"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
What A Shame
Shinedown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The strongest whiskey Kentucky can make
That's a recipe
To put a vagabond on his hands and knees
I watched it all up close
I knew him more than most
I saw a side of him, he never showed
Full of sympathy
That's the man he was
Have you heard enough?
What a shame, what a shame
To judge a life that you can't change
The choir sings, the church bells ring
So, won't you give this man his wings?
What a shame, to have to beg you to see
We're not all the same
What a shame
There's a hard life for every silver spoon
There's a touch of grey for every shade of blue
That's the way that I see life
If there was nothing wrong
Then there'd be nothing right
And for this working man, they said, could barely stand
There's gotta be a better place to land
Some kind of remedy
For a world that wouldn't let him be
That's the man he was
Have you heard enough?
What a shame, what a shame
To judge a life that you can't change
The choir sings, the church bells ring
So, won't you give this man his wings?
What a shame, to have to beg you to see
We're not all the same
What a shame
God forgive the hands that laid you down
They never knew how
Much your broken heart can break the sound
And change the season
Now the leaves are falling faster
Happily ever after
You gave me hope through your endeavors
And now you will live forever
What a shame, what a shame
To judge a life that you can't change
The choir sings, the church bells ring
So, won't you give this man his wings?
What a shame, to have to beg you to see
We're not all the same
(What a shame, what a shame)
'Cause we're not all the same
(What a shame, what a shame)
'Cause we're not all the same
In "What a Shame," Shinedown singer Brent Smith sings about a man he knew intimately, a man who struggled with addiction and a hard life. The lyrics paint a picture of someone who lived on the edge, smoking two packs of cigarettes a day and drinking the strongest whiskey Kentucky could make. This kind of lifestyle left the man broken and beaten down, to the point where he could barely stand. But despite his struggles, Smith saw a side of him that few others did, a side that was full of sympathy for a world that wouldn't let him be. The chorus asks listeners not to judge a life that they can't change and to give this man his wings, acknowledging the difficulties he faced and celebrating the hope he gave others.
The song has a powerful emotional impact, but it is also notable for its strong melodies and memorable hooks. It features a soaring chorus with backing vocals from a choir and ringing church bells that add to the sense of uplift and hope. The song's production is polished and slick, but it adds to the sense of grandeur and significance that the lyrics and melody evoke.
According to Brent Smith, "What a Shame" was inspired by a homeless man he met while on tour. The man shared his story with Smith, detailing his struggles with addiction and his difficult life. Smith was struck by the man's resilience and determination to keep going despite everything, and the song is his tribute to that man and others like him. The song was a hit on rock radio, reaching the top 10 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
Line by Line Meaning
Two packs of cigarettes a day
He smoked a lot of cigarettes every day.
The strongest whiskey Kentucky can make
He drank the most potent whiskey from Kentucky.
That's a recipe
This mix of smoking and drinking is the recipe for his downfall.
To put a vagabond on his hands and knees
It will cause even the strongest man to break down.
I watched it all up close
I observed firsthand how he was destroying himself.
I knew him more than most
I knew more about him than most people did.
I saw a side of him, he never showed
I witnessed a side of him that he rarely revealed to others.
Full of sympathy
I felt great pity for him.
For a world that wouldn't let him be
The world did not accept him for who he was.
That's the man he was
This is who he was and what he became.
Have you heard enough?
Do you understand what I'm saying?
What a shame, what a shame
It's regrettable and tragic.
To judge a life that you can't change
It's unfair to be judgmental towards someone's life that you can't fix.
The choir sings, the church bells ring
People are mourning his loss.
So, won't you give this man his wings?
Allow him to have the freedom that he didn't have in his life.
To have to beg you to see
It's unfortunate that I have to plead with you to understand.
We're not all the same
We are different individuals and should not be judged as a single entity.
There's a hard life for every silver spoon
Everyone goes through hardships regardless of their upbringing.
There's a touch of grey for every shade of blue
There are negative aspects to every situation.
That's the way that I see life
That's my outlook on life.
If there was nothing wrong
If everything was perfect.
Then there'd be nothing right
Then there would be no good things either.
And for this working man, they said, could barely stand
Despite being a hardworking man, he was barely able to keep going.
There's gotta be a better place to land
There must be a better place for him somewhere.
Some kind of remedy
Something that could help him improve his life.
For a world that wouldn't let him be
A world that doesn't accept him for who he is.
God forgive the hands that laid you down
Forgive those responsible for his death.
They never knew how
They didn't understand the extent of his pain.
Much your broken heart can break the sound
His level of heartbreak is palpable and deafening.
And change the season
His death has led to a significant shift in the lives of those who knew him.
Now the leaves are falling faster
Time seems to be passing more quickly now.
Happily ever after
He is now at peace.
You gave me hope through your endeavors
Your efforts inspired me and gave me hope.
And now you will live forever
He will be remembered forever.
Cause we're not all the same
None of us are identical.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brent Smith, Dave Bassett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind