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Shadows Lyrics

My window opens on your heart
Yet shadows divide our worlds with loss
The light setting, in the corner of my room
Isn't enough, but is it for you?
A melody that trails and falls, yet never fully blooms
Plays like an old song
That's just out of tune

Why can't you just break free?
Is it the heat dreams, that fevers brought you?

These old shadows (they're just shadows)
They turn me like a screw
And dance the dance of Dante, entreating you

They're just shadows (these old shadows)
Won't let me get close to you
I'm walking a ghost, through the Garden of Eden's ruins
(I'm tryna get through to you)

The light setting, in the corner of my room
Plays like an old song that's just out of tune
A melody that trails and falls yet never fully blooms
Is it enough? well is it for you?

Why won't you just take me?
Is it the bee's sting that honey haunts you?
Is it the sweet things you fear--you'll lose
If I get near, to you?
Before we're through…

These old shadows (These old shadows)
Parade you like a fool, you're living in dust
While a ghost hangs coats on you

These old shadows (They're just shadows)
Crotcheted and trembling, nude
I'm walking a ghost but I wanna walk next to you
I wanna break through to you

The light setting in the corner of my room
Isn't enough, well is it for you?

The light setting, in the corner of your room
It's more than enough, for me and for you

For me and for you
Song Info
Submitted by
xtinofbig On Apr 11, 2017
1 Meaning

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Cover art for Shadows lyrics by Future Islands

Amazing song, I think it's the best one on the album. And this album is full of great songs.

There are some pretty obvious themes here, most notably how the past/regret casts its shadows on us.

In the song, "light" is hope/love and "shadows" are the past. The opening of the song lays this out pretty plainly:

"My window opens on your heart Yet shadows divide our worlds with loss The light setting, in the corner of my room Isn't enough, but is it for you?"

The question here is, can you leave your past behind and move towards the hope and promise of a new love/relationship?

Where I get hung up are on the biblical/literary references, like:

"And dance the dance of Dante, entreating you...

I'm walking a ghost, through the Garden of Eden's ruins..."

Not exactly sure how these lines connect to the bigger theme of the shadow of the past haunt us, but I'm going to give it some more thought.

My Interpretation
 
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