I just discovered this song and I love the lyrics. To me, Alexander is talking about the "shadow" in each of us, as Carl Jung writes of. That is that dark part of ourselves that we refuse to accept. "The truth is I never shook my shadow." He is admitting that he has a shadow, and he hasn't faced it yet. It tries to get him to do battle, which is basically cognitive dissonance, or fighting against the knowledge of its existence in order to maintain homeostasis or feel calm and balanced.
In the next verse he's "grown up some"--he's faced his shadow, and done battle with it, and found the power that comes from facing the truth. I love the line "Your darkness is shining".
Finally he speaks of branching out, of embracing the shadow in others. "Every little lie in this world comes from dividing". Hating the shadow in others results in division. "All my enemies turning into my teachers." He is learning to accept others, and love them, no matter what their faults may be. He is learning true unity and true love.
I just discovered this song and I love the lyrics. To me, Alexander is talking about the "shadow" in each of us, as Carl Jung writes of. That is that dark part of ourselves that we refuse to accept. "The truth is I never shook my shadow." He is admitting that he has a shadow, and he hasn't faced it yet. It tries to get him to do battle, which is basically cognitive dissonance, or fighting against the knowledge of its existence in order to maintain homeostasis or feel calm and balanced.
In the next verse he's "grown up some"--he's faced his shadow, and done battle with it, and found the power that comes from facing the truth. I love the line "Your darkness is shining".
Finally he speaks of branching out, of embracing the shadow in others. "Every little lie in this world comes from dividing". Hating the shadow in others results in division. "All my enemies turning into my teachers." He is learning to accept others, and love them, no matter what their faults may be. He is learning true unity and true love.