I think shadow of the day is a perfect example of LP's way of writing. They don't write specific things, and leave it up to the individual's own interpretation. They have never written a song that contains names, or any personally detailed words.
i see "shadow of the day" as being someone who's simply moving away from their friends and starting a new life somewhere else. and i reckon i'd like "in pieces" more if i didn't already know the story behind its lyrics. "what i've done", i think, is LP reflecting on what they used to be. as with a lot of their lyrics, they twist the wording to broaden the idea behind the lyrics and, in doing so, allow other people in completely different situations to relate. "leave out all the rest" is about coming to a realisation and a question; "what am i leaving when i'm done here? ..." and hoping you'll be [sorely] missed when you're gone. "hands held high", "no more sorrow" and "the little things give you away" all make attacks on the bush administration, albeit "hands held high" isn't so direct on that. all three of the songs put out different emotions and different ideas. "hands held high" is reflecting on the situation in iraq, i think; "the little things give you away" is, as mentioned, about the government's response to katrina. the chorus is haunting, i have to say. reading through this thread, "valentine's day" is very likely about missing someone recently deceased, it makes sense. "in between" is something of an apology letter. that's all i really can say about that.
I think In Between is about a guy apologizing to his wife after cheating on her, which I find really interesting. Shadow of the Day, imo, is a song about death. It's about a person dying while his friends pray for him to live.
Yeah I think so too. But there's something I don't get. How does these lines fit together: "i / i WON'T be the one be the one to leave this in pieces (and now the wierd part) and you / YOU WILL BE ALONE..." First he is saying that he won't be the one to leave this and then he is saying the she will be alone. What. The. Fuck. I realized today that it might be a little bit about his kids. "a black wind took you away". Suddenly there is no life around Chester. No kids. And he is feeling alone on the Valentine's Day.
I'm shocked you can't get this, because I do. While it might not be correct, here's my explanation or interpretation of the chorus. It's basically him saying that he's not going to be the one who's going to come out of the relationship feeling scathed and in pieces, but that she will be the one who will be alone wallowing in her own regret and self pity. Simplified it means: "I'm not going to allow this to bother me but I know/hope you'll feel like shit."
This is what it means, in my opinion at least: Hes saying that hes not the one who's stopped putting effort into the relationship, that hes not the one whos leaving it 'In Pieces.' She, on the other hand, doesn't care about it anymore, and he believes this will come back around and basically bite her on the ass. and thats where Dereks intepretation fits into mine: ""I'm not going to allow this to bother me but I know/hope you'll feel like shit."
i think the entire album has undertones of the methods of their writing process, which is no surprise. m2m has a "out with the old, in with the new" feel. "given up", "bleed it out", "what i've done" all have to do with doing away with the past and moving on to better things. "leave out all the rest" and "shadow of the day" both look forward to life's end and explores how chester/mike will be remembered. "hands held high", "no more sorrow" and "the little things give you away" seem to be trying to invoke change as well, but in a more direct, political manner. so basically LP changed drastically, and their lyrics highlight this and provoke more change.