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Shadow Hand is a tune about the homoerotic fantasies of a man addicted to self gratification.
Unlike the DiVinyls “I touch myself”, Shadow Hand takes a slightly less direct approach to the topic. It is more like Billy Idol’s “Dancing with Myself” in that “shaking my shadow hand” provides a metaphoric phrase to describe self gratification . Let’s get to the lyrics…
“In light of all I?ve learned so far
I don?t believe I?m so strange
In spite of all this time I spend
Calling the air by a name”Though this character is debilitated by his obsession with self gratification, he clings to the thoughts that “it’s completely natural” or “everybody does it”. He is forced to call out to the empty space of his bedroom, as he lacks a partner.
“When the first light comes over the
Trees, he will be singing with me
And if I feel like singing alone,
He always leaves me be”
The character the freedom that comes with fantasy. He is free to include others in his thoughts as much or as little as he likes.“I?m shaking my shadow hand
As the sun moves round the bend”Shaking the shadow hand is an obvious reference to the self gratification acts of the song’s protagonist. It has commonly been referred to as shaking the Devil’s hand.
“With an imaginary man, and we?ll make
Believe around and around again”His hunger for homoerotic fantasy cannot be satisfied, as he must dedicate a great amount of time each day to fantasizing about these imaginary men.
“There?s a man out walking
Around in the night
A lantern in his hand
Looking all around, searching in vain,
For an honest man”The Greek Philosopher, Diogenes, was the world’s first cynic. He would famously wander around ancient Greece while carrying a lantern, claiming to be in search of an honest man. Diogenes was even known to shake his own shadow hand publicly in Athen’s public square.
Diogenes said this in praise of taking one’s temptations into one’s own hands:
“Would to heaven that it were enough to rub one’s stomach in order to allay one’s hunger.”“In my world of make-believe,
I talk to myself or my friend
If real life comes tempting me,
I?ll go back in my room again”The speaker seems to be afraid to pursue romantic encounters in real life, so when he feels tempted by another man, instead of attempting to get involved, he retreats to his room, where he is free to fantasize and all his dreams are played out in his pretend world.
“So nice to pretend, think I?ll do it again
No cards to send,
No torn heart to mend
A little imagination and then
A world of fantasy with my friend”Again the speaker is touting the advantages of self gratification over a real relationship. He describes how one never need worry about breaking up or repairing a damaged relationship. One only needs the ability to fantasize.
Funny… after reading this (and posting my sarcastic response a couple of minutes before going to bed) it made me think about how I had interpreted this song in the past. Honestly I don’t think I had put a great deal of thought toward it – but after giving it some thought I think the meaning is a little more obvious…
Perhaps a lonely guy who likes to make shadow puppets on his wall because his “friend” the shadow puppet never rejects him… As bleak of a scenario as that is, I find it more comforting than the closet homosexual mastabatory urges of a guy early in the morning in a dark room. Now I can sing along and not feel weird
This reminds me of something my American Lit. professor said once. It seems that there was some piece of literature that involved a young lady… probably 11 or 12, who decided to sneak out of her upstairs bedroom one night. Her escape involved sliding down a gutter downspout, and in the process she tore her dress and cut her inner thigh. The imagary obviously pointed to some kind of innocence lost, and everyone in the literature “business” agreed that it was crystal clear what the author intended. Then, at a conference, the actual author was there… and this point came up in a discussion. He started laughing uncontrollably… long story short – he never meant it that way. It was just what it was… she just tore her dress and cut herself.
Heath
Actually the song is about how kids and sometimes us grown ups when alone we create imaginary friends to keep us company. Kids do this all the time…I know I have a 4yr daughter and 5yr son…big imaginations can run wild and create all kinds of characters and friends.
I think I may have heard this interpretation mentioned in a live download at sometime.
MonicaA very interesting interpretation….
The explanation of which Monica is speaking can be found in the Sept. 13,2004, London solo show.
Bruce says:
“It’s about one of my sons-or actually both my sons- who had these imaginary friends. They had names for them and all. And I always thought it was a very interesting thing, they would talk about these imaginary friends of theirs to us and tell us what they were doing. And I sort of thought to myself, ‘You know, there was a time in my school years/college years where I was living alone for so long and I probably was talking to the wall myself and had my own imaginary friend.’ So this is sort of based on that.”Jackie
😮 LOL, you ol’ SCKBSTD!
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar! 😆 Happy April 1!
My own imaginary friend’s name was Jimmy … until one night, when I asked my parents for some cookies — and they told me I had to share with him. It was then, alas, that I had to inform them of Jimmy’s untimely demise. 😥
I’d be lying, though, if I said this interpretation of the song hadn’t crossed my sick mind! 👿
And Shadow Hands IS on the “World’s Greatest Dad” soundtrack, which would be ironic, considering the manner of death of one of the characters!Vic
Who is “SCKBSTD”?
Why did this poster name him/herself after a BH work?
What’s up with the sublimely stupid/self-parodic analysis of “Shadowhand”? (Especially when one can easily ascertain the lyrical meaning of said tune.)
Why does this poster only have one post, AND it was on 4/1?
Who’s zooming who, people? SCKBSTD, quit jerking us around…pun intended.
I’d love to see some more ‘interpretations’ of BH tunes, if you’ve got the, ahem, balls… 😆
TBSTD
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