MRO1989 May 17th, 2007 03:02PM  

It's hard to understand this song exactly. But it seems like he doesn't want to let someone go, but he knows he has to, in order to move on with his life.

anonymous October 22nd, 2007 03:39PM  

The part about the flowers on the window makes me think the song is about someone who is sick, perhaps in the hospital, maybe sick with depression, or maybe a physical illness. I think the song is just saying that sometimes it's too hard to continue to fight, and sometimes death is the only solution.

anonymous January 17th, 2008 09:34PM  

Watching the video, "Shadow of the Day" encompasses a war theme. However, having said this, it doesn't appear to be a traditional war and is more or less a civil war/demonstration (continuous). I'm reminded of the old political issues in N. Ireland, and perhaps this is more or less the catalyst for the video. The beginning of the video appears to be key here. Channel surfing, all that is on is the riot...perhaps a daily event somewhere...and he's offering a way of life that we hope does not come to N. America.

anonymous January 23rd, 2008 06:55PM  

Symbolically speaking, the allusion to night generally represents death or loss. However, night is essential to sustain life. To humans, for example, we use it as a period of rest. Perhaps LP is suggesting that your trials won't last forever and you will be able to rest someday. Then again, maybe they're suggesting someday you'll die and it won't matter anyway. I don't know. I just know that the verse "Sometimes solutions aren't so simple, Sometimes goodbye's the only way" speaks to me right now...as painful as it is. I'll choose to look at this song optimistically.

anonymous January 30th, 2008 06:31PM  

The writer could be speaking of his spouse, girlfriend, friend or family member(let's say the person is his wife). I imagine she is very ill, nearing the end of her life. He has held on to the hope that she will recover but ultimately realizes he must let her go(the solution). The decision is his only, so he "closes/locks the window" on the rest of the world's opinions. With the "window" being shut and locked, "the world" must leave their thoughts "on the window"(as opposed to INSIDE the window). To make the right decision, he must block out the thoughts and feelings of everyone else. He closes the blinds to shield the sun(life) from her so that she may finally rest in peace. Once the "sun has set" she will no longer feel pain, and he will no longer have to hold on to his hopelessness. This new beginning(for both of them) is not simple, BUT it's the only way.

anonymous February 13th, 2008 03:02PM  

I think it is about having to leave someone you thought you loved behind (husband, wife, gf, bf, etc) and how this bad time in your life will be over and a new, better day is on the horizon. How you can feel so alone but know that in the end it is for the better. It sounds like a depressing sone but IMO it is a positive song and I can relate to a 't' to this song.

It is about new beginnings..

love it...

anonymous March 16th, 2008 02:25AM  

Upon viewing Chester's interview of this song, it was written with the intent of describing the many feelings of "losing" someone close. The video takes somewhat of a different approach and illustrates a war-torn America where Chester wakes up and "prepares himself" to go outside into the chaos. Although there really doesn't appear to be a hard fast link to the song's true meaning, one can identify with many loose symbolisms as they relate to various scenes of chaos/destruction/finality within the video (feelings associated to a personal loss).

anonymous March 18th, 2008 05:26AM  

I believe that this song has nothing to do about death, suicide, etc. But this song has to do about looking on the brighter side. "The Shadow of the Day", the shadow, obviously meaning darkness is cast upon today because of the light of tomorrow. Get what I mean? Therefore, every time I hear this song, I image a phoenix. (No, not the bassist...haha) A phoenix burns to ashes, but again rises from those ashes to fly again.

anonymous April 25th, 2008 10:07PM  

Call me crazy, but it almost sounds like his wife or girlfriend is in the hospital dying after giving birth. Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple. Sounds like a difficult episode of childbirth. Pink cards and flowers on your window, friends begging you to stay. Congrats on the new baby and get well cards? It sounds like he's comforting his dying wife after she gave birth to his child.

anonymous August 4th, 2008 05:16PM  

I do agree with what anonymus has said (I’ll quote it as there are several anonymuses: ‘The writer could be speaking of his spouse, girlfriend, friend or family member(let's say the person is his wife). I imagine she is very ill, nearing the end of her life. He has held on to the hope that she will recover but ultimately realizes he must let her go(the solution). The decision is his only, so he "closes/locks the window" on the rest of the world's opinions. With the "window" being shut and locked, "the world" must leave their thoughts "on the window"(as opposed to INSIDE the window). To make the right decision, he must block out the thoughts and feelings of everyone else. He closes the blinds to shield the sun(life) from her so that she may finally rest in peace. Once the "sun has set" she will no longer feel pain, and he will no longer have to hold on to his hopelessness. This new beginning(for both of them) is not simple, BUT it's the only way.’

The next argument to support this view is ‘And the shadow of the day, Will embrace the world in grey’ – people will be sad and mourning after this person but, as it’s the only sensible option, it will relieve person’s suffer and ‘the sun will set for his/her’.

anonymous October 16th, 2008 08:27PM  

The song is about a failed attempt at suicide. lead singer chester bennington even admitted that it's difficult to play the song in a concert w/o breaking in tears. The first verse is about his attempt, he locks the doors and windows and shuts himself off. The line "Sometimes solutions aren’t so simple. Sometimes goodbye’s the only way." shows how he was at the end of his rope and decided to end it. The second verse is his stay at the hospital. "In cards and flowers on your window, Your friends all plead for you to stay" shows the fact that his friends surround him hoping that he will pull through. The chorus coul be talking about reaching a conclusion you think is right(the sun setting) only to have the problems of the life take away the blacks and whites and leave the world a murky grey.

reqium1 February 23rd, 2009 12:42AM  

To me this song seems to be about losing someone...death suicide or just leaving...."I close both locks..sometimes solutions aren't so simple sometimes goodbyes the only way." To me It seems he is finally getting over it like he is ready to move on with his life..."The sun will set for you(2X) and the shadow of the day will embrace the world in gray" as if they are going or dead and that it takes its toll on the world and every1 that person knew ...."Cards and flowers on your window, friends all plead for you to stay" they don't want it to be true/people mourning not wanting them to be dead..."Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple, sometimes goodbyes the only way" again its starting a new life with them gone....sorry if you think I did a bad job that's just what my opinion of what it means is sorry <3

kingpin March 12th, 2009 07:25PM  

The album is called minutes to midnight this refers to the doomday clock. The doomsday clock was created in 1945 to show what threat the planet was in from war, nuclear threats, pollution etc. In 2007 we were 5 minutes to midnight, meaning close to destrution,( midnight being total WIPEOUT). Anyway this song shadow of the day is about that the breakdown of society, the end basically. If you dont believe me google 5 to midnight and read for yourselves. Smashing Pumpkins did a song on the same theme.

petertan2 May 2nd, 2009 10:53AM  

From the Title, "shadow of the day" already hints at something ending, perhaps closing a chapter of one's life. This becomes evident as "your friends all plead for you to stay." Obviously the protagonist has outstayed his welcome. The protagonist wishes those who are left behind an appropriate closure, as "The sun will set for you."

anonymous June 28th, 2009 12:17AM  

I think this song is about a person who wants to quit, but people r pushing the person forward.(like the person is sick, either mentally or physically)like life isn't simple and its best to just quit(or it feels that way)


i think the sentance "the shadow of the day will embrace the world in grey and the sun will set for you." is about someone dying.

the grey as in death, like dust, you die turn to dust and it embraces the world.
the sun setting as in you dieing,you die but leave behind your memories.
the shadow of the day I believe is the memories uleft behind.

thats about it......

lol if its bad




The song has a very melancholy tone. Chester Bennington has the only vocal part on this, and he sings about how "the shadow of the day will embrace the world in grey and the sun will set for you." This is where he is talking about how eventually, everything ends. To dust you shall return (that's where the world is embraced in grey; death is here and you're going back to being the dust of the earth). The sun sets, the day is over - your life is done. The shadow of the day refers to what happens when a person dies - only their memory is left. Their memory is the shadow of their life. Shadow of the day.

anonymous July 12th, 2009 08:20PM  

I think this song is about leaving, but not about leaving one person- leaving in general. About starting over, and needing to do that somewhere else.

"I close both locks below the window
I close both blinds and turn away"

Refers to being in a place, and making sure everything is kept nice and taking one last look around before walking away.

"Sometimes solutions aren't so simple
Sometimes good bye's the only way"

May be referring to having thought there was a solution to the problem he/she needs to get away from, but having realized, that solutions aren't always easy, or don't always work the way you think they do.

"And the sun will set for you
The sun will set for you

And the shadow of the day
Will embrace the world in grey

And the sun will set for you"

May or may not refer to a person or problem. As in, the sun will set the person leaving is saying this because they're trying to explain that eventually things will be at ease.

"In cards and flowers on your window
Your friends all plead for you to stay"

Meaning that, his/her friends are asking him/her, to stay, in letters flowers, meaning, his/her friends are trying to tell him things will eventually work out if he/she stays in one place.

"Sometimes beginnings aren't so simple
Sometimes good bye's the only way"

Referring to having to start over, due to whatever conflict life has thrown this person, and he/she is saying that the only way to start again is say goodbye to this life, and begin again elsewhere.

anonymous July 19th, 2009 10:12PM  

I think this song is about Suicide and how he tries to comfort his friends.

anonymous July 19th, 2009 10:12PM  

I think this song is about Suicide and how he tries to comfort his friends.

anonymous August 15th, 2009 12:35PM  

My interpretation of this song is what it is like to go through depression and actually attempt to end your life. if you lock your windows and close your blinds it is sounding like you have shut yourself off from the world. the cards and flowers on the window indicate the actual attempt but you are now hospitalized as people close to you don't want you to leave. i write this from friends who have attempted to end their life.

anonymous October 26th, 2009 11:33PM  

This song is about someone who loves someone else, but for some reason their relationship is falling apart at the seams. He knows the only way to solve things is to leave. People (the girl) plead for him to stay, but he is firm in his decision. The sun setting for this person is her disappointment that he left her, her sadness. I don't know, maybe I'm completely wrong, but that's what I think.