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This article documents a current single. Information is likely to change as the song remains on the charts. |
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| "Shadow of the Day" | |||||
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| Single by Linkin Park from the album Minutes to Midnight |
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| Released | October 16, 2007 (US) November 12, 2007 (UK)[1] November 24, 2007 (AUS) |
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| Recorded | 2007 | ||||
| Genre | Alternative rock, synth rock | ||||
| Length | 4:17 (Single Version) 4:49 (Album Version) |
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| Label | Warner Bros. Records | ||||
| Writer | Mike Shinoda, Chester Bennington, Linkin Park | ||||
| Producer | Rick Rubin, Mike Shinoda | ||||
| Linkin Park singles chronology | |||||
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| Music sample | |||||
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"Shadow of the Day" Image:Shadow Of The Day - Linkin Park.ogg Problems? See media help. |
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"Shadow of the Day" is the third single from Linkin Park's third studio album, Minutes to Midnight. It was released on October 16. It was first played live during the Projekt Revolution tour in Auburn, Washington on July 25, 2007.
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Song structure and background information
The song opens with a reverse/edited keyboard loop, as mentioned in the booklet. The band experimented with several different versions of the keyboard loop, before deciding on the one used in the final version. Chester explained that they used over 60 different beats for this song until they found the suitable one. They also used different types of instruments like banjos at first, just experimenting on different styles until they came up with something that could fit the track. Like some of their other songs such as "Breaking the Habit" and "Faint", this song uses samples of live string ensemble recordings. The samples come in before the second verse starts. Distorted guitar elements are only played after the second chorus. The lead is an 8-bar phrase which is later raised an octave. The song is written in the key of B Major, the first major key the band has ever used. The end of the album version of the song, which is an instrumental piece, leads into the start of "What I've Done". It is the second-longest track on the album and features no vocals from Mike Shinoda. During the Projekt Revolution tour, Chester was playing the guitar while also singing the lyrics. These occasions are very rare for the band, since Brad Delson is the lead guitarist, and Mike usually plays the second guitar part. However, this is not the first song on which Bennington plays guitar, since "It's Goin' Down" was also performed with Bennington playing the guitar during Linkin Park and Fort Minor live performances. Many fans and critics have noted the similarities between the song's tempo and beat, and U2's "With or Without You".[2] When asked about the track, Mike Shinoda called it one of the most important tracks on the record, saying the following: "...There's always songs that stand out, and you kind of know those songs especially. You know they're going to make the record. And this song 'Shadow of The Day' was one of them."[3] The song was also used in a TV promo for CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
Track listings
CD 1
- "Shadow of the Day"
- "Bleed It Out" (Live From Projekt Revolution, Holmdel NJ, Aug. 29 '07) - 6:07
CD 2
- "Shadow of the Day"
- "Bleed It Out" (Live From Projekt Revolution, Holmdel NJ, Aug. 29 '07)
- "No More Sorrow" (Third Encore Session) - 3:45
7" Picture disc format
- "Shadow of the Day"
- "No More Sorrow" (Third Encore Session)
DVD
A promotional DVD was also released containing the music video.
Music video
The music video was directed by Joe Hahn.[4]
The music video was released to the internet on October 15. The video shows Chester Bennington waking up. His alarm clock reads 11:55, the current Doomsday Clock time, referencing the album title Minutes to Midnight and the song which is the 5th song on the album. The video is over four minutes long, meaning that the time at the end would be 11:59 PM, or one minute to midnight. Chester then watches the news, washes up, gets dressed, and goes outside. We then see that the video takes place in a war-torn world, where mass chaos is ensuing on the streets of the city. There is a lot of violence going on with many police and gunshots. Near the end of the video, a car is set on fire and bursts into flames as several people taking place in the riot throw molotov cocktails at police resulting in the Police Riot Control and SWAT teams opening fire and advancing while the mob of people retreat. Chester then stands in front of the burning car, while looking hopelessly at the carnage that surrounds him. He then turns towards the flames, and the video fades to black. There is also an alternate ending to the video, which shows Chester begin to walk away from the flames. The police open fire, and the video ends with a shot of Chester's bag falling to the ground. What actually happens to Chester is not revealed, but it can be assumed that he was shot and killed. [5] This is the only video so far with only Chester appearing, as Brad, Rob, Mike, Joe and Phoenix are absent in it. The video isn't completely dubbed by the song, meaning sound effects taking place in the video can be heard. It is also interesting to note when the music video was released on the Internet, during the scene where a person sets a car on fire, the sound effects of the glass bottle he threw shattering on the car and igniting on fire is out of sync with the video. However, this problem was fixed on the band's official YouTube page. The video has similarities to "From the Inside"; another riot-based video by the band. There is also a painting of a whale in the video; this is a reference to the "In the End" music video.
Chart performance
The song charted before its release on the Polish Singles Chart, and the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. It debuted on the U.S. Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart at #18, which is equivalent to #118. Two weeks later it debuted on the Hot 100 at #89, and has so far reached #29, becoming the band's second top forty hit on the chart from Minutes to Midnight. It has also so far reached #3 on the Modern Rock Chart and #15 on the Mainstream Rock Chart. The week "Shadow of the Day" jumped to the top twenty of the Modern Rock Chart, it made Linkin Park one of only three acts to simultaneously have three songs in the top twenty of the chart, since "Bleed It Out" was at #2, and "What I've Done" was at #13. U2 and R.E.M. are the other two bands to accomplish this feat. U2 did so in 1988 and 1992 and R.E.M. did so in 1988.[6] "Shadow of the Day" has so far peaked at #46 in the UK. It has debuted on the Canadian Muchmusic Countdown since the week of Thursday, November 1. It has so far reached #28 on the Canadian Hot 100. In Australia the song has debuted at #21, rising to #19 the week after; and the song has already reached the top twenty in New Zealand, so far at #14. The song also debuted high on the German Singles Chart, at #15. In Israel, the song debuted at #24, then one week later the song surprisingly jumped to #4 and later climbed to #3.
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia ARIA Singles Chart | 19 |
| Billboard Hot 100 | 27 |
| Billboard Pop 100 | 24 |
| Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 3 |
| Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 15 |
| Billboard Adult Top 40 | 13 |
| Billboard Hot Digital Songs | 21 |
| Brazilian Hot 100[7] | 31 |
| Canadian Hot 100[8] | 28 |
| Canada Muchmusic Countdown[9] | 16 |
| German Singles Chart | 15 |
| Israeli Singles Chart | 3 |
| Latvia Singles Chart Top 40 | 5 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 14 |
| Polish Singles Top 50[10] | 10 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 20 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 36 |
| UK Singles Chart | 46 |
| United World Chart | 13 |
External links
- Shadow of the Day lyrics
- Shadow of the Day music video on YouTube
- Shadow of the Day music video from LinkinPark.com (requires FLV Player)
- "Alternate end video" on YouTube
References
- ^ http://www.hmv.co.uk/hmvweb/simpleSearch.do?searchUID=4166888078555453456&pGroupID=-1&simpleSearchString=linkin+park+shadow&primaryID=-1
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwKIjlXYI7A YouTube.com
- ^ http://www.mtv.ca/news/article.jhtml?id=5857
- ^ Videostatic.com report on Shadow of the Day
- ^ Youtube video showing Shadow of the Day's alternate ending
- ^ [1]
- ^ Hot100Brasil
- ^ Billboard Canadian Hot 100
- ^ Muchmusic Countdown Website
- ^ Polish Top 50
