The Messenger

From Linkinpedia
"The Messenger"
Song by Linkin Park
from the album A Thousand Suns
Recorded:2008 - 2010
Length:03:01
Stems:Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock (A Thousand Suns)
Time signature:4/4
Tempo:125
Key:G Major
Live debut:October 7, 2010
Last performed:August 31, 2011
Writer:Linkin Park
Producer:Mike Shinoda, Rick Rubin
Label:Warner Bros.
A Thousand Suns tracklist
  1. The Requiem
  2. The Radiance
  3. Burning In The Skies
  4. Empty Spaces
  5. When They Come For Me
  6. Robot Boy
  7. Jornada Del Muerto
  8. Waiting For The End
  9. Blackout
  10. Wretches And Kings
  11. Wisdom, Justice, And Love
  12. Iridescent
  13. Fallout
  14. The Catalyst
  15. The Messenger

Background

"The Messenger" is a barebones acoustic track featuring just vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, and subtle electronics. It's the final song on A Thousand Suns, as well. It's the first Linkin Park song to use open chords over powerchords and barre chords. It was as simple to record as it is on the surface; they didn't double vocals or do much editing to it. The raw performance is what they wanted to have on the record. Chester claims that the vocals of the song came to him immediately as he heard the first chords, which is rare for him. The opening lines of the demo were "You are a child with so many choices. The hardest always make us cry," which made Chester decide to write the song as a message to his kids.[1] Phoenix explained its position at the end of the record as being a movement away from the confusion of the rest of the record, so that the album ends on a personal and peaceful note.[2]

In the Meeting Of A Thousand Suns DVD, you can see a demo of "The Messenger" with a choir lending backing vocals to the song.

Versions

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

Studio

Title Album Length Recorded Released Notes
The Messenger A Thousand Suns 3:01 2008-2010 September 8, 2010
The Messenger A Thousand Suns Instrumentals 3:01 2008-2010
  • The CD dates from September 15, 2010.
  • Official instrumental version.

Live

Title Album Length Recorded Released Notes
The Messenger Live In Madrid 3:40 November 07, 2010 April 1, 2011
The Messenger (Live From Las Vegas, 2011) A Thousand Suns - Live Around The World 3:53 February 19, 2011 June 19, 2012

Live

"The Messenger" debuted at the second full show of the A Thousand Suns cycle in Buenos Aires, and was played with extra instrumentation from Rob, who played drums over the ending of the song. Chester also frequently led the crowd in a sing-a-long during the end of the song. In addition, Brad would add a capo on the 8th fret to make the song easier on Chester, though Chester, when he played the song solo, would occasionally move the capo around to make it even easier on himself. The song was only included in set A-1, with it following "The Catalyst" in the encore. It was also played after "The Catalyst" in the one-off Madrid setlist. Chester sang "No Woman, No Cry" over the intro of the song at the show in Tel Aviv, and led the crowd in a sing-a-long for Brad at the show in Brisbane. It maintained its position in set A during the 2011 North American tour, but it was added before "Iridescent" in San Jose. "The Messenger" was only played one more time as a "full performance", at the show in Los Angeles, where it opened the encore in favor of "Empty Spaces" and "When They Come For Me". At the A Thousand Horizons even in Tokyo, though, Chester sang "The Messenger" over a pre-recorded instrumental. It hasn't been played at a Linkin Park show since.

While it hasn't been included in the setlist for a show since the A Thousand Suns cycle, the band does play it on and off when it comes to acoustic performances, primarily at LPU Summits. "The Messenger" has been played acoustically at the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th summit. Chester has also performed the song separately from Linkin Park on multiple occasions. It was included in the set for Dead By Sunrise's performance at the Stars of the Season Gala. He performed the song on his own at the 2011 MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit show, in his 2012 LPU Chat, and for the radio station X103.9 in 2013. He also performed the song with Phoenix for the opening of the Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

At the memorial show for Chester Bennington, "The Messenger" was included twice: a shortened, full band arrangement of the song was performed as part of the intro before "Iridescent" and the refrain was included in the bridge of "Bleed It Out", with Mike leading the crowd in a sing-a-long.

Variations

Last Updated: December 25, 2015

Type Description First Played Last Played
Intro w/ Bob Marley & The Wailers' "No Woman, No Cry" November 15, 2010 November 15, 2010
Intro w/ Happy Birthday Brad December 3, 2010 December 3, 2010
Outro Ext. Ending October 7, 2010 August 31, 2011
Alternative Full Band October 27, 2017 October 27, 2017
Alternative Shortened (First Verse and Chorus Only) October 27, 2017 October 27, 2017

Personnel

Lyrics

Album Version

When you feel you're alone
Cut off from this cruel world
Your instincts telling you to run
Listen to your heart
Those angel voices
They'll sing to you / they'll be your guide back home
 
When life leaves us blind
Love keeps us kind
It keeps us kind
 
When you've suffered enough
And your spirit is breaking
You're growing desperate from the fight
Remember you're loved and you always will be
This melody will bring you right back home
 
When life leaves us blind
Love keeps us kind
When life leaves us blind
Love keeps us kind
 
Oh, woah, oh
Oh, woah, oh
Oh, woah, oh, oh
 
Oh, woah, oh
Oh, woah, oh
Oh, woah, oh, oh
 
Oh, woah, oh
Oh, woah, oh
Oh, woah, oh, oh

In Other Media

  • "The Messenger" was released in 2010 as part of a DLC for the 2010 videogame Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock.

External Links

  • The Messenger (X103.9 Studios 2013) - X103.9
  • The Messenger (Salt Lake City 2013) - Fox Thirteen

References