Papercut (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Papercut


Cover size =
Border =
Caption =
Artist = Linkin Park
Album = Hybrid Theory
A-side =
B-side =
Released = September 25, 2001
Format = CD
Recorded = New Orleans, Louisiana, July 1999
Genre = Nu metal, rapcore
Length = 3:04
Label = Warner Bros. Records
Writer = Linkin Park
Producer = Don Gilmore
Audio sample? =
Certification =
Last single = "Crawling"
(2001)
This single = "Papercut"
(2001)
Next single = "In the End"
(2001)
Misc = Audiosample
Upper caption = Audio sample
Audio file = Linkin Park - Paper Cut (sample).ogg "Papercut" is a song by the nu metal band Linkin Park. It is the first track from their 2000 debut album "Hybrid Theory", and was the third single to be released from the album in 2001. The "Papercut" single was only released in foreign countries, but never officially released in the US.

ong

"Papercut" is a song about an individual who always looks out for himself, and is haunted by paranoia.

Even though there are no acoustic instruments in the song, lead guitarist Brad Delson is shown playing an acoustic guitar in the video, and Phoenix is shown playing an acoustic bass guitar (though it is possible the instruments were electric-acoustic). And although there is drumming, Rob Bourdon doesn't play drums at all in the video. Chester Bennington has stated that "Papercut" is his favorite song from "Hybrid Theory". In live performances, the line "something in here's not right today" is changed to "something inside's not right today". Also, Chester screams parts of the first verse during live performances.

On Linkin Park's remix album "Reanimation" (2002), there is a remix of this song, titled "Ppr:Kut", which was remixed by Cheapshot. Elements from the song were used in the song "Sold My Soul to Yo Mama", which appears on the band's 4th annual fan club CD. Furthermore, the mashup EP "Collision Course" (2004) contains a mix of this song and Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'".

Music video

The music video shows the band in a seemingly haunted house. They are playing the song in a room with little light with a rather spooky picture sampled from the cover artwork of the "Xero" demo tape. This was painted by Mike Shinoda the night before the video was shot. To their left of their room is a dark kitchen that sports a bound and writhing figure; to the right of their room is what appears to be a laboratory with a strange creature inside. It moves extremely fast and in an erratic manner. Later in the song, the creature releases insects, probably dragonflies, while the baby picture and regions of the left wall bulge. Rob Bourdon's eyes appear melted as well (using special effects). Also, there is a statue of a bird which spins its head all the way around, and at one point, Mike's fingers stretch. There are parts of the song during which Mike is out of sync with the music, and at one point not even moving his mouth while he is speaking. In the video, the only member of the band to take notice of the strange goings-on is the drummer, Rob Bourdon. The lyrics of the song appear scribbled along the walls in the dark rooms. Even though the song features heavy distorted electric guitars, both the guitarist (Brad Delson) and the bassist (Dave Farrell) play acoustic guitars in the video. The effects and imagery of the music video, brings to the audience a sense of irritation and certain paranoia, which is what the song is about.

The music video was co-directed by Nathan "Karma" Cox and LP's turntablist Joseph Hahn (who also directed the videos for "Pts.Of.Athrty" and "In the End"). It was not released for the US.

During the commentary on the DVD "Frat Party at the Pankake Festival", one of the directors states that some inspiration for the video was taken from the film "Jacob's Ladder", especially with the twitching blue man in one of the rooms of the house.

Track listing

Tracklist
all_writing = Linkin Park
title1 = Papercut
length1 = 3:05
title2 = Points of Authority
note2 = Live on BBC Radio One
length2 = 3:25
title3 = Papercut
note3 = Live at Docklands Arena, London
length3 = 3:12
title4 = Papercut
note4 = Video
length4 = 3:13

External links

* [http://linkinpark.com/lyrics/singles/Papercut#1 "Papercut" official lyrics]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjVkXlxsO8Q "Papercut" music video on YouTube]