Page 18 - Black Velvet Issue 97

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special’ is a very bold statement of saying ‘We all live to love, we all fall apart; we’d all and you walk down the street, ask somebody
exactly that. You’re not special and neither go to war for the faint of heart. Instead we’re how they’re doing and genuinely care about
am I. What I’m saying by that is, you cannot condescending, there are no happy endings. how they are doing. That’s what it really
fixate and focus on what the world thinks I won’t hold my breath, I won’t cast a doubt, means.”
you are supposed to be. You have to be able I’d never sell you out, but I’ll give you one
to be comfortable with yourself, you have to last chance to own it because you’re not a t the end of the album recording, you
be able to be happy in your own skin and god or a poet’. By him pushing me, not, you Ahear a door closing. With milestones
you also have to be part of the solution, in know, literally pushing me, but guiding me in being reached both personally and profes-
my opinion, because there is already people a direction and going, ‘It’s not done, you sionally, we wonder whether there are any
causing problems. Be a part of a solution.” gotta finish it,’ I think that helped me tremen- doors Shinedown have closed, or want to
“Talking about wisdom and what have dously figure out those lyrics that were very close, now they’ve started the 6th chapter of
you, the bridge lyrics for ‘special’, at one essential in the bridge because that kind of the band’s career.
point were just, ‘You’re not a god or a poet’, makes sure that, hopefully, the audience “I’m way more a fan of the doors opening
there was nothing else but that in the bridge. know exactly where I’m coming from. It’s not than closing the doors. But I do think that
Eric turned to me and said, ‘The song’s not derogatory from the idea of you’re not spe- one thing for me, personally, it’s always been
done’, and I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’ and cial; like I said a moment ago, I’m not spe- difficult for me to celebrate. I don’t ever want
he was like ‘The song’s not done. You have cial. It’s about understanding that we all may to miss a step, you know what I mean? I’m
to tell the listener, you have to give them why be from a different background, a different always trying to outdo what I’ve already
the song was written and you have to do it in country, a different lineage, but we are all done. I always have to keep myself account-
this part. You’ve got the end, but in this par- from the same cloth. In my heart I believe able. I consider myself the hardest worker in
ticular part you have to finish the story. You that. We’re all the same inside and you know, the room and I expect the people around me
have to make sure the listener completely that song is about if you forgot how to be a to do the same. I’m only as good as the peo-
understands where you’re coming from’. human being, remember how to be a human ple that surround me though, because I
Thus, you go into the bridge now and it is, being. When you wake up tomorrow morning firmly believe in that it takes a village, it takes
SHINEDOWN