Linkin Park: What I've Done Meaning

Song Released: 2007

What I've Done Lyrics

In this farewell,
There’s no blood,
There’s no alibi.
‘Cause I’ve drawn regret,
From the truth,
Of a thousand lies.

So let mercy come,
And wash away…

What I’ve Done.
I’ll face myself,
To cross out what I’ve become.
Erase...

1. Natsoccer

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   Sep 5th 2007 !⃝

   This is NOT about high school... Mike Shinoda writes most of the songs and he is 30 years old. Joe Hahn said in an interview that part of this song is about how the band is saying goodbye to the nu-metal they have been doing and now want to "start again".
   Another part of it is how they want to "wash away" "cross out" "let go" what they, a group they are associated with, or our country has done to discriminate, destroy our earth, and whatever else anybody can think of. As somebody else said; Linkin Park songs are tailored so they can fit all audiences and touch everybody no matter how different they are.

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2. anonymous

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   Aug 13th 2007 !⃝

   I think it is the exact opposit of the song "If everyone cared" because what I've done if you watch the video is about destroying the earth when if everyone cared is about what th world would be like if well everyone cared. So what I've done is saying it is time for me to let go of all the wrong I've done and try to do better from now on. You know start with a clean slate.That is the way I see the song.

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3. my_apocalypse_etf

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   Aug 4th 2007 !⃝

   I'm pretty sure the song is talking about how the world as a whole is going to crap, with the pollution, murders, rapes, starvation and everything else that's damaging the world, I think the video pretty much explains everything.
   
   x3 Lizzie

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4. anonymous

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   Jul 22nd 2007 !⃝

   Sean M.?
   
   How do you know they are girls?
   
   Just wondering.
   
   --Brandy L.

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5. peteinmypants

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   Jul 11th 2007 !⃝

   I like this song a lot because of their meaning, especially with the video. They're basically saying that we are destroying ourselves. We have all this stuff and we don't appreciate it. Like in the video, you've got all these starving people who are literally starving to death. We've got all this food at our disposal, but we don't eat it just so we can be thin, and those starving people would rather be full than thin. Get it?

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6. anonymous

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   Jul 5th 2007 !⃝

   Actually in the Album book
   They said it can apply 2 many things like freedom.
   Murder.
   Letting go.
   New beginnings
   Read The FINE print next to the lyrics in the book.

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7. anonymous

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   Jun 18th 2007 !⃝

   God, all you girls are so fucked up. Their song is meant to be interpreted the way you want them to be! Yes, all their songs have special meanings to the band members themselves. However, YOU can interpret it in any way that YOU want to. Every single song that Linkin Park has created touches someone in a completely different way. Every one has a different meaning for different people. Stop being morons to each other because as far as I'm concerned, you're all correct. Get it? Got it? Good.
   
   
   
   Sean M.
8. anonymous

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   Jun 17th 2007 !⃝

   Ok this song can have several meanings its like the band said in the dvd "the song is about how we moved on from their old song to their new one and how it could impact their career but it can also be about society and how we take a lot for granite its left open for interpretation so you can find your own meaning to the song and relate to it.

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9. anonymous

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   Jun 14th 2007 !⃝

   I think the song can be viewed as a conversation between humanity and god.
   the song is talking about all the grim events which has taken place in the world's history, through lies, and the struggle for power. a good example is "let mercy come and wash away what I've done" representing the mercy of God.
   
   At the end humanity admits to their actions and forget their actions and start all over again. This might be a conversation during judgment day.
10. anonymous

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    Jun 10th 2007 !⃝

    I think this song is about:
    
    (a)forgetting all of the bad things you've done in your life,and then starting over
    (b)remembering all the bad things our country has done
    (c)reincarnation
11. estudmn

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    Jun 3rd 2007 !⃝

    Machs... It's about that because you believe it is about that.
    
    Linkin Park tailors (most of) their songs that way to include a large audience.
12. machs

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    May 25th 2007 !⃝

    This song is about graduating from high school. "What I've Done" is a retrospective on your academic career.
    
    In this farewell,
    There’s no blood,
    There’s no alibi.
    ‘Cause I’ve drawn regret,
    From the truth,
    Of a thousand lies.
    
    In this block of text, the author is saying farewell to his peers without blood (it is probably a high school in a tough neighborhood). The truth of a thousand lies thing is about all the essays you had to write. So let mercy come and wash away what I've done means they are disappointed with their grades, and they want to erase "what they've done" and start over from scratch, and need to erase all their mistakes, and themselves, probably with one of those big novelty erasers."Put to rest what you thought of me" means that if you ever thought he was a slacker, think again, because he's gonna reinvent himself and get much better grades and buckle down and study! Grammar, geography, history, sciences, ect... "Cleaning this slate with the hands of uncertainty" means he is washing his gym clothes (he sees his gym clothes as his "slate" because he performed poorly in gym and feel that by washing his clothes he will be anew). "So let mercy come and wash away what I've done", in this case, means that Mercy in his eyes, is some sort of detergent that will wash away the dirt (both metaphorical and literal) from his gym clothes. All in all, he is very dissapointed and has not completed his work to his full potential, and almost sees his diploma as a glowering cobra that spews out his past mistakes instead of stinging venom.

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13. Gameguy327

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    May 14th 2007 !⃝

    The man with the five-star rating hit the nail on the head. And the album title is "Minutes to Midnight" which is referring to the metaphorical doomsday clock (when it reaches midnight is when doomsday is supposed to be). That just helps the interpretation that much more.

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14. anonymous

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    May 14th 2007 !⃝

    Some of you guys are really stupid, submitting your comments when you have no f***ing idea what you are talking about. What I've Done was released on the air April 2nd and tomorrow May 15th, their whole album "Minutes to Midnight" will be released. This message is not meant for everybody who posted.
15. anonymous

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    May 14th 2007 !⃝

    The song is about how the band has changed, the lyrics in the first verse are 'In this farewell, there's no blood, there's no alibi,' and right away, you'll notice that the band sounds different: The drums are much more raw, the guitars are more raw and the vocals aren't tripled. It's just us out there ... and that's how Rick wanted it.

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