Linkin Park – Papercut

Know something about this song or lyrics? Add it to our wiki.
Send "Papercut" Ringtone to Cell

Why does it feel like night today?
Something in here's not right today.
Why am I so uptight today?
Paranoia's all I got left
I don't know what stressed me first
Or how the pressure was fed
But I know just what it feels like
To have a voice in the back of my head
It's like a face that I hold inside
Like a face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face watches every time I lie
A face that laughs every time I fall
(And watches everything)
So I know that when it's time to sink or swim
That the face inside is hearing me
Right underneath my skin

[Chorus]
It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

I know I've got a face in me
Points out all my mistakes to me
You've got a face on the inside too and
Your paranoia's probably worse
I don't know what set me off first but I know what I can't stand
Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is
I can't add up to what you can but
Everybody has a face that they hold inside
A face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face watches every time they lie
A face that laughs every time they fall
(And watches everything)
So you know that when it's time to sink or swim
That the face inside is watching you too
Right inside your skin

[Chorus: x2]

The face inside is right beneath your skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin

The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me

[Chorus]

It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

Send "Papercut" Ringtone to Cell


Lyrics submitted by Matt

Track duration: 03:05

"Papercut" as written by Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Chester Charles Bennington, Joseph Hahn, Robert G. Bourdon

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, EMI Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Papercut song meanings
Add your thoughts

78 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +3
    General Comment:Honestly, although I agree that it is about paranoia, I also think Papercut could be about schizophrenia. But I know just what it feels like
    To have a voice in the back of my head
    It's like a face that I hold inside
    Like a face that awakes when I close my eyes
    A face watches every time I lie
    A face that laughs every time I fall
    (And watches everything)
    It's like a whirlwind inside of my head
    It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within
    It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

    I have skitz, and this pretty much sums it up. Just to add a new point of view to this convo.
    Flag thechickwiththeguitaron June 04, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is about paranoia... if that hasn't been said enough already. Like, every time you slip up, every time you trip, every time you say something you didn't mean to, there's a voice, deep down, criticizing you. Making fun of you. Pointing out your mistakes. It's really an amazing song, and I love it.
    Flag Rekrapsteron April 26, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I get the "paranoia" theme (rather evident, considering the lyrics mention the word "paranoia" at least 10 times. What I don't get is why the song is titled "Papercut."
    Flag Releqon April 23, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Isn't it about conscience?
    Flag Baniason May 21, 2011   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    My Opinion:I think, it's called Papercut, because when you cut yourself with a paper, it hurts you for a longer time, but it's nothing, just a small cut.
    Same as when someone for example trip on a street, he thinks "oh my god, it's so embarrassing, every one will laugh at me now" (A face that laughs every time I fall :P), but its nothing, lot of people won't even notice.
    Flag DJDarkWolfon March 05, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:oh btw i thin this song is called papercut becuz either:
    1 its about how something that means nothing to people (like a papercut) they just shrug off, but for this guy, a 'papercut' is horrible, and flips them out bigtime cuz their so emotionally disturbed, or
    2 a tiny little papercut is what triggered their paranoia that theyre suffering right now, or
    3 its a reference to people so depressed (or better said emo) that they desperately cut themselves with anything, even paper (this is why people cant bring certain things like styrofoam and such in suicide hospitals). but this reason isnt likely, just irony
    Flag th3h4rp1ston November 22, 2010   Link
  • +3
    General Comment:man gosh i love this song i can relate to it so much cuz i know people exactly like this (stuck in depression-caused paranoia) and ive been everywhere in the lyrics of this song. i can almost imagine people i know like this in the music video with LP and singing along when they say "the suuun... goes dooowwn... i feel light betray me; the suuun go-oes do-own... i feel the light betray me; the suu-u-uuun..." with tears in their eyes, all emo.. i know how it feels to think like when the sun goes down youre being left behind in the darkness thats already too much to bear, and you realize the darkness inside you now matches the darkness outside of you. this song is simple in meaning: LP is looking at all the people out there who have had horrible, disturbed-for-life things happen to them that leads to depression then that eventually goes to your head and causes paranoid symptons becuz of the pain and stains inside (kids whove watched their loved ones die graphically in front of them; girls whove been raped)... and it makes you say crazy things when youre feeling this way, like everyone has this darkness in them and it prods at you all day, and gets worse at night... this song reaches out to those people. what LP does a lot is they sing about how horribly off they are, yet they say that the person theyre talking to is even worse, trying to paint a picture of just how bad things get that we cant understand.
    Flag th3h4rp1ston November 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:I love this song. It's my favorite song of all the time. It's obviously a song about everyone voices in their heads. Everyone have these voices. You can't get rid of them.

    IT'S BEST SONG I EVER HEARD!!
    Flag DJDarkWolfon November 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:I love this song. It's my favorite song of all the time. It's obviously a song about everyone voices in their heads. Everyone have these voices. You can't get rid of them.

    IT'S BEST SONG I EVER HEARD!!
    Flag DJDarkWolfon November 06, 2010   Link
  • 0
    My Opinion:I love this song. It's my favorite song of all the time. It's obviously a song about everyone voices in their heads. Everyone have these voices. You can't get rid of them.

    IT'S BEST SONG I EVER HEARD!!
    Flag DJDarkWolfon November 06, 2010   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

Back to top
explain