hurt himself, he knows it isn't a good thing and thats why he wants to stop...
"Clutching my cure, tightly lock the door".... He's found his instrument with which he'll inflict his "medecin"... the locks the door 'cause he's ashamed, he doesnt want anyone to know that he's back to his old tricks...
"I hurt much more, then any time before, i had no options left again".... judging by the last few words, saying "again" after he said he hurt more then anyother time makes me think that the feelings at that moment are just as bad as before, but he just thinks it's worse because he hurts so much...
i'm not sure how to interpret "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"...... perhaps he's blaming himself for making everone miserable, blaming himself for hurting himself and trying to make things alright again....
At the end of the song he figures out what to do... he knows he'll never be completely over his problem, he knows he needs help and his willing to fight it....
At least thats what it means to mean....... i really relate to this song.... it makes me feel like there are other people out there that have the same problem as me..... i know how it feels to struggle with the problem of self-harm..... this song really touched me....

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berrygirl
06-24-2003

Rated 0 
Beautiful explaination MethMeth, it's excatly what I thought... I know all about the struggle with SI too... and it hit home with me too

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linkinparkdude13
06-25-2003

Rated 0 
this song is about Mike's friend who had a problem with inflicting pain apon himslef.

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soad127
06-26-2003

Rated 0 
this is definitaly one of the best songs on the cd...and yes, it is about suicide...

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RemChemLPAngel
06-29-2003

Rated 0 
The first time I heard this song, I cried. I saw my last relationship flash constantly, then I saw images of cutting myself. This song is quite personal. I think chipmunk777 has a good idea about it being about suicide bc it's easy to contemplate it when you "have no options left again" and you have no clue how to stop the negative feelings of pain overtake you. I personally think, however, that it's about being hurt so many times and allowing yourself to continue being hurt to the point that you lock yourself away and cause physical damage to yourself (cutting/shooting up or even botched suicide atrempts) and that everybody around you knows but you're too ashamed to say anything bc you're afraid that they'll call you a psycho or that they'll lock you away in a nuthouse.
Like I said before, it really sounded like being hurt in a bad relationship and feeling like SI/drugs was the only way to release the pain. The "I'll paint it on the walls" could be about shooting yourself and leaving a bloodstain on the walls or it could be sort of a "written on the wall" thing where people know but they won't stop you from doing whatever you're doing. The person is so unwilling to want to fight whatever it is they are fighting (internal demons, an actual person, the addiction to whatever drug they're doing or even something else you can think of) and the SI/drugs isn't helping, so the song becomes a release of emotions and, as for the feelings of pain, the song is "how it ends", their big plan to stop the SI/drug habit. After writing down all their emotions, they "found some clarity" as to what they want people to know and finally have the courage to confront everybody who knows (either through telling the people straightforward or through singing the song) abuot their addiction/SI/suicide attempts. That's what I think.

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kavna
06-30-2003

Rated 0 
WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!
ONE PERSON! ONE PERSON GOT IT RIGHT!
ihavenoname you got it on the nail!
Drugs.
He's addicted to a certain drug.
"clutching my cure" is an ironic line.
His cure isn't actually a cure its the drug he needs.
But because he needs it, its a cure to him.
IDIOTS!

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2 Replies
Malkie2003
07-01-2003

Rated 0 
I'm not really sure what their intentions behind this song were... though it just sounds like an anger management problem to me.
Come to think of it, that's why I like it. Once again, it reminds me of myself. I mean, I can completely relate to every word of it. It was kinda freaky the first time I heard it, tho...

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korn_child14
07-01-2003

Rated 0 
Lp writes songs on what they've been through. None of them are big on drugs and alcohol. The song could mean a 1,000 things. "clutching my cure" ... he could also be holding a phone which he could call a hot line, leading to his cure. People think that if you hurt yourself you are safe in you room.BS! I
know from experience.

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concrete_girl
07-01-2003

Rated 0 
I'm a self-injurer and I relate this song to self-injury. (Not that I think that's what it was written about...it's just how I see it)
Lines like, "you all assume I'm safe here in my room unless I try to start again" and "clutching my cure, I tighly lock the door." Those are memories I can associate with self-injury. But that's just my take. Excellent song, though.

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nrasul
07-02-2003

Rated 0 
ok....Chester was heavy on drugs n alcohol, but this song was written by mike about a friend who had a bad life. Listen carefuly between the very ending of figure 0.9 and the very beggining of breaking the habit and u will hear a gun shot - aka. suicide - which is a cure for the problem of a bad life

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1 Reply
Sadlittleboi:(
07-06-2003

Rated 0 
Duh. Priests wear habits. He's breaking the habit. This songs about leaving the priesthood. J/k
I thought it was about drug addiction."I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean
I don't know how I got this way"
On drugs you can't control what you say if you're stoned enough and you get addicted just like that and don't realize how you got that way.
That's just my opinion though. I dunno maybe I can't have full understanding cuz i don't hurt myself...phsically.

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goldengoaliex910
07-07-2003

Rated 0 
kavna: HOW! THE! FUCK! DO! YOU! KNOW!

show me the article where mike or chester or anyone from lp says its about exactly what you said. or wait... what you think its about, i mean.

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blind lemmon
07-07-2003

Rated 0 
I think this song is about self mutilation or suicide, just my views.

"Memories consume
Like opening the wounds
I'm picking me apart again"

Depressed, hating himself

"You all assume
I'm safe here in my room
Unless I try to start again"

Everyone thinks if they just ban them from the rest of the world, he'll stop cutting, unless he cuts again in his room.

"I don't want to be the one
The battles always choose"

The person is tired of being depressed and under stress

"Cause inside I realize that I'm the one confused"

They know what's going on with them isn't right

"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"

The person is confused and aren't in controll of what they are doing

"I don't know how I got this way
I know it's not alright
So I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit tonight"

the person is trying to quit cutting/trying to kill themselves because they know its not right

"Clutching my cure
I tightly lock the door
I try to catch my breath again
I hurt much more
Than anytime before
I have no options left again"

Something went wrong and the person is holding a razor (anything you could cut yourself on) locked in thier room getting ready to cut. They feel like there is nothing else they can do, and cutting is the only way out.

"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"

This part confuses me...either the person is trying to kill themselves or to end everything, or they are quitting cutting and are finally happy.

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Howitzer11717
04-07-2004

Rated 0 
"Memories consume
Like opening the wounds
I'm picking me apart again
You all assume
I'm safe here in my room
Unless I try to start again"

At first it might seem like he's going to cut and I think that he has cut before



he can't stand what hes done he
and he doesn't know why he does what he does

"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 "



And it would seem that he's always thrust into situations, which the correct solution is always vague and thought the better of the choices the outcome is still not that great.

"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 "


"Clutching my cure '
The weapon that he will use to kill himself

"I tightly lock the door
I try to catch my breath again"

he's nervous about killing himself

"I hurt much more
Than anytime before
I have no options left again "

he belives that there is no way out and hes trapt
that killing himself is the only way he can solve his problems


"I'll paint it on the walls "

he's going to paint the walls with his blood

"Cause I'm the one at fault "

Self blame.

"I'll never fight again
And this is how it ends"

The end that he talks about is that he's going to kill himself he'll never fight in his mind or physicaly
the reason i think that it's not that he's solved his problem is because every one has some kind of struggle inside there head with daily questions and the only way that the "fights" or decisions can be ended is in death

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Evilsheep
04-08-2004

Rated 0 
U all have great explanations for this song, I think like most of you it's about self harm. Don't really need to give any other explanation because you have already done it. It could be really dealing with any kind of adiction but I asociate it with self harm because it's an issue I'm dealing with. Most of the song fits into that catogory. I'm kinda confused with the ending though because it could mean that either the person kills themselves or that they finally stop cutting.

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NlCOLE
05-01-2004

Rated 0 
''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'll never be alright ''

this song is so mine . its such a sick cycle .

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green_monkey
05-07-2004

Rated 0 
I agree that this song could be about either self-mutilation or suicide but I think that the 'habit' could also be about hostility maybe. I think it's saying how he has all this anger in him and self-deprecating thoughts because, 'I'm picking me apart again' and he might lash out at people (or vice versa) which turns into fights with people but he hates fighting and doesn't mean to and questions why he does it thus,
'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 '
.
It's emotionally and physically draining as it says, 'I try to catch my breath again' and he can't express how he is feeling to everyone else or even himself which triggers self-harm or depressing thoughts as 'Memories consume Like opening the wounds.
I'm picking me apart again.' He thinks it's his fault for all the pain he and other people feel 'Cause inside I realize that I'm the one confused', or maybe he also doesn't want to be living with them either anymore, and thinks the only way out is by commiting suicide because he might 'have no options left again.' Maybe he is depressed but no one understands this and thinks he just has a bad 'habit.' It also says 'again' so he may have thought about committing suicide before and didn't go through with it but now he 'hurts much more than any time before' or perhaps it didn't work. He doesn't know how to say what is going through his head so by committing suicide he can 'have some clarity, To show you what I mean. ' So the 'habit' could be his inability to communicate his feelings with others which leads in fights and violent outbursts which he thinks is wrong and feels guilty and regretful about, because the chorus is says that he doesn't know why he 'instigates' those things towards others and then says, 'I don't know how I got this way, I know it's not alright. So I'm breaking the habit tonight.' But I think everyone is right about all the different meanings. This is just another slightly different idea.

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