Linkin Park: Mike Shinoda explains why "Lost" was dropped from 'Meteora'

Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park explained why the recently released unreleased track, " Lost ," was left off the album Meteora (2003), the band's second album.

In an interview with Audacy , the singer revealed: “It was very close to being on the album…At a certain point, you divide the tracks into a kind of order, like, these are the best ones. And 'Lost' was on the other side. And the only reason it didn't make it onto the album was because it had the same intensity as 'Numb'.”

The music, discovered through old archives, also underwent no alterations in its production. “The philosophy was – don’t mess with it. Present it the way it would initially be presented. If you don’t need to mix it, don’t mix it. So we followed that.”

Furthermore, Shinoda explained the meaning behind the lyrics of "Lost." The verses speak of pain and a confusing feeling of trying to hide it internally.

"If I remember correctly, the inspiration for it was the memories we cling to when we look back, and the immersion in that nostalgia with good or bad feelings. In the case of this song, I think there was a lot of not-so-good stuff. It's a mix because there's also good stuff. Things aren't black and white. That's what I like about the lyrics."

In a social media post , Mike said: “Finding 'Lost' was like finding a favorite photo you’d forgotten you’d taken, as if it had been waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.”

On April 7th, Linkin Park will release a special box set of the album Meteora (2003), featuring previously unreleased tracks, in order to celebrate the project's 20th anniversary.

Vocalist Mike Shinoda, in an interview with Audacy , commented on the band's future after the re-release of Meteora : “With this very impactful release, I don't think there's much to say about possibilities. We're not touring right now. The rest is up to the fans' imagination, where I know their minds can go, whether we can do this or that. I think the answer to a lot of that is yes.”

Check out the full translation of “Lost” below and the English version on the AZLyrics :

Just a scar somewhere inside me
Something I can't fix
Even though it's always there
I pretend it's not there (that's how I feel)
I'm stuck in yesterday (Just a memory)
Where pain is all I know (That's all I know)

And I'll never break free (I can't break free)
Because when I'm alone

I'm lost in these memories,
living behind my own illusion.
I've lost all my dignity,
living within my own confusion.

But I'm tired, I'll always be afraid
Of the damage I received
Broken promises they made
And how blindly I believed (That's all I know)

And I'll never break free (I can't break free)
Because when I'm alone

I'm lost in these memories,
living behind my own illusion.
I've lost all my dignity,
living within my own confusion.

I try to keep this pain inside

, but I'll never be okay.
I try to keep this pain inside, but I'll never be okay.

I try to keep this pain inside me (I'm lost) , but I'll never be okay.
I try to keep this pain inside me (I'm lost).

I'm lost in these memories,
living behind my own illusion.
I've lost all my dignity,
living within my own confusion.

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