This song has been bugging me for a little bit now. The chorus makes me think one thing, but every other part of the song suggests a different meaning. The song is Shadow in the Shade by Mishka "You were the brightest star The night sky ever displayed But in the early morning light, You started to fade You had a revolutionary vision Of breaking down the barricades But because you lacked the wisdom, Your dreams were all betrayed Wise men gave their counsel, But the truth you did evade You never heeded any of them You were the renegade You thought you were the biggest alligator That ever cruised the everglades But oh, now, you’re just a shadow in the shade So you left your small bowl far behind, But now you wish that you had stayed The big fish in this ocean Have got you feelin' so afraid Still you climbed on up the ladder You thought you had it made, But your confidence was shattered By the song that a dreamer played Your hand full of bloody diamonds And your heart full of clubs and spades You gambled with poor people’s lives Now through your conscience you must pay Dogs barked their warnings And even donkeys brayed Oh, now, you’re just a shadow in the shade Oh, oh, oh, oh you’re just a shadow in the shade But it’s you they’ll be looking for in the heat of the day Oh, oh, oh, oh you’re just a shadow in the shade But it’s you they’ll be looking for in the heat of the day Then you had a little revelation So you went on your crusade But you were preaching to the converted There was no one to persuade Like the fool that struts and frets He’s out upon the stage You gave your best performance But no one follows your parade To be back where you were Now you’d give it all, your gold, your purse, your jade But nobody wants to take that fall There is no one willing to trade Little children see right through you They know it’s all a charade Oh man, you’re just a shadow in the shade Oh, oh, oh, oh you’re just a shadow in the shade But it’s you they’ll be looking for in the heat of the day Oh, oh, oh, oh you’re just a shadow in the shade But it’s you they’ll be looking for in the heat of the day Well you got your wake-up call But it was a little too late You thought you had handle on it all When you were holding on the blade Even so you just kept on working Trying to earn an honest wage But there is the price of everything On the day that you got paid When at last salvation found you So worn out and dismayed She was the image of perfection In the sunlight well arrayed She came dancing through the afternoon You tried to reach out and touch her braids But oh, man, you’re just a shadow in the shade Oh, oh, oh, oh you’re just a shadow in the shade But it’s you they’ll be looking for in the heat of the day Oh, oh, oh, oh you’re just a shadow in the shade But it’s you they’ll be looking for in the heat of the day Oh, oh, oh, oh you’re just a shadow in the shade But you’ll return tonight at the end of the day" The chorus suggests, to me, that people don't respect you or look up to you now, but in the future they will look for you for help. The body of the song suggests that you are just a failure or you're too late or something.. I dunno I can't make sense of it.
The body reminds me of someone who has a prominent future, but ends up becoming egotistical and hurts others to become bigger, which will leads to the subject's repeated downfall. Yet he still tries to rise. I think the chorus is the subject speaking to himself, telling him that although he may be small and weak, one day he will be very powerful. Just my little theories. Blue: Spoiler You had a revolutionary vision Of breaking down the barricades Red: Spoiler You thought you were the biggest alligator That ever cruised the everglades Pink: Spoiler Your hand full of bloody diamonds And your heart full of clubs and spades You gambled with poor people’s lives Orange: Spoiler Even so you just kept on working Purple and green are in the chorus.