I Complain Too Much

Shadow: Comeback Trailer Analysis

I wanna be the top
I wanna be a rockstar
I want it all mine
I wanna be rich
I wanna be the king
I wanna go win
I wanna be...

I wanna be a rap star
I wanna be the top
I wanna be a rockstar
I want it all mine
I wanna be rich
I wanna be the king
I wanna be me
I want a big thing
Oh boy let me see
I got a big dream yeah

Woo I wondered everyday how far I'd go
I came to my senses and I find myself here
Yeah, hmm, shadow at my feet
Look down, it's gotten even bigger
I run but the shadow follows
As dark as the light's intense
I'm afraid, flying high is terrifying
No one told me
How lonely it is up here
I can leap in the air but also plunge
Now I know running away could be an option too, pause
People say, there's splendour in that bright light
But my growing shadow swallows me and becomes a monster
Up high, high, and higher, higher
I only go higher and vertigo overtakes me
I rise, rise, I hate it
I pray, pray, hoping to be okay

The moment I'm flying high as I wished
My shadow grows in that blasting stark light

Please don't let me shine
Don't let me down
Don't let me fly
Now I'm afraid
The moment I face myself brought lowest
It so happens that I'm flying the highest
Please don't let me shine
Don't let me down
Don't let me fly
Now I'm scared
Don't let me shine

I wanna be a rap star
I wanna be the top
I wanna be a rockstar
I want it all mine
I wanna be rich
I wanna be the king
I wanna go win
I wanna be...

I wanna be a rap star
I wanna be the top
I wanna be a rockstar
I want it all mine
I wanna be rich
I wanna be the king
I wanna be me I wanna be...

Yeah I'm you, you are me, now do you know
Yeah you are me, I'm you, now you do know
We are one body, sometimes we will clash
You can never break me off, this you must know
Yeah yeah can't break me off, whatever you do
Yeah you'll be at ease if you admit it too
Yeah succeed or fail, whichever way you flow
Yeah you can't escape, wherever you go I am you
You are me, now you do know
You are me, I am you, now do you know
We are one body and we are gonna clash
We are you, we are me, this do you know

Okay. First of all, holy shit. Obviously, this is a beautiful comeback trailer, visually and musically. Obviously, I'm dying. Yoongi is stunning, his work is always incredible, you get the idea. But I'm not here to talk about how excited I am. 

I asked on my message board if anyone would wanna hear my analysis of what's going on in this song, in this video, and what it means beyond the literal sense. The reason I did that is simple. The second time I watched this, when I actually read the lyrics (I always do that: first time without subtitles so I can focus on the MV, second with the lyrics so I know what it means), my English Lit brain kicked in. 

So where do we start? 

I'm gonna go through the song, start to finish, three times. First, to talk about the visuals and what they might mean. Then the lyrics. And then, if you'll forgive me for being a music nerd, the music elements that stand out to me. If at any point something makes no sense, let me know. And of course I'd love to hear your views on what all of this means. I really enjoy having conversations with the wonders about this kinda stuff. 

I've included the lyrics and the video itself to make your lives a little easier, and my own too. If I mention a specific moment, I'll give you a timestamp if it's important enough, so you can see the exact picture I'm discussing. A lot of these will be approximate, so please forgive if I'm a little out.