Its has been said before that Chester Bennington thinks Mike Shinoda wrote the song about his writing partner because Chester dealt with thoughts of suicide, a child malester for three years and drugs. So the song brought back some not so good memories. Chester has also said that for many months he could not sing the song live because he knew he would 'burst out crying'. But, today it is one of his favorite songs to play at the shows.
- Michelle, Dallas, TX
It seems as thought it could be about drugs, excessive drinking, anger; or all those things
- Chris, Claremont, CA
i think this song is about some one who has a lot of botteld up feelings and dosnt express themself in the right healthy way. So they start feeling numb like theere not sure what to do. They feel confused. "I don?t want to be the one The battles always choose ?Cause inside I realize That I?m the one confused" So they relase there feelings in angery towards others. "I don?t know what?s worth fighting for Or why I have to scream I don?t know why I instigate And say what I don?t mean " He is probelly feeling numb so he resorts to cutting to feel at least something, but then it gets to far and out of control and he gets addicted once he starts but relises it all has to stop. "I don?t know how I got this way I know it?s not alright So I?m Breaking the habit Tonight " yes so im sure you allready new what the song ment but thats my opinion
- Meghan, Portland, ME
I think that some songs are vague on meaning intentionally, simply to allow everyone their own inerpretation. Not even the band's interpretation of their song is the ONLY interpretation, because everyone goes through different life experiences and has issues and opportunities that other people don't. Therefore, whatever conclusion has meaning for you is the right meaning FOR YOU. And hey, someone else's ideas can be right also.
- Jailene, k-tOWN, WA
i have heard that mike did not just write this song for any friend...but about chester and his drug addiction,in the packeet book that comes with the dvd the making of brealing the habit they say the video was inspired by the fans, not neccessarily the song
- sarah, A2, MI
This song is obviously about a drug addiction, because i myself have a drug addiction that i have been struggling with for about 3-4 years and this song shows every single emmotion that u feel while kicking a habit no matter what it is, like, "You all asume im safe here in my room unless i try to start again" obviously means that everyone assumes ur safe in ur room unless u "try to start again" with drugs or cutting or whatever it is. and also "Clutching my cure I tight and lock the door i try to catch my breath again" the cure being the drug in mine and chesters case,. it may be about suicide or something totally different, its all in how u hear the song and what ur going through, cause once u go through something like a drug addiction ul truely understand the song. Its also my FAVORITE song by LP and most deffinately one of my favorite ever!!!!!!
- Brandon, chaska, MN
This is my favorite song. I read somewhere that at first the lead singer couldn't sing it without crying. He wasn't the one that wrote it, as you know, but it related to the problems he used to have with drug abuse.
- Hillary, _, United States
you rock
- jqy, houston, UT
i really want to see the video for this! i heard its really good. but anyway, i love this song so much. I don't know what's worth fighting for or why I have to scream I don't know why I instigate and say what I don't mean I don't know how I got this way I know it's not alright so I'm breaking the habit I'm breaking the habit tonight those lyrics describe me so well thats how i feel alot of times. i love this song and i love linkin park for making it. : ) ( :
- me., not telling you : ), KY
well the whole song is complicated... but in the end i think it is about a girl/man that disappointed him. "I ll never fight again, and this is how it ends" maybe that was the hard trying of the singer to prove something to someone. then the refren again. "i dont know whats worths fighting for+++... BUT now i have some clarity to show YOU what i mean." eventually he maybe found the way to prove something but this is the end for his action... now some other must fight for him... maybe this song is about some fight... without knowing why you do it... i felt it many times, maybe you too, some times people fight for something without knowing why....
- peter, athens, Greece
I think this song might have also been inspired by Chester, and his battle with drugs and so on when he was younger. Chester over-came a cocaine addiction - "breaking the habit". This was also a very hard song for him to sing live.
- Claudia, Moscow, Europe
i agree that this song could have various interpretations. the video starts with many people(sick) walking and gears moving backwards right?? the video starts with the person dead on a car and during the second verse he sorta like goes back in time and sorta becomes chester singing this song.. so does breaking the habit mean ,BREAKING the suicide???
- ganesh, chennai, India
I love this song i have problems with a habit myself so it really speaks to me but my habit is way smaller than what this song is about i have no idea what that is but maybe its that we have to stop doing the same things all the time
- Yaya, Amsterdam, Netherlands
This song says how I fell at times. People do not understand that the songs I like say something about me. -Amanda Wabash,IN
- Amanda, Wabash, IN
its just an awesome song, we sometimes say/or do things that we dont really mean and at the end it causes nohing but pain.It just sad. vernon hills il
- ele, vernon hills, IL
I love this song. Its pretty much my profile in a song.
