☝️ Key Points
- The song lyrics revolve around internal pressure, expectations, and the search for one's own identity.
- The singer expresses frustration and disappointment over constantly fulfilled expectations and the feeling of losing their self-identity.
- The protagonist emotionally protects themselves through numbness to cope with the pressure and high expectations.
- The line 'All I want to do is be more like me and be less like you' showcases the protagonist's desire to find their own identity.
- The final point hints at a cross-generational pattern of unrealistic expectations and disappointments that are continuously passed on.
Interpretation
The lyrics of 'Numb' by
Linkin Park are about internal pressure, expectations, and finding one's identity. The singer expresses his frustration with constantly having to try to meet the expectations of others and losing himself in the process.
The lines 'I'm tired of being what you want me to be' and 'Every step that I take is another mistake to you' convey the feeling of always making the wrong decisions and never being good enough. It reflects the constant pressure the protagonist feels to live up to the expectations of others.
The chorus 'I've become so numb, I can't feel you there' expresses how the protagonist has emotionally shut himself off to cope with the pressure. It is a defensive reaction to the constant criticism and high expectations placed upon him.
'All I want to do, Is be more like me, And be less like you' shows the protagonist's desire to find his own identity and stop trying to be someone else. The protagonist realizes that he can only be happy by being himself and not trying to be someone else.
'You were just like me, With someone disappointed in you' suggests that the person pressuring the protagonist was once in his position and was disappointed by someone else. This shows a pattern of unrealistic expectations and disappointment being passed down from generation to generation.
Overall, 'Numb' is a song about the struggle for self-acceptance and rejecting the expectations of others. It is a call for independence and valuing oneself above the opinions and desires of others.