Lyrics for What I've Done as interpreted by minuteman

What I've Done Lyrics
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

What I've done
Forgiving what I've done

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The Interloper
04-07-2007

Rated 0 
First off, I like this song. But out of all LP songs, its my least favourite.
I agree with Septimuspheonix, though. Makes some good points. Agree totally.
I like the lyrics, but the sound, to me...is a bit flat.
That's just my opinion. So, I'm not saying I am right or wrong if the song is crap or not.
So yea...

Also, the song, as many people have said, is about the band changing there music.

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Closure11
04-07-2007

Rated 0 
The concept of a band like linkin park making a song about changing their music is just so stupid to me. OK if you follow that reasoning i guess the video would show that they are interested in those ypes of thigs now, and changing them. But why would a group of musicians who are so deep make a song about them changing? I'm thinking the interview part meant that this song is A WAY of breaking out of ,or changing, their old sound, , the song isnt ABOUT changing their song.

The video deffinatly shows a "new begining".

In the beggining the grass disapearing, the wars, the thriving of some as others die in poverty, and the hate crimes.

Then the people who have made a differecne in the middle.

At the end the band members are jumping, then falling in slow mo, like a new begining. Then the babies being born, and the grass green again.

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Rori the Rocker
04-07-2007

Rated 0 
This is what I posted as a MySpace bulletin about this song...
Anyways, I heard LP's new song on the radio yesterday and was... a little dissappointed. If you go hear it, it's not like the LP you expect. I know that they were going for a different style, such as quieting down their numetal/rapcore/alternative sound and looking at classic '80's music. That's fine with me, but I heard their song, "What I've Done" and... it's a little weak.

The entire reason they dropped the numetal sound was because numetal is commonly discriminated as being stupid, the idea of combining rap and rock sounding completely absurd. What's odd is that even if people made fun of it, so many were fans. Numetal bands include Korn, Deftones, Mudvayne, and even Disturbed. But now, because people make fun of it, most bands want to drop that name and sound.

When it first came on the radio, I was like, "Who is this?" because it sounded so different. At first I thought it was Fall Out Boy or Panic! at the Disco, but sadly, it was Linkin Park. Now, they sound just like every other band out there, and for that I'm depressed. Fall Out Boy and Panic! are great, but as for LP I expected something else. I liked their sound, and I wanted them to stick with it, but nooooooooo. They just had to go find something else. It makes me mad.

When their song, "Breaking the Habit" was released off of Meteora, LP had said specifically for that song that, "This is what Linkin Park will probably sound like in the future. It's different, and we like it..."

So, I'm frankly just hoping that Minutes to Midnight album has more to offer than "What I've Done" does.

Rori the Rocker

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Nikkii_sixx
04-08-2007

Rated 0 
This song is soo different then their earlier work but it's still soo amazing. I'm in love with this song. Tour Australia LP, pleaseeeeeee!!! =).

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Nikkii_sixx
04-08-2007

Rated 0 
Yet the lack of Mike singing and the awesome screaming sorta sucks =(.

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chubigans
04-08-2007

Rated 0 
I would assume the song is about the end of days.

so let mercy
Come and wash away What i've done

Come, today, this ends
I'm forgiving What I've done

These seem to be asking 'God' to wash away their sins and maybe start over again, for they know the human race has failed. I'm thinking this is kind of like asking for the extinction of mankind before it destroys more, upsetting the balance of the universe.

I would have thought it were about his meth usage, if not for the video, actually.

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nameless_undertaker
04-08-2007

Rated 0 
ok, this is a good song but it doesnt feel like LP. Its not like One Step Closer or Faint, Somewhere I Belong, Runaway...You know? ...This is the type of songs that you get bored of after a while.Anyways i hope Minute to Midnight will be 'more' LP...needless to say anything about the meaning as a lot has been said already.

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nameless_undertaker
04-08-2007

Rated 0 
I missed Rori the Rocker's comment...100000% agree with you.

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kangaroobixcube
04-09-2007

Rated 0 
At first I agree with a lot of the people on here about how it just does not sound like LP. That this song was just bad and not what I was looking for from them. But then I went back and thought about that statement and how was Reanimation seen at first?? And even Meteora??? People were like this sucks compared to Hybrid Theory WTF were they thinking?? If you really look at it Linkin Park's sound between CD's is probably the most incocistent dynamic sound I personally have ever heard. But thats what really makes them good at the end of it all. I don't know about you but I am not ready to point my finger or judge.

