The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
In this farewell
There's no blood, there's no alibi
'Cause I've drawn regret
From the truth of a thousand lies
So let mercy come and wash away
What I've done
I'll face myself to cross out what I've become
Erase myself
And let go of what I've done
Put to rest what you thought of me
While I clean this slate
With the hands of uncertainty
So let mercy come and wash away
What I've done
I'll face myself to cross out what I've become
Erase myself
And let go of what I've done
For what I've done
I start again
And whatever pain may come
Today this ends
I'm forgiving what I've done
I'll face myself to cross out what I've become
Erase myself
And let go of what I've done
(Na-na na na, na-na na na, na-na na na)
What I've done
(Na-na na na, na-na na na, na-na na na)
Forgiving what I've done
(Na-na na na, na-na na na, na-na na na)
(Na-na na na, na-na na na, na-na na)
There's no blood, there's no alibi
'Cause I've drawn regret
From the truth of a thousand lies
So let mercy come and wash away
What I've done
I'll face myself to cross out what I've become
Erase myself
And let go of what I've done
Put to rest what you thought of me
While I clean this slate
With the hands of uncertainty
So let mercy come and wash away
What I've done
I'll face myself to cross out what I've become
Erase myself
And let go of what I've done
For what I've done
I start again
And whatever pain may come
Today this ends
I'm forgiving what I've done
I'll face myself to cross out what I've become
Erase myself
And let go of what I've done
(Na-na na na, na-na na na, na-na na na)
What I've done
(Na-na na na, na-na na na, na-na na na)
Forgiving what I've done
(Na-na na na, na-na na na, na-na na na)
(Na-na na na, na-na na na, na-na na)
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Light Up The Sky
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"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Amazing
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Page
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Politics, environment, God, Sin, repentance, redemption? I say, all of the above. I think that's the beauty of the song. Some have already said that the interpretation is in the eye of the beholder, but I go a little bit further and think two things: (1) interpretation is based on your world-view, and (2) LP is writing with that intent.
What's the song's problem or tension? Guilt over past actions. I'm a Christian, so I am naturally going to interpret this, very easily, as a song about sin, God's forgiveness, and the need to move beyond the guilt. This is not to say that LP is in any way religious, however they have chosen certain phrases ("So let mercy come and wash away..." for example) that they must know will appeal to a religious listener, particularly one that is Christian. If this song was performed by a band in the Christian fringe line Underoath, Head (Brian Welch), or even Lifehouse, how would it be interpreted? It would get heavy play on Christian radio and in Christian Youth Groups.
What's your world-view? Are you a secular-humanist? An environmentalist? Supporter of animal rights? The good thing about the song is that there is a positive message in there for you, too.
And in the end, if you begin to ponder the idea of God and His Grace and Mercy, that's great, too. Have an open mind and heart.
@jayintheuk<br /> I agree with your interpretation of the song. I am not a religious person at all. To me, it meant something a little different. I trouble handling the stress of being a whistle blower, trying for my PhD and all of these things. I was drinking excessively and at times completely out of control. She put up with it until the day she discovered that I had cheated on her and we broke up.<br /> <br /> After months had passed, I recently sent this song to my ex-gf (before ever watching the music video). I have been trying to "win her back" since. For me it meant, that everything we think we know about "therapy" is incorrect. Think of AA or NA, "Hi my name is X and I'm an alcoholic". I believe that VERY LINE is the reason programs like AA only have a 3% success rate. Every-time, you say "I am" anything, your brain strengthens those neural connections. Effectively, you become what you believe. Your entire life is based on beliefs, the beliefs that if you sit in a chair you wont fall through it, or hit a wall it will stop you. However, there is nothing innate about these properties. Humans (homo-sapiens) have an incredibly developed per-frontal cortex and I believe that by focusing the energy of this, you can re-wire your brain, your neural connections, almost instantly. I practice meditation for hours, take Omega 3, 6, 8 etc. and then go to sleep. I wake up the next day feeling different.<br /> <br /> As Charlie Sheen said once in an interview I had a problem but I don't anymore. I rewired my brain in a nano-second and it was a gone. Of course nobody believed him and thought he was crazy. But I believe that is the moment in my life when I realized that he wasn't crazy, he was right. We all have the power to rewire our brains if we only try.<br /> <br /> Instead of saying "I am", or "I have" this to anything negative. You should instead replace this with, "I don't have a problem with X", or "I am not X". Also, use "passed tense" when referring to a problem. "I had a problem with X" etc.<br /> <br /> Back to the song:<br /> I believe the Linkin Park discovered the same thing. Listen to the lyrics:<br /> <br /> "I'll face myself<br /> To cross out what I’ve become<br /> Erase myself<br /> And let go of what I’ve done"<br /> <br /> It seems so simple, "Erase myself", "cross out what I've done". Because it IS that simple.<br /> <br /> "Put to rest<br /> What you thought of me<br /> While I clean this slate<br /> With the hands of uncertainty"<br /> <br /> He's changed, put to rest what you thought of me. He's cleaning his slate, but he's lost (likely experiencing "lost dreams", as I do all the time). Because he is uncertain of his destination yet he still believes he can clean the slate.<br /> <br /> Anyways, maybe this will add something to the way you perceive the world.
@jayintheuk I felt from the minute I heard this song, you could almost say it was a song of repentance. However, having heard the sad news today about the lead singer, I am drawn to the lyric where he talks about erasing himself and although he may have only meant erase what he has become and start again, at this moment in time some may say it was a self prophecy of today. I am so sad, at the loss of this singers life.
This song is truly awsome. I can definetly hear how LP has changed. I think it means "What ive done" really is more like what mankind has done that is destroying this world, hence the music video. and this song is about forgiving the evil people have done and starting over in a clean slate.
oh yeah<br /> <br />
What "mankind has done"...really? Com'mon...we are all part of mankind, and the easiest dodge of all is to point a finger at someone else...but only to draw attention away from ourselves. <br /> <br /> You cannot "earse yourself...for what I've done." That requires someone else to forgive you. <br /> <br /> The sound is great...but the lyrics are problematic and distrubing, to say the least.<br /> <br /> Clearly writing to folk that want the power to erase their own sins. Sorry folks...it does not work like that.<br /> <br /> Cdad was here...
The song has a duo meaning as well as being about sins and redemption it is also about how LP are changing their sound:<br /> <br /> Wash away - forgetting the old stuff<br /> I start again - In with the new stuff<br /> hands of uncertainity<br /> what ever pain may come-they are unsure about how it will be recieved and frankly don't care<br /> <br /> At least that's what I think though it's all about interpretation.<br />
The video for "What I've Done" shows the song in a hole different light.
In the video, there are clips of wars, scandals, global warming, etc. and I think that the song is trying to say that we can fix all of this by starting over. For so long, we have denied global warming, let conflicts between countries continue and haven't really learned from the past. If we just face the music, and try to work on all of these issues, the future may not look quite so bleak.
I was expecting a bit more from the single, but of course this is the only song out at the moment, so I hope that the album is as eclectic as the band says it is. And Mike, what's with the "na na na"'s at the end? Siiiiing!
whole
@enjoythesilence soon it will be too late to start over. Soon the all mankind must be eradicated so the earth can start over.<br />
@enjoythesilence I agree with this but I also think it is a religious type thing idk how to say it but i think he is asking God for his forgiveness for all the things he has done (hence the name).
This song is not about a single person, but all people in general. In the music video, we see what is wrong with the world and how it is our doing. The song to me is telling us to forgive what we've done in the past and start again with a clean slate free from the burden of our wrong doings.
@1lpfan it's too late we're all going to burn in hell.
@1lpfan I completely agree
It's all about trying to start again, erasing the bad things that you have done, asking forgiveness but choosing, first of all, to forgive yourself. Yes, the video shows how the song is refering to mankind's faults, but I think it can also be interpreted as in personal relationships, and something makes me think that this was the first intent that inspired the songwriting (that's just a feeling though).
Forgive me, I never intended to do all that s*it to you. I run out of hopes and out of control, while I should have protected you. Forgive me, Chiara, I love you.
Not trying to be a hater... I adore LP's older songs. First two albums, better than sex. But this song. Its bland, its boring.... Its basically U2. I read the interview in KERRANG last year... how they were saying that they looked at the songs that sold best and emulated them. I hate to say it but it feels like theyve sold out their image. They said in the same interview that people saying they were nu-metal was like saying they sucked. Complete crap. The other big players in Nu-metal, (IMO) disturbed, KORN etc. Theyre sticking with it and their fans love them for it. With Minutes to midnight... i lost my respect for LP... almost completely. If they bring out a new album, ill be very wary to buy it.
@co-cheese THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH U2!!! LP RULZ!!
@co-cheese Killyourself you piece of shit
@LPguy10767, chill dude. it\'s his opinion.
It's a fairly good song, but it seems like LP are suffering from something of an identity crisis.
While the lyrics are still fairly consistent with their old stuff, the music comes dangerously close to pop-rock.
Then again, I wasn't a big fan of the Jay-Z thing, and Fort Minor wasn't too great, and this sort of thing seems to have gone in a completely different direction to all that.
I guess I'll probably buy the album, but by changing their rather distinctive sound Linkin Park risk losing their identity.
A call to humankind to forgive itself and destroy the cycles of destruction in which it has snared itself. This song is both hopeful and desperate, but its message is clear: humankind cannot forgive itself until the individual--you and me--forgives himself for the wrongs he has done.
Man is something that must be overcome.
This song is about starting anew after a mistake and wanting to change the person you are into someone better.
I think its about no matter how bad you may have hurt someone or something, it is never to late to change your ways.