Forgotten – English Lyrics

• By: Linkin Park
• Album: Hybrid Theory

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw, aggressive energy of Linkin Park's early sound with "Forgotten." This powerful track is an excellent tool for learning high-energy rock and rap-rock vocabulary, showcasing the band's signature blend of Mike Shinoda's fast-paced, metaphorical verses and Chester Bennington's emotionally charged, melodic, and screamed choruses. Its lyrics offer insight into dealing with anxiety and internal conflict using vivid, memorable imagery, making it a powerful piece for understanding introspective rock songwriting.

[English]

From the top to the bottom, bottom to top, I stop

At the core I've forgotten, in the middle of my thoughts

Taken far from my safety, the picture's there

The memory won't escape me, but why should I care?

From the top to the bottom, bottom to top, I stop

At the core I've forgotten, in the middle of my thoughts

Taken far from my safety, the picture's there

The memory won't escape me, but why should I care?

Theres a place so dark you can't see the end

Skies cock back and shock that which can't defend

The rain then sends dripping, acidic questions, forcefully

The power of suggestion, then with the eyes shut

Looking through the rust and rot and dust

A small spot of light floods the floor

And pours over the rusted world of pretend

And the eyes ease open and it's dark again

From the top to the bottom, bottom to top, I stop

At the core I've forgotten, in the middle of my thoughts

Taken far from my safety, the picture's there

The memory won't escape me, but why should I care?

In the memory, you'll find me, eyes burning up

The darkness holding me tightly, until the sun rises up

...

Moving all around, screaming of the ups and downs

Pollution manifested in perpetual sound the wheels go round

And the sunset creeps behind street lamps

Chain link and concrete

A little piece of paper with a picture drawn

Floats on down the street till the wind is gone

And the memory now is like the picture was then

When the paper's crumpled up, it can't be perfect again

From the top to the bottom, bottom to top, I stop

At the core I've forgotten, in the middle of my thoughts

Taken far from my safety, the picture's there

The memory won't escape me, but why should I care?

From the top to the bottom, bottom to top, I stop

At the core I've forgotten, in the middle of my thoughts

Taken far from my safety, the picture's there

The memory won't escape me, but why should I care?

In the memory, you'll find me, eyes burning up

The darkness holding me tightly, until the sun rises up

...

Now you got me caught in the act, you bring the thought back

I'm telling you that, I see it right through you

Now you got me caught in the act, you bring the thought back

I'm telling you that, I see it right through you

Now you got me caught in the act, you bring the thought back

I'm telling you that, I see it right through you

Now you got me caught in the act, you bring the thought back

I'm telling you that, I see it right through you

Now you got me caught in the act, you bring the thought back

I'm telling you that, I see it right through you

Now you got me caught in the act, you bring the thought back

I'm telling you that, I see it right through you

Now you got me caught in the act, you bring the thought back

I'm telling you that, I see it right through you

In the memory, you'll find me, eyes burning up

The darkness holding me tightly, until the sun rises up

In the memory, you will find me, eyes burning up

The darkness holding me tightly, until the sun rises up

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
memory /ˈmeməri/ A2	noun - Something remembered from the past.
darkness /ˈdɑːknəs/ B1	noun - The state of being without light; symbol of fear or despair.
escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ B1	verb - To get free from something or someone.
core /kɔːr/ B2	noun - The central or most important part of something.
picture /ˈpɪktʃər/ A1	noun - A drawing, painting, or photograph.
safety /ˈseɪfti/ A2	noun - The condition of being protected from harm.
suggestion /səˈdʒestʃən/ B2	noun - An idea or plan put forward for consideration.
pretend /prɪˈtend/ B1	verb - To act as if something is true when it is not.
rust /rʌst/ B2	noun - A reddish coating that forms on metal when it is exposed to moisture.
scream /skriːm/ A2	verb - To make a loud, high sound with the voice.
pollution /pəˈluːʃən/ B1	noun - Substances or energy that make the environment dirty or harmful.
burn /bɜːrn/ A2	verb - To be on fire or produce heat and light.
hold /hoʊld/ A2	verb - To have or keep something in your hands.
rise /raɪz/ A2	verb - To move upward or go higher.
thought /θɔːt/ B1	noun - An idea or opinion produced by thinking.

Key Grammar Structures

• At the core I've forgotten, in the middle of my thoughts

  ➔ Present perfect tense

  ➔ "I've forgotten" shows an action completed in the past with impact on the present.

• Taken far from my safety, the picture's there

  ➔ Past participle phrase used as reduced relative clause

  ➔ "Taken far from my safety" means "which was taken far from my safety"; the subject is omitted.

• The memory won’t escape me, but why should I care?

  ➔ Modal verb "should" in rhetorical question

  ➔ The speaker asks "why should I care?" to express indifference, not to seek an answer.

• There’s a place so dark you can’t see the end

  ➔ So...that clause for result

  ➔ "So dark" describes degree leading to the result "you can’t see the end."

• Looking through the rust and rot and dust

  ➔ Present participle phrase (reduced clause of time or manner)

  ➔ "Looking" modifies an implied subject like "while I was looking."

• And pours over the rusted world of pretend

  ➔ Metaphorical use of simple present for description

  ➔ The verb "pours" describes imagery happening vividly in the present.

• In the memory, you'll find me, eyes burning up

  ➔ Future with "will" expressing certainty

  ➔ "You'll find me" suggests something inevitable or guaranteed to occur.

• The darkness holding me tightly, until the sun rises up

  ➔ Present participle phrase + adverbial clause of time

  ➔ "Holding" shows continuous action happening before "the sun rises up."

• A little piece of paper with a picture drawn

  ➔ Reduced relative clause with past participle

  ➔ "With a picture drawn" means "which has a picture drawn on it."

• When the paper’s crumpled up, it can’t be perfect again

  ➔ Conditional with "when" clause + passive voice

  ➔ "When the paper’s crumpled up" sets a condition; "can’t be perfect" uses passive form.