Numb

"Numb"
Single by Linkin Park
from the album Meteora
Recorded:	2002
Released:	September 8, 2003
Format:	CD
Length:	03:07
Stems:	Rock Band 3 (DLC) Fuser (DLC) LPConcerts Neko Keyboard Sounds and Samples Open Labs SoundSlate Pro
Time signature:	4/4
Tempo:	110
Key:	F# Minor
Live debut:	July 4, 2003
Last performed:	October 27, 2017
Writer:	Linkin Park
Producer:	Don Gilmore, Linkin Park
Label:	Warner Bros.
Linkin Park single chronology Faint (2003) Numb (2003) From The Inside (2004)
Meteora tracklist
Foreword Don't Stay Somewhere I Belong Lying From You Hit The Floor Easier To Run Faint Figure.09 Breaking The Habit From The Inside Nobody's Listening Session Numb

"Numb" is the thirteenth and final track on Linkin Park's sophomore album Meteora. It was released as the album's third single on September 8, 2003, and quickly became one of Linkin Park's top singles. It is instantly recognizable by its sampled intro.

Background

In March 2003, Mike Shinoda did a track-by-track of Meteora for ShoutWeb. About "Numb", he said, "The last song is called "Numb" which starts with a nice keyboard hook. I thinks it was a nice way to end the album because it kind of sums up the record. It's very recognizable as our sound. It sounds like a Linkin Park song but it does have some mood that Meteora has if that makes any sense. Maybe I can say that better. When you hear it, you can easily recognize it as a Linkin Park song but it obviously belongs on Meteora. It obviously belongs in this new group of songs just because of the way the tone of the song is and the lyrics are. It's kind of about those times when you've got no feeling left or you just don't care. It's almost like exhaustion or something which funny enough is how we felt after touring last year."

On the Meteora booklet, the band wrote, "Just one week before the band entered NRG Studios to begin recording, this song was conceived. Built around the intro hook, the song came together quickly and almost effortlessly."

In 2023 when discussing the new unreleased song "Lost" from the Meteora sessions, Mike said that it came down to "Numb" or "Lost" when it came time to pick a song with that type of energy for the album. They went with "Numb" and "Lost" sat unreleased until 2023. Mike said that "Numb" was a "backwards-looking song", saying, "This is how I felt in a relationship, and over time it's become this way."

Tracklist

CD Single 1

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1	Numb	Linkin Park	3:06
2	From The Inside (Live)	Linkin Park	2:55
3	Numb (Video)	Linkin Park	3:07

CD Single 2

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1	Numb	Linkin Park	3:06
2	Easier To Run (Live)	Linkin Park	3:22
3	Faint (Video)	Linkin Park	2:48

Music Video

Music Video

The music video for "Numb" was directed by Joe Hahn and stars Briana Evigan as an unpopular outcast young female student. The word "Numb" can be seen cut in her arm. Camera and electrical department was handled by Mike Tenerelli.

Parts of the video were filmed on Charles Bridge and in the Gymnázium Jana Keplera in Prague 6, the largest district in Prague, Czech Republic. The band worked with props and production design company Sunprops for the video.

The film "Eurotrip" was being shot at the same time as "Numb" and Michelle Trachtenberg, one of the stars, was asked to be on the video but missed out on the opportunity due to an actor not remembering his line. She said: "Linkin Park was at our hotel at the time of shooting. They asked me to be in the video. I went to the boys and they said ‘Yeah sounds good, but it’s this one day and we’ve got this amazing French actor. He’s brilliant. He’s only available this one day.’ He was the worst actor I’ve ever worked with my entire life. He couldn’t remember, ‘What would you like to eat?’"

The rest of the video had to be delayed in over a month due to a viral infection that sent Chester to intensive care at Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre. He suddenly found himself losing feeling in his fingers, followed by his arms, feet and legs, and was found by his wife passed out in his home, collapsed on the floor. At the hospital, he was administered morphine, and the pain medication Dilaudid. The band was forced to reschedule everything.

