He was signed to The Beats, a record label run by Mike Skinner and Ted Mayhem from 2006 until 12 February 2008, when the label terminated. He rose to success upon winning the inaugural JumpOff MySpace Β£50,000 battle rap tournament in July 2008. Following this in 2009, Manderson worked with Lily Allen on her 2009 concert tour.
Growing up on the Northwold estate in Upper Clapton, Green's familial situation saw him being raised by his grandmother while he traded up school attendance for just hanging on the estate, like kids do. The Read All About It Songfacts reports that he had a turbulent relationship with his father, who was rarely around during Manderson's childhood and committed suicide in 2008. In his hit single, Read All About It, Green responds to accusations made by his stepmother that his debut album, Alive Till I'm Dead, was "cashing-in" on his death.
While the usual nefarious stories of low budget living played a part in his life, Green's formative years were also characterised by fun: skating was big on the estate, etc. He also had an early inkling that the art of verbal sparring would somehow play a part in his life, confessing how, he always wanted to be a barrister or a lawyer. "I like debates and I've always been argumentative, I think that's helped me in battles a lot."
However, while becoming obsessed with hip-hop at the age of nine "Biggie [[artist]The Notorious B.I.G.] is my greatest hip-hop influence", Green only switched up from passive fan to active participant at a relatively late stage. After turning 18 years old, he coined his first rhyme completely off-the-cuff when put on the spot at an impromptu freestyle jam session round a friends house. Passing the test with aplomb and impressing his music making peers, the underground rap battle scene suddenly opened up before him.
After seeing a poster advertising a rap battle at the Lyric Pad night in London, Green turned up and won. From that he graduated to competing at the prestigious Jump Off events, performing at venues like The Scala and Sound in Leicester Square, and becoming the first ever contestant to win six straight weekly finals in a row. While his seventh showdown ended in defeat, he returned undeterred, put together a second run of consecutive victories and became the first string seven wins together. Throw in a further series of seven straight wins and a dalliance with pay battles, and Green became a man to fear on the battle circuit.
Cue a change of scene and a flight to the exotic climes of the Bahamas to spar for $50,000.
Entering the Power Summit battle against America's finest freestyle icons (think 8 Mile but with no holds barred), the crowd may have first viewed Green as this white English kid who's not going to do anything, but his gift of gab and ability to coin scathing punchlines saw him through to the final where he faced Jin, a member of DMXs much amped Ruff Ryders camp. The judges decided in Jin's favour, although with the Ruff Ryder man having been given a bye to the final and Green having already been through seven prior knockout bouts (including taking out representatives from Eminem's Shady Records camp), by his own admission it was "more a case of me losing it as opposed to Jin winning it."
Still, with a crowd featuring US big rap guns like Busta Rhymes and Saigon, Green made a name for himself and in September went off to Hawaii to compete in the battle again.
A performance at the B-Boy Championships last summer ultimately paid greater dividends and opened him up to a new audience in Mike Skinner of The Streets fame.
"Mike approached me after the B-Boy Championships and wanted to bring me on tour with The Streets" he recalls. I ended up doing an opening battle on the tour and we formed a great relationship from that. At first it wasn't about me looking for a record deal though it was more a case of us deciding to lay down some tracks and seeing where it went.
At the end of April 2006 he signed on the dotted line to release his debut album on Skinner's The Beats label. And while UK hip-hop's profile is certainly in the ascendancy thanks to acts like Skinnyman, Sway and Kano, Green has his eyes on breaking out beyond the usual urban tag affixed to British rappers.
Name-checking Portishead, Radiohead, Tracy Chapman and Suzanne Vega as song-writing influences, Green is well aware of the importance of adapting his lyrics from the immediacy of the live battle circuit to cater to the depth of the album format.
"The thing with hip-hop is if you take a lot of rap songs outside of rap then they aren't great songs, whereas with something like country if you take them outside of the genre then the song-writing skills are still incredible, he rationalises. And I'd like to take those skills into rap."
So while never completely leaving behind the entertaining punchlines that have characterised his battle persona, the album will take in everything from songs about his estranged parents to wish lists of things to do before he passes away and the plight of the average stereotypical man in the eyes of the average stereotypical female (see Stereotypical Man, complete with the catchphrase "'Til my breathings done I'll be reading page three of The Sun").
