Robot Boy - theory behind the title

Discussion in 'Linkin Park Chat' started by Polychromatic, Oct 19, 2010.

  1. #41
    cloudscream

    cloudscream Static

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    No, I was not serious...
     
  2. #42
    MKH

    MKH Bat of Gotham LPA Super VIP

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    :lol:
     
  3. #43
    Metaphorica

    Metaphorica Banned

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    I think there is a real deep meaning behind the title, referring to the robotic like state of mind we put ourselves into when referring to whether people are wrong or right all the time, and the techno instrumental at the end is letting go and maturing.
    That's how I have always looked at it and I find it the most trippy song on the album.
     
  4. #44
    Jeff

    Jeff WORSHIP LPA Addicted VIP

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    Underoath is a perfect example of this actually.
     
  5. #45
    peterilo

    peterilo will we burn inside the fires of A THOUSAND SUNS?

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    The primary question to ask here should probably be “Why is this song called Robot Boy when there are no robots in it?” We’ll need to go through the whole song to accurately answer that. This song is actually pretty short, so let’s take it line-by-line.

    The song begins with the assertion by the speaker: “You say/You’re not gonna fight/‘Cause no one will fight for you“. Alright, so right off the bat, the speaker has asserted that the audience doesn’t want to “fight” because they believe that no one will do the same for them. If we really wanted to, we could make this a plot-driven analysis and pretend that this is an actual physical fight that we’re talking about, but that’s boring. So let’s assume that this “fight” is a psychological one, and the audience is refusing to engage in it because they think that no one will support them. So the audience is a loner… but how much of one?

    “And/You think/There’s not enough love/And no one to give it to.” This is pretty interesting, because here the speaker is describing something not that the audience has said, but something that they’re thinking. We can infer that since the speaker is speaking the thoughts of the audience, the speaker probably can relate and has some experience with that attitude themself. That inference is important throughout this song, so hold onto it for later. The audience has the belief that there’s either not enough love in the world or, more likely, inside of themself. However, that’s meaningless, because the audience has no one to give that love to anyway. Clearly, the audience hasn’t formed a strong bond or connection with anyone in their life.

    “And/You’re sure/You’ve hurt in a way/That no one will ever know“ Again, here the speaker is describing something not that the audience has said, but something that they’re feeling. But why is it that “no one will ever know”? Although the audience is hurting significantly, it’s pretty clear that they’re not planning to turn to anyone for support or to help them deal with these feelings. The specification “ever” indicates that the audience isn’t really intent or confident in ever forming a bond with anyone where they would share their pain with someone else.

    “You say/The weight of the world/Has kept you from letting go.” …Of what? This is certainly open to a bit of interpretation. Based on the contextual evidence in this song, it seems most likely to me that what the audience won’t let go of is themself and their emotions. The “weight of the world”–all the cruelty and bad and suffering and discrimination and so forth–is making the audience not want to open themself up to people and life and living. This notion is consistent with everything else we see in this song–that the audience believes no one will ever know their feelings, that there’s no one to give their love to, that no one will ever fight for them or care about them, and so forth.

    “And/You think/Compassion’s a fault/And you’ll never let it show.” Like displaying and sharing love, this is another emotion that the audience isn’t showing. However, the lyric specifies “show”, meaning that the audience probably does actually feel compassion, but keeps it bottled up inside. The audience is pretending to be emotionless and totally cold on the surface. Sort’ve like a robot. Hmmm…

    The reprise of “So/Hold on/The weight of the world/Will give you the strength to go” is the only part of the song where the speaker is asserting something themself, rather than relating the feelings or ideas of the audience. This reprise is encouragement by the speaker that things are going to change for the audience. This sounds like life experience–like wisdom–being passed on with certainty and without doubt. The last repeating of the reprise changes from an advising “So/Hold on” to a more pleading “Just/Hold On“. If the audience can just hold on, the speaker believes that things will change–but if they give up on life–that positive change is an impossibility.

    So Who’s The Robot Boy? Well, there’s only the speaker and the audience here, and it sure isn’t the speaker. Duh. The “Robot Boy” refers to the audience. “Robot Boy” is a fitting title for this person, who keeps themself bottled up inside, never sharing compassion or love, never showing their feelings, never forming bonds with anyone. The audience is more like a robot than a person, hence the titling of this song. Is there hope for the Robot Boy and people like him in the world…? The speaker seems to have been through the same disconnection and emotional isolation as Robot Boy, and seems adamant that things will be alright if Robot Boy can hold on. The speaker is entrusting their knowledge and experience to the Robot Boy to give them the strength and resolve to keep going with the assurance that things will get better. So is there hope for robots out there? Most definitely.
     
  6. #46
    iNuBBiN

    iNuBBiN Well-Known Member

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    Is it just me or did "Robot Boy" make sense to me the first time i heard it. I just think of someone who has given up and is just a hallow person who last there emotions because there is no hope left in a way. The Track name is perfect for the song
     
  7. #47
    Tweak

    Tweak Well-Known Member

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    Like Breaking the Habit is to Meteora, i feel Robot Boy is the same sort of idea. A band experiment. I think the next LP album could feature more songs like Robot Boy on it.

    Still not sure if that is a good or bad thing. I really like Robot Boy.
     
  8. #48
    MKH

    MKH Bat of Gotham LPA Super VIP

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    http://homeworktips.about.com/od/essaywriting/tp/2009contests.htm
     
  9. #49
    iNuBBiN

    iNuBBiN Well-Known Member

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    Robot Boy has grown on me a little but I really hope there isnt a bunch of songs like it on the next album.
     
  10. #50
    LinkinParkMaria

    LinkinParkMaria Damn....... I did that?!

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    One word- amazing :)
     
  11. #51
    LinkinParkMaria

    LinkinParkMaria Damn....... I did that?!

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    I guess it means like someone who cant protect themselves and they needs others to help them and LP is kinda saying that about some people, someone who is told what to do, someone who, as said in the song, has nothing left to lose because they don't feel it.
     

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