What does Breaking the Habit mean?

Linkin Park: Breaking the Habit Meaning

Album cover for Breaking the Habit album cover

Song Released: 2004


Breaking the Habit Lyrics

Memories consume
Like opening the wound
I'm picking me apart again
You all assume
I'm safe here in my room
Unless I try to start again

[Bridge:]
I don't want to be the one
The battles always choose
'Cause inside I realize
That I'm the...

  1. anonymous
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    May 29th 2012 !⃝

    I actually think its more literal than people think. It just about people who speak without meaning, and cant real picture themselves on the inside because they don't know who they really are, so they say what they can to get through the day and realize this, but don't know what to do about, and they even question how they became like that. Such as speaking without thinking on complete habit, and instigating people unintentionally.

  2. spongebob
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    Feb 3rd 2012 !⃝

    this song is about some one (chester ) going through a difficult time in his life. like i think tht the writer wants to make a point the they have messed up and their starting over again. and their...Breaking the Habit...

  3. anonymous
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    Jan 22nd 2012 !⃝

    You can interpretate as a drug addicted or as a suicide song. If you don't know the background of the singer and you would have not known all the words, you would say: "Hey, this song is about a dude who has given up all options and try to break his habit (kill himself).
    On the other hand, you could say it is about drug addiction. It is a very bad habit. He says: You all assume, I'm safe here in my room. "Unless I try to start again" .Cause inside I realize, that I'm the one confused, and I don't know how I got this way.

    "I'll paint it on the walls
    'Cause I'm the one at fault."
    In this sentence he want to make clear that he wants to make it public, what kind of habit he had, and say that he's the one at fault. He's the one who is guilty for himself. And he wants it never again, so this is the moment that it will end.

    Conclusion: You can interpretate in on two ways, one, suicide, two, drug addiction. I think it is very nice if you can make a song which you can interpretate differently.
    The best sentence which makes it clear after you've heard the song is the title itself. Breaking the habit. If you heard about the battles, and says that he don't want to fight again(against bullies) so he says, and this is how it ends, so he'll break the habit of living!
    The other side shows us that it could be about drug addiction.
    So it's your dicision.

  4. anonymous
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    Dec 29th 2011 !⃝

    Damnit you guys, you do know that Wikipedia can be edited by anyone, right? Anyone can go on and put whatever they think. As sources go, Wikipedia is not a reliable one

  5. anonymous
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    Nov 14th 2011 !⃝

    You guys are so depressing why couldnt it be about something like habit of doing something anoying not everything is drugs and wrist cutting.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  6. anonymous
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    Jun 4th 2011 !⃝

    I"M Going Thorugh Apathy and I Miss Writing
    To Political people,Cheerleaders and My Friends ECT. And I Want To BReak The Habit
    By Getting Right with God and I HAve ADD,
    and I've Got Sneaky and Caught Up With THe
    World System and I want To Be Known as an
    Honest MAn Of God Again Trustworthy,Dependable
    and reliable And I Want To Be MY Self and
    I'm Ready to Do Some Damage To The Devil
    and Following God With My HEart Now.

  7. anonymous
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    Apr 25th 2011 !⃝

    I think this could be about two things:

    1.) Drug Addiction. "Clutching my cure, I tightly lock the door... I hurt much more, than anytime before, I had no options left again." It could be about the addict stealing a pill bottle (full of, say, Vicodin) because He/She cannot withstand the withdrawl any longer.

    OR

    2.) Breaking Self-Destructive habits. Like worrying or cutting. "Memories consume, Like opening the wound, I'm picking me apart again."

  8. anonymous
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    Apr 15th 2011 !⃝

    I think it is a song about his life

  9. anonymous
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    Mar 22nd 2011 !⃝

    I think the song is about Chester comiting suicide"Clutching my cure" He has to be talking about a gun,right? "I'll paint it on the walls" I think he's talking about his gun. That's my interpertation.

  10. anonymous
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    Mar 12th 2011 !⃝

    My interpretation is that even tho its about committing suicide its also showing the pain it gives not just to the person committing suicide but the ppl around eg the girls facial expression at 1:17.

  11. Felisha
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    Feb 1st 2011 !⃝

    I think this song is about a person who is dealing with their past and confused on where their life is going. He/she feels that their life is ruined. So...it's kinda like suicide.

  12. Anthony Bowling
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    Jan 26th 2011 !⃝

    THis song is obviously about his addiction to McDonald's. Like when he says, "Im eating fried rabbits tonight." He's talking about how he's not eating McDonald's tonight.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  13. anonymous
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    Dec 23rd 2010 !⃝

    Well I heard that this song was looking back on chesters childhood and how he was bullied throughout high school and never felt good enough. So he and mike wrote this song looking back on the past and how Chester tried to runaway from not feeling good enough (:

  14. linkinparkfoxraider
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    Dec 22nd 2010 !⃝

    linkinpark4eva is spot on and u shouldnt always judge song by their filmclips number1 guy

  15. ande7290
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    Oct 4th 2010 !⃝

    I believe "Breaking the Habit" is about depression,self harming,drug addiction.

    "Memories consume
    Like opening the wound
    I'm picking me apart again"

    The person remembers the memories,which is like opening wounds which are healing.....like scratching up old wounds by picking at them. So as he remembers the things in the past his wounds open up again

    You all assume
    I'm safe here in my room
    Unless I try to start again

    So he who seems to be doing all right,being normal loses it and feels depressed after remembering the memories. Hence none thinks there's anything wrong,until they actually see the proofs of it. Like when the person starts cutting himself again.

    I don't want to be the one
    The battles always choose
    'Cause inside I realize
    That I'm the one confused

    The person is tired of being picked upon,being sad,being hurt and depressed. He realizes that it confuses him to swing from being normal to self injury or doing drugs.

    I don't know what's worth fighting for
    Or why I have to scream
    I don't know why I instigate
    And say what I don't mean

    The person seems to not like how he feels being depressed and wants to break free from it's chains. When the depression hits he loses control and screams and hurts people around him.

    I don't know how I got this way
    I know it's not alright
    So I'm breaking the habit
    I'm breaking the habit tonight

    He realizes that the place where he is in,isn't the right one. Hence he wants to try and break free from the chains of depression/self injury or drugs.

    Clutching my cure
    I tightly lock the door
    I try to catch my breath again

    He holds on to possible his blade,or drugs (which have over time been the cure to his problems and sadness)"I tightly lock the door" shows that he doesn't want to hurt anyone more and doesn't want anyone to know about the frenzy it creates. Holding on to his cure,he tries hard to not use it.

    I hurt much more
    Than anytime before
    I had no options left again

    When he tries breaking the habit,holding on to his cure hurts him. It's hard to let go and he gives in to his problems and depression and addiction and redoes his habit.


    I don't know how I got this way
    I'll never be alright
    So I'm breaking the habit
    I'm breaking the habit tonight

    Yet again he realizes that he has to quit his habits and he thinks about how he's become so weak,and knows that after all the addiction he has had he would never be the same again.Hence he decides upon breaking his habit.

    I'll paint it on the walls
    'Cause I'm the one at fault
    I'll never fight again
    And this is how it ends

    (This kind of confuses me)Either he entirely gives up on trying to quit the addiction or he successfully gets rid of it.




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