As Green concludes of his new goals "I wouldn't be happy to sell just 30,000 copies of my album. I don't think that there's anything wrong with aiming above that, giving people an album they can relate to, and wanting to be successful."
In The Shadow Of The Sun
Professor Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After you let yourself come undone
They say they'll give you whatever you want
And I'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun
Seizing time where no one's been before
Close the curtains, what you waiting for?
And I'll be keeping secrets
Keep your past your own, I don't care about before
I don't wanna know your secrets, I wanna help you keep yours
No one needs to, no one'll ever know what we do
Where we go, why don't we go to a place where only we know?
Where we escape from real life and it feels good and it feels nice
That we ain't yet but we still might
'Cause we go with it if it feels right
And it feels, feels amazing
We ain't ready to see the day (they'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun)
Seizing time where no one's been before
Close the curtains, what you waiting for?
And I'll be keeping secrets
And I'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun
Seizing time where no one's been before
Close the curtains, what you waiting for?
And I'll be keeping secrets
'Til I'm in the ground
Let go of fear
This can be a secret that we both keep, that we both share
Hidden behind the smiles we both wear
As the sun creeps through the curtains
On the walls we become two silhouettes
As we close our eyes
Let go of the lies that fill our heads
Let's light it up, live life in the moment
Why would we worry about where we might end up?
They can't see us, they can't judge us, it's just us
They might wonder but only know where we go when the sun comes up
And I'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun
Seizing time where no one's been before
Close the curtains, what you waiting for?
And I'll be keeping secrets
And I'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun
Seizing time where no one's been before
Close the curtains, what you waiting for?
And I'll be keeping secrets
'Til I'm in the ground
I'm in the shadow of, the shadow of the the sun
Where I belong, girl, there's something coming on
I'm in the shadow of, the shadow of the the sun
Oh, and I need you
Chasing it, chasing it
I don't know what I'm chasing is
All I know is I've been craving it
Ever since I had a taste of it
Life is what you make of it
We're just here writing our own books
This is just a page of it
Before you wave your fingers at us
You better make sure your hands are clean
We all obey, our hands are tied
And I don't wanna have to leave
I don't wanna say goodbye
They say life is always easier when you come undone
When I go, you'll know where I've gone
And I'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun
And I'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun
Seizing time where no one's been before
Close the curtains, what you waiting for?
And I'll be keeping secrets
'Til I'm in the ground
The song In The Shadow Of The Sun by Professor Green is a song about escapism, secrets, and the desire to live in the moment. The lyrics discuss the idea that life can be easier when one lets go of their inhibitions and allows themselves to come undone. The singer tells their partner to keep their past to themselves and not worry about what anyone else thinks - they just want to help them keep their secrets. The two of them escape reality to a place only they know, where they can be free from judgment and live in the moment.
The chorus repeats the idea that the singer will be waiting in the shadow of the sun, using this as a metaphor for a hidden place where they can be together without anyone else's knowledge. The song encourages the listener to let go of fear and enjoy life, to not worry about where they might end up or what others will think. The lyrics also touch on the idea of mortality, with the singer stating that they will keep their secrets until they are in the ground.
Overall, the song is a message of living life to its fullest and not being held back by fear or societal expectations. It speaks to the desire for escapism and the importance of finding a safe space where one can be free.
Line by Line Meaning
They say that life is always easier
According to popular belief, life becomes less complicated once you let yourself break down.
After you let yourself come undone
This ease of life comes only when you allow yourself to fall apart.
They say they'll give you whatever you want
Some people promise to fulfill all your desires.
And I'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun
The artist will be waiting backstage, behind the spotlight.
Seizing time where no one's been before
Exploring new and uncharted territories.
Close the curtains, what you waiting for?
Shut everything else out and focus on what truly matters.
And I'll be keeping secrets
The artist will keep all secrets confidential.
'Til I'm in the ground
The artist will keep secrets to the grave.
Keep your past your own, I don't care about before
The artist isn't interested in your past.
I don't wanna know your secrets, I wanna help you keep yours
The artist wants to support and protect your secrets without prying.
No one needs to, no one'll ever know what we do
Whatever happens between them will remain a secret.
Where we go, why don't we go to a place where only we know?
Suggesting an exclusive space where only they have access.
Where we escape from real life and it feels good and it feels nice
A space for temporary blissful escape from reality.
That we ain't yet but we still might
Although they haven't found this place yet, there is still hope.
