A man apologizes for pride and for misrepresenting himself (“In Between”). On “Leave Out All the Rest” he ponders the legacy that will outlive him, hoping people can focus on the good times (“Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed”).
Although “What I’ve Done” puts to death a dark past in a metaphorical sense, some teens could hear a nod to suicide (“In this farewell there’s no blood … Erase myself and let go of what I’ve done”). The less cryptic “Given Up” cries, “I’m sick of living … Put me out of my [expletive] misery!” F-words pop up on several tracks. On “Bleed It Out” the vexed singer plays the victim card, whining that nothing works for him and no one cares (“Find a new place to hang this noose/String me up from atop these roofs/Knot it tight so I won’t get loose”). “Hands Held High” is an obscene diatribe against President Bush.
This departure from Linkin Park’s rap-rock roots retains the band’s self-destructive focus on heartache and pain. But what’s with the f-words? In 2002, vocalist Chester Bennington said his lyrics avoided expletives because “vulgarity doesn’t add anything special.” It still doesn’t. Families straddling the fence on this group will get a decisive push from Minutes’ advisory sticker.
