Linkin Park: Faint Meaning
Song Released: 2003
Faint Lyrics
Handful of complaints but I can’t help the fact that everyone can see
these scars
I am what I want you to want what I want you to feel
But it's like no matter what I do, I can't...
-
1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:To begin, I would like to say this is an excellent song. Linkin Park rocks \m/. The lyrics are talking about some serious issues that many of us feel day to day.
The song title itself, "Faint," is a dead give away of the meaning. Faint means feeble, weak, dizzy, lacking courage.
When Chester is talking about, "I can't feel the way I did before," the feeling he is speaking of is summed up in the word Faint.
The main characteristics used to describe his being Faint are: feeling lonely, feeling disregarded (ignored), insecure and unconfident.
He feels like people can easily complain at all of his shortcomings -- "scars" -- that are apparent. His flaws are easy to spot, or the social scene thinks badly of him. These scars could represent any reputation damaging incident.
It doesn't seem to matter what he does, any good deeds, accomplishments, acting friendly, displaying talent, etc -- No one around him has any faith in him. It's like an automatic rejection, despite any effort whatsoever.
"So I let go," meaning, hey, fine, whatever, I'll let you make the decision to despise, hate, ignore me, and treat me like I don't even exist. I'm finished with trying to convince you. You can make your own decisions. Go for it.
But even though you have treated me horribly, turned your back on me, and rejected me -- I'm the bigger man -- and I'll be here for you, even though you weren't there for me.
Then the chorus comes in, which is a little different. Unlike the verse, which, was very honest, yet passive, the lyrics become more active: I don't want to feel like this anymore, treated like I'm invisible. Don't ignore me. There is no amount of time that can heal this. The only way to truly heal your ignoring of me is to face me. I'll make you listen. I'm not going to passively let you shut me out. I'm going to get in your face!
"You don't understand I do what I can but sometimes I don't make sense," is essentially saying that I'm trying as hard as I can. Even if you cannot comprehend my actions, I am trying to do what is right.
Now here is a very interesting line: "I am what you never wanna say, but I've never had a doubt." This means that the people who ignore him or are treating him wrongly don't say it to his face. They just plot behind his back, or talk in secret. Think about the "scars" mentioned earlier. Like they mock his damaged reputation, but won't admit in front of him. But he knows all along what their problem is. "I've never had a doubt." Remember - the scars were apparent -- "everyone can see these scars." Even when you won't say it, I know what it is without doubt.
No one will even "here me out." Their minds are already made up. It's like judging a book by its cover. It's like ostracized and excluding someone just because they don't fit in, or someone has tried to black ball them. "Face away and pretend that I'm not," -- pretend I don't even exist, pretend my accomplishments, talents, and pursuits are all worthless.
The parts sang by Chester, again, are almost the opposite of the rapped verses. Chester is not passive. He does not say, "turn your back like you always do." No. Not at all. He is saying DON'T turn your back on me I WON'T be ignored.
Thus, to simplify this song:
The verses express the mental attitude of being "Faint." Even though it's very honest, it is passive.
The chorus and bridge represent the cure to being faint (weak/passive/dizzy). It almost hints at hostility. Being more active, stronger, aggressive.
I agree with some of the other posts I saw in here. It's true a high school, or even adults / "grown ups" in their 20s-60s and beyond can try to destroy your reputation.
Last, but not least, this song also shows how utterly cold our world and society is. It shows how shallow most humans are. If you don't "fit in" or if people feel they can't use you/get something out of you, they will just ignore you, and treat you like you don't exist.
peace -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:Wow, mine's a bit different than the rest, bear with me:
"I am a little bit of loneliness a little bit of disregard"
-This part's pretty obvious, true. He feels lonely, like he's being ignored, like no one's caring about him, etc. But notice the way he says it: "I am a little bit..." So, it's not like he's saying "I'm sad"; it's more of like "sad's who I am; I'm a sad type of person". He's ASSERTING this. Normally a person who's just saying they feel lonely will sound sad while saying it. This speaker's is fiercly declaring lonliness; he's clearly aggressive.
