Guilty all the same is okay... I really just don't care for the song structure. Anytime I listen to it, it's awesome. But when I think about it.. I don't really want to put it on. The lyrics themselves, they're definitely "one" of the best written lyrics on the album.
I don't get this. They fit the overall theme of the song(AKA Rakim's verse) and they aren't honestly that bad. Sometimes it feels like people on this side are WAY to critical with the lyrics when it comes to LP songs. Don't get me wrong I would love if they could write songs as beautiful as BITS all the time but that is probably setting the bar pretty high.
What do you mean? It's clear GATS is about how labels want bands to put out certain types of songs. As for Wretches and Kings, it's about overthrowing the oppressing establishment, and in Meeting of a Thousand Suns they used that song exclusively while talking about the label trying to force them to write a certain way.
LP used to write songs with particular meanings associated them. As Mike Shinoda said in one interview, they were making one of the songs on Meteora and one of the band members had expressed what they thought the song meant, Mike then corrected them. After that, that member said that it takes a bit away from the song knowing it's meaning was not what he had contemplated. Mike went on to say that from that point on LP make songs so that people can interpret them however they like. He even explicitly said that music is an art, and just like fine art it has many interpretations that are associated with consumers of that art. So my point is GATS could be interpreted in many ways. It could tell the story of a monkey called Bubbles whose banana was stolen by one of the other monkeys, though the other monkeys justify it by saying that Bubbles bullies everyone and so he is 'guilty all the same' when it comes to such actions. Or it could be about a dictator who promotes peace and democracy yet funds terrorist organisations in certain countries.
While it's a nice sentiment, and many LP songs are written in a way that makes it open to interpretation, I'm going to have to disagree that GATS is one of them. Rakim's part says it all: Anything if it's more to gain Drained, manipulated like artists, it's real deep Until no more remains, but I'm still me Like authentic hip-hop and rock, 'Til pop and radio and record companies killed me Try to force me to stray and obey I agree that taking Rakim's part out does make the song more open to other meanings, but that would be cherry picking.
And they still do, it's just that they don't make always those meanings known. In any case, the overall sentiment is always pretty clear
That's true, but how many people listening to UIG thought it was about parents letting their children grow up and face the world rather than being about a broken relationship or losing a loved one? I thought the two latter meanings were more obvious. LP described that as being what they were going for with that song, and imo it adds a bit to the song because despite it's flaws it is still conveying a purposeful message not expressed in many songs by well known artists like LP.
It's their best first single since Hybrid Theory The Catalyst was a great first aine too but I think GATS is better xD
I totally agree, I love GATS. I'm suprised more people don't like it, its for sure a top 3 song on THP for me.
I remeber the first time I heard guilty all the same I swear my whole body start to burn ( if we could say that) I mean it was awesome that's all I can say
Hey this thread again. Peeps be too over-analytical about this song. It's long, it's loud, it's fun as fuck.
Very very true. I do think GATS is underrated, it still gives me a bunch of energy. I can appreciate Rakim, but he's no Shinoda to me (not to mention I can understand Mike better) but Rakim's rap really is like the vocal equivalent of a guitar solo(said by Mike). I still love the melody, and the guitar riffs are probably still one of my favorites off THP, as well as the drums But I think there wasn't enough promotion for this song, and the lack of a music video, which may be why it's underrated. (if I get a better animation program i'll make my own GATS video)
I love the buildup of the song in the beginning. I think it's a pretty solid track. I like Rakim's addition to the song even though I didn't when I first heard it. Would have preferred a verse by Mike, but Rakim still has a good input to the song.
I think "Guilty All the Same" is my favorite track off of this record. I think I sympathize with what some others have said, where the song got better after falling into the context of the rest of the album. Normally, I am quick to criticize the lyrics of the band - and for certain, Chester's portion of the song is very simple and very angsty. I can't really argue that - but at the same time, I'm kind of okay with it. I really just like how the song's riffs change multiple times, and how both guitar parts change and take different roles at different parts of the song. Those small things that otherwise go unnoticed make the song very interesting to me. I really like how Chester's voice sounds in this song. I don't know what it is, but it has some grit that you don't really hear in other songs. Obviously, the highlight of the track is Rakim's verse. However, what I like about that part of the song is not necessarily just his verse. I think the backing guitar and drums are just...awesome. I don't know what it is...it just sounds heavy. It gets darker at that moment - everything about it. And I genuinely like how the song picks up the pace as it reaches the end and really climaxes with Brad's guitar solo. And in the context of the album, it really shifts the pace. After "Keys to the Kingdom" and "All For Nothing," this song slows things down a bit and sounds a bit more driving without having to be so fast. It's not fast and fleeting like the other tracks - it lasts and keeps you interested. I also really appreciate how well it fits in where it sits - especially in that it precedes "The Summoning" and "War," the latter of which is perhaps my third favorite track on the album. I don't know - I do agree it is underrated. But it's more than just that - I think it's a genuinely good song. That is my opinion, though.