'Cause we go with it if it feels right
If something feels good, they will pursue it without hesitation.
And it feels, feels amazing
They relish feelings of euphoria and excitement.
We ain't ready to see the day (they'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun)
They are not ready for the moment to end and will remain backstage.
Let go of fear
Suggesting to overcome fear and embrace the unknown.
This can be a secret that we both keep, that we both share
The possibility of sharing a secret solely between them.
Hidden behind the smiles we both wear
Emotions concealed behind masks.
As the sun creeps through the curtains
Dawning realization of the day's arrival.
On the walls we become two silhouettes
The light casts shadows of each other on the walls.
As we close our eyes
Shutting out distractions and focusing on each other.
Let go of the lies that fill our heads
Discarding self-doubt and negativity.
Let's light it up, live life in the moment
Seize the moment and then enjoy it.
Why would we worry about where we might end up?
No need to stress over the future.
They can't see us, they can't judge us, it's just us
They can be themselves without fear of judgements.
They might wonder but only know where we go when the sun comes up
Others may speculate but only seeing them early in the morning.
I'm in the shadow of, the shadow of the the sun
The artist continues to remain in the backstage shadows.
Where I belong, girl, there's something coming on
The artist feels comfortable and content backstage anticipating something.
Chasing it, chasing it
Pursuing something relentlessly.
I don't know what I'm chasing is
Not knowing what they are pursuing.
All I know is I've been craving it
A strong urge to obtain what they desire.
Life is what you make of it
What you give life is what you'll get in return.
We're just here writing our own books
Life is an ongoing journey of personal growth and change.
This is just a page of it
This moment in life is just a small part of a greater story.
Before you wave your fingers at us
Before you pass judgement on us.
You better make sure your hands are clean
Ensure your own faults and negatives are acknowledged first.
We all obey, our hands are tied
Everyone has restrictions imposed on them.
And I don't wanna have to leave
The artist doesn't want the moment to end.
I don't wanna say goodbye
They don't want to part ways with the other person.
When I go, you'll know where I've gone
They will make clear where to find them when they leave.
And I'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun
They will continue to stay backstage.
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alexander Ryberg, Chris Crowhurst, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Stephen Manderson, Tom Lijegren
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@winnieang5093
They say that life is always easier
After you let yourself come on down
They say they'll give you all that you want
And I'll waiting in the shadow of the sun
She's in doubt but always been before
Close the curtains, what you're waiting for
And now we're keeping secrets
Til I'm in the ground
Changing color makes you waste away
Just spin you eyes with a vivid mind
Now we're seeing once behind the light
And I'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun
Finding treasure that's been on demise
Buildings mountains in disguise
Now we're keeping secrets
Til I'm in the ground
I'm in the shadow of the shadow of the sun
Where I belong, there's something coming on
I'm in the shadow of the shadow of the sun
Oh and I need you
I'm in the shadow of the shadow of the sun
Where I belong, there's something coming on
No more waiting, time are changing
And there's something coming on
I'm in the shadow of the shadow of the sun
@darladelosangeles3641
idk why this song makes me cry it brings nostalgic memories in my head.
@babyericbangcaya3393
Same peace all
Spreading love feome Philippines
@therealrosa691
Same bc my mom's side of my family left me they matter they memories to me
@samsonchan1527
me too
@johnloyddalit414
same haha
@winnieang5093
They say that life is always easier
After you let yourself come on down
They say they'll give you all that you want
And I'll waiting in the shadow of the sun
She's in doubt but always been before
Close the curtains, what you're waiting for
And now we're keeping secrets
Til I'm in the ground
Changing color makes you waste away
Just spin you eyes with a vivid mind
Now we're seeing once behind the light
And I'll be waiting in the shadow of the sun
Finding treasure that's been on demise
Buildings mountains in disguise
Now we're keeping secrets
Til I'm in the ground
I'm in the shadow of the shadow of the sun
Where I belong, there's something coming on
I'm in the shadow of the shadow of the sun
Oh and I need you
I'm in the shadow of the shadow of the sun
Where I belong, there's something coming on
No more waiting, time are changing
And there's something coming on
I'm in the shadow of the shadow of the sun
@leanderdarilay7235
In the shadow of the sun πβ€οΈ
@masoi8107
so good
@justinrenzrenz1601
relax my mind
@riantecson2457
thank u so muchhhh mesiahhhhhhhh