About the incident, Chester said, "It was weird. I was in peak physical condition a few months back, I was ready to go, and then, on that one morning, I wake up with a slight ache in my back. Two hours after that, I feel like I'm going to die! Over the next nine days, I lose 17 pounds. I'm still having problems with my energy."

The scenes of Linkin Park performing were shot at the First Congregational Church, located in Koreatown, Los Angeles, substituting the gothic church in Prague.

Mike Shinoda spoke to MTV about the video in September 2003: "I think that Joe [Hahn] built up all this creative energy and he’s really done a great job on the video for ’Numb’. It’s more of a concept video. It’s more of a story. It’s not identical to the story of the song, but it is similar in that the emotions that go on in the video are similar to those in the song."

Video Credits

Artist Name: Linkin Park
Song Name: Numb
Director: Joe Hahn
Director of Photography: Jim Hawkinson
Editor: Mario Mares
Producers: Matt Caltabiano
Video Commissioner: Devin Sarno
Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
Cast: Brianna Evigan

Live Video

A second music video for "Numb" was created to promote Live In Texas.

The video features scenes taken from various moments on the DVD instead of using only the "Numb" footage.

Versions

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

Studio

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Numb	Meteora Numb Papercuts - Singles Collection 2000-2023	3:07	2002	March 25, 2003
Numb	Papercuts - Singles Collection 2000-2023	3:06	2002	April 12, 2024	Includes transition from "Lost".
Numb	Meteora - Instrumentals Radio Publishing Instrumentals CD	3:04	2002		Official instrumental version.

Remix

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Numb/Encore	Collision Course Numb/Encore	3:25	2004	November 30, 2004	Mash-up with Jay-Z.
Numb/Encore	Collision Course (Clean) Numb/Encore	3:25	2004	November 30, 2004	Labeled as "Numb/Encore (Radio Edit)" on the vinyl single. Labeled as "Numb/Encore (Clean Version)" on the digital EP.
Numb/Encore (Bonus Beat)	Numb/Encore	1:42	2004	December 13, 2004
Numb (8 Bit Rebellion Version)	8-Bit Rebellion! Ringtones	0:31	2010	April 17, 2010	8-bit version. Intro only.
Numb (8 Bit Rebellion Version)	8-Bit Rebellion! Ringtones	0:32	2010	April 17, 2010	8-bit version. Chorus only.
Numb/Encore (Instrumental)	Numb/Encore	3:27	2004	December 13, 2004
Numb/Encore (A Cappella)	Numb/Encore	3:19	2004	December 13, 2004	Labeled as "Numb/Encore (A Capella Explicit)" on the vinyl single.
Numb/Encore (A Cappella) (Clean Version)	Numb/Encore	3:19	2004	December 13, 2004	Labeled as "Numb/Encore (A Capella Radio Edit)" on the vinyl single.

