Forgotten – English Lyrics

• By: Linkin Park

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into 'Forgotten' to improve your English by exploring emotive, colloquial language used to describe fractured relationships. This song is special because it highlights the rhythmic, percussive nature of English delivery in rap, perfect for practicing flow, enunciation, and the expression of intense feelings.

[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 /fərˈɡɒt.ən/ A2	adjective/verb - not remembered or clearly called to mind
core /kɔːr/ B2	noun - the central or most important part of something
safety /ˈseɪf.ti/ A2	noun - the state of being protected from danger or harm
acidic /əˈsɪd.ɪk/ C1	adjective - having the properties of an acid; sharp or biting
suggestion /səˈdʒes.tʃən/ B1	noun - an idea or plan put forward for consideration
rust /rʌst/ B2	noun/verb - a reddish-brown substance formed on iron by oxidation
pretend /prɪˈtend/ A2	verb - to behave as if something is true when it is not
manifested /ˈmæn.ɪ.fest.ɪd/ C1	verb - displayed or showed by one's acts or appearance
perpetual /pəˈpetʃ.u.əl/ C1	adjective - never ending or changing
concrete /ˈkɒŋ.kriːt/ B1	noun - building material made from a mixture of broken stone or gravel
crumpled /ˈkrʌm.pəld/ B2	verb - crushed or compressed into wrinkles or folds
perfect /ˈpɜː.fɪkt/ A1	adjective - having all the required elements; flawless
pollution /pəˈluː.ʃən/ B1	noun - substances that have harmful effects on the environment
defend /dɪˈfend/ B1	verb - to resist an attack; to protect
memory /ˈmem.ər.i/ A2	noun - the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information

Key Grammar Structures

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

  ➔ Present Perfect

  ➔ The use of "have forgotten" indicates an action that happened in the past with a result that continues into the present.

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

  ➔ Past Participle as an adjective clause reduction

  ➔ "Taken" functions as a reduced relative clause, meaning "(I am) taken far from my safety".

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

  ➔ Modal verb for future and hypothetical question

  ➔ "Won't" expresses a strong negative future, while "should" indicates a hypothetical or rhetorical suggestion.

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

  ➔ Result clause with 'so... that'

  ➔ The structure "so dark (that) you can't see" describes a result caused by extreme darkness.

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

  ➔ Participle phrase and time conjunction

  ➔ "Holding" acts as a present participle describing the subject, and "until" establishes a time constraint.

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

  ➔ Passive voice in conditional time clause

  ➔ "Is crumpled" is the passive voice indicating that the paper receives the action, used here in a "when" clause.

• Now you got me caught in the act

  ➔ Causative structure / Colloquial 'have got'

  ➔ "You got me caught" is an idiomatic construction indicating that someone has successfully trapped or discovered the speaker.

• I see it right through you

  ➔ Phrasal verb

  ➔ "See through" is a phrasal verb meaning to detect the true nature of someone despite their attempts to hide it.