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SHE’S JUST A SHADOW ON A WALL  

by

shadowdancer4_SPFW-1221x910

(artist unknown)

‘I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song,

I just can’t remember who to send it to’

From the song ‘Fire & Rain’ by James Taylor, 1970

When writing lyrics for acoustic songs it’s sometimes easy to get stuck for words that fit the melody or vice versa. A bit like trying to put a small t-shirt on an XXL frame. Besides, I’m not a natural poet. When this happens, my fall-back position comes from when I spent a couple of years studying decades of lyrics written by great songwriters. Of all the ‘fall back positions’ I found/read, the two lines above work best for me. To me they tell a story as well as influence a creative a mood. Simple genius, often inspiring.

Anyhow, back in December 2016 I posted my song, ‘Just a Shadow on a Wall’ from my concept album ‘Liquid Truth’. The ‘concept’ of that album was my take on Plato’s ‘Allegory of The Cave’.  When I posted it back then I didn’t include the lyric. Now I’m posting the words written raw before they became a song – before the music arrived. I remember it was the key track to the album in terms of developing songs to fit the allegory. Maybe read ‘raw’ it’s not a poem, just my words. 

JUST A SHADOW ON A WALL

You draw a line; a line in the dirt

I ask you what it’s for

You tell me I can cross it

You should have told me more

You tell me that; you tell that it’s time

For you to set me free

Unshackled from these chains

I might find my destiny

Nothing is so precious

That it cannot be undone

By word or by the dagger

Or a step towards the sun

You tell me you; you tell me you got bored

With the game that we play

That you want for me to move on

You’d be grateful anyway

I ask you if; I ask you if you’ll grant me

Just one final wish

Just the one final wish

‘Can the dancer travel with me?’

You take some time out thinking

Then you treat me like a fool

You laugh as you remind me

She’s just a shadow on a wall

…A shadow on the wall

Whatever, here’s one of my older numbers that I haven’t posted for an age and a day. It’s about a subject close to my heart, namely the way mankind is treating our Planet Earth. It’s called ‘Red Planet’. I hope you enjoy and by the way, the links to my two latest albums are on the side of this page if you’re interested in listening or buying – just click on the pics. Have a good week, Zoolon aka George.


Apart from the unknown photographer – Copyright © 2013 Zoolon Audio.  All rights reserved.  Unauthorized copying, reproduction, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting prohibited.

30 thoughts on “SHE’S JUST A SHADOW ON A WALL  ”

  2. A shadow on the wall — yeah, I love that Allegory of the Cave and its wisdom still applies even at this age. People at best are still fixated with the shadows on the wall.

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    1. At uni I researched so many artist so as to get my songwriting module plus my own songwriting the best it could be. James Taylor’s classic was a thing I listened to time and time again. I understand he wrote Fire & Rain in Twickenham (south of London) the day he heard that his friend Suzanne had died. A classic lyric.

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  6. I love the bittersweet touch that the narrator asks for the dancer. It makes me wonder upon the story: was the dancer always the shadow? Was the dancer changed into a shadow? What changed her? Oy, I think the Nyquil hangover’s on me again…but honestly, beautiful lyric here, George. x

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    1. Thanks. Here’s the actual song from the album (only a demo version). It was the pivotal track take on the allegory. Given the prisoner only ever knew shadows, it’s hard to say if he ever got to see the girl ballet dancer cast her shadow. I wonder what would have happened if he did – certainly it would blow the allegory apart. Probably that would be a good thing.

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      1. Oh, I don’t know. So much can be embodied in a dance. But I’m glad you didn’t reveal her–there’s something special about a life lived among nothing touchable.

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      2. If I had the time I’d love to do the whole Allegory of The Caveconcept album again and make more use of the shadow ballerina. More like a fairytale than a bit of philosophy.

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    1. Thank you. I just followed your blog. I like the way it reads like a meandering diary, like a herd of thoughts. I’d say your content is already splendid.

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