Live

Title	Album	Length	Recorded	Released	Notes
Numb	Live In Texas (Street Team Promo DVD) Live In Texas	3:06	August 02, 2003 August 03, 2003	November 18, 2003	Recorded live August 2nd 2003 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX and August 3rd 2003 at Texas Stadium in Irving, TX on the Summer Sanitarium Tour.
Numb/Encore	Collision Course		July 18, 2004	November 30, 2004	Censored. DVD only.
Numb/Encore	Live 8 Sampler Live 8 - One Day One Concert One World	3:37	July 02, 2005	November 4, 2005	Audio released on the Live 8 Sampler, video released on the official Live 8 DVD. Listed as "Numb" on the sampler CD but credited to "Linkin Park with Jay-Z".
Numb	LP Underground 7.0	3:09	August 05, 2007	December 5, 2007	Recorded live at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, TX on August 5, 2007.
Numb	Road To Revolution: Live At Milton Keynes	3:46	June 29, 2008	November 21, 2008	Filmed at the National Bowl, Milton Keynes June 29, 2008.
Numb/Encore (With Jay-Z)	Road To Revolution: Live At Milton Keynes	3:01	June 29, 2008	November 21, 2008	"Encore" portion only. Filmed at the National Bowl, Milton Keynes June 29, 2008.
Numb/Encore (With Jay-Z)	Road To Revolution: Live At Milton Keynes (Clean)	3:01	June 29, 2008	November 21, 2008	Censored. "Encore" portion only. Filmed at the National Bowl, Milton Keynes June 29, 2008. Despite the "Parental Advisory: Explicit Content" warning on the Record Store Day vinyl, all copies are censored.
Numb (Live From Tel Aviv, 11-15-10)	2011 North American Tour EP	4:29	November 15, 2010	December 20, 2010	With "The Radiance". Released for free download on linkinpark.com.
Numb	Live In Madrid	3:10	November 07, 2010	April 1, 2011	A Thousand Suns+ DVD. Includes bonus MP3 of the show.
Numb	Live In Red Square	5:05	June 23, 2011	July 21, 2011	Released as a prize for the "Iridescent" "Super-Fun Trading Fun-Cards" game. After all six cards were collected, the person could enter the codes of each card at linkinpark.com to get a free download of the full show.
Numb (Live New York, 2008)	Meteora - Live Around The World	3:41	February 21, 2008	June 5, 2012
Numb	Live At Admiralspalast Berlin, Germany		June 05, 2012	March 29, 2013	DVD only. Living Things+ bonus DVD.
Numb (Live In LA 9.8.12)	The Hunting Party (Xbox Music)	3:17	September 08, 2012	June 21, 2014
Numb	One More Light Live	3:50	June 20, 2017	December 15, 2017
Numb (Live In Moscow, 2018)	Soundcheck Session: Live In Moscow	4:27	September 1, 2018	November 15, 2018	Mike Shinoda solo. Video only.
Numb (Live at Live 8, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, 2nd July 2005)	Live 8 (Live, July 2005)	4:06	July 02, 2005	May 28, 2019	"Numb/Encore".
Numb (Live In Texas)	Meteora (20th Anniversary Edition)	3:14	August 02, 2003 August 03, 2003	April 7, 2023	Edited differently from the 2003 release. Live In Texas.
Numb	Meteora (20th Anniversary Edition)	3:25	July 12, 2003	April 7, 2023	DVD only. Veterans Stadium 2003.
Numb	Meteora (20th Anniversary Edition)	3:27	October 29, 2003	April 7, 2023	DVD only. Live In Seoul 2003.
Numb	Meteora (20th Anniversary Edition)	3:43	June 15, 2004	April 7, 2023	DVD only. Live In Manila 2004.
Numb	Meteora (20th Anniversary Edition)	4:35	August 30, 2004	April 7, 2023	DVD only. Live In Denver - Projekt Revolution.

Live

Linkin Park

"Numb" has been a signature song in Linkin Park setlists since it's debut on the Meteora touring cycle. The song was first performed on Metallica's Summer Sanitarium Tour in 2003, after the record label encouraged the band to perform the song after wanting to push it as the next single for Meteora. Throughout the year, the song tended to be performed near the end of the main set, usually three songs from the encore break. Beginning on the band's Meteora Australian and Asian Tour, at the first night in Tokyo, Japan, "Numb" was given a new guitar interlude intro that would be performed briefly before being dropped after a few shows. The song maintained the late-set position throughout the rest of the touring cycle. On the Meteora International Tour, "Numb" was performed with a new guitar intro, that was eventually transitioned from the outro of "Breaking The Habit" on Projekt Revolution. The studio version of the song was not performed throughout all of 2005, but rather "Numb/Encore" being performed at the two Linkin Park shows throughout the year with Jay-Z. "Numb/Encore" even closed the second of the two 2005 shows. Mike performed a shortened version of "Numb/Encore" with Fort Minor in the later part of 2005, as well. In 2006, the band mashed up "Numb/Encore" with The Beatles' "Yesterday", performing a mashup with Jay-Z and Paul McCartney at the 2006 Grammy Awards, that mashup being dubbed "Numb/Encore/Yesterday", or "Yesternumb". The studio version of the song was finally brought back in August, on the brief Summer Sonic stint in Japan, where the song was performed as the third song in the setlist at all shows.