"Handful of complaints but I can’t help the fact that everyone can see these scars"
-Further description. "Handful of complaints" is either saying he's a complainer, or that he's full of qualities to complain about. The "scars" reference is referring to the fact that he just can't hide all these apparent bad qualities, of how something in his past seriously fucked him over, something "scarred" him.
"I am what I want you to want what I want you to feel
But it's like no matter what I do, I can't convince you, to just believe this is real"
-This is where my interp starts to flesh out. This sounds like he's talking to someone he loves, someone he's trying to woo. He wants the other to want him. And the last part sounds like a lovesick person who's trying to convince someone else their love is genuine.
"So I let go, watching you, turn your back like you always do
Face away and pretend that I'm not
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I got"
-This is inferring the other isn't reflecting his feelings at all. The other's just gonna ignore him. And the last statement shows his desperation.
[Chorus]
(I can't feel the way I did before)
(Don't turn your back on me)
(I won't be ignored)
(Time won't heal this damage anymore)
(Don't turn your back on me)
(I won't be ignored)
-Sounds like a reference to maybe how the person felt before he met the other. Back before he found his "love". His life was pretty messed up, hence his reference to "damage", and that time can't resolve it, implying that he needs the other. The constant repeat of "I won't be ignored" is further stressing how aggressive and potentially violent he is.
"I am a little bit insecure a little unconfident
Cause you don't understand I do what I can but sometimes I don't make sense"
-Further listing off his frailities, aggressively describing more reasons why he's the "handful of complaints" as described in the first stanza. The second part is just reinforcing that he's unstable and incoherent.
"I am what you never wanna say but I've never had a doubt
It's like no matter what I do I can't convince you for once just to hear me out"
-This is kinda rough, but it sorta sounds like the other just doesn't want to talk about him, and isn't listening to him. Regardless of whether or not they had any sort of relationship before, at this point, the other's just not giving him any time.
"So I let go watching you turn your back like you always do
Face away and pretend that I'm not
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I've got"
[Chorus]
(No)
(Hear me out now)
(You're gonna listen to me, like it or not)
(Right now)
(Hear me out now)
(You're gonna listen to me, like it or not)
(Right now)
-This last part continues and finishes the pattern of aggressiveness with a climax of basically his saying that he's not going to to let the other walk away.
So overall, I think I just that this song had a much darker tone than the rest of the interps suggested. -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:Alright, none of you who have posted interpretations for this song have a CLUE what you are talking about, so I took the liberty of doing it myself. This song is emo. This song SCREAMS me, so I know EXACTLY what it means. It's my theme song.
First off, I'll tell you my story, which will help you better understand the lyrics. My "BFF" was the most powerful kid in school. I had been friends with him since kindergarten. One day, in the 6th grade, he decided it was his goal in life to make mine as miserable as possible. I received no explanation. Being the most powerful kid in school, as well as being at the top of the class, he convinced EVERYONE (even my friends and the teachers)to hate me.
A month ago, I asked out my best friend, and she e-mailed me back, said she regretted having being friends with me. She said that her friends told her not to be friends with me. She blocked me from e-mailing her, changed her phone number, and to this day, she refuses to speak to me.
Now, the lyrics.
"I am a little bit of loneliness a little bit of disregard
Handful of complaints but I can’t help the fact that everyone can see
these scars"
I'm lonely. People don't care (disregard).
I have so many complaints, but everyone can see that I'm emo, so they don't listen.
"I am what I want you to want what I want you to feel
But it's like no matter what I do, I can't convince you, to just believe
this is real"
I have created a fantasy world, in which you loved me back.
But, it's not real (just in my imagination), and never will be, no matter how hard I try.
"So I let go, watching you, turn your back like you always do
Face away and pretend that I'm not
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I got"
So, I just gave up on you, I watched you turn your back like everyone else in my life
...ignored me...
but, you're all that I've got, everyone else already left me, so I'll just...be here...come talk to me...This is a cry for help.
