We Are Shadows

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a disorienting picture of transition, questioning whether the current state is heavenly or hellish. There's a sense of cosmic indifference, with "coins are dropping down the beastly wishing well," suggesting a futile or corrupt system. The narrator observes a profound shift, a departure from the familiar, marked by a stark, almost violent illumination: "In the darkness lightning strikes and paints you pretty blue." The core tension lies in the contrast between the narrator's perceived state and that of a "baby" addressed later. The narrator identifies with "shadows on the wall," ephemeral beings in a "cosmic shopping mall," experiencing a cathartic release in screaming as "sewage drain[s] away." This suggests a process of purging and renewal, where "everything begins again today." The "baby," however, is "on the brink," implying a precarious, perhaps unwilling, position separate from this transformative cycle. The most striking imagery is the "shadow is turning white" in the "withering morning light." This paradoxical visual suggests a loss of substance or identity, a fading into nothingness or perhaps a transformation into something ethereal. It contrasts sharply with the "pretty blue" lightning, hinting at a fleeting moment of intense, albeit artificial, vibrancy before this dissolution. The repeated refrain of being "shadows" emphasizes a collective, almost anonymous existence, detached from individual agency. These lyrics resonate because they capture a feeling of being caught in immense, impersonal forces. The "cosmic shopping mall" metaphor grounds the abstract concept of existence in a relatable, albeit absurd, modern setting. The idea of screaming to "feel the sewage drain away" offers a visceral, cathartic image of release, making the overwhelming sense of transition feel almost cleansing, even as the "shadows" fade.