"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
Burning Bright
Shinedown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some questions are better left without a reason
And I would rather reveal myself than my situation
Now and then I consider my hesitation
The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I wonder if the things I did were just to be different
To spare myself of the constant shame of my existence
And I would surely redeem myself in my desperation
Here and now I'll express my situation
The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I pretend I'm burning bright
The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I pretend I'm burning
There's nothing ever wrong, but nothing's ever right
Such a cruel contradiction
I know I crossed the line, it's not easy to define
I'm born to indecision
There's always something new, some path I'm supposed to choose
With no particular rhyme or reason
The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I pretend I'm burning bright
The more the light shines through me
I pretend to close my eyes
The more the dark consumes me
I pretend I'm burning
I feel like there is no need for conversation
In Shinedown's song "Burning Bright", the singer reflects on the struggles of finding his own identity and purpose. He acknowledges the difficulty in being able to articulate what he truly feels and what he truly desires in life. The opening lines, "I feel like there is no need for conversation, some questions are better left without a reason," suggests the singer's reluctance to open up and express himself. He then admits that revealing himself is easier than exposing his situation, implying that he is not comfortable sharing his struggles with others.
The chorus of the song repeats the lines "The more the light shines through me, I pretend to close my eyes. The more the dark consumes me, I pretend I'm burning, burning bright." In this section, the light could symbolize the truth of his situation, while the darkness represents the unknown or the fear of being vulnerable. The singer pretends to not see the truth and instead appears to be burning bright to mask his pain.
The last verse suggests the singer's inner turmoil, as he struggles to find direction and purpose in life. He mentions feeling like there is always something new, some path he's supposed to choose, without any rhyme or reason. The song's overall message is about the struggle to find oneself and be true to one's own identity, despite the challenges that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel like there is no need for conversation
I believe that some things are best left unsaid, and I would prefer to keep to myself.
Some questions are better left without a reason
There are certain questions for which there is no answer, and it is best not to delve into them.
And I would rather reveal myself than my situation
I am not afraid to show who I am, but I prefer not to disclose the circumstances in which I find myself.
Now and then I consider my hesitation
Occasionally, I reflect on my reluctance to act.
The more the light shines through me
As I become more exposed, my inner self is revealed.
I pretend to close my eyes
I attempt to hide who I am and avoid confrontation with the world around me.
The more the dark consumes me
As I become more isolated, my inner darkness takes over.
I pretend I'm burning, burning bright
I create the illusion that I am strong and powerful, even though I am struggling internally.
I wonder if the things I did were just to be different
I question my motivations for my actions, and if they were driven by a desire to stand out from others.
To spare myself of the constant shame of my existence
I try to avoid feeling the shame that comes with being myself by taking certain actions.
And I would surely redeem myself in my desperation
If necessary, I would take drastic actions to improve my situation and save myself from desperation.
Here and now I'll express my situation
I will speak up about my current predicament in the present moment.
There's nothing ever wrong, but nothing's ever right
My life is a constant state of mediocrity, where nothing is particularly good or bad.
Such a cruel contradiction
This state of affairs is frustrating and confusing.
I know I crossed the line, it's not easy to define
I am aware that I have done something that may not be appropriate, but it is difficult to explain why.
I'm born to indecision
I struggle with making decisions and often find myself feeling stuck.
There's always something new, some path I'm supposed to choose
There are always new opportunities and decisions to make in life, and it can be overwhelming to sort through them.
With no particular rhyme or reason
There is no clear logic or pattern to the choices and opportunities that come my way.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRENT SMITH, TONY BATTAGLIA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind