Interpretation
The song lyrics "Papercut" by
Linkin Park are about paranoia and the feeling that something is not right. The singer feels stressed and tense, and he feels like there is a voice in his head that criticizes and laughs at him.
"Like a face that I hold inside
A face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face watches every time I lie
A face that laughs every time I fall"
He describes this voice as a face that lives inside him and is always present. It watches him when he lies or fails. The paranoia grows, and he feels watched and pursued.
"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"
The paranoia gets stronger and he compares it to a whirlwind in his head. He feels helpless against what he hears within himself and the voice seems to be right beneath his 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"
He recognizes that he is not alone with this voice. Other people also have this inner voice that criticizes them and points out their mistakes. He even suspects that other people's paranoia may be even worse than his own.
The song lyrics show the internal conflict and mental burdens that the singer is dealing with. It is about the feeling of being pursued by one's own paranoia and feeling controlled by it. It is an expression of the internal conflicts and fears that everyone experiences sometimes.