"(I can't feel the way I did before)
(Don't turn your back on me)
(I won't be ignored)
(Time won't heal this damage anymore)
(Don't turn your back on me)
(I won't be ignored)"
The chorus is self-explanatory, as well.
"I am a little bit insecure a little unconfident
Cause you don't understand I do what I can but sometimes I don't make
sense"
I'm insecure, and unconfident because of my past.
You don't understand, I have had a bad past, and I try to do what I can to get over it, but I still have personality disorders and such...
"I am what you never wanna say but I've never had a doubt
It's like no matter what I do I can't convince you for once just to hear
me out"
Nobody wants to tell me why they don't like me,
"(Hear me out now)
(You're gonna listen to me, like it or not)
(Right now)
(Hear me out now)
(You're gonna listen to me, like it or not)
(Right now)
(I can't feel the way I did before)
(Don't turn your back on me)
(I won't be ignored)"
Okay, now I'm really getting pissed!
FUCKING LISTEN TO ME, YOU BITCH!
NOW!
LISTENNNNNN
The tone of the voice here in the final two lines above, mean a lot to me. He sounds like he's crying, this happens all too often.
The rest just repeats itself...
Hope that helps! -
"But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I got"
It`s his subconsciousness.
"I can't feel
Don't turn your back on me
I won't be ignored
Time won't heal
Don't turn your back on me
I won't be ignored"
Which he is obviously constantly ignoring. Now it`s warning him.
"(No)
(Hear me out now)
(You're gonna listen to me, like it or not)
(Right now)"
And here he probably has a panic attack -
I agree with the comments that suggested this song is about getting ignored for just being who you are,without any real reason.some people in this cruel society ignore you if you don't "fit in" to their standards.i have been experienced this in my school.there was a teacher who hated me for no reason.i didn't shout in the class room,disturb other students or withdraw homework.
actually i was the cleverest student in the classroom and got the highest marks in exams but i was a very shy and quiet student.i thought it was just my nature.i didn't much talk with teachers or classmates therefore that teacher always humiliated and mocked at me.she blamed me saying i was a low self esteem,insecure or a avoidant personality.she made me very uncomfortable in front of the other teachers and students and made me cry often.she see my tears but kept insulting me.she made my school life a hell.
it was very mentally painful.i once tried to suicide because of her.i don't know why she always ignored me and hated me for no reason.i haven't done anything wrong to her.later i found out that i have severe social phobia disorder and that's why i didn't have ability to talk in school.i think that old teacher knew i had some sort of mental problem but she never asked me to help instead of that she bullied me and made me more insecure. -
This song is about how everyone is ignoring poor Chester because he had a bad past and he's emo. So am I so I totally get it.
Either that or his girlfriend (or maybe someone else) is fed up with him and wont listen to a word he says.
Either way, this is the best song that's ever existed. My life somehow put into beautiful words. -
i think its about how certain types of people get ignored for no exact reason. all the idiots who think they can do that is why they wrote the song
-
I'm guessing that i can relate to this song, Ive been An outcast in my long past……
So many times ive been ignored, hated, turned down by kids and teachers alike.....…
I am loneliness, unconfident, and insecure………
Sometimes i get really pissed that im being ignored until i reach my breaking point and just shout( NO HEAR ME OUT NOW!!!) …… -
I have a little bit different interpretation of this song. Actually, I listened to it before it really had a meaning for me. And in fact I understood it as my girlfriend dumped me. I just wanted to keep her as a friend, anyway.
But she just didn't care of me, she turned her back on me, and I was there, just trying to keep in touch with the girl I had loved, doing ineffective endeavours.
So, now this is my interpretation.
"I am a little bit of loneliness a little bit of disregard
Handful of complaints but I can’t help the fact that everyone can see these scars"
I just felt lonely because she didn't care of me, she just saw me as a stranger. I wanted not to complain, but in my mind, that was a mess, I suffered inside, and even though I tried not to let it show, it let scars I reluctantly couldn't hide.
