Papercut Lyrics

[Verse 1: Mike Shinoda]
Why does it feel like night today?
Something 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

[Pre-Chorus: Mike Shinoda]
Like a face that I hold inside
A face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face that 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

[Chorus: Chester Bennington & Mike Shinoda]
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 hearin' within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin
[Verse 2: Mike Shinoda]
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


[Pre-Chorus: Mike Shinoda]
But everybody has a face that they hold inside
A face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face that 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

[Chorus: Chester Bennington & Mike Shinoda]
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 hearin' 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 hearin' within
It's like the face inside is right beneath the skin
[Post-Chorus: Mike Shinoda]
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin
The face inside is right beneath your skin

[Bridge: Chester Bennington]
The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me
The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me


[Chorus: Chester Bennington & Mike Shinoda]
(The sun) 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 hearin' within
It's like the face inside is right beneath the skin (I feel the light betray me)
(The sun) 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 hearin' within
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearin' within (I feel the light betray me)

[Outro: Chester Bennington]
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearin' within
(It's like) It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

“Papercut” is the first song off Linkin Park’s first album, Hybrid Theory.

It is one of their most well known songs. However, it wasn’t officially released as a single in the U.S.
The song found some success, reaching #32 on U.S. Modern Rock Charts and #14 in the UK Singles Chart.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Linkin Park say about "Papercut"?
Genius Answer

In an interview with Kerrang! Magazine in celebration of Hybrid Theory’s 20th anniversary, Mike Shinoda discusses why the song opened Hybrid Theory, why he hates the music video, and more.

Credits
Produced By
Performance Rights
Copyright ©
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Additional Engineer
Percussion
Background Vocals
Pro Tools Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Mixing Engineer
Turntables
Bass Guitar
Digital Editing
Assistant Engineer
Assistant Pro Tools
Executive Producer
Recorded At
NRG Recording Studios, North Hollywood, CA
Release Date
September 25, 2001
View Papercut samples
Tags
Comments