Somehow, quite a lot of people like to hate on Limp Bizkit. I, for some reason never really understood why. They had produced some really good songs in their time.
‘Take a look around’ was one song by the band which I really liked listening to. It was also the theme song for Mission Impossible 2. Their song being chosen for the Tom Cruise’s classic put them at the forefront of the rock world.
Rap rock wasn’t all that popular when the band was starting out and approaching record labels. People were obsessed with pop idols like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera who were enjoying all the attention.
Their songs related especially with underdogs in schools and colleges whom no one cared about. They probably had acceptance problems too, while trying to make it big in the industry. The song is based on what the band had to say about the negative reception they received.
Song Meaning
The song talks about the general state of the world which is mostly negative in their opinion. There is enough tension and hate in this world.
Things can be good or bad but the circumstances and times keep changing. So, one should live their life how they have always wanted.
The band received a lot of criticism for their music starting out but over a period of time they gained a huge following, which left the industry officials dumbstruck.
In fact, Limp Bizkit became influential for spreading nu metal across the world.
The song talks about life in general. How it just flows by and that you have to stay on top of things.
In a way, it is questioning the meaning of life, what it is all about and how everything happens for a reason. In the end, life is a lesson which one learns when one is through.
Fred Durst is confronting and clapping back at those who hate them. Its about knowing that someone hates you because all they have experienced is hate from other people as well.
It is about not taking someone’s disdain for you seriously because the world is filled with hate anyway.
I know why you wanna hate me
‘Cause hate is all the world has even seen lately
Tom Cruise couldn’t appear in the video, so Fred who directed the video made it look like there was some sort of espionage at the diner. The video contains a few brief shots taken from Mission: Impossible 2.
Durst didn’t like the video he created and the band decided to release it in markets outside the US, particularly in Europe.
