Across The Line

Background

"Across The Line" is one of the seventeen songs recorded for Minutes To Midnight in 2006-2007 and is one of the five songs that did not make the album, along with "No Roads Left", "What We Don't Know", "Blackbirds", and another unknown fifth song. According to Mike, the song was the very last song to be cut from Minutes To Midnight, even after "No Roads Left".

The song was first shown in its demo form on the Making of Minutes To Midnight DVD, when a clip of a song entitled "Japan" was played. At this part of the DVD, Linkin Park was discussing how for the first time when they made an album, they would record random vocals immediately for the song instead of finishing the track and then adding vocals like they did for Hybrid Theory and Meteora. A clip of Chester singing "The pieces are the secrets, da da da, that I'll never find" over the "Japan" demo is shown.

"Across The Line" was released on the LP Underground 9.0: Demos CD in November 2009. On November 11, 2009, Mike premiered the tracklisting (which had leaked ahead of time) on his blog, saying, "For those of you who have been keeping track, “Across The Line” is a brand new, unreleased song. It was recorded during the “Minutes To Midnight” sessions, and was originally entitled "Japan." We know a lot of the fans on the LPU boards have wanted to hear this song, in its entirety, for a long time. We’re putting it on the LPU9 CD for you!" Brad said in the LPU 9 press release, "The LPU is a movement. Their support of the band is inspiring. So we try to give back to them whenever we can. When we heard that they had been talking about 'Across The Line,' we knew we had to make it available for them."

In an LPU chat from December 9, 2009, fans asked Mike all about "Across The Line". He said, "Across the Line was written by all of us. The majority of the music came from two separate demos I did at my house. Chester and I did the vocals and lyrics. It was in progress around the same time as most of the songs from MTM. No More Sorrow, LOATR, LTGYA, etc. Across the Line just baaarely missed the cut. If there were 12 songs, I think it was #13. I don't have any idea if it will be played live. It will have to compete for a setlist spot vs. all our singles and the song from the new album though…"

In regards to a fan questioning if it was Mike on backing vocals, he said, "I think Across The Line is all Chester’s voice, although I often do the rough vocal as we’re writing it, and sometimes we leave some of my vocals in. Not sure on that one. Definitely not anyone but me and Chester, tho." However, Mike can definitely audibly be heard lending backing vocals in the song, singing the background "doubles" for Chester's chorus vocals.

On January 15, 2013, Linkin Park released a "Mastered for iTunes" version of Minutes To Midnight and the version of "Across The Line" that was included had no bass at all throughout the entire first verse of the song.

Demo

In October 2010, fans became aware of alternate versions of three tracks on the LP Underground 9: Demos album. A European WBR promo version of the CD exists, with alternate versions of "Across The Line", and the demos of "Faint" and "By Myself". "Across The Line" had an extended intro, which was just an instrumental version of the bridge of the track, while "Faint" and "Sad" had entirely new/longer intros. These were the longer versions of the tracks before they were edited and shortened for their release on the CD by Mike Shinoda. The acetate CD was posted on LPLive on October 31, 2011 by BPERCY.

Adam Ruehmer confirmed the legitimacy of the tracks on November 1, 2011: "I have some good news for you. The songs are legit. I finally found the file Mike sent me before we went to mastering. The extended intros are there. Congrats! I'm REALLY confused at how this stuff got put on a promo CD in Europe. Strangest thing ever!!"

Versions

Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Across The Line (Unreleased Demo 2007)	LP Underground 9.0: Demos A Decade Underground	3:10	2007	November 23, 2009
Across The Line (Bonus Track)	Minutes To Midnight (Mastered For iTunes)	3:10	2007	January 15, 2013	No bass during verse 1.
Across The Line (Unreleased Demo 2007)	LP Underground 9.0: Demos (EU Promo)	3:46	2007	2009	Extended intro. Released on LPLive for free download on October 31, 2011.

Lyrics

In this desert / In darkness
Lying with the gun across his chest
Pretending / He's heartless
As the fire flashes in the sky
He was fragile / And frozen
When the bullet took away his friend
But now he's somehow / More broken

He's pulling his weapon to his side
Loading it full of his goodbyes
Holding an enemy across the line
He's pulling his weapon to his side
Loading it full of his goodbyes
Holding an enemy across the line

Sweating / And shaking
Lying with her hands across her chest
She wakes with / Her cravings
As the fire flashes in her eye
She was fragile / And frozen
When the needle took away her friend
But now she's somehow / More broken

She's pulling her weapon to her side
Loading it full of her goodbyes
Holding an enemy across the line
She's pulling her weapon to her side
Loading it full of her goodbyes
Holding an enemy across the line

With every battle he's choosing
With every fight he's losing
His enemy is not far behind
With every promise she's broken
With every lie she's spoken
Her enemy is not far behind

It's your time
It's your time
It's your time
It's / Your / TIME

He's pulling his weapon to his side
Loading it full of his goodbyes
Holding an enemy across the line
She's pulling her weapon to his side
Loading it full of her goodbyes
Holding an enemy across the line

With every battle he's choosing
With every fight he's losing
His enemy is not far behind
With every promise she's broken
With every lie she's spoken
Her enemy is not far behind

References

• http://mikeshinoda.com/2009/12/01/lp-underground-9-press-release/
• http://mikeshinoda.com/2009/10/17/three-updates/