Forgotten – English Lyrics

• By: Linkin Park
• Album: Hybrid Theory

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw and introspective world of Linkin Park's "Forgotten." This powerful track from their debut album, *Hybrid Theory*, offers a unique opportunity to engage with English through its vivid imagery and intense lyrical themes of memory, identity, and internal struggle. The dual vocal delivery of Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda provides distinct lyrical perspectives and emotional depth, making the language both compelling and rich with meaning. By exploring the metaphors and powerful expressions of feeling lost and found within this song, learners can grasp complex emotional vocabulary and understand how music articulates universal human experiences.

[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
forgotten /fəˈrɡɒtən/ A2	adjective - not remembered; no longer retained in the memory
core /kɔːr/ A2	noun - the central or most important part of something
taken /ˈteɪkən/ A1	verb - past participle of take; to get into one's hands, or to carry or move
safety /ˈseɪfti/ A1	noun - the condition of being safe from harm or danger
memory /ˈmɛməri/ A1	noun - the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information
escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ A2	verb - to break free from confinement or control
darkness /ˈdɑːrknəs/ A1	noun - the absence of light
burning /ˈbɜːrnɪŋ/ A1	adjective - on fire; being consumed by flame
pollution /pəˈluːʃən/ A2	noun - the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects
manifested /ˈmænɪfɛstɪd/ B1	verb - past tense of manifest; to show or demonstrate something clearly
perpetual /pərˈpɛtʃuəl/ B2	adjective - never ending or changing; lasting forever
crumpled /ˈkrʌmpəld/ A2	verb - past tense of crumple; to crush or bend (paper or cloth) so that it becomes creased and twisted
suggestion /səˈdʒɛstʃən/ A2	noun - an idea or plan put forward for consideration
rusted /ˈrʌstɪd/ A2	adjective - covered with rust; corroded
pretend /prɪˈtɛnd/ A1	verb - to claim or assert that something is true when it is not
screaming /ˈskriːmɪŋ/ A1	verb - to utter a loud, sharp cry, especially of pain or terror
concrete /ˈkɒnkriːt/ A1	noun - a hard, strong building material made by mixing cement, sand, and water

Key Grammar Structures

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

  ➔ Prepositional phrases

  ➔ The phrases "from the top to the bottom" and "bottom to top" are prepositional phrases indicating direction and movement.

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

  ➔ Present perfect

  ➔ 'I've forgotten' uses the present perfect to indicate an action that occurred in the past with results relevant to the present.

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

  ➔ Future with 'will' in negative form

  ➔ 'Won't escape' is a negative future form using 'will' to express something that will not happen.

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

  ➔ Contraction and modal verb

  ➔ 'Theres' is a contraction of 'there is', and 'can't' is a modal verb expressing inability.

• The rain then sends dripping, acidic questions, forcefully

  ➔ Adverb placement

  ➔ 'Forcefully' is an adverb placed at the end of the sentence to modify the verb 'sends'.

• Looking through the rust and rot and dust

  ➔ Gerund

  ➔ 'Looking' is a gerund functioning as the subject of the sentence.

• And the eyes ease open and it's dark again

  ➔ Subject-verb agreement

  ➔ 'Eyes' is plural, so the verb 'ease' agrees in plural form.

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

  ➔ Future with 'will'

  ➔ 'You'll find' uses 'will' to indicate a future action.