For My Sunday Song #321, we are starting our 10 song run with 10 songs from the band Shinedown. First up is the song “45” from their debut album ‘Leave a Whisper’ which was released on May 27, 2003. “45” is the second single on the album and was released on July 29th of that same year. It is a platinum selling single with over 1,000,000 in sales and it reached #3 on the US Mainstream Rock chart.

The song was written by Brent Smith and Tony Battaglia and was a little controversial for its lyrics. However, it wasn’t supposed to be a literal interpretation of the lyrics. The whole gun scenario was a metaphor. The song is really about that point in your life where you wake up, look at yourself in the mirror and decide that it is time to be you and make yourself happy. A coming of age story that sees you stepping in to adulthood. When you are looking in the mirror, you are forced to see yourself in the same way looking down a barrel of a gun makes you see who you really are.

People took it literal and as a result, MTV wanted to edit the video to remove a few of the lyrics from the video and they actually aired an edited version of the video without the bands consent. Brent Smith didn’t want it played because he felt the edit took away from the meaning of the song. The video was apparently removed, but it didn’t seem to harm the success of the song.

The song isn’t a ballad, but it is a slow tempo and the chorus does get all powerful. Brent’s vocals are sympathetic to the plight of figuring out who you are. You can feel the pain and struggle the person is going through during this critical time. There is such a serious tone to the music, yet it is empathetic sounding. The song builds to the chorus where Brent’s vocals soar and the music matches the intensity. Barry Kerch’s drums are so powerful and make you feel every ounce of struggle with every drum beat. It is a beautiful battle of the mind played through the music. Really well done.

Check out the video and let me know what you think. I hope you find it is mesmerizing as I do and it was the song that hooked me on to Shinedown way back in 2003. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a Happy Sunday and are comfortable with who you are.

“45”

Send away for a priceless gift
One not subtle, one not on the list
Send away for a perfect world
One not simply, so absurd
In these times of doing what you’re told
Keep these feelings, no one knows

What ever happened to the young man’s heart
Swallowed by pain, as he slowly fell apart

And I’m staring down the barrel of a 45
Swimming through the ashes of another life
No real reason to accept the way things have changed
Staring down the barrel of a 45

Send a message to the unborn child
Keep your eyes open for a while
In a box high up on the shelf, left for you, no one else
There’s a piece of a puzzle known as life
Wrapped in guilt, sealed up tight

What ever happened to the young man’s heart
Swallowed by pain, as he slowly fell apart

And I’m staring down the barrel of a 45
Swimming through the ashes of another life
No real reason to accept the way things have changed
Staring down the barrel of a 45

Everyone’s pointing their fingers
Always condemning me
And nobody knows what I believe
I believe

And I’m staring down the barrel of a 45
Swimming through the ashes of another life
No real reason to accept the way things have changed
Staring down the barrel of a 45

And I’m staring down the barrel of a 45
And I’m swimming through the ashes of another life
There’s no real reason to accept the way things have changed
Staring down the barrel of a 45

45
Staring down the barrel of a 45

Written by Brent Smith and Tony Battaglia