"Numb" returned to a late-set position on the Minutes To Midnight touring cycle, with an added keyboard transition outro that segued into the piano version of "Pushing Me Away". When the band introduced rotating setlists on Projekt Revolution 2007, "Numb" was located mid-set in all three setlists, transitioning into the piano version of "Pushing Me Away" throughout the rest of the year. When three new sets were introduced in 2008, "Numb" retained the mid-set position with the keyboard transition, which went into either a short keyboard cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" or "The Little Things Give You Away". This position was maintained in the new summer setlists, as well. Nothing changed in 2009, either, except for the keyboard transition going into "Breaking The Habit" instead of any of the previous options.

On the A Thousand Suns touring cycle, "Numb" escaped it's typical position and was moved up a bit in the setlist. Replacing the keyboard transition outro was a transition outro featuring the Robert J. Oppenheimer speech from "The Radiance" being remixed by Joe over piano chords and Mike singing the first verse lyrics from "The Catalyst" through a vocoder, transitioning into "Breaking The Habit". In Set B-9, "Burning In The Skies" got its live debut and replaced "Breaking The Habit" in the setlist, so the Oppenheimer Outro transitioned into that song instead. "Numb" stayed in its general position mid-set, but transitioned into different songs depending on the setlist. In Set A and C, the outro transitioned into "Breaking The Habit", and in Set B, into "Iridescent". This stayed true in the summer as well, however the transitions for Set C and Set B were swapped.

"Numb" finally escaped the mid-set curse on the Living Things touring cycle. On the promotional European festival tour, "Numb" was featured in the early-mid set position before "Lies Greed Misery", and in the headlining set was featured as the second-to-last song in the encore, before "Bleed It Out". On the Honda Civic Tour, "Numb" gained an extended outro featuring parts of "Numb/Encore". Set A originally featured "Numb" in the second-to-last spot of the encore, before the song was eventually moved into the main set before "What I've Done", Set B featured the song later in the main set after "Lost In The Echo", and in Set C, the song was featured second-to-last in the main set before "Bleed It Out".

"Numb" saw less movement on The Hunting Party touring cycle. The song retained the "Numb/Encore" outro, and also featured an extended intro featuring the song. It transitioned from the extended outro of Mike's Solo Medley. When the rotating sets were introduced on the Carnivores Tour, "Numb" stayed in the same position in Set A as it was on the promotional festival tour, but in Set B, it was performed after Joe's Solo Medley without the "Numb/Encore" intro. The song retained this general position throughout the rest of the touring cycle, the only notable change being that it came after "Welcome" after its debut in Mexico. At the Relief Live! event at the end of the touring cycle, Mark Hoppus form Blink-182 and Adrian Young from No Doubt joined the band for a performance of the song.

While it was never played this way, the first draft of the 2014 set featured Mike rapping the second verse of "Hands Held High" over its "Numb/Encore" intro.

The song returned with its "Numb/Encore" intro and outro for the One More Light tour, being featured in the encores of full sets after "Sharp Edges" and at the end of festival sets that didn't have an encore, usually after "Faint." The studio version of the song was performed as an instrumental at the Hollywood Bowl show, the band performing it in the shadows while a spotlight shined on an empty micstand where Chester would've been.

"Numb" was given a new twist on the usual "Numb/Encore" intro for the From Zero tour, with the band doing a short jam section during the synth hook intro. The song was also played without its usual outro. Like other songs in the set, "Numb" was transposed up from its original key to help suit Emily's vocal range, going from F# minor to A minor. Parts of the synth hook from the song are also used in the Inception Intro that started every show, playing near the end of the track.

