What does Shadow of the Day mean?

Linkin Park: Shadow of the Day Meaning

Album cover for Shadow of the Day album cover

Song Released: 2007


Shadow of the Day Lyrics

I close both locks below the window.
I close both blinds and turn away.
Sometimes solutions aren’t so simple.
Sometimes goodbye’s the only way.

And the sun will set for you,
The sun will set for you.
And the shadow of the day,
Will...

  1. anonymous
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    Jun 28th 2009 !⃝

    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.

  2. petertan2
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    May 2nd 2009 !⃝

    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."

  3. kingpin
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    Mar 12th 2009 !⃝

    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.

  4. reqium1
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    Feb 23rd 2009 !⃝

    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

  5. anonymous
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    Aug 4th 2008 !⃝

    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’.

  6. anonymous
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    Apr 25th 2008 !⃝

    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.

  7. anonymous
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    Apr 24th 2008 !⃝

    Maybe this song is about Someone about to commit suicide
    "Sometimes solutions aren't so simple,
    Sometimes 'goodbye's the only way"

  8. anonymous
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    Mar 18th 2008 !⃝

    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.

  9. anonymous
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    Mar 16th 2008 !⃝

    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).

  10. anonymous
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    Feb 23rd 2008 !⃝

    I think this song is about a guy who was in love with a girl, he told her how he felt but she didn't think much of it and ignored him. It killed him so much inside that he committed suicide, leaving the girl flowers and a note to tell her what he was doing, and why. I think what he wrote on the note is basically the lyrics of the song.

    With this as my interpretation for the song, I think that 'what I've done' can sort of link up to my theory as well.
    But that's just my interpretation :]

  11. anonymous
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    Jan 29th 2008 !⃝

    I really don't think it has a defined meaning, It can mean many things to each person, and the video is just one interpretation that shouldn't be used as a guide. I can just say that for everyone it involves death

  12. anonymous
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    Jan 23rd 2008 !⃝

    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.

  13. anonymous
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    Jan 17th 2008 !⃝

    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.

  14. anonymous
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    Jan 3rd 2008 !⃝

    I think that this song is about life in the sense that there will be good times and bad times and that we will just have to make the most of what we have

  15. anonymous
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    Dec 7th 2007 !⃝

    It's about someone dying or dead

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway



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