The Requiem

Background

"The Requiem" is the opening track of A Thousand Suns, and features samples from some of the tracks on the album. The components of the song feature the keys from "Waiting For The End", lyrics from "The Catalyst", the juno pad from "Jornada del Muerto", and pads from "Blackout". The song builds up with ambience, transitioning directly into "The Radiance". Mike sings through a vocoder on this song, the first time in a Linkin Park song that features prominent use of a vocoder.

Versions

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

Studio

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
The Requiem	A Thousand Suns	2:01	2008-2010	September 8, 2010	Features elements of other songs from the album: Juno pad from "Journada Del Muerto", main pad underneath "Blackout", and lyrics from "The Catalyst".
The Requiem / The Radiance	A Thousand Suns Instrumentals	3:19	2008-2010		The CD dates from September 15, 2010. Official instrumental version.
The Requiem / The Radiance Acapella	The Requiem / The Radiance Acapella	3:27	2008-2010		The CD dates from September 18, 2010. Official acapella version.

Live

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
The Requiem	Live In Madrid	1:37	November 07, 2010	April 1, 2011	A Thousand Suns+ DVD. Includes bonus MP3 of the show.
The Requiem (Live From London, 2010)	A Thousand Suns - Live Around The World	2:30	November 10, 2010	June 19, 2012

Live

"The Requiem" was debuted at the New York City A Thousand Suns release show, and was used to open most performances throughout the A Thousand Suns cycle, some exceptions being in Set B-1 in 2010, where "Fallout" and "The Catalyst" opened the show, and two one-off setlists in Moscow and Singapore, with "New Divide" opening the show. When performing the song, Mike would sing with a vocoder off stage over the album vocal track.

After disappearing from the sets entirely during the Living Things era, the band brought back parts of "The Requiem" for The Hunting Party touring cycle in the form of "Mashup Intro #1", which debuted at KFMA Day 2014, and "Mashup Intro #2", which debuted at the private production rehearsal in West Palm Beach. "Mashup Intro #1" featured the vocoder from "The Requiem" being played over the bridge instrumental of "The Catalyst" and the synth of "1stp Klosr". "Mashup Intro #2" featured only a small bit of "The Requiem" vocoder before giving way to the bridge vocals of "The Catalyst". Once "Mashup Intro #2" was dropped at Rock In Rio USA, the last surviving piece of "The Requiem" was dropped with it.

Lyrics

Oh, oh
Oh, oh
 
God save us every one
Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns
For the sins of our hand
Sins of our tongue
The sins of our father
The sins of our young
 
God save us every one
Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns
For the sins of our hand
Sins of our tongue
The sins of our father (4, 3)
The sins of our young (2, 1)