- Ashley, Decatur, IL
What makes linkin park so great is that it doesnt give away its lyrics meanings in a snap. To understand them u most show empathy to the song and give your own opinion.
- Steve, Hamilton, Canada
ryan, I don't think Chester is actually suicidal. I don't think theres much reality in any of Linkin Park's songs. They write music simply because it sounds good, which many artist (in my opinion) seem to do...especially those annoying emo bands.
- Justin, Sierra Vista, AZ
I heard this song in the middle of Detoxing. And I have NO idea the true meaning, however in the video there is clearly a needle and syringe and other paraphenalia in the brief case. So, to my advantage I'd say this song is about drugs. the whole, No options left again, and clutching the cure. unless you've been there. sweating and coming down hard, holding your " cure" i don't guess you would understand, how there are no options again... I think this song was put out there to help people through these rough times, so embrace it and use it for however you see fit.. thank you linkin park!
- steph, oceanside, CA
Maybe I'm wierd, but everytime they say the word "habit" I think of that thing the nuns wear on thier heads (also called habits), then I get this picture of some nun ripping off her habit and like tearing it.
- Lea, Silver Springs, NV

first off chester is NOT suicidal. hes been thru many things and i dont recall suicide attempts being any of them. second of all i like ur interpretation, tom. and lastly, my comments on the song. I have been a linkin park fan since 1999 and i must say they have yet to let me down. their music inspires me to see the best in myself and cope with my problems. while linkin park is around, im free to be myself and no one (not even i) can hurt me. when i listen to breaking the habit i see the reflection of my own problems in the song. while there is obviously a main reason mike wrote this song (for a friend, i believe), it can reach out and help people with many problems such as suicide attempts, cutting, depression, angst, drug and alcohol abuse, and so on. what makes this song so beautiful to me is that not only is it written to put many problems out there on the table, but the video (and the song in may respectable ways) is for the fans, to say thank you and to let them know that the band is listening and cares abt what we're all going thru according to mike and joe. the depth of this song overwhelms me with emotion and reassures my oppinion that linkin park is one of the most respectable bands out there
- Kayla, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
This song is like 'what's your poison,' it can be applied to more than addictions/problems and I really like that.
- Liz, IntheWall, PA
i love this song. linkin park is great. my friends cousin married a guy from the band. its one of those songs that completely defined last summer, and whenever i hear it, its like a time capsule bringing me straight back to summer '04.
- Izzie, lala, HI
when i heard this song for the first time it just hit me like a sack of bricks in the face. Listening to linkin park has helped me so much. Now instead of trying to kill myselfor my sister, i Listen to LP. I dont care how dorky it sounds, but its true. If it weren't for LP, I might not be here right now. It lets me know others feel like this too, and helps me control my anger. THANK YOU LINKIN PARK!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
- shaun, chandler, AZ
omg, the first time i heard this, i like flipped out. the lyrics fit me perfectly, best song ever!
- natalia, fenton, MI
I believe that the song relates to a coke habbit that is intact and that in order to get away from all of his problems he locks himself away from the world and tries to solve his problems through drugs
- sarah, st simons island, CT
I actually heard (I *think* it was from Mike himself) that Mike wrote BTH about a 'friend' of his. I don't totally buy that, but it doesn't take away from the song in the least. Linkin Park is my favorite band ever, and I think this is one of their most moving songs. The lyrics, to me, deal with wanting to end something that taking over you. There is undeniably a suicial undertone here, some may even say it is a song completely about suicide. No doubt that the song is sad, but that's what makes "Breaking the Habit" so beautiful to me.
- Chasidy, Hampton, GA
I like your interpretation a lot tom. i love it when people interpret each verse like that. iw onder if Chester really is suicidal though.....
- ryan, los angeles, CA
I think the song breaking the Habit was about how he lived in his own little world or "room" because the real world was too painful and he was trying to get back in the real world, away from his cushie, painless little "world" no matter the pain.
