Shadow
Ashlee Simpson Lyrics
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When my parents ran away
I was stuck inside a broken life
I couldn't wish away
She was beautiful
She had everything and more
And my escape was hiding out and running for the door
It used to be so hard being me
Living in the shadow
Of someone else's dream
Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me
Living in a nightmare
A never-ending sleep
But now that I am wide awake
My chains are finally free
Don't feel sorry for me
All the days collided
One less perfect than the next
I was stuck inside someone else's life and always second best
Oh, I love you now 'cause now I realize
That it's safe outside to come alive in my identity
So if you're listening
There's so much more to me you haven't seen
Living in the shadow
Of someone else's dream
Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me
Living in a nightmare
A never-ending sleep
But now that I am wide awake
Then I can finally see
Don't feel sorry for me
Mother, sister, father, sister, mother
Everything's cool now
Mother, sister, father, sister, mother
Everything's cool now
Oh, my life is good
I've got more than anyone should
Oh, my life is good
And the past in the past
I was living in the shadow
Of someone else's dream
Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me
I'm living in a new day
I'm living it for me
And now that I am wide awake
Then I can finally be
Don't feel sorry for me
Don't feel sorry, don't feel sorry for me
Don't feel sorry, don't feel sorry for me
Living in, living in, living in the shadow
Living in, living in, living in a new day
The song ‘Shadow’ by Ashlee Simpson is an autobiographical piece that speaks about her experiences growing up as a child. The song talks about her parents’ divorce and how it affected her life. She was only six years old when her parents split, and as a result, she was left to navigate her childhood while being stuck inside a broken life she couldn’t wish away. Ashlee speaks of her mother and how she had everything, while she had to hide out and run for the door just so she could escape the situation she found herself in. The song’s chorus drives home the point that Ashlee spent much of her childhood living under the shadow of her parent’s dream, and it was difficult to find something that was uniquely hers. The song is about Ashlee breaking free from those chains and discovering her identity.
The song is a moving and powerful piece that speaks of the struggle of being young and growing up under difficult circumstances. It’s a message that many people can relate to, as most of us have had to struggle to find our identity at one point or the other.
Line by Line Meaning
I was six years old
I was only six years old when my parents deserted me
When my parents ran away
My parents left me behind and deserted me
I was stuck inside a broken life
I was trapped in a difficult life with unresolved family issues
I couldn't wish away
I couldn't make my problems disappear
She was beautiful
My sister was attractive and popular
She had everything and more
My sister seemed to have it all and was the favorite of the family
And my escape was hiding out and running for the door
I dealt with my problems by avoiding them and running away
Somebody listen please
I want someone to pay attention and understand my struggles
It used to be so hard being me
My life was difficult and challenging, and I struggled to cope
Living in the shadow
I lived in the shadow of my sister's successes and dreams
Of someone else's dream
I felt overshadowed because my sister was favored by my parents and her dreams were the focus of the family
Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me
I was looking for support and comfort, but I couldn't find it, and I felt alone
Living in a nightmare
My life felt like a never-ending nightmare because of my family troubles
A never-ending sleep
I felt like I was sleepwalking through life, stuck in the same painful cycle
But now that I am wide awake
Now that I'm open to change, I see things more clearly
My chains are finally free
I've been released from the burdens that held me back
Don't feel sorry for me
I don't want pity or sympathy; I want to move forward and grow
All the days collided
My life felt chaotic and unstable
One less perfect than the next
Things kept going wrong, one after another
And always second best
I constantly felt inferior and overlooked compared to my sister
Oh, I love you now 'cause now I realize
I love myself now that I've gained clarity and perspective
That it's safe outside to come alive in my identity
I feel safe and free to express myself and be true to who I am
There's so much more to me you haven't seen
I have talents, qualities and potential that others haven't recognized or appreciated
I'm living in a new day
I've moved on from my past and I'm embracing a new phase of life
I'm living it for me
I'm living life for myself, not to please others
Then I can finally be
Then I can finally be myself and be free from the past
Living in, living in, living in the shadow
I don't want to live in the shadow of someone's else dream anymore
Living in, living in, living in a new day
I want to embrace the new day and start a new life
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ASHLEE SIMPSON, KARA DIOGUARDI, JOHN SHANKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ちひろMM
I was six years old
When my parents ran away
I was stuck inside a broken life
I couldn't wish away
She was beautiful
She had everything and more
And my escape was hiding out and running for the door
Somebody listen please
It used to be so hard being me
Living in the shadow
Of someone else's dream
Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me
Living in a nightmare
A never-ending sleep
But now that I am wide awake
My chains are finally free
Don't feel sorry for me
All the days collided
One less perfect than the next
I was stuck inside someone else's life and always second best
Oh, I love you now 'cause now I realize
That it's safe outside to come alive in my identity
So if you're listening
There's so much more to me you haven't seen
Living in the shadow
Of someone else's dream
Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me
Living in a nightmare
A never-ending sleep
But now that I am wide awake
Then I can finally see
Don't feel sorry for me
Mother, sister, father, sister, mother
Everything's cool now
Mother, sister, father, sister, mother
Everything's cool now
Oh, my life is good
I've got more than anyone should
Oh, my life is good
And the past in the past
I was living in the shadow
Of someone else's dream
Trying to find a hand to hold but every touch felt cold to me
I'm living in a new day
I'm living it for me
And now that I am wide awake
Then I can finally be
Don't feel sorry for me
Don't feel sorry, don't feel sorry for me
Don't feel sorry, don't feel sorry for me
Living in, living in, living in the shadow
Living in, living in, living in a new day
Austyn ryleigh
The entire album is underrated! I don't care about the controversy surrounding the SNL incident that ruined her career for the mental torment they put her through for that, she was just a kid! She had a really good, raspy voice that I love. This song was my anthem album for so long and she was so pretty! I miss her music. I wish she would come out with new music. She was my style icon as well. This album give me nostalgia and I love it.
rosia elliott
She has come out with new music look her up some of it country music it's good to
Delaney
I remember when Autobiography first came out, I'd listen to it over and over again. Daydream while listening to her music. I really looked up to Ashlee Simpson. Her music was a huge part of my teenage years, she helped me get through a lot.
Vir Sanchez
Same story. I will always love her.
Celina294
SAME HERE
Joshua Ehl
Same.
Edgar Manuel May Balam
same from MÉXICO
Latisha Gillison
Delaney * that. Album was the shit
Michael Young
This song is so underrated. This album isn’t perfect but there some really great songs on it. I know Ashlee Simpson is like the poster child for “talentless lip syncing rich pop star” but there are honestly some wonderful songs on this and her other album, so don’t let her appearance keep you from listening to her music. She’s better than most people think.
Yugvijay
Yas