Numb by Linking Park - Essay Example

Introduction to Humanities - Numb by Linkin Park Humanities is defined as the study of a diverse field of academic s and pieces of readings which in essence devote its attention towards the human condition as well as a qualitative mannerism which is related with the prevention of a single paradigm. Apart from social sciences and natural sciences, humanities form up as the third component of the liberal arts and sciences that come directly under the heading of academia. This paper talks about humanities and its different inter-relations with the fields of art, music, architecture, philosophy and literature. The precise definition of humanities is a bit controversial to say the least but more or less its core has entailed of a number of subjects which might include something from literature, literary criticism as well as comparative literature and also includes the study of religion, law and jurisprudence, music and musicology and last but not the least culture and its different area studies. The song chosen for the discussion of humanities here is that by Linkin Park from their second album titled Meteora. The song’s name is Numb. The lyrics and music arrangement for the song are such that it gives a meaning of numbness on the part of the person delivering the message. (Meteora, 2006) There is a sense of connection between the person who is spelling the irony which is cast upon him and the society that is experiencing more or less the same kind of attitude. In fact the manifestation has been shown to be true among different cultures of the world where suffering and pain are an inherent feature of their day to day lives. (Classen, 2006) The song is about not caring, being pushed to the end limits from where a sense of understanding and belief is thrown out of the window. There is so much pressure that as human beings, we have become numb to so much that has been happening around us. More on that, we see that the pressure leaves a lot of the people to get succumbed under easily but having said the same here we find that this person has a totally different perspective to what is the norm in a society, in a civilization and just about anything that he experiences. The road ahead is full of potholes and craters and the pressure has taken so much toil on him that he starts feeling as if this pressure and pain is a part of him. There is no more pain that he can feel and the lyrics suggest that “All I want to do/ Is be more like me/ And be less like you” (Absolute Lyrics, 2007) which means that no matter how hard one tries, the pain is just not going to hurt him anymore as now he has become a stone hearted individual, feeling nothing but pain and pain becoming a part of his self so to speak. (Burns, 2007) The feelings are pretty real in the sense that they have an attachment with the diverse set of people hailing from distinct societies of the world, no matter they live in the war trodden lands of Iraq or battling it out for food and water in Ethiopia. Everyone is going through a tirade which is more within his own self than being a part of what he is seeing or viewing, brought about in abundance by the people around him and the policies that are drafted by the governments. The pressure just does not seem to hurt this individual anymore as he feels that there is more to it than pressure and pain alone. What he feels now is soothing him since he has become completely numb and prone to it. No matter what the times do on him, he will not succumb and just cannot surrender as the going has already gotten tough for him. The manner in which the song is written is something that one can relate himself with in an easy manner. There is so much happening in the times of today that one feels he is connected with the song in a direct or an indirect way. There is the notion of it speaks my language as far as the song Numb is concerned. (Scott, 2007) This makes it a lot more personal as the audiences link their own selves with the song and hence the recall of the song is strong and more so since we see that Linkin Park has sung it, being a top rock band internationally, makes all the more reason for the song to become a hit. Having said that, it is not about whether the song becomes a hit or not, it is more about how the band brings out the meaning that is embedded in the song and this is made apparent by the beautiful lyrics and easy going tone in which it is written and sung, respectively. What the song actually means is different for a varied cross section of the society. Everyone relates his own basis with the song and tries to connect with his life in one way or the other and thus this viewpoint makes the song more and more personal, not to forget unique at the same time. What this also means is that a lot of the people in the current times are not happy with what is going on in their lives and they just do not seem to be contented and satisfied with the different happenings and events occurring in their lives every now and then. They want peace of mind which incidentally is lacking in the current times and as the song puts it, they have become prone to the circumstances and hence feel numbness when any calamity breaks lose on them. They just do not feel pushed as they have already been pushed to the end limits. There is no looking back. There is just so much struggle in their lives that the anguish takes over them and makes them numb. The enemy that is the society itself as well as the different deliverables of the same in the form of inconsistent policies, lawlessness, frustration, lack of respect, joblessness and the like have all brought the notion of anxiety and depression but having said that, this person feels that all has gone in vain and there is no more of the pain that he once used to feel. Thus these are the things that the people have remained frustrated about with the passage of time and the same will continue to be the case in the times to come since there is so much distress and anarchy that is rampant in different areas of the society. One’s life seems to be stuck somewhere in all this muddle, which is pretty hard to get out of, once the turmoil has started. Now there is peace, not in the real sense but in terms of feeling as if one has been anaesthetized hence making him numb to the end. The band has made sure that their feelings are echoed in the same manner as they would like their fans and followers to understand from it. Hence the notion of delivering what comes in their mind is made true courtesy their beautiful composition and more than anything else the message that has been brought to the light by the lyrics that seem to bring one’s own self in close proximity with the meaning and definition of what the song is all about. (Linkin Park, Meteora, 2007) Human emotions and values are a very touching subject and when a band makes a song that is close to these areas of interest for the audiences, this band needs to make sure that it is conveying the message which is a part of their thinking mindset. If the same is somehow or the other missing in one context or the other, then there is a genuine desire to bring amendments in the thinking of the people for which the song is going to be made. Perhaps there could be some alterations in the lyrics so as to make the audience where the shortcomings can be in their respective life circles. But then again it is a prerogative of the band or the singer as to how he understands the evils that have been a part of the society and the culture that one is living in for so long and then going about discussing it in open. (Bansal, 2007) All said and done, the effort by Linkin Park needs to be appreciated by the artist fraternity and the audiences for which the song has been made must make sure that they understand the deep meaning which is hidden in the lyrics and try to connect with what is there on offer. Just listening to the song and head banging would not do justice with what the motive is. There is an earnest desire to bring about the meaning into the form of a realistic approach towards the betterment of the society, civilization and mankind. The song Numb really touches a chord or two within one’s heart. PLAN OF WORK DONE In this paper, I have touched upon the song Numb by Linkin Park which suggests the feelings of numbness and being pushed to the wall. The intensity of pressure takes its toll on people and hence they start feeling as if there was no pain in the world. I have started by defining what humanities is all about. Then I have delved into the mere basics of the song itself. After that I have talked about what the song suggests and what are its implied connotations and meanings. In the end, I have appreciated the work that has been done by the band. As far as the bibliography is concerned, I have made use of different websites which have listed reviews for the second album Meteora of Linkin Park. I have also listed the reasons as to why I have taken up the particular sources. BIBLIOGRAPHY Burns, Krystal. (2007). Linkin Park. URL: http://www.planetwisdom.com/music/reviews/linkinpark.php Provides a clear and deep meaning for the song that is why I chose this source Author Unknown. (2006). Meteora. URL: http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/linkin_park/meteora/ Provides a true review of the album that is why I chose this source Bansal, Vik. (2007). Linkin Park – Live in Texas. URL: http://www.musicomh.com/albums/linkin-park-2.htm Provides a thinking mindset of the band that is why I chose this source Author Unknown. (2007). Linkin Park, Meteora. URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/68zf/ Provides a small detail about the band that is why I chose this source Classen, Jens. (2006). Nu-Metal. URL: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?albumid=175 Provides a review of the album that is why I chose this source Scott, Travis. (2007). Linkin Park: Somewhere I Belong. Ransom Fellowship. URL: http://www.ransomfellowship.org/articles_music/Music_LinkinPark.html Provides a music review of Linkin Park that is why I chose this source Author Unknown. (2007). Absolute Lyrics. URL: http://www.absolutelyrics.com/lyrics/view/linkin_park/numb/ Provides lyrics of the song Numb that is why I chose this source Word Count: 1,673 Read More