Hrm...this is really a great song, but the lyrics are a bit of a conundrum. I'll take a stab at them...
The whole first stanza (in the song, before the repetition of shadowland) describes, to me, the experience of graduating from high school, and heading out on your own. Only it seems the narrator didn't go to college - "I was a tourist with no story, lost in this purgatory...the PTA won't bless me" - It sounds like he stayed at home, and noticed all the changes that began to take place - "I walked down those familiar streets, now filled with circus freaks". Conversely, it could be that after the narrator graduated from high school he came back to visit his home town, and was shocked at all the changes that took place. The similie at the end ("My plans are as useful as a baby's hand") stumps me. It seems to be ironic, but it's just not that great of a similie, or at least not good enough to convey its intended meaning.
The second stanza (in the song, after the first repetition of "shadowland") is a much more reminiscient and personal recollection of a relationship the narrator had with a girl during high school. There are a lot of things in here that seem to be symbolic of memories the narrator had. I don't want to analyze each line in depth, but overall the sense is one of desire to get back what you've lost.
The final stanza (at the very end of the song) seems to be an overview of some random things, but look at all of the items except the last: most of them are fads in health, or at least related to health. Perhaps the narrator had health problems all his life, and found solace in the comfort of his high school friend.
"Shadowland" symbolizes a dark place or time in the narrator's life ("I want to fload upon my memories, not sink into the gloaming [dark] seas of shadowland"). "Shadowland" seems chaotic, or at least, unplanned ("there's no plans in shadowland").
Overall a wonderful song, just don't try to analyze the lyrics ;)
Hrm...this is really a great song, but the lyrics are a bit of a conundrum. I'll take a stab at them...
The whole first stanza (in the song, before the repetition of shadowland) describes, to me, the experience of graduating from high school, and heading out on your own. Only it seems the narrator didn't go to college - "I was a tourist with no story, lost in this purgatory...the PTA won't bless me" - It sounds like he stayed at home, and noticed all the changes that began to take place - "I walked down those familiar streets, now filled with circus freaks". Conversely, it could be that after the narrator graduated from high school he came back to visit his home town, and was shocked at all the changes that took place. The similie at the end ("My plans are as useful as a baby's hand") stumps me. It seems to be ironic, but it's just not that great of a similie, or at least not good enough to convey its intended meaning.
The second stanza (in the song, after the first repetition of "shadowland") is a much more reminiscient and personal recollection of a relationship the narrator had with a girl during high school. There are a lot of things in here that seem to be symbolic of memories the narrator had. I don't want to analyze each line in depth, but overall the sense is one of desire to get back what you've lost.
The final stanza (at the very end of the song) seems to be an overview of some random things, but look at all of the items except the last: most of them are fads in health, or at least related to health. Perhaps the narrator had health problems all his life, and found solace in the comfort of his high school friend.
"Shadowland" symbolizes a dark place or time in the narrator's life ("I want to fload upon my memories, not sink into the gloaming [dark] seas of shadowland"). "Shadowland" seems chaotic, or at least, unplanned ("there's no plans in shadowland").
Overall a wonderful song, just don't try to analyze the lyrics ;)