Shinedown: Second Chance Meaning

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Second Chance Lyrics

My eyes are open wide, by the way
I made it through the day.
I watch the world outside, by the way
I'm leaving out today.
I just saw Hailey's Comet she waved
Said, "why are you always running in place?
Even the man in the moon...

1. 1TOP RATED

   Spicylollipop

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   Feb 19th 2009, 02:40 report

   
   

   When I heard this song, I honestly thought this song was really meant for the men and women in the militart.
   In every stanza, I could make a connection to something my fiancee in the Army has said about his life and to everything I think he must feel.
   
   Now I know that this song was written to be about moving away from your parents and starting your own life, but this is what this song means to me.
   
   "My eyes are open wide
   By the way I made it through the day
   I watch the world outside
   By the way I'm leaving out today"
   He once told me that on the eve of the day he has to ship out, he can't believe the way he spent his last day, that he usually thinks of a million other ways he could have spent it.
   "Well I just saw Hayley's comet, she waved
   Said "why you always running in place?
   Even the man in the moon disappeared
   Somewhere in the stratosphere"
   When I hear this particular part, I think about the way our lives are now and how compared to all of our non-military friends, I feel we are standing still. Everything we do has to work around the military and his duties as a soldier.
   "Tell my mother, tell my father
   I've done the best I can
   To make them realize
   This is my life
   I hope they understand
   I'm not angry, I'm just saying
   Sometimes goodbye is a second chance?"
   His parents still haven't gotten used to the fact that he has to be thousands of miles away and that I'm just as important to him as they are. My parents aren't happy that I relocated with him. Obviously our families are the most important things in our lives, but now he is my family. In order to start our lives with each other, we have to to say goodbye to our lives with them as they were before.
   "Please don't cry one tear for me
   I'm not afraid of what I have to say
   This is my one and only voice
   So listen close, it's only for today"
   To me this is one of the most beautiful parts of the song.
   When I'm sad before he leaves, he tells me not to cry that we aren't going to have to live like this forever, but for now, this is something that he needs to do. That there's people who need his help as much as I need him, but that we have our whole future to look forward to.

   
   
   
   

2.  

   anonymous

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   Nov 7th 2012, 21:21 report

   
   

   nopeNOPEnope; while I agree partly with your idea, that was not Halleys Comet, it was Comet Hale Bop.

   
   
   
   

3.  

   stacilynfortin

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   Jul 10th 2012, 03:40 report

   
   

   This was one of my daughters favorite songs. I believe to her and myself it means she is contemplating suicide. And that she wanted me to know that tried her hardest and the best she could to not hurt inside anymore. She felt overwhelmed and felt like she was running in place. All she wanted was me sober. She got to see me sober for two months before she passed. I truly believe that was her purpose in life. And her saying goodbye to me gave me a second chance to do things right to keep her memory alive. She was the type of person who would do anything to help people yet she felt so alone. I will make her proud. Shall is my strength and reason for living the life she wanted me to.

   
   
   
   

4.  

   anonymous

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   Apr 10th 2011, 13:22 report

   
   

   @nornan12.... completely agree with you on your interpretation. I 'd just like to add two other phrases that clearly refer to suicide:
   Please don't cry one tear for me...
   meaning it didn' t happen by chance, it was his decision and responsibility and it was what he considered the best thing to be done.
   This is my one and only voice, so listen close, it is only for today...
   meaning his voice will never be heard anymore after his death and that day was the last chance for it to be humanly heard.

   
   
   
   

5.  

   nopeNOPEnope

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   Apr 9th 2011, 16:37 report

   
   

   I thought it was about the mass suicide years back when Hayley's comet came through. I think it was by San Diego, they were all wearing black and laying on bunk beds.
   Regardless, I love them and they ROCK!!!
   However, I relate to closely to some of the lyrics and I'm suicidal so I have to be careful when listening to them. Some of you will understand what I mean.

   
   
   
   

6.  

   Nornan12

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   Mar 28th 2011, 06:22 report

   
   

   I'm probably pretty far off on the meaning of the song, but these are just my thoughts on the first time I heard it.
   
   I think the song is about an overly stressed person that begins considering suicide and finally announces that s/he will go through with it.
   
   "My eyes are open wide, by the way
   I made it through the day."
   -The narrator is saying that the fact that they lived through yesterday is such a big deal that it needs to be acknowledged
   
   "To make them realize this is my life
   I hope they understand"-The narrator says that he will commit suicide and no one can do anything about it and that they should not be sad.
   
   
   "I watch the world outside, by the way
   I'm leaving out today."-The narrator now admits to considering suicide.
   
   "I just saw Hailey's Comet she waved
   Said, "why are you always running in place?"-the narrator begins thinking of everything in their life and "Why you always running in place?" is them basically saying that their life is "going nowhere."
   
   "Even the man in the moon disappeared
   somewhere in the stratosphere."-I feel that this is actually either dead-on correct or really far off, so let's find out. I think that "the man in the moon" is supposed to be the narrator's God and that they have even lost interest in their religion.
   
   "Tell my mother, tell my father
   I've done the best I can"-"mother and father" is a substitute for the narrator's friends and family and he is explaining why he should kill himself.
   
   "Sometimes goodbye is a second chance."-The author states that suicide is a chance for him to have happiness once again.

   
   
   
   

7.  

   anonymous

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   Feb 22nd 2011, 20:33 report

   
   

   when they say"tell my mother tell my father i've done the i can to make them realize this is my life i hope they understand i'm not angry" it's about a kid wanting to acomplish their dreams but their parents say 'no' the kid runs away to fofil thier dreams. the kid isn't angry but wants to make thier own fate
   
   and when it says "sometimes good-bye is a second chance" the kid is saying that they're leavingand the parents are giving it a second chance to think about the kids dream.

   
   
   
   

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   anonymous

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   Jun 3rd 2009, 17:37 report

   
   

   The song is about finding yourself and not what people want you to be

   
   
   
   

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   brianrosen

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   May 4th 2009, 01:39 report

   
   

   This song really gets to me because I feel like there are many parallels in my life. Lead singer Brent Smith said: "It's important for you to hear this.. when I grew up, everyone was ok with being in a bubble. They were cool in their circle. That's fine. But no one should discourage someone if they have a dream, if they want something more [...] This song was difficult for me to write the lyrics to because it's about my mother and my father, and about the day I said goodbye to them, because I had to go try, and I'm still trying every day, to become a man. So, this song is about that. It's about the moment that you wake up and you decide you want to go for every single dream you ever want."
   
   I think that it can have a multitude of meanings. There could be parallels make with dating and relationships where, after one person says goodbye, the relationship becomes stronger. I guess the song is kind of the idea of the latin phrase "succisa virescit," when cut down it grows back stronger. Once something is ended it can come back better or stronger than before. Even though it may be tough to keep hope, this song really helps me and I find comfort in its words.

   
   
   
   

10.  

    timmahtheturtle

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    Mar 29th 2009, 17:12 report

    
    

    It's about doing what you want in life meaning having to leave everyone behind to get there.

    
    
    
    

11.  

    anonymous

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    Mar 22nd 2009, 01:53 report

    
    

    When i first heard this song i took it as a way of death. Saying he saw halleys comet, the man in the moon so forth. To me it was a saying of irregardless of the things you did with your life let your loved ones know that you lived it to the fullest. Whether you made good decisions or bad ones. So not to cry for you but be happy that you life was what you wanted of it

    
    
    
    

12.  

    mike2k29

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    Mar 4th 2009, 11:47 report

    
    

    It's about being in a situation or just you're life in general how when you say good bye it's a second chance at everything