Variations

Last Updated: November 23, 2024

Type	Description	First Played	Last Played
Intro	Guitar Interlude Intro	October 24, 2003	October 29, 2003
Intro	Guitar Intro	June 3, 2004	September 11, 2004
Intro	Keyboard Intro	October 7, 2012	October 7, 2012
Intro	'Numb/Encore' Intro + Verse 1 Guitar	May 24, 2014	July 6, 2017
Intro	'Numb/Encore' Jam Intro	September 5, 2024	November 16, 2024
Outro	Keyboard Transition Outro	April 28, 2007	September 14, 2010
Outro	Keyboard Transition Outro w/ The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" Tease	June 11, 2008	July 12, 2008
Outro	Oppenheimer Speech w/ 'The Catalyst' Lyrics	October 7, 2010	September 25, 2011
Outro	Oppenheimer Speech w/ 'The Catalyst' Lyrics + Ext. Piano Outro	November 5, 2010	January 20, 2011
Outro	'Numb/Encore' Outro (Mike Only)	August 11, 2012	August 17, 2012
Outro	'Numb/Encore' Outro	August 19, 2012	July 6, 2017
Alternative	Shortened (No Second Verse of Second Chorus)	June 23, 2012	June 23, 2012
Alternative	Instrumental	October 27, 2017	October 27, 2017

Live Guests

Last Updated: December 23, 2015

• Adrian Young (No Doubt)
• Benjamin Chandler (replacing Brad Delson)
• Warren Willis (replacing Joe Hahn)

Mike Shinoda

During Mike's solo tour in support of Post Traumatic, Mike started performing a piano version of "Numb" at certain shows, beginning in Köln, letting the crowd sing the vocals while he played the piano. In Charlotte, Mike rapped the chorus of "Numb/Encore" over the outro of the song and he rapped it over the intro in Manila.

Variations

Last Updated: April 28, 2020

Type	Description	First Played	Last Played
Intro	w/ "Numb/Encore" Chorus	September 6, 2019	September 6, 2019
Outro	w/ "Numb/Encore" Chorus	October 17, 2018	October 17, 2018
Alternative	Piano Version	August 29, 2018	September 8, 2019

Awards and Nominations

Year	Award	Category	Status
2004	MTV Video Music Brazil	Best International Video	Won
2004	MuchMusic Video Awards	People's Choice: Favourite International Group	Won
2004	Radio Music Awards	Song of the Year: Rock Alternative Radio	Won

Personnel

Linkin Park

• Chester Bennington: vocals
• Rob Bourdon: drums
• Brad Delson: guitar
• Joseph Hahn: records, sampling
• Phoenix: bass
• Mike Shinoda: emcee, vocals, sampling

Track 1

• Produced by Don Gilmore and Linkin Park
• Mixed by Andy Wallace
• From The Warner Bros. Records Album Meteora

CD 1

Track 2

• Mixed by Mike Shinoda, Brad Divens, and Drew Mazurek
• Recorded Live During the LP Underground Tour 2003

Track 3

• Directed by Joseph Hahn

CD 2

Track 2

• Mixed by Mike Shinoda, Brad Divens, and Drew Mazurek
• Recorded Live During the LP Underground Tour 2003

Track 3

• Directed by Mark Romanek

Lyrics

Album Version

I'm tired of being what you want me to be
Feeling so faithless
Lost under the surface
I don't know what you're expecting of me
Put under the pressure
Of walking in your shoes

(Caught in the undertow / Just caught in the undertow)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
(Caught in the undertow / Just caught in the undertow)

I've become so numb
I can't feel you there
Become so tired
So much more aware
I'm becoming this
All I want to do
Is be more like me
And be less like you

Can't you see that you're smothering me
Holding too tightly
Afraid to lose control
‘Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you

(Caught in the undertow / Just caught in the undertow)
Every step that I take is another mistake to you
(Caught in the undertow / Just caught in the undertow)
And every second I waste is more than I can take
 
I've become so numb
I can't feel you there
Become so tired
So much more aware
I'm becoming this
All I want to do
Is be more like me
And be less like you
But I know
I may end up failing too
But I know
You were just like me
With someone disappointed in you
 
I've become so numb
I can't feel you there
Become so tired
So much more aware
I'm becoming this
All I want to do
Is be more like me
And be less like you
 
I've become so numb
I can't feel you there
(I'm tired of being what you want me to be)
I've become so numb
I can't feel you there
(I'm tired of being what you want me to be)

Gallery

• 

  Disc 1

• 

  Disc 2

• 

  Big: 18 Hits In One Super Value Album

In Other Media

• "Numb" is featured in the 2008 film The Tragic And Painful Waxing Of Mr. Simon.
• "Numb" was released in 2011 as part of a DLC for the 2010 videogame Rock Band 3.
• "Numb" was released in 2015 as part of a DLC for the 2013 videogame Rocksmith 2014.