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david_lpfan
04-10-2007

Rated 0 
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.

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piccolomair
04-10-2007

Rated 0 
Alright, maybe its to obvious to be correct. Is this single basically the bands statement??? As in, minute to midnights will be the bands newest greatest most different album? That thier style will be different and not categorized into that nu-metal shtuff they always get thrown with?

Lets examine the chorus, am i the only one who sees the "pen to pad" references? Erase and cross out, like when writing lyrics. alright let me try to break it down completely...here i go...

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
(saying goodbye to what everyoone thought about them. They draw regret from what critics say about thier nu metal music, and its all true, except the fact that they are nu metal which is a lie, truth from a thousand lies anyone?)

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
(hoping to put to rest that nu metal genre they keep getting hit with, and they are uncertain of whether it will work, oh by the way, that last line; "so let mercy come and wash away" i think they mean mercy from critics and fans, to aid them and way away the mark they have thus left on music society.)


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

(So for everything they have created, music wise, here they go again, starting with a brand new look, sound, and feel, and maybe it will work out, or maybe we will hate them for the change, but its done and they are forgiving themselves for what theyve done, which is get clumped into a nu-metal genre rather than prove they are something brand new.)

thats my take on this song, its also why i believe its the first single, because it was meant to relay that message. I do wish it sounded a lot more different than this, because this still sounds nu-metalish. I also get that the video probably shows a second meaning which alot of people here are agreeing on about mankind and what theyve done, but i think the images in the video are actually symbolistic of the music world, and they are actually not discussing world politics but the politics of music. feel free to take apart my comment.

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blackmyeyes
04-10-2007

Rated 0 
its one of those whatever songs. I love LP's other stuff but this sounds like they hopped on the bandwagon. Kinda scares me to think what the rest of the album is gonna be like. oh.dear.god!

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minuteman
04-11-2007

Rated 0 
the song, i believe, was written about the concept of "minutes to midnight" - to depict how the band had changed. hence, "in this farewell, there's no blood, there's no alibi".

if the some of the lyrics don't fit that theme, it's just to keep things nice and broad ... and cryptic and whatever ... that's how LP are.

this song is sort of supposed to be LP's re-introduction. it covers the new sound on the album so it was chosen as a single. LP starting anew. ;)

otherwise, re-interpreted with the video, yeah, it's about mankind destroying the environment and anything else too.

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TheBigMattowski
04-11-2007

Rated 0 
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.

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samanthastfu
04-11-2007

Rated 0 
amazing.

that is all.

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septimusphoenix
04-11-2007

Rated 0 
glad to see im not the only one who was somewhat dissapointed by this song. i, and others, or not flaming this song or the band, nor saying it's a bad song. but it doesn't reach their usual standard. i'm actually missing the rap/hip hop influence in that it can bring a heavier beat (and i detest hip hop *shudders*) LP are a good band, one of the best, but i'm hoping for some heavier adn more interesting songs from the album. what i've learnt from their previous albums is that their music not only gets ur attention - IT DEMANDS IT. the rhythms kidnap you and chester screams in your face. this song was very mellowed out.

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~bre~
04-12-2007

Rated 0 
I love Linkin Park and have since i was like 11 i love this new song heaps too spesh the piano thingo at the start but i dnt like the clip for it at all it doesnt really match with linkin park even if they are changling.. i dunno LP have had some great original clips in the past and this seems to be like everyone elses clips... Wolfmother meets U2 anyone??

Dont get me wrongtho i love linkin park and i cant wait for their new album, im counting down the days already lol

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NoNotTheBees
04-12-2007

Rated 0 
To me, this song is kind of an intriguing direction for the band. It definitely sounds like they stripped down all the heavy electronic stuff and made it sound a lot more clean, but in a lot of ways, that ways, the old stuff with all the DJ work was what gave them the distinctive style I've come to like. I'm guessing they figured their old music had this certain "ZOMG hardcore!" teen angsty feel and wanted to move past that, but in the process, they kind of got rid of their distinctive edge in favor of something more generic. As much as I'd like them to ditch their old "SHUT UP WHEN I'M TALKING TO U!!!!" material, I'm hoping that with the rest of the album, they'll do that while *also* retaining their unique sound.

