Video analysis of “Numb” by Linkin’
Park
The song numb by Linkin’ park
is off the album Meteora, which was released in 2003. The song is about a
person who is in love with someone who sets to high expectations for him or her
and whatever they do is not good
enough for that person. Linkin’ park are considered a nu-metal, modern rock
type of band but this certain song was considered to be in the alternative rock
genre. The song was directed Joe Hahn also known as Mr Hahn who is the director
and the DJ of the band. Linkin’ park are
a quite successful band in the the “Nu-metal” genre and a lot of people like to
listen to there music this may be because the type of music is not really heavy
for people who don’t like to much screaming in a song and people who don’t like
techno type music.
Lyrics:
I'm tired of being what you want me to be
Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface
I don't know what you're expecting of me
Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes
Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
Become so tired, so much more aware
By becoming this all I want to do
Is be more like me and be less like you
Can't you see that you're smothering me?
Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control
'Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you
Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow
And every second I waste is more than I can take!
And I know I may end up failing too
But I know you were just like me with someone disappointed in you
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
I'm tired of being what you want me to be
I've become so numb, I can't feel you there
I'm tired of being what you want me to be
The lyrics of the song and the video have a strong link with each
other from the beginning of the song right through till the end.
In the music video it shows a female character who was forced into
having a certain lifestyle and do certain courses at college by her mother,
this is shown at the start by the shots of her when se I always by herself and
shortly after the guitar and drums come into the song, the scene goes to her in
school/college and she is drawing and not taking notice in the lesson. This is
shown when the teacher asks her a question but she is not the lesson and the
teacher has to tap the table in front of her to attract her attention. The
lyrics links to this in the first few scenes the lyrics are “I’m tired of being
what you want me to be, feeling so faithless, whilst under the surface” this is
the suggesting that she is being forced into something that he does not want to
do.
This shot shows over the shoulder of the female whilst she is in
her lesson in class, it shows her doing sketch, this is showing she is not
really interested in her lesson and is not taking much notice of her subject
teacher.
After the first verse of the song when the chorus starts during
the first few lines where the lyrics are “I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you
there” it shows her in her class still whilst time has speeded up and everyone
is going past, this scene makes her look like some sort of outcast and shows
that she does not fit in with everyone else because if the type of life style
she has. This is the shot at the start of the chorus, this is probably used
to show that she is oblivious to life around her.
When the second verse has started it shows a shot of the female in
the kitchen with what appears to be her mother they are facing away from each
other (the mother stood up doing the dishes the younger female facing the other
way sat down at the dinner table) the lyrics at this point are “can’t you see
that you’re smothering me? Holding to tightly, afraid to lose control” this
could be linked to the video as it shows that they do not agree what the mother
wants the lifestyle and life choices of her to be and what she wants the
lifestyle of herself to be and it is tearing them apart as a family, almost
making her feel like an outcast .
After this it shows several different shots of the band playing
and the lead singer, then after the lyrics “everything that you thought I would
be, has fallen apart” have been sang it shows a medium close up of the woman
who appears to be her mother talking, it looks like she is complaining, maybe
this could be used to show that the mother has seen that she is not enjoying
this type of lifestyle and is not very happy so she is complaining telling her
that she has to do it and she is only forcing it on her because it is good for
her future.
After
this scene when the bridge to the chorus arrive it shows the female look like
she is trying to fit in and enjoy this lifestyle that has been forced upon her,
she may be trying this because after she had been tlking to her mother she may
have decided to take an “might as well try if I have to do it” approach to it
at this pint where the lyrics are “every step that I take is another mistake to
you, and every second I waste is more than I can take” when these lyrics are
same a long shot is used to show the female going to try and sit down with
other people as a pose to sitting by herself and as soon as she sits down the
other people on the table decide to gety up and walk away like they do not want
to be seen with her like she is some sort of freek or outcast and it is not
“cool” to be seen with her this could be because she did not really talk to
many people before so people started to look down on her like a loner and did
not want to talk to her
After this it shows several shots of the band, this is to show who
is playing the music and singing etc.
After this the chorus is
repeated several times and it shows the female individual throwing things at
what appears to be a painting board, this is possibly used to show the fat that
she has had enough and can not take this type of life anymore and she needs to
be herself now and be who she wants to be and make her own choices etc, this is
what is repeated to the end of the song.
This is the digipack for the 'Meteora' album by Linkin' Park this shows what you get when you buy the album from a shop. it shows that when you buy the album you get the CD with all the tracks on from the album which is what you would expect and then you get what appears to be a little booklet with it which could be a booklet with the track list in and the lyrics of the song. This will help attract customers by the fact that they may like to know the lyrics to the songs they are listening to whether they want to sing along or they would like to know to try and find out the meaning of the song. The band may also of done this to give a little more information about them to first time listeners so they can understand what the band is about and this is the type of music they do etc. 
The song I have chosen to do for my music video is “can’t stop” the red hot chili peppers, this song is off the album “by the way” which was released in 2002. This album was a great success selling 1.8 million copies worldwide in the first week of release, 5 singles where released from the album (“by the way”, “the zephyr song”, ”can’t stop”, “dosed” and “universally speaking”) the title track “by the way” being the most successful reaching number 2 on the UK charts and number 1 on the billboard rock charts. Lyrically, the song “Can’t stop” is about just life in general, the song starts off slow the shortly into the song the chords start and the song speeds up and becomes more lively due to having more instruments in the song at this moment in time and more variation to the notes being played.
In the music video it shows a female character who was forced into
having a certain lifestyle and do certain courses at college by her mother,
this is shown at the start by the shots of her when se I always by herself and
shortly after the guitar and drums come into the song, the scene goes to her in
school/college and she is drawing and not taking notice in the lesson. This is
shown when the teacher asks her a question but she is not the lesson and the
teacher has to tap the table in front of her to attract her attention. The
lyrics links to this in the first few scenes the lyrics are “I’m tired of being
what you want me to be, feeling so faithless, whilst under the surface” this is
the suggesting that she is being forced into something that he does not want to
do.
After the first verse of the song when the chorus starts during
the first few lines where the lyrics are “I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you
there” it shows her in her class still whilst time has speeded up and everyone
is going past, this scene makes her look like some sort of outcast and shows
that she does not fit in with everyone else because if the type of life style
she has. This is the shot at the start of the chorus, this is probably used
to show that she is oblivious to life around her.
After this it shows several different shots of the band playing
and the lead singer, then after the lyrics “everything that you thought I would
be, has fallen apart” have been sang it shows a medium close up of the woman
who appears to be her mother talking, it looks like she is complaining, maybe
this could be used to show that the mother has seen that she is not enjoying
this type of lifestyle and is not very happy so she is complaining telling her
that she has to do it and she is only forcing it on her because it is good for
her future.