Cover Versions

American Linkin Park fan Ken Stokes (also known as TheKen, Modist, and ModistOne), who gained acclaim for his piano renditions of Linkin Park songs, recorded a cover of "Numb" with vocalist Joanna which is commonly mistaken for an Evanescence song.

"Numb" was performed by British artist Jamelia on the Live Lounge section of The Jo Whiley Show on BBC Radio 1 in 2004. Later that year, she performed the cover during her UK Tour. The BBC recording of the cover was included in the compilation Radio 1's Live Lounge, released on October 16, 2006.

Argentinian rock band N.H.E.M recorded a live in studio version of "Numb" which was uploaded to their YouTube channel in 2011.

Dutch DJ Hardwell played a mash-up of Jordy Dazz' "At Night", "Numb" and Chuckie's "Who Is Ready To Jump (Glowinthedark Higher Club Mix)" as part of his set at various shows in 2013.

Rhode Island based electronicore band It Lives, It Breathes (formed by members of the late metalcore band A Faylene Sky) released a double A-side digital single on August 25, 2013 at 4pm containing covers of "Numb" by Linkin Park and "My Plague" by Slipknot. It is currently available on their BandCamp page.

French DJ David Guetta played a remix of "Numb" as part of his set at various shows in Brazil in January 2015.

American electronic band Breathe Carolina performed "Numb" at various shows during their Anywhere But Home Tour in 2015.

Manchester based metalcore band Empires Fade recorded a cover of "Numb" with an accompanying music video which was released on their YouTube channel on December 16, 2015.

Tarja Turunen, who rose to fame as Nightwish's original lead singer, performed "Numb" during a special concert at the Wacken Metal Church that opened the 2016 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival. Tarja performed together with piano, cello and violin in front of only 300 handpicked fans.

Australian rock band Hands Like Houses performed "Numb" as part of APTV's Zippo Encore Sessions that took place at the 2016 edition of the Carolina Rebellion festival.

Floridian post-hardcore band Fame On Fire recorded a cover of "Numb" in 2016 after fans voted for them to cover it. A music video was released on October 7 and a digital single was released on October 12.

On July 1st, 2017, "Numb" was performed by 200 musicians as part of the fifth Rocknmob that took place in Moscow, Russia.

Other Uses

• This song was sampled by Nicki Minaj in the song "Encore '07" on the mixtape "Playtime Is Over" released in 2007.
• "Numb" was accidentally played for 0.7 seconds instead of the Maltese national anthem during Malta's friendly match against Slovakia on September 4, 2014.

External Links

• Numb (Music Video): LPTV | MTV | VK
• Numb (KROQ's Kevin and Bean Breakfast Show 2010) - iConcerts Dailymotion
• Numb (Rio+Social 2012) - The Live Room
• Numb (Guitar Center Sessions 2014) - Guitar Center

References

• https://web.archive.org/web/20150511000955/http://veryaware.com/2014/02/the-25-most-fascinating-things-learned-at-eurotrips-10th-anniversary-screening
• http://www.mtv.com/news/1477972/linkin-parks-sanitarium-stay-documented-on-live-cddvd/
• http://www.linkinparkru.com/index.php?m=info&t=articles_en_interview_68
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3177178/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt
• http://www.expats.cz/prague/article/music/50-music-videos-shot-in-prague/
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080513181635/http://www.forfeitthegame.com/notes.html
• http://web.archive.org/web/20080513181453/http://www.forfeitthegame.com/mike-on-met.html
• http://web.archive.org/web/20030412184824/http://www.shoutweb.com/features/linkinpark0303.phtml