Numb

• By: Linkin Park
• Album: Meteora

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
tired /ˈtaɪərd/ A2	adjective - feeling a need to rest or sleep
want /wɒnt/ A1	verb - to have a desire for noun - a desire for something
feeling /ˈfiːlɪŋ/ A2	noun - an emotional state or reaction verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
faithless /ˈfeɪθləs/ B2	adjective - not loyal or trustworthy
lost /lɒst/ A2	adjective - unable to find one's way; no longer possessed
surface /ˈsɜːrfɪs/ B1	noun - the outer boundary of an object or area
expecting /ɪkˈspektɪŋ/ B1	verb - regard (something) as likely to happen
pressure /ˈpreʃər/ B1	noun - the exertion of force upon a surface
walking /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/ A1	verb - move at a regular and fairly slow pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn.
shoes /ʃuːz/ A1	noun - a covering for the foot
step /step/ A1	noun - an act or movement of putting one foot in front of the other verb - move one's foot a short distance
mistake /mɪˈsteɪk/ A2	noun - an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong
numb /nʌm/ B2	adjective - deprived of feeling or responsiveness verb - deprive of feeling or responsiveness
aware /əˈwer/ B2	adjective - having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact
smothering /ˈsmʌðərɪŋ/ C1	verb - suffocate (someone) by covering their nose and mouth
control /kənˈtroʊl/ B1	noun - the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events verb - determine the behavior or supervise the running of
fallen /ˈfɔːlən/ A2	verb - past participle of fall
failing /ˈfeɪlɪŋ/ B1	verb - be unsuccessful; not achieve the desired outcome
disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/ B1	adjective - sad or displeased because someone or something has failed to fulfill one's hopes or expectations

Grammar:

• Tired of being what you want me to be

  ➔ Gerund phrase after "tired of"; "what" as a relative pronoun

  ➔ "Tired of" takes a gerund (being). "What" functions as a relative pronoun, meaning "the thing(s) that". It combines the functions of a relative pronoun and its antecedent.

• Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface

  ➔ Present participle "feeling" acting as a reduced relative clause; Adjective "lost" as a past participle acting as an adjective.

  ➔ "Feeling so faithless" modifies the subject of the sentence (implied "I"). "Lost under the surface" describes the state of being. "Lost" is not the main verb, but rather a past participle used as an adjective.

• Don't know what you're expecting of me

  ➔ Negative imperative; Subordinate clause with "what" as the object of "expecting"; Preposition "of" showing the relationship.

  ➔ "Don't know" is a negative imperative expressing a lack of knowledge. "What you're expecting of me" is a noun clause acting as the object of "know". "Of me" indicates what the expectation pertains to.

• Every step that I take is another mistake to you

  ➔ Relative clause with "that" acting as a subject; "Another" as a determiner before "mistake"; Preposition "to" expressing direction or recipient.

  ➔ "That I take" is a relative clause modifying "step". "Another mistake" implies the current step is not the first. "To you" indicates the perspective from which the step is viewed as a mistake.

• I've become so numb, I can't feel you there

  ➔ Present perfect tense "I've become"; Adverb "so" modifying the adjective "numb"; Modal verb "can't" expressing inability.

  ➔ "I've become" indicates a state that started in the past and continues to the present. "So numb" intensifies the feeling of numbness. "Can't feel" means the speaker is unable to perceive the other person.

• Can't you see that you're smothering me?

  ➔ Modal verb "Can" used in a question to express inquiry; "See" as a verb of perception followed by a "that" clause; Present continuous "you're smothering" indicating an ongoing action.

  ➔ "Can't you see" is a request for understanding. The "that" clause specifies what the speaker wants the other person to understand. "You're smothering me" describes the action of the other person.

• But I know I may end up failing too

  ➔ Conjunction "but" expressing contrast; Modal verb "may" expressing possibility; "End up" followed by a gerund "failing"; Adverb "too" indicating addition.

  ➔ "But" contrasts the previous statements. "May end up failing" expresses uncertainty about the speaker's success. "Too" indicates that, like the other person, the speaker might also fail.

• You were just like me with someone disappointed in you

  ➔ Past tense "were"; "Just" as an adverb of degree; Preposition "with" indicating association; Past participle "disappointed" functioning as an adjective.

  ➔ "Were just like me" indicates a similarity in the past. "With someone disappointed in you" describes a relationship where the other person was disappointed in the subject.