Follow Into Shadow
John Brown's Body Lyrics
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I won't steal from the broken-hearted.
And if I follow into shadow,
Come let the wind blow 'way my body and send me far.
Til I'm gone.
And I won't follow into shadow.
I won't bleed for the mourning sun.
And if I follow into shadow,
Come let the wind blow 'way my body 'til I'm gone.
Til I'm gone
No blows will cripple muscle and no knees will buckle down.
Spilled blood will restore our health when you return it to the ground.
I see your temple crumble in the center of your mind.
He who has little faith is doomed to die.
Who don't grieve to see the humble man who has to crawl.
We do not seek to reason with none of these temporary laws.
Who take life away that injury becomes your cross.
And we will live to see you cut off. Pay your cost.
And I won't follow into shadow.
I won't steal from the broken-hearted.
And if I follow into shadow,
Come let the wind blow 'way my body and send me far.
Til I'm gone.
And I won't follow into shadow.
I won't bleed for the mourning sun.
And if I follow into shadow,
Come let the wind blow 'way my body 'til I'm gone.
Til I'm gone
Though we wrestle not against the flesh and the blood,
But against the principalities;
Against the powers;
Against the rulers of the darkness of this world;
Against the spiritual wickedness in high places.
Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow,
I know we will fear no evil.
Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow,
I know we will fear no evil.
We be the seed beneath your feet, the force you stumble getting by.
Feel the coming of the tide to make your blood pressure rise.
Whatever form we meet our foe, it shall be dreadful in their eyes.
The deceiver shall have no home or place to hide.
My flesh cannot be opened like the petals from a stem.
How can you mean to rule me with no powers from the land?
But I won't leave the region 'til the fight is truly done.
And I will come on give light until the sun everyone.
I will live on any meal that's left me.
I will go down any road you send me.
I won't need no army to defend me.
I will you leave spiraling, descending.
And I won't follow into shadow.
I won't steal from the broken-hearted.
And if I follow into shadow,
Come let the wind blow 'way my body and send me far.
Til I'm gone.
And I won't follow into shadow.
I won't bleed for the mourning sun.
And if I follow into shadow,
Come let the wind blow 'way my body 'til I'm gone.
Til I'm gone
Til I'm gone
Til I'm gone
Til I'm gone
The lyrics of John Brown's Body's "Follow Into Shadow" are about standing up for one's principles and not giving in to the darkness or being swayed by others who have lost their way. The singer declares that they will not follow into shadow, meaning they will not give in to temptation, deceit, or despair. They refuse to steal from the broken-hearted or bleed for the mourning sun, which could symbolize not benefiting from others' pain or sacrificing oneself for something that is not worth it. If the singer were to ever follow into shadow, they would want the wind to blow their body away, sending them far away until they're gone.
The second verse speaks about not giving up in the face of adversity. The singer declares that no blows will cripple their muscles or cause their knees to buckle. Instead, they believe that spilled blood will restore their health when it's returned to the ground. The lyrics talk about seeing a temple crumble in the center of one's mind and how those who have little faith are doomed to die. The singer also discusses not seeking to reason with temporary laws, taking away life, or causing injury to the point where it becomes someone else's cross to bear. They believe that justice will be served to those who cause harm.
The final verse talks about not being ruled by others who have no powers from the land, and standing strong until the fight is truly done. The singer declares that they will give light until the sun shines on everyone and will survive on any meal that's left. They will go down any road they're sent and won't need an army to defend themselves. The song ends with the singer repeating that they won't follow into shadow and will continue to stand for what they believe in.
Line by Line Meaning
And I won't follow into shadow.
I will not succumb to darkness or evil.
I won't steal from the broken-hearted.
I will not take advantage of those who are suffering.
And if I follow into shadow,
If I do become lost in darkness,
Come let the wind blow 'way my body and send me far. Til I'm gone.
Let my physical body be carried away by the wind until I pass from this life.
I won't bleed for the mourning sun.
I will not suffer for the pain of the world.
No blows will cripple muscle and no knees will buckle down.
I will remain strong and resilient in the face of adversity.
Spilled blood will restore our health when you return it to the ground.
When we die and become part of the earth, our blood will nourish the soil and support new life.
I see your temple crumble in the center of your mind.
I see your mental and emotional stability crumbling away.
He who has little faith is doomed to die.
Those who lack faith or hope will perish.
Who don't grieve to see the humble man who has to crawl.
Those who do not feel compassion for those who suffer will fail to see the humanity in others.
We do not seek to reason with none of these temporary laws.
We reject laws and systems that are based on temporary or unjust principles.
Who take life away that injury becomes your cross.
Those who take the lives of others will be burdened with guilt and remorse.
And we will live to see you cut off. Pay your cost.
We will survive to witness your downfall and hold you accountable for your actions.
Though we wrestle not against the flesh and the blood,
Our struggles are not against physical opponents.
But against the principalities; Against the powers;
We are fighting against systemic and institutional oppression.
Against the rulers of the darkness of this world;
We are resisting the forces of evil and corruption that plague our society.
Against the spiritual wickedness in high places.
We are battling against spiritual forces of darkness and deceit that influence those in positions of power.
Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow, I know we will fear no evil.
Even in the darkest times, we will stand strong and brave, unafraid of the forces of darkness.
We be the seed beneath your feet, the force you stumble getting by.
We are the unseen force that causes those in power to falter and stumble in their attempts to maintain control.
Feel the coming of the tide to make your blood pressure rise.
Be aware of the coming change that will cause the oppressors to lose their grip on power.
Whatever form we meet our foe, it shall be dreadful in their eyes.
Our enemies will fear us, no matter how we choose to fight back.
The deceiver shall have no home or place to hide.
Those who deceive others and manipulate the truth will not be able to escape justice.
My flesh cannot be opened like the petals from a stem.
I am strong and resilient and will not be easily broken or defeated.
How can you mean to rule me with no powers from the land?
Those who hold power without any connection to the earth or to the people they govern have no right to rule.
But I won't leave the region 'til the fight is truly done.
I will not give up the fight until justice is truly served.
And I will come on give light until the sun everyone.
I will continue to shine my light and spread hope to everyone around me.
I will live on any meal that's left me.
I will survive on the scraps that are given to me.
I will go down any road you send me.
I am not afraid to face any challenge or obstacle.
I won't need no army to defend me.
I am strong enough to defend myself without any external help.
I will you leave spiraling, descending.
I will leave you reeling as I continue to rise and succeed.
Contributed by Lila N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.