Vocalist Mike Baker, only 45 years old, passed away on October 29, 2008 of a heart attack.
Several members of Shadow Gallery have made their contribution to other projects like MullMuzzler, Ayreon, Explorers Club and Star One.
All members of Shadow Gallery have fairly successful, busy lives outside the band (several are audio engineers).
Darktown
Shadow Gallery Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Soon the cold will start to bite
And I'm kicking some old
Empty can
Down a barren street ya
Step into a dark saloon
Peer across the smoke filled room
I can feel her a mile away
Now we're dancing through the mist
Face to face I taste her breath
Our gaze locks into a hazy trance I start to quiver
Now she comes to comfort me I tell her I'm too blind to see
A warm bed and a fresh breath of air and you'll feel better
I know the feeling that you get
Too bad it's only for a moment
Lost in the shadows of the night
She turned and took my hand said
Stay by my side, slip between the light
Mirror my image we'll be alright
The key that opens up a thousand doors of mystery
Unlocks a basement full of fears
Start to unravel in it you might as well be blind
She saw my fright and closed her eyes
Don't fall in love it's a crazy nightmare
She looked at me and she winked an eye
It's too soon to say good-bye to this darktown
Could use a fortune of imagination
Refuse to look but I cannot deny
Gotta make it out tonight of this darktown
Sorry to leave you in this crazy nightmare
She looked at and she winked and eye
That's too bad so goodbye to your darktown
Could use a fortune of imagination
I turned to look but I closed my eyes
And I won't turn back tonight to this darktown
The song Darktown by Shadow Gallery is a tale of a man finding himself wandering through a barren street, kicking an old empty can. The sun is low in the sky, and he knows that the cold will soon start to bite. He steps into a dark saloon and across the smoke-filled room, he sees a woman who smiles and beckons him. They start to dance, and his gaze locks into a hazy trance, and he starts to quiver. He tells her that he's too blind to see, and she comes to comfort him. She promises him that he'll feel better with a warm bed and fresh air.
The chorus warns against falling in love as it's a crazy nightmare. He knows that staying in Darktown is not an option, but he is drawn to the woman who is his only escape from the dark and haunted town. The woman promises him that he won't fall in love and that they will make it out of Darktown tonight. However, he is afraid of the unknown, and the woman closes her eyes so that he cannot see her fears.
Overall, the song Darktown displays the fear of the unknown and the need to escape from it. The singer is frightened of what he cannot see or comprehend but is drawn towards the woman who promises him comfort and escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Sun is low now in the sky
The day is ending, and darkness is approaching
Soon the cold will start to bite
Winter is approaching, and the weather will become unbearable soon
And I'm kicking some old
Empty can
Down a barren street ya
The singer is walking down a deserted street, and passes the time by kicking an empty can
Step into a dark saloon
The artist enters a dimly lit bar
Peer across the smoke filled room
I can feel her a mile away
She smiles and beckons me
The artist sees a woman across the bar, and is immediately drawn to her
Now we're dancing through the mist
Face to face I taste her breath
Our gaze locks into a hazy trance I start to quiver
Now she comes to comfort me I tell her I'm too blind to see
A warm bed and a fresh breath of air and you'll feel better
The singer and the woman dance, and he becomes overwhelmed by his emotions. She tries to comfort him, and suggests that a good night's sleep will help him feel better
I know the feeling that you get
Too bad it's only for a moment
Lost in the shadows of the night
She turned and took my hand said
Stay by my side, slip between the light
Mirror my image we'll be alright
The woman empathizes with the singer, but suggests that their connection is fleeting. She encourages him to stay with her and embrace the present moment
The key that opens up a thousand doors of mystery
Unlocks a basement full of fears
Start to unravel in it you might as well be blind
She saw my fright and closed her eyes
The artist acknowledges that opening oneself up to new experiences can be terrifying. The woman senses his fear and tries to console him
Don't fall in love it's a crazy nightmare
She looked at me and she winked an eye
It's too soon to say good-bye to this darktown
Could use a fortune of imagination
Refuse to look but I cannot deny
Gotta make it out tonight of this darktown
The woman warns the artist against giving into his emotions, but also encourages him to leave with her and explore new possibilities
Sorry to leave you in this crazy nightmare
She looked at and she winked and eye
That's too bad so goodbye to your darktown
Could use a fortune of imagination
I turned to look but I closed my eyes
And I won't turn back tonight to this darktown
The woman says goodbye to the artist, and he must come to terms with his experiences and move on
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CARL CADDEN JAMES, WILLIAM ALLMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind