The band's third studio album, Follow the Reaper, was their first album to receive a gold certification in Finland, and subsequent studio albums acquired the same status. Their next four albums debuted at number one on the Finnish album charts, and have also seen chart positions on the United States Billboard 200. They are one of Finland's best selling artists of all time with more than 250,000 records sold there alone.
In 2019, Children of Bodom held their last concert in Helsinki named A Chapter Called Children of Bodom, before disbanding the band. Laiho and Freyberg carried on as Bodom After Midnight in 2020. Laiho, who was one of the founding members of Children of Bodom as well as the only main songwriter, died on 29 December 2020.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Bodom
Studio albums
Something Wild (1997)
Hatebreeder (1999)
Follow the Reaper (2000)
Hate Crew Deathroll (2003)
Are You Dead Yet? (2005)
Blooddrunk (2008)
Relentless Reckless Forever (2011)
Halo of Blood (2013)
I Worship Chaos (2015)
Hexed (2019)
Shot in the Dark
Children of Bodom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can hear my heavy breathing
Paid for the kill but it doesn't it seem right
Something there I can't believe in
Voices are calling from inside my head
I can hear them I can hear them
Vanishing memories of things that were said
They can't try to hurt me now
But a shot in the dark one step away from you
A shot in the dark always creeping up on you
Taught by the powers that preach over me
I can hear their empty reason
I wouldn't listen I learnt how to fight
I opened up my mind to treason
But just like the wounded and when it's too late
They'll remember they'll surrender
Never a care for the people who hate
Underestimate me now
But a shot in the dark one step away from you
A shot in the dark not a thing that you can do
A shot in the dark always creeping up on you
But just like the wounded and when it's too late
They'll remember they'll surrender
Never a care for the people who hate
Underestimate me now
But a shot in the dark one step away from you
A shot in the dark not a thing that you can do
A shot in the dark always creeping up on you
The lyrics of Children of Bodom's "Shot in the Dark" depict a man who is walking the streets at night, haunted by the sounds of his own heavy breathing as he contemplates something that he feels is wrong. He seems to have heard voices in his head, vanishing memories of things that were said, and for some reason, he believes that someone may try to hurt him. He also talks about how he learned how to fight, and opened his mind to treason, seemingly suggesting that he has been influenced by others to go against what is considered normal. The refrain of the song is "But a shot in the dark one step away from you, a shot in the dark always creeping up on you," which seems to suggest that danger could be lurking just around the corner.
Given the lyrics of the song, it is likely that the theme that Children of Bodom is exploring in "Shot in the Dark" is the human experience of fear, paranoia, and isolation. The man in the song seems to be frightened by his own thoughts and beliefs, and there is a sense of disconnection from the world around him. The refrain of the song, "a shot in the dark always creeping up on you," can be seen as a metaphor for the unpredictable and unknowable nature of events in our lives, and we're always one step away from danger from an unknown source.
Line by Line Meaning
Out on the street I'm stalking the night
I am roaming the streets at night, searching for something.
I can hear my heavy breathing
I am anxious and my breathing is labored.
Paid for the kill but it doesn't it seem right
I have been compensated for my actions, but I have doubts about their morality.
Something there I can't believe in
There is something about this situation that is difficult for me to accept.
Voices are calling from inside my head
There are conflicting thoughts and emotions within my mind.
I can hear them I can hear them
I am acutely aware of these internal voices.
Vanishing memories of things that were said
I am struggling to remember past events or conversations.
They can't try to hurt me now
I am no longer susceptible to being harmed by certain individuals.
But a shot in the dark one step away from you
Danger could strike unexpectedly and quickly.
A shot in the dark always creeping up on you
The potential danger is always lurking in the background.
Taught by the powers that preach over me
I have been influenced and controlled by those in positions of authority.
I can hear their empty reason
Their arguments or justifications hold little weight or substance to me.
I wouldn't listen I learnt how to fight
I did not acquiesce to their control; instead, I became adept at resisting and fighting back.
I opened up my mind to treason
I allowed myself to consider disloyal or traitorous thoughts and actions.
But just like the wounded and when it's too late
People often realize their mistakes or regrets too late, when it cannot be undone.
They'll remember they'll surrender
The consequences of their actions will force them to admit defeat.
Never a care for the people who hate
I do not concern myself with the opinions or dislikes of others.
Underestimate me now
Others may think less of me or my abilities, but they will soon realize their mistake.
A shot in the dark not a thing that you can do
There is little that can be done to prevent the unpredictable dangers.
Contributed by Scarlett H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.