"I am what I want you to want what I want you to feel
But it's like no matter what I do, I can't convince you, to just believe this is real"
I were gentle, kind with her, as I wanted her to be gentle and kind too with me. But these endeavours, no matter how hard I tried, but all this went unnoticed, she didn't consider it as real, she was in her world, without me in it.
"So I let go, watching you, turn your back like you always do
Face away and pretend that I'm not
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I've got"
I let things happen without doing anything, I was desperately watching you ignore me, like you do every day. You just live without even a look at me. But you don't know that I'll continue, because you're the one who matters for me, and moreover, you are ALL that matter for me.
The chorus doesn't need any explanation I think.
"I am a little bit insecure a little unconfident
Cause you don't understand I do what I can but sometimes I don't make sense"
I'm not sure of anything anymore, I lost self-confidence, because I'm now lost: all my world, everything collapsed, when you left me.
You don't understand and even notice all the things I try to do, just to make you only look at me again. And when I stand back, when i realize what I've done just for it, I also realize that it's HUGE, and I'm quite crazy to do this. (Although I personally did it too)
"I am what you never wanna say but I've never had a doubt
It's like no matter what I do I can't convince you for once just to hear
me out"
I am now sure that you know that I'm suffering, and trying to get back at you, but however you don't want to accept, and you continue ignoring me.
But all my endeavours may (should)
[Sorry, I'm not English, I still have problems with shades of meaning]
though make you decide at last to hear what I kept inside, and that just want to be expressed, instead of staying hidden in my mind.
"(Hear me out now)
(You're gonna listen to me, like it or not)
(Right now)
(Hear me out now)
(You're gonna listen to me, like it or not)
(Right now)
(I can't feel the way I did before)
(Don't turn your back on me)
(I won't be ignored)"
I now get off the rails, I'm out of control, I've suffered too much since you left me, I tried so hard and either you don't even see it, and you're totally moron; or you know that I make those endeavours, and just ignore me : Now I'm just exploding with rage and anger.
The future in "I won't be ignored" shows determination, and no longer the kind way to try to approach you.
To conclude, I think this song shows that Chester (or any other people who try to become identified with this song) just wants his ex-girlfriend (or friend, or any other person that he likes much) to keep good relationships with him, instead of ignoring him. He's been through loneliness, scars, insecurity, and of course pain, while doing his best whereas the f***ing person he loves doesn't care.
And after having suffered for such a long time, in the end he just gets off the rails.
Here it is. I hope I didn't make too many mistakes, I'm French. Please rate it, and comment it if you think you have a better interpretation.
It means nowadays somethong to me, and it describes well what I've been through.
Bye everyone ! -
I love this band cuz no matter how i feel they have a song for it. Anyway i have a friend who used to cut like me and this song explained her life and mine.
she has many people in her house but they barely pay attention to her. "eveeryone can see these scars" Its been 3 years and we both still have scars.(they were deep)She has me and 4 other friends and she hates being around anyone else.
She feels ignored and neglected. "a little bit of lonliness"
She tries talking to her parents but they don't listen."no matter what i do i cant convince you to just believe this is real"
She gives up and and practicslly lives online. "so i let go watchin you turn your back like you always do face away and pretend that im not but i'll be here cuz you're all that i got." She hate her family so much but she has to listen to them.
" A little bit of disregaurd" Nobody listens but me. She feels ignored. she is ignored.
She had an incident with her family where she yelled at them to listen to her.
"hert me out now. Your gonna listen to me like it or not right now!"