Lyrically, the song is more or less the same as their old stuff, although for some reason, it seemed kind of refreshing in an odd way. Maybe it's because it actually contains a tinge of positivity? I don't know, I usually never listen to Linkin Park for their lyrics anyway. >_>

Also, Fort Minor > Linkin Park, to whoever said "Fort Minor wasn't that great."

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gigglepie951
04-13-2007

Rated 0 
pretty much, it means forgive and forget to me.
luv it.
luv linkin park.
glad to hear that got a new record cumin.
id preorder it, but i dont think itunes runs out of downloads.
im markin my calender for may 15th.

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hate2luv
04-14-2007

Rated 0 
When I first heard this song, I thought it was an April Fool's joke or sumthin...is this LP for real?? I am not impressed by it...in fact, I was so depressed when I heard this song...i didn't expect this from them. It seems shallow..the lyrics don't hold an air of inspiration as they used to before...and honestly..the music itself seems unbearably common. Sorry...

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Slitwrist
04-14-2007

Rated 0 
hmm new look badass __ video gross __ ... nice song __ simple __ less complex and less effort than previous songs __ .. mr Hahn does less work __ .. and so does shinoda _ all he does is nah nah nah __ .hopefully , i hope the vid convinced me he was playing guitar... ___ nice =) __ .. eont wanna be dissapoitned by new album __ i fyou listen closely, the song almost sounds like lp's reason __ .. the change in style is almost emo=popish __... interesting nonetheless... LP started off badass__ Hybrid Thoery __ then technologically basass reanimation __then transcended to divinity __ Meteora__ collaborated for popmaket __ Collision Course __ .. and now its XXXXXX --- hmm __ interesting __ ...

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Slitwrist
04-14-2007

Rated 0 
Joe (Hahn) came up to Mike and me and asked us to take the whole idea of Minutes to Midnight and apply that to how the band has changed. So, in a way, it's us saying goodbye to how we used to be...The lyrics in the first verse are 'In this farewell, there's no blood, there's no alibi,' and right away, you'll notice that the band sounds different: The drums are much more raw, the guitars are more raw and the vocals aren't tripled. It's just us out there ... and that's how Rick wanted it.
—Chester Bennington, March 2007[2]

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Slitwrist
04-14-2007

Rated 0 
Joe (Hahn) came up to Mike and me and asked us to take the whole idea of Minutes to Midnight and apply that to how the band has changed. So, in a way, it's us saying goodbye to how we used to be...The lyrics in the first verse are 'In this farewell, there's no blood, there's no alibi,' and right away, you'll notice that the band sounds different: The drums are much more raw, the guitars are more raw and the vocals aren't tripled. It's just us out there ... and that's how Rick wanted it.
—Chester Bennington, March 2007[2]___on WIkipedia

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Slitwrist
04-14-2007

Rated 0 
ooops anyways ++ as for the meaning i think the band is sayin sorry for changin our style __ to the fans and stuff __-...forgive us for what we did when we changed the trippled voice, screams and hardcore nu metal sound

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muse82
04-14-2007

Rated 0 
I think the main problem with people not liking this song is that they are expecting to hear Linkin Park continue to write and record the same style of music from their first two albums (essentially, nu-metal with screaming and rapping). Unfortunately for those fans, bands and artists don't always do that. Quite honestly, Linkin Park are very wise to adopt a more grown-up sound. First of all, the group members are now into their late 20's and early 30's and would look ridiculous trying to duplicate the nuances on Hybrid Theory. Moreover, their fans are aging along with them; many of the same people that were rocking out to "One Step Closer" at 18-21 are now 25-28, and I'm guessing they wouldn't enjoy the LP of 2000 so much. Secondly, nu-metal was pretty much on its way to the grave by the time Meteora was released.

If this song is really about global issues - and I think the video reflects that - then it's laudable that they are addressing something bigger than themselves instead of wallowing in "whats-wrong-with-me" lyrical content.

Kudos to LP for this song.

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