Pushing Me Away

Album: Hybrid Theory (2000)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song is about a guy who only feels pain when he is with a girl who he used to love. He still loves her but something has happened that causes him pain when he is with her. In the Live In Texas version it says, "When I look into your eyes there's nothing left to see, nothing but my own mistakes staring back at me." This refers to how he can only see how much pain he has inflicted on someone he loves when he looks at her. He can't stand that feeling anymore. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Hillary - fort worth, TX
  • In the remix of this song ("P5hng Me Aw*y"), he says, "When I look into your eyes, there's nothing there to see. Nothing but my own mistakes, staring back at me." This says he made a big mistake being with her. In her eyes he sees his reflection, but it's him as a miserable person. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Ryan - pembroke pines, FL
  • This is the closing track from Linkin Park's debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was the best-selling album of 2001 in America. They were the first rock act to top the year-end sales chart since Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill was the best-selling title of 1996.
  • According Linkin Park rapper Mike Shinoda, they were so pleased with the way the single "Crawling" came out, they wanted to write another melodic song, which ended up being "Pushing Me Away."
  • The band performs an a cappella/acoustic version in their live sets.
  • Shinoda didn't like the line, "Why I played myself this way," because he thought it was something [vocalist] Chester Bennington would never say in real life. But, he told Kerrang in 2020, he understood Bennington was trying to incorporate a bit of hip-hop vernacular into an otherwise rap-free song. "It's smart in the sense that he's trying to glue the hip-hop component of the band into the lyrics, I just felt like it was a little disingenuous."
  • Shinoda and guitarist Brad Delson are big Depeche Mode fans and envisioned this tune as a "Depeche Mode rock song," which influenced the keyboard hooks and guitar harmonics.

Comments: 11

  • Luna Loud from Royal Woods, MichiganThe remix of Pushing Me Away on Reanimation features Steven Richards of the band Taproot. They're from Michigan and underrated.
  • Zero from Nowhere, NjI can relate to it in the same way, only for it's a relationship with an ex-Best friend. For a while he still wanted to hang out but I couldn't stand being with him because of all the bad memories that resurfaced when I was around him. I know it's kind of unconventional, but that's how I relate.
  • Azalea from Hot Springs, ArIn my perspective, this song is about a person who, even though they love the person, cant stand to be with them because they remind them of so much that had gone wrong with them. This song really reminds me of my relationship with my ex boyfriend. He still loves and cares for me as I do him, but it hurts him to be with me and it hurts me to be with him after what happened.
  • Nick from Landisburg, PaJanet is spot-on with this one.
  • Elmer from Zamboanga, Philippinescn any1 tell me abt the whole lyf of chester???wikipedia doesnt xplain all
  • Janet from Orlando, FlI think the song would be about someone living with someone and that person soon is discoverd for wat they really are like the begining when it say's"Why I never walked away",witch must mean that he should of walked away from her that she was a mistake to begin with.>.< My opinoin
  • Briana from Greensboro , NcThis song is calming. Just the beat of it all is very soothing =]
  • Matt from Duluth, MnIn the remix ("P5hng Me Aw*y"), one of the verses is actually played in reverse
  • Chelsea from Cape TownI love the song, and the intro, is soo cool, I don't know why but it calms you down if you're feeling bad
  • Angie from Natchitoches, Lai really LOVE this song. it says everything that i want to say about my relationship. i love my boyfriend, but i think it has come to level ground with no change. samething over and over.
  • Dee from Philadelphia, Pawell i like the lyrics, and it reminds me of my relationship with my boyfriend to the tee. I think this band is coming along way,
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