i showed her this song and she cried after listerning to it but she seemed at peace with herself and she doesn't give a rat's hat about her family anymore. this is not much of a meaning but it show how music can change a life around.It shows what lyrics make people feel, it shows how much it makes them better and it shows that no matter what you always have music n any form. This band needs to be honored cuz they stopped me from suicide. They deserve better. -
I couldn't agree any more with the top interpretation by anonymous. My (ex)best friend turned on me also. She made my life hell, depressed, and feel like nothing was right unless it was her way. Here's my story;
We did everything together, even though I couldn't do anything with out being insulted by her and my other friends. One day she had a party and of course everybody was talking shit to my face. I got all depressed and sat on her couch for most of the night. Finally she confronted me and told me that if she didn't know that I was going to be all boring and stuff then she wouldn't have even invited me. So I got up walked out and left her house at 3 in the morning and walked home. When I got home I took a knife into the bathroom and slit my wrist. Luckily it wasn't deep at all. I took the knife back in my hand and was going to slit it again, but I realized how much my little sister would miss me and how confused she would be. I love her and I'm so scared that shes the only reason why I'm still alive. My friends continue to ignore me, and when I have another bad day, I hope that someone will realize that I'm only human and will be there when I lose myself. Right now though, I can't continue to live like this. -
I consider, that you are not right. I am assured. I suggest it to discuss. Write to me in PM.
-
I think this song is about a breakup. He's angry because his girlfriend dumped him and won't listen to him (he wants to get her back). It makes him angry that she doesn't see his point of view. But he's not willing to give up because she is all he has. They've been through this before and he knows how it feels, and he doesn't want it to happen again. "I can't feel the way I did before."
"I am what I want you to want, what I want you to feel"- He wants her to want him, and feel like he does. He could want her to feel love for him, or he could be angry and want her to feel terrible like he does. -
The interpretation I've had since I first heard this song. My "best friend" always ignored me, turned away from me, walked away from me, and said it was because she had so many friends that she couldn't make time for all of them. But she would make time for everyone but me. "So I let go, watching you, turn your back like you always do
Face away and pretend that I'm not
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I got"
I think this song is about someone in a similar position and just getting fed up with getting ignored, left, and put in second place. And personally, I'm getting to that point any time now. -
NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THIS MEANS. I FEEL EXACTLY THIS WAY. I asked a girl out. She said yes. She then proceeds to text me saying 'I don't think we should go out.' I text her back asking to give it a chance because you never know. She would not answer no matter what I said.
Lyrics:
I am a little bit of loneliness, a little bit of disregard
The person is lonely and hated by many people, disregarded.
Handful of complaints but I can't help the fact that everyone can see these scars
Everyone complains about him, but it isn't his fault life has made him sour
I am what I want you to want, what I want you to feel
He is what the person wants him to be
But it's like no matter what I do I can't convince you to just believe this is real
The person refuses to see the speaker is doing all he can to be the perfect image. This part screams and tears at my soul. She thinks it was just a little fun but IT WASN'T
So I let go, watching you, turn your back like you always do
The speaker just is ignored despite all he is doing over and over
Face away and pretend that I'm not, but I'll be here 'cause you're all that I've got
The person can ignore the speaker all they want, but he won't accept it
I'll just sum up the chorus.
The speaker can't feel the same way forever, so he won't be ignored.
I am a little bit insecure, a little unconfident
Speaker may be insecure and not confident in his abilities
Cause you don't understand I do what I can but sometimes I don't make sense
He may not make sense all the time but he does all he can yet the person never understands that
I am what you never wanna say but I've never had a doubt
The person never acknowledges that the speaker is trying his best, but the speaker knows he is
It's like no matter what I do I can't convince you you for once just to hear me out
Even though he's giving his 100%, the speaker can't get the person to listen to what he has to say
Then the rest and the chorus I already assessed
No! Hear me out now!
You're gonna listen to me like or not!
Right now!
Basically the speaker has had it and is gonna make the person listen to what he to say by any way.
That's 'Faint' in a nutshell. Great song LP. -
person below me. no you have a point but you sound like my friend Eddie. he thinks no one likes him but he always has friends who care about him. just open your eyes and look around you.
-
i think this song is about when ur used-to-be-friend told everyone to NOT be friends with u. and when u try to talk to other ppl, they won't talk back to u cuz of how the think u r because of that used-to-be-friend "judged" you . kinda confusing lol
-
This song is obviosly about someone who has some underlying issues. This person has developed strong feelings for somone that might not understand this person or share mutual feelings. So there is definately a lack of clarity between himself and others. He has probably pushed this person off as a result of hiz "scars". He is alone in the world and will be taken seriously this time.
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