Skin To Bone

"Skin To Bone"
Song by Linkin Park from the album Living Things
Working title	Skin To Bone
Recorded	2011 - 2012
Length	02:48
Time signature	4/4
Tempo	80
Key	A Minor
Writer	Linkin Park
Producer	Mike Shinoda, Rick Rubin
Label	Warner Bros.
Living Things track listing Lost In The Echo In My Remains Burn It Down Lies Greed Misery I'll Be Gone Castle Of Glass Victimized Roads Untraveled Skin To Bone Until It Breaks Tinfoil Powerless

"Skin To Bone" is the ninth song off of Linkin Park's fifth studio album, Living Things.

Background

Chester Bennington talked about how many of the songs on Living Things started out as "hippie folk songs", but eventually became these heavier electronic songs, citing "Skin To Bone" as an example of that.

Brad Delson talked about how the contrast of elements in "Skin To Bone" made it more interesting, stating "I should also mention with the folk songs, one of our goals as Linkin Park was, 'What can we do to make it relevant?' Rick really challenged us: 'Well, if it has a folk DNA and you just present it as a folk song, that's not adding anything to the conversation.' So with Skin To Bone, for example, none of those sounds are folk sounds, and what makes it interesting to me is the juxtaposition of the arrangement versus the identity of what that song is. I think that's what makes it unique."

Remix

"Skin To Bone" officially got one remix, done by Nick Catchdubs. The track was released on Linkin Park's second remix album, Recharged, and featured new verses from Cody B. Ware, Ryu, and Mike Shinoda. Interestingly, Ryu's verse in the remix hints at the return of Fort Minor, which did indeed occur in 2015, with the release of "Welcome", which Ryu had recorded a verse for.

Versions

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

Studio

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Skin To Bone	Living Things	2:48	2012	June 20, 2012
Skin To Bone (Instrumental)	Living Things (Acapellas and Instrumentals)	2:48	2012	September 11, 2012	Official instrumental version.
Skin To Bone (Acapella)	Living Things (Acapellas and Instrumentals)	2:37	2012	September 11, 2012	Official acapella version.

Remix

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Skin To Bone (Nick Catchdubs Remix feat. Cody B. Ware and Ryu)	Recharged	3:54	2013	October 24, 2013	Remix by Nick Catchdubs. Features vocals by Cody B. Ware and Ryu.
Skin To Bone - Nick Catchdubs Remix feat. Cody B. Ware and Ryu	Living Things Remixes	3:57	2013		Remix by Nick Catchdubs. Features vocals by Cody B. Ware and Ryu. More audible effects. Different effects. Low volume. No high hat at the end. 4 seconds of silence at the end.

Live

"Skin To Bone" has never been played on its own before, but it plays a core part in Mike's solo, making up a large part of the instrumental for the first half. Mike also frequently rapped his verse from Nick Catchdubs's remix after the chorus of "Remember The Name" from KFMA Day 2014 to Orlando, 2015. However, once the band dropped "Mike Solo" at their performance in Mexico City, the only part of "Skin To Bone" played live was dropped as well.

Mike rapped his verse from the Recharged remix once more on his solo tour in Manila over the live version of "Lift Off"

Lyrics

Album Version

Skin to bone / steel to rust Ash to ashes / dust to dust Let tomorrow have its way With the promises we made Skin to bone / steel to rust   Ash to ashes / dust to dust Your deception / my disgust When your name is finally drawn I'll be happy that you're gone Ash to ashes / dust to dust   Ah Ash to ashes / dust to dust Ah Skin to bone and steel to rust   Right to left / left to right Night to day and day to night As the starlight fades to grey I'll be marching far away Right to left and left to right   Ah Ash to ashes / dust to dust Ah Skin to bone and steel to rust   Let tomorrow have its way With the promises betrayed Skin to bone and steel to rust Skin to bone and steel to rust Skin to bone and steel to rust

Nick Catchdubs Remix

This is that post apoc, post Pac Punks on the block Supposed to be close But I swear right now They close to be not Put the gold in the pot Put em on, bring em on Nigga hope that they drop But I bomb on them all On with their the bongs They be hopin' I pop You open the knot You openly admittin' you not You openly be spittin' shit you don't be givin' a lot You all be givers givin' these women the rings and the style I'm Michael Tyson, Bison, relivin' the villainous plot My vision of rock, my vision is caught Killer cobra, N'est-ce pas Feel us a who, feel'a real is enough I'm callin' your bluff I'll slaughter all your borders you trust They won't be carryin' your orders automatically dust I'm automatically rush, plus grammatically tough Trust the elephant tusk, trunk, and go for the top Punk, who want it? I'm guaranteed to get it and flaunt it I'm playin' Buckley as my intro and I exit on ballin' Skin to bone / steel to rust Ash to ashes / dust to dust Will tomorrow have it's way With the promises we made Skin to bone / steel to rust Rust You can't stop it, all you can do it watch it while it's happenin' Like a tragic accident, rappers go and get your coffin Skin to bone, the Hiram Abiff of this rap shit My legacy set in stone, fo' sho' no asterisk Concept immaculate, start to finish I'm Lil Wayne's dentist, looking at platinum plaques I'm gettin' It's not an accident you flew off the roof You said you was fly, so I just wanna see if it's true I got the juice like GQ, but I wish it was Grey Goose Let it mix with my prescriptions and I turn into Keith Moon A T two, Terminator, Demigod, Jesus Fort Minor: We Major, let's take it to phase two The mission isn't finished yet, I been on the internet Hearin' fans talk and maybe we should consider it Ah Skin to bone and steel to rust Ah Yeah Skin to bone and steel to rust I'm on some taxidermy rap shit, talk about some raw game You're nothing but a trophy mounted on my door frame I spit that propane, light you with a slow flame And watch you burn until there's nothin' but a gold chain Yeah you'll be some crispy critters You'll wish you with us You'll wish what we did, you did it You can't, you kiddin? I don't have a shoe you'll fit in You're as soft as a motherfuckin' newborn kitten I'm an animal, tearing flesh into bone Randomly rippin' everything gone Unless they forget what then let it be known I'll bury every competitor, every predator Anyone ever forget it, you'll regret it forever Never been nothing short of a legend, you peasants will learn I'll stay standin' in the front like I'm forgetting my turn For these matchstick rappers, this is meeting adjourned I ain't even gotta match them, I'm just letting them burn! I'm, I'm, I'm just letting them burn!