"Planet Zero" (2022). As of 2018, the band has had 23 Top 5 hits on Mainstream Rock radio, including 12 number one singles, and a Top 10 hit on the Hot 100 with "Second Chance".
On July 13, 2003, the band released their debut album Leave A Whisper. The album sold the popular singles "Fly From The Inside" and "45". Leave A Whisper was re-released on June 15, 2004, to capitalize on the strength of a new single: A cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man". This song is often dedicated to their friend Dimebag Darrell who died in 2004. The re-release also featured an acoustic version of "45", and a new mix of "Burning Bright", which was to be the fourth single from the album. During 2004, the band notably opened for Van Halen. On September 21, 2005, Leave A Whisper was certified as gold. On August 23, 2005, the band released a live DVD called Live From The Inside that contained a full-length Shinedown concert held at the House Of Blues in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
On October 4, 2005, the band released their second album called Us And Them, backed by the single "Save Me". Save Me maintained a #1 position on active rock charts for twelve weeks. The song became the theme song for WWE No Mercy 2005. The follow-up single, "I Dare You", also did respectably, and became one of the theme songs of WWE's WrestleMania 22 and was also performed on American Idol by Chris Daughtry. There are currently three versions of Us And Them: the regular thirteen-track version, a limited edition with three bonus acoustic tracks, and a store-specific edition with two bonus tracks: "Break" and "Carried Away". In 2006, the band co-headlined the SnoCore Tour with Seether, Flyleaf, and Halestorm, which was followed by the Equinox Tour in which Shinedown co-headlined with Trapt. Shinedown played their first overseas concert at the London Astoria on June 6, 2006, supporting Alter Bridge. In the late summer of 2006, the band opened for Godsmack and Rob Zombie on their North American Tour.
On December 12, 2006, Shinedown played in Knoxville, Tennessee at The Tennessee Theatre which was filmed for an upcoming DVD the band was expected to be releasing later this year (2007). However, after a recent show, Waukesha, WI, July 21, 2007, the band made it known that the DVD was scrapped by Atlantic Records.
The band began recording their new album in Los Angeles on September 20, 2007. Their first single, Devour, was released on May 20, 2008, and has proven a successful single, with it charting in the Top 10. The video for the song was released on June 25, 2008. On June 17, 2008, the album in it's entirety was put up on their MySpace page for listening. Shinedown's third album, The Sound of Madness, was released on June 24, 2008. The band is currently playing various festivals across North America before embarking on a tour in support of the new album.
Regarding the upcoming album, lead singer Brent Smith was quoted in an interview with Billboard.com as saying; "It's time to just go over the top, literally go above and beyond what a human being thinks they're capable of recording. We want to do a huge hard rock record that has a lot of crossover potential, but also some of the most insanely intense and heavy material that this band has ever tried - and see if we can pull it off." Smith noted that the group had more than forty songs to consider after writing sessions in Atlanta, Nashville and Los Angeles, but this was narrowed down to eleven songs for the standard album, and 14 songs for the deluxe edition.
In 2007 and 2008, Shinedown had some lineup changes with Brad Stewart and Jasin Todd leaving the band and Zach Myers*, Nick Perry, and Eric Bass joining the band.
*Zach Myers was touring guitarist from 2005-2007 and performed as bass guitarist during the recording of The Sound of Madness.
Shinedown performed free concerts at numerous state fairs across the US between June and September of 2009.
According to the Bully Songfacts, the lead single from Shinedown's fourth studio album, Amaryllis, is titled "Bully." It is the first new music to be heard from the Florida-based hard rockers since all six singles from The Sound Of Madness topped the rock radio chart. The song was released on January 3, 2012.
