Linkin Park - Somewhere I Belong - Lyrics Meaning

Off Linkin Park's sophomore release Meteora Somewhere I Belong is about a person who feels all alone and out of place but feels trapped because they are feeling that way due to the mistakes that they made. The song seems to reek of teenage pain and angst about dealing with the trappings of pain, insecurity and emotional numbness. The lyrics don't tell the listener exactly the problem the person is dealing with. The ambiguity of the source of pain gives the song the ability to connect with virtually anyone who's dealing with struggle. Surprisingly the song only reached number thirty two on the Hot 100 chart in the US.

Chester Bennington came up with an acoustic guitar sample that Mike Shinoda took and added the effects which eventually became the main hook for the song. The song did not reach its final version for approximately a year. Shinoda manipulated Bennington's guitar sample even further and actually reversed it and added computer effects. Shinoda and Bennington wrote over thirty different choruses for this song and Somewhere was the final track to be completed for the album. The final product was completed about one week after the rest of the album was finished.