Papercut – English Lyrics

• By: Linkin Park
• Album: From Zero (Deluxe Edition)

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Linkin Park's "Papercut," a foundational track for their unique sound that perfectly blends aggressive rock with hip-hop elements. Through its raw lyrics exploring paranoia and inner turmoil, you can engage with authentic English expressions of mental struggle and powerful emotional vocabulary, making it a compelling song for language learners to connect with deeply.

[English]

Why does it feel like night today?

Somethin' in here's not right today

Why am I so uptight today?

Paranoia's all I got left

I don't know what stressed me first

Or how the pressure was fed

But I know just what it feels like

To have a voice in the back of my head

Like a face that I hold inside

A face that awakes when I close my eyes

A face watches every time I lie

A face that laughs every time I fall

(And watches everything)

So I know that when it's time to sink or swim

That the face inside is here in me

Right underneath my skin

It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back

It's like a whirlwind inside of my head

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within

It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

I know I've got a face in me

Points out all my mistakes to me

You've got a face on the inside too

And your paranoia's probably worse

I don't know what set me off first

But I know what I can't stand

Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is

I can't add up to what you can

But everybody has a face that they hold inside

A face that awakes when I close my eyes

A face watches every time they lie

A face that laughs every time they fall

(And watches everything)

So you know that when it's time to sink or swim

That the face inside is watchin' you too

Right inside your skin

It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back

It's like a whirlwind inside of my head

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within

It's like the face inside is right beneath the skin

It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back

It's like a whirlwind inside of my head

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within

It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

The face inside is right beneath your skin

The face inside is right beneath your skin

The face inside is right beneath your skin

...

The sun goes down

...

I feel the light betray me

The sun goes down

I feel the light betray me

It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back

It's like a whirlwind inside of my head

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within

It's like the face inside is right beneath the skin

It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back

It's like a whirlwind inside of my head

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within

It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
paranoia /ˌpærəˈnɔɪə/ B2	noun - a mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution
face /feɪs/ A2	noun - the front part of a person's head verb - to confront or deal with
whirlwind /ˈwɜːrlwɪnd/ B2	noun - a very strong wind that moves in a circular direction
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible verb - to make something bright or illuminated
skin /skɪn/ A1	noun - the outer covering of a person or animal
mistake /mɪˈsteɪk/ B1	noun - an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong
hear /hɪr/ A1	verb - to perceive sound
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - a point of time as measured in hours and minutes
sink /sɪŋk/ B1	verb - to go down below the surface of a liquid
tight /taɪt/ B1	adjective - firmly held in place
stressed /strɛst/ B2	adjective - experiencing mental or emotional strain
know /noʊ/ A1	verb - to be aware of through observation, inquiry, or information
add /æd/ A1	verb - to join something to something else

Key Grammar Structures

• Why does it feel like night today?

  ➔ Present simple tense for asking about current feelings.

  ➔ The phrase "does it feel" indicates a question about perception.

• Paranoia's all I got left.

  ➔ Colloquial contraction and use of 'all' for emphasis.

  ➔ The phrase "all I got left" emphasizes the speaker's feelings of loss.

• It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back.

  ➔ Simile using 'like' to compare feelings.

  ➔ The phrase "like I'm paranoid" illustrates the speaker's mental state.

• I know I've got a face in me.

  ➔ Present perfect tense to express a current state.

  ➔ The phrase "I've got a face in me" suggests self-awareness.

• It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin.

  ➔ Metaphor to express internal conflict.

  ➔ The phrase "right beneath my skin" conveys deep emotional struggle.

• The sun goes down.

  ➔ Simple present tense to describe a habitual action.

  ➔ The phrase "the sun goes down" indicates a natural cycle.