Even when I had nothing, I had Linkin Park

I’m gonna go on a rant about my most favorite band – Linkin Park. The title is spin on a quote (an embarrassingly cheesy one at that) from Captain America – Winter Soldier : “Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky”… Sheesh! (Cheese! )

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Linkin Park has been my best companion throughout my college days. I was introduced to the band by my cousin, and at first, I thought they were too loud (thanks to From the Inside)…

The first song that rooted within me was In The End … The depth in the lyrics and the flow of the music in it connected with me instantly. Then I explored onto Numb … This song felt so right for so many reasons. I felt so addicted to it that I listened to it, in loop, for more than 50 times. Then I got back to listening to From The Inside … And as I built a more stronger connection with the band, I was able to appreciate the song this time.

I didn’t connect to every song right away in the conventional sense… I listened to literally only these songs for months. Until the lyrics felt right, and the musical composition felt one with me. And then I moved on to the next set of three songs. Weirdly, I familiarized myself with the band three songs at a time.

Faint, Crawling, Breaking the Habit.

Points of Authority, One Step Closer, By Myself.

(There is this AMV – Animated Music Video, of the song By Myself… That fits the song and the anime Dragonball Z perfectly well, frame by frame and clicks so perfectly well)

Every single song, seemed to apply to my position in life at the time. Sounds emo, but true.

And then I explored the songs even more by adding them to the Dragonball Z fanfiction to them. A Gohan Tribute with From the Inside and a Vegeta Tribute with Numb. And posted them in a Dragonball Z Orkut fan community and was so happy that they enjoyed the reading experience as much as I did when writing them.

Then came their Transformers OSTs… Collision Course with Jay Z. Reanimation and then their new album – A Thousand Suns. Even this time, I took it three songs at a time.

Iridiscent, The Catalyst, Robot Boy

When they come for me, Waiting for the End, Wretches and Kings.

(For the same odd reason, I am yet to explore their Living Things… I have them on my disc though. Their time will come)…

They really did seem to have a song for our every mood, every situation. Be it to lift up our spirits. Or to mull about our life, existence and the meaning in it or lack thereof.

One of my favorite things about the band is their concerts. The way they throw themselves into the concert (not literally) , and give extra special performances… Pushing Me Away at Milton Keys, That epic Bleed it out Drumming and the Piano piece atBreaking The Habit in Rock Am Ring ( I was SO CRAZY about this song, that I counted how many seconds it took for the piano note to shift from lower to higher…) … Wow… Just… WOW!!!

To me, they’re a well rounded music band, with Mike Shinoda’s genius lyrics, that doesn’t throw in obscenities where it is completely not required. And Chester’s Voice control… from that soothing tone to the all-hell-broken-loose screaming… Their Live Concerts coverage on YouTube (seriously… they are THAT GOOD) has helped me come over so many so many Sunday evening blues.

Even today, a single song… In Pieces… put me back on the nostalgia trip for me to rant on this entire post.

Dear Linkin Park,

Thank you. Even when I had nothing, I had You.

And I cannot be thankful enough for that.

I’m sincerely happy that you’ve defined a portion of me in the past, present and in the future as well.

Eternally indebted yours,

A Fan.