- shaun, chandler, AZ
Well, I know songs and everything mean different things to different persons, and no one interpretation is right, but heres mine. As it has been said, this song deals with suicide. However, when I first heard it, it didn't have a happy ending. When he says he says he's going to break the habit... he plans on killing himself. "Memories consume Like opening the wound I'm picking me apart again You all assume I'm safe here in my room (unless I try to start again)" Everyone who has been depressed knows this feeling, you thought you were over it until you remember and begin to think out everything, then , like a scab suddenly picked open, the emotions begin to flood out once more. He thinks (to me it sounds almost bitterly) how they believe hes safe in his room, that he wouldn't try to commit suicide again. They don't understand him (or thats how his depressed mind sees it). "I dont know whats worth fighting for Or why I have to scream I dont know why I instigate And say what I dont mean I dont know how I got this way I know its not alright So Im Breaking the habit Tonight" Hes mad at himself for hurting those around himself. Obvious. "Clutching my cure I tightly lock the door I try to catch my breath again I hurt much more Than anytime before I have no options left again" He locks the door closing himself from the outside world.... he trys to catch his breath because his emotions are running high... He hurts more than ever... more than the last attempt at his life that he said he made in verse 1? He has no options left... this could means he stops it or it means (I think) that he tried to stop, tried to better himself... but it didn't work. The final option is death. "Ill paint it on the walls Cause Im the one at fault Ill never fight again And this is how it ends" Paint what on the walls? His blood maybe? He blams himself for peoples problems, he wont ever fight again because he wont be around to. He's going to end it(by taking his own life). "I dont know whats worth fighting for Or why I have to scream But now I have some clarity To show you what I mean I dont know how I got this way Ill never be alright So Im Breaking the habit Breaking the habit Tonight " He finally sees the only way to tell the world how he feels is suicide. He says he'll never be alright after all... rest is repeated stuff. At this point the song reaches its climax and repeats the verse I discussed just above the last one. The song slowly fades away... like his life. Woh! Not fun! I was suicidal the first time I heard this so thats why I though that. Remeber tose who contemplate it suicide is not the answer, and when you realise that your life will get better, trust me.
- Tom, Saltsburgh, PA
Sounds exactly like cutting and trying to deal with it.
- Annabeth, Kutztown, PA
The first time I heard this song my brother though it was about somone addicted to drugs... i love all of linkin parks music
- Ghost, Winchester, MA
This song, helps me dwell and yet cope with my issue. And it gives me complete confidence that it will come to and end, and i'll break my habit.
- Kelsie, Milwaukie, OR
I don't know if this helps any, but I've been listening to Linkin Park since "Hybrid Theory" hit the shelves, and everytime I listen to each of their CDs, I relate to every song, so I hope my input is somewhat in relation to what you think it means. This is one of Linkin Park's many GREAT songs. My interpretation of this song is that it is talking about what alot of people go through. Alot of us have a side to us that we don't want anyone to know about (depression, suicidal tendencies, etc.)....and this song is saying that when in doubt, don't lock yourself away in your problems, but "break the habit" and do something that will bring out something good in yourself.
- Daniel, Hamlin, WV
This song is about loneliness, and wanting someone to be there...I know, I met Chester Bennington and he explained it in terms that I cannot even repeat...the words were beyond beautiful...and it is a great song, one of the greatest...but a little too mellow. This song was designed to give the LP name a little more of a soft side...the butterfly wings on the soldier for example...the bands soft side. hehe, his voice is soothing and melodic, proving he's not only a screamer...but a true singer, with a beautiful voice...so is Mike's. An amazing voice as well...It is an apology, but it is so cold...lonely, and apologetic...it means something to all of us...this work of art is successful, and it means something to those who pay attention. So the work of art communicated wonderfully. - Sara, Killeen, TX i hope this answers ur question little dude. rebecca-az (aka linkin park psycho)
Breaking The Habit is awesome, LP is great.
- David, Philadelphia, PA
The video is awesome, especially when you start to look past the anime. You see these lives unfold with real problems. The woman with marital issues, the girl not feeling too good about herself, and the guy involved with drugs... I this song to death.
- Mariah, Miami, FL
This has to be my all time favorite song. It means so much because when I listen to it-it's me. I just wish I could Break the Habit.
- Tiffany, Racine, WI
It's songs like this that help Linkin Park to excape the 'rap-rock' title that they hate so much, and shows variety in their creativity which makes them more appealing to more people. This song is less aggressive than most of their material, yet has such an energy to it that you can help but feel the song. This is one of Linkin Park's finer moments, and this song is very special to me. I relate to this most and find it lyrically inpsiring (it's not a song which complains about problems, it's a song which vows to "break the habit" and end the problems). The only thing more beautiful than this song is when they perform it live!
- Chester, Lincolnshire, England
This song is just beautiful. I remember when I first heard it I just felt like crying.
- Rin, Brick, NJ
I just saw the video and loved it, it was cool how they did it all anime sytle. And also when I first heard the song, I remember it really touched me cause it kinda reminded me of myself, like how people assume I'm just fine and dandy but deep down I'm a really troubled person...
- Joseph, LA, CA
I love how they made the video. It shows the meaning of the song without hurting anyone! Wow, I wonder if those people drew the Kill Bill vol. 1 secnes!?@ Samantha
- Samantha, Weslaco, TX
This is one of the 2 songs that I can play on the guitar. The other is "Adam's Song" by Blink-182. This song has a very sad story. It's very similar to Crawling. This song reminds me about my friend and her brother and it touches my heart to know that there is a band out there that writes a lot about a teenagers' stages and problems in life. One of the reasons why I love LP. It's good to have a band like LP. This is a great song.
- Gabe, Utica, NY
this song kicks ass and mr.han rules and my brother is now a d.j. like him
- MITCH, battle creek, MI
This song is so sad, though I sorta play it more than any onther song i know *some exceptions* This song helped my friends *no names mentioned* in ways I could never imagine. Thank you Mike, thank you!
- Blair, Baltimore, MD
I love the video for this!it reminds me when i used to watch pokemon.man,those were the days!
- Scott Baldwin, Edmonton, Canada
These lyrics have to do with the pain of addiction. to anything, drugs, self mutilation, alcohol. it sounds like its self mutilation.
- BRANDY, Galy, CA
This song is about self injury, and about trying to break out of the cycle, ie; breaking the habit of cutting yourself
- Cain, Tweed, Australia
This song is the most meaningful song from Meteora and my favourite because you can think a lot about it and still not draw many conclusions from it, it is a very sad song
- bernadette, Melbourne, Australia
This song is about feeling serious mental health problems forever feeling low and dissadvantaged,and you want to hurt yourself for it n hide away in ur room,like 'i dont know how i got this way i know its not alright' u hav become so depressed yet u cant understand why n u know it isnt ok,ur wondering wat went wrong and feeling the only way to get better is to attempt suicide,and no-one understands wat ur going through 'but now i have sum clarity to show u what i mean' this song really means something to me. - jenn -
- jen, manchester, England
The lyrics was written by Mike for his friend. It took him 6 years to write this song. The Song also features live strings composed by Beck's Father.
- Kim, Long Valley, NJ

Question of the day for you guys - What's your favorite performance of 'Breaking The Habit' live? Remember the performances such as Rock am Ring 2004, Live 8 2005, Webster Hall, etc. Perhaps you liked it when it was first webcasted at KROQ 2003. Maybe you liked the version on the grand piano on the Meteora World Tour in 2004. Personally, I'll have to go with the Rock am Ring 2004 performance, which is still my favorite performance of any Linkin Park track played live yet. Check that out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDY0zGofn6w.

http://lplive.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=340

Linkin Park: "Meteora" - Track-by-Track With Mike Shinoda

09 - "Breaking The Habit"
"Breaking The Habit" is a really interesting song. It will stand out to a lot of people as a different sound for us. It's very obviously Linkin Park but there are live strings and there is live piano. The guitar doesn't ever hit 11. Basically, the way the song started was as an interlude. It was going to be an instrumental track that was ten minutes long. The guys convinced me to turn it into a full song with verses and choruses and whatnot and add some lyrics. Well, five year ago or something I tried to write this other song that never came together. I had tried it 20 different times and it never worked because it was always cheesy or it was too dark or it was too melodramatic or something and I always ended up scrapping it. When I tried it out on this song and the lyrics were finished in two hour, I couldn't believe it. I mean, this is a song I had been trying to write for five years and it just came together in two hours. It was amazing. It finally came together and I'm really happy about that. I'm proud of that song in a lot of ways. I put a lot of work into it. From the beat, to the strings, to the piano, to the vocals, I put a lot of work in and the guys were really supportive. I had a lot if great suggestions and helpful criticism and that's why the song came out really well for me. It's easy for me to say that I love the song because I wrote so much of it. I just think it's a really powerful song. Chester's performance on it is one of his best.

Lyrically, it's kind of just about getting away from the parts of you that you do not like. It goes into great deal about that type of situation. The things about our lyrics in general is that we spend so much time on them that there is no way I can tell you in conversation any better than the actual lyrics. If I sit here and think up something, that's an off-the-top-of-my-head summary of what those lyrics are about whereas those lyrics took five years to do. So those lyrics are the most accurate depiction of what that's about, not what I can tell you.