Template:Infobox song "Roads Untraveled" is the eighth song off of Linkin Park's fifth studio album, Living Things. The song was never released as a single, but it was included in the 2014 film Need For Speed, and the compilation album Songs For The Philippines.
Background
Chester Bennington stated that the band looked towards the artists that inspired Bob Dylan while writing "Roads Untraveled", and wanted to create a strange combination of a driving beat with very folk-like melodies. Brad Delson further backed that claim, stating "One of the dominant musical inspirations early on in the process was a folk influence. We had The Anthology Of American Folk Music, and we listened to a lot of that."[1]
Mike Shinoda talked about the meaning behind the song, though he did manage to incorrectly title it, saying "For me, it's always coming from something that I have firsthand experience with, whether that be my own story or one of my close friends. We have a song called "Road Less Traveled" where I kind of wrote the song for one of my best friends. In every case, I feel like my best stuff comes when I'm thinking about something I feel strongly about. One day, I may not be inspired to talk about something, and then the next day, I may, and that's when I really try and dig into the lyrics of whatever might be optimal. Usually, for me, it's like the music will bring out that emotion or that inspiration and I just try and follow it."[2] The song is about the broken engagement of his friend.
Remix
"Roads Untraveled" received one official remix, done by Rad Omen. The remix featured an additional verse done by Bun B. While the remix was included on Linkin Park's second remix album, Recharged, it was initially released through the Living Things Remix Subscription in October, alongside Bobina's remix of "Burn It Down". Mike Shinoda cited Rad Omen's remix as an example of the diversity on Recharged, claiming "But even stepping outside of EDM, the album has a lot of different flavors—some songs represent multiple genres at once. For example, on the Rad Omen remix, there are elements of house, trap, and folk, all in the same song."[3]
Versions
Note: Only the date of the very first release of each version is listed.
Studio
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roads Untraveled | Living Things
Songs For The Philippines |
3:50 | 2011-2012 | June 20, 2012 | |
| Roads Untraveled (Instrumental) | Living Things (Acapellas and Instrumentals) | 3:50 | 2012 | September 11, 2012 |
|
| Roads Untraveled (Acapella) | Living Things (Acapellas and Instrumentals) | 3:11 | 2012 | September 11, 2012 |
|
Remix
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roads Untraveled (Rad Omen Remix feat. Bun B) | Living Things Remixed | 5:32 | 2012 | October 1, 2012 |
|
| Roads Untraveled (Rad Omen Remix feat. Bun B) | Recharged | 5:28 | 2012 | October 29, 2013 |
|
Live
| Title | Album | Length | Recorded | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roads Untraveled (Live In Moscow, 2018) | Soundcheck Session: Live In Moscow | 4:33 | September 1, 2018 | November 15, 2018 |
|
Live
The first and third verse of "Roads Untraveled" were mashed up with "Fallout" starting on the first show of the One More Light touring cycle. It would later get its full band debut at the tribute show for Chester Bennington, where it was part of the opening medley. The song was played a half-step up to match the key of "Iridescent" and the outro of the song was cut, effectively being replaced by that part being moved to the intro.
On April 17, 2018, Mike posted a poll on Twitter asking fans to vote on which song he should add to the setlist, with "Roads Untraveled" being one of the options and the eventual victor.[5] It was debuted at the Identity LA performance, with the guitar refrain after the first chorus being cut out. It would be performed this way until Matt and Dan joined Mike on tour, where the full song was finally debuted. Multiple fans were brought on stage to play guitar during the song, starting in Milano and continuing into the Monster Energy Outbreak Tour. In Detroit, Mike added a short piano into to the song for the first (and only) time.
Variations
Linkin Park
Last Updated: April 28, 2020
| Type | Description | First Played | Last Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro | Guitar Refrain | October 27, 2017 | October 27, 2017 |
| Alternative | Shortened (No Ending) | October 27, 2017 | October 27, 2017 |
Mike Shinoda
Last Updated: April 28, 2020
| Type | Description | First Played | Last Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro | Piano Intro | November 16, 2018 | November 16, 2018 |
| Alternative | Shortened (No Guitar Refrain) | May 12, 2018 | July 28, 2018 |
Personnel
Lyrics
Weep not for roads untraveled
Weep not for paths left alone
'Cause beyond every bend
Is a long blinding end
It's the worst kind of pain I've known
Give up your heart left broken
And let that mistake pass on
'Cause the love that you lost
Wasn't worth what it cost
And in time you'll be glad it's gone
Woah [x4]
Woah [x2]
Weep not for roads untraveled
Weep not for sights unseen
May your love never end
And if you need a friend
There's a seat here alongside me
Woah [x6]
Weep not for roads untraveled
Weep not for paths left alone
Cause beyond every bend is a long blinding end
It's the worst kind of pain I've known
Give up your heart left broken
And let that mistake pass on
Cause the love that you lost wasn't worth what it cost
And in time, you'll be glad it's gone
Gone [x22]
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Well, it's our life and it's our time, and it's our place and it's our choice
These are all our thoughts with our views, out of our minds with our voice
It's our oath to this generation, they call it fake, we call it fate
(You see) they don't like us or understand us, and they just hope we all fall away
But we won't stop, and we won't quit, and we won't settle for what they give
And we'll keep on standin', keep on fightin' no backin' down, that's how we're livin'
Our minds are made up and we're focused no more believin' what we've been told
Cause our bags are packed, there's no turnin' back, we walk alone on these winding roads
Weep not for roads untraveled
Weep not for sights unseen
May your love never end and if you need a friend
There's a seat here alongside me
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa, oh, oh
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
May your love never end and if you need a friend
There's a seat here alongside me
Gallery
-
Songs For The Philippines
In Other Media
- "Roads Untraveled" is featured in the 2014 film Need For Speed.
External Links
References
- ↑ Musicradar, July 2012
- ↑ The Huffington Post, July 2012
- ↑ WhiteRaverRafting, November 2013
- ↑ Mike Shinoda no Twitter: "New remix just came out for anyone who bought LT thru http://t.co/7IwX5BbX. ROADS UNTRAVELED @djtroublemaker remix feat @BunBTrillOG" ., October 01, 2012
- ↑ Mike Shinoda on Twitter: "I'm starting to put together a set for ...