Current members of the band:
Brent Smith
Zach Myers
Eric Bass
Barry Kerch
Atmosphere
Shinedown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But then it caught on fire
Once I knew a good man
But he turned into a liar
Once I saw a blind man
Still looking for his eyes
Once I met a bastard
Who watched his mama die
And now, I'll tell you how
I know them all
I'm looking down on the atmosphere
I'm took my number, and I waited in line
I'm not frail from the exposure
I'm taking pictures with my mind
I'm looking down on the atmosphere
I'm took my number, and I waited in line
I'm not frail from the exposure
I'm taking pictures with my mind
Once I met a leader
Born from genocide
Once I knew a preacher
To his grave, he said goodbye
Once I met a good girl
Who shows her face no more
It's hard to learn your lesson
When you become the whole world's whore
And now, I'll tell you how
I know them all
I'm looking down on the atmosphere
I'm took my number, and I waited in line
I'm not frail from the exposure
I'm taking pictures with my mind
I'm looking down on the atmosphere
I'm took my number, and I waited in line
I'm not frail from the exposure
I'm taking pictures with my mind
I'm looking down on the atmosphere
I'm looking down on the atmosphere
I know them all
And now, I'll tell you how
I know them all
Looking down on the atmosphere
Looking down on the atmosphere
I took my number, and I wait in line
I'm looking down on the atmosphere
The lyrics of Shinedown's song Atmosphere contain some powerful imagery and metaphors. The first stanza describes how the singer has experienced betrayal and loss through several people in his life. He says that he once had a "halo" but it "caught on fire," implying that he was once pure but something caused him to lose his innocence. He also talks about a good man who turned into a liar, a blind man who could not find his own eyes, and a man who watched his own mother die. These lines suggest that the singer has witnessed many different forms of suffering and disappointment.
The chorus talks about how the singer is looking down on the world from above, almost as if he is detached from it. He mentions that he has taken his number and waited in line, which could mean that he has gone through some kind of process or experience to gain a new perspective. He emphasizes that he is not frail from exposure - this could mean that he has endured a lot of pain and hardship and is still standing strong. The line "I'm taking pictures with my mind" suggests that the singer is trying to capture the essence of the world around him, but not necessarily interacting with it in a tangible way.
The second stanza of the song continues with the theme of loss and disappointment, but with a more political and societal focus. The singer talks about meeting a leader who was born from genocide, a preacher who said goodbye to the world, and a good girl who is now hiding her face. These lines suggest that the singer has become jaded and disillusioned with power structures in the world, seeing leaders as coming from a history of violence and corruption, and religion as not providing solace anymore. The line "When you become the whole world's whore" is particularly striking, as it suggests that the singer sees the girl he once knew as having been used and abused by the world at large.
All in all, the lyrics of Atmosphere suggest a sense of detachment from the world and a weariness of how much pain, suffering, and corruption there can be. The singer seems to be trying to process all of this by looking down on everything, taking it all in, but not necessarily getting involved.
Line by Line Meaning
Once I had a halo
I used to think of myself as pure and holy
But then it caught on fire
But my innocence was lost and I was consumed by chaos
Once I knew a good man
I once had a friend who I thought was kind and genuine
But he turned into a liar
But he betrayed me and became deceitful
Once I saw a blind man
I once witnessed a person who lacked understanding or insight
Still looking for his eyes
But he was searching for something he couldn't find or comprehend
Once I met a bastard
I encountered an unpleasant, contemptible person
Who watched his mama die
But he endured the pain of losing his mother
I'm looking down on the atmosphere
I have a perspective that allows me to see the world in a different light
I took my number, and I waited in line
I followed the rules and waited patiently for my turn
I'm not frail from the exposure
I am not weak from experiencing the harsh realities of life
I'm taking pictures with my mind
I am capturing memories and experiences in my thoughts
Once I met a leader
I encountered someone who held power and influence over others
Born from genocide
But their rise to leadership was fueled by acts of violence and destruction
Once I knew a preacher
I had a relationship with a religious figure
To his grave, he said goodbye
But they passed away, leaving behind their legacy and teachings
Once I met a good girl
I met someone who was well-intentioned and kind-hearted
Who shows her face no more
But they are no longer present in my life for reasons unknown
It's hard to learn your lesson
It's difficult to gain understanding from experiences that cause pain or confusion
When you become the whole world's whore
When you are used or taken advantage of by many people without regard for your well-being
And now, I'll tell you how I know them all
I have gained insight from my experiences and can now understand their perspectives
Looking down on the atmosphere
I have a unique perspective of the world
I took my number, and I wait in line
I follow society's rules and regulations
I'm looking down on the atmosphere
I have a high-level view of the world around me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: ANTHONY C. BATTAGLIA, BRENT